Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Worth It?
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Written by
Sarah Silbert
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could be worth it if you want to earn valuable travel rewards without paying a premium-level annual fee. It strikes a strong balance of easy points earning, flexible redemption options, key travel protections and everyday perks with brands like DoorDash that make the $95 annual fee well worth it for many people.
If you’re an experienced award traveler who takes several trips per year, other cards with more perks (and often higher annual fees) could be a better option. But the Sapphire Preferred Card is my go-to recommendation for beginner to intermediate travelers who want to earn flexible travel points without juggling several other cards or keeping track of miles-long lists of benefits with asterisks attached.
Quick Verdict
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best all-around travel credit cards, and it’s absolutely worth considering if you want to earn valuable points and get strong travel protections in exchange for a reasonable annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee is $95, which is a lot easier to stomach than the $795 annual fee on the more premium Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which also earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. You’ll get many more benefits on the Sapphire Reserve, but if you’re not a big spender and you only travel a few times a year, you probably won’t use them all, anyway.
Several standout Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits make this card a great fit for savvy occasional travelers. For one, the Ultimate Rewards points you earn are some of the most flexible rewards in the game; you can use them to book travel directly through Chase or through over a dozen airline and hotel transfer partners. The card also comes with a strong welcome offer that sets you up with a nice stash of points to start your award travel journey. Beyond that, you get travel insurance, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and trip delay reimbursement, all of which can soften the blow if your travel plans go awry.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: At a Glance
- Annual Fee: $95
- Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Rewards structure: Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.
- Statement credits and perks: Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠, complimentary DashPass membership, a $120 annual value (activate by Dec. 31, 2027), $10 DoorDash promo each month ($120 annually) with DashPass membership, annual points bonus after each account anniversary equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
- Estimated value: $290 annually, not counting rewards earned from spending on the card
Who Should Consider Chase Sapphire Preferred?
If you’re relatively new to travel rewards or you just don’t travel enough to make a premium travel rewards card worth the high annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is definitely worth a look.
It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, which are some of the most valuable, flexible points on the market. While you can redeem them directly through the Chase Travel portal, you’ll get the most value when you transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s travel partners, which include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, JetBlue TrueBlue, United Mileage Plus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
Ultimate Rewards were my entry point into award travel, and I became hooked when I saw how much value I could get out of the World of Hyatt award chart, in particular. I’ve also transferred Chase points to United, especially when I was a United loyalist and was able to use Ultimate Rewards points to top off my MileagePlus balance to book award flights.
Not only do you earn solid rewards on everyday spending, including 3x points on dining and 2x points on travel booked outside of the Chase Travel portal, but the card also offers a solid welcome bonus. It’s currently 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That welcome offer is a great way to fund your first award trip or to jump-start your points stash for an even bigger vacation that requires more rewards.
Another big reason to consider the Sapphire Preferred Card is the travel coverage it offers when you use this card to book travel. It offers best-in-class trip insurance, including coverage if your baggage is lost or delayed, trip delay insurance to cover necessities like meals and lodging, and a travel emergency assistance hotline.
Who Should Skip Chase Sapphire Preferred?
If you don’t care about earning rewards you can redeem for travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card won’t fit your needs. Some credit card users prefer to earn cash back, which they can use to cancel out their credit card balances and put money back in their pockets. Many cash-back credit cards have no annual fee, to boot, so if you don’t think you’ll take advantage of the Ultimate Rewards program’s travel redemption options, you’re better off skipping this card.
Also note that the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card requires a credit score in the good to excellent range (670 to 850 on FICO’s scale) to be eligible to apply. If your credit score falls below that tier, you’re better off applying for cards targeted toward average or fair credit scores. Keep in mind that you can always apply for the card at a later date after improving your score.
On the other side of the scale, some people prefer more bells and whistles than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has to offer. For example, many premium travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card® from American Express, an advertising partner, offer airport lounge access and annual statement credits that apply to specific types of travel purchases.
If you travel a lot and are reasonably sure you’ll be able to take advantage of these perks, getting a premium travel card could be the right move. Just be sure to take a careful look at all the benefits and their terms and conditions — for instance, many of the statement credits on American Express cards are divided into multiple credits throughout the year. That means you’ll have to make more purchases to take full advantage.
How To Maximize Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Value
Earn Maximum Bonus Points on Dining, Lyft and More
Beyond making sure you earn the intro bonus by meeting the minimum spending requirement in the first three months, keep the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card handy in your wallet so you can take advantage of the bonus points it offers on certain spending categories.
The 3x points on dining and online grocery purchases are especially valuable, and it’s a smart card to use as payment for streaming services, since select services qualify for 3x points as well.
If you use the ride-share app Lyft, you’ll want to keep the card as your default payment option, since it earns 5x points on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027.
Finally, this one’s a little more niche, but if you’re planning to buy a Peloton stationary bike or any accessories, use the card to earn 5x points on purchases over $150 through Dec. 31, 2027.
Book at Least One Hotel Stay Through Chase Travel a Year
To take full advantage of the card, you’ll also want to book at least one hotel stay through Chase Travel a year to use the up to $50 annual hotel statement credit.
This credit will automatically be applied to your account when you use the card to book a hotel through Chase Travel, and the benefit resets each account year, which is based on when you first sign up for the card.
Sign Up for DashPass, But Don’t Forget To Mark It on Your Calendar
You’ll also want to activate the complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which represents a $120 value over 12 months. The membership gets you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible delivery orders when you activate the benefit by Dec. 31, 2027.
This membership lasts for at least a year; if you enroll by Dec. 31, 2026, your expiration date will be Dec. 31, 2027. If you activate the benefit in 2027, your membership will expire one year from the date of activation.
As a DashPass member, you’ll also get a $10 promo each month that applies to groceries, retail orders and more, also through Dec. 31, 2027.
Especially if you already use DoorDash, these perks are quite handy. Just remember to make a note in your calendar for when your DashPass expires (the date will depend on when you enroll), since you’ll be charged out of pocket after the complimentary membership runs out.
Final Verdict on the Chase Sapphire Preferred
For anyone who wants one of the best travel rewards cards at a moderate annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a great pick.
At the $95 annual fee level, it’s hard to beat this card’s mix of rewards, valuable travel coverage benefits, DoorDash perks for everyday use and an annual hotel statement credit worth up to $50.
Seasoned travelers may want to spring for a more premium card to get extra features like airport lounge access and a longer list of statement and shopping credits, but if you just want to earn valuable points toward travel on your everyday spending and have peace of mind that you’re protected when you book trips, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is an excellent choice.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Chase Sapphire Preferred
What are the downsides of the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Downsides of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card include that it requires a good to excellent credit score to be eligible to apply, and that it charges a relatively high APR on purchases (19.99% - 28.24% Variable). Avoid carrying a balance while using this card, and all cards, for that matter, whenever possible.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred a hard card to get?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card isn’t necessarily a hard card to get, though you will generally need a credit score in the good to excellent range (FICO score of 670 to 850) to qualify. Also, be mindful of the Chase 5/24 rule, an unwritten policy that prevents those who’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months from getting approved for most Chase credit cards.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred for rich people?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card isn’t necessarily for rich people. The card has a moderate annual fee of $95, and as long as your credit score is in good shape, you could qualify even if you don’t consider yourself wealthy.
Can the Chase Sapphire Preferred get into lounges?
No, you can’t get into lounges through the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Its more premium sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, offers access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
What airlines partner with Chase Sapphire Preferred?
You can transfer the Ultimate Rewards points you earn through the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to several different airline transfer partners. These include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, Air France/KLM, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United and Virgin Atlantic. You can redeem points for travel on even more airlines if you book through Chase Travel.
