Here’s How to Take Advantage of Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 60,000 Bonus Points and Travel Benefits

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our most highly recommended credit cards, in large part because it offers cardholders an immense amount of long-term value.

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

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• Our Rating 5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
• APR21.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
• Annual Fee$95
• Sign Up Bonus 60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info

  Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the gold standards for earning travel rewards. It has a generous sign-up bonus and you can earn points on travel and dining expenses. The card does have an annual fee, but you can continue earning points through bonus categories and an anniversary points boost.

• Overview
• Pros & Cons

Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is pretty flexible as it lets you transfer rewards points into miles or points several airlines and hotel programs. You can take advantage of strong transfer partners such as United, Southwest, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Hyatt. Similarly, you can book any reservation you want through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. Although the card might not be ideal for the most frequent travelers, it has a built-in upgrade path, so when it’s time to level up your travel rewards game, you won’t have to start from scratch.

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Pros

• Points are easily transferable to airlines and hotel partners
• Accelerated earnings on dining, travel & household purchases
• Excellent travel and purchase protections
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Not ideal for the highest spenders
• $95 annual fee

In addition to a huge sign-up bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers cardholders valuable travel and purchase protections like trip cancellation insurance, flight delay coverage and lost luggage reimbursements for you and your immediate family.

Here's how the Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus and rewards rates can help you maximize your travel costs.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Sign-Up Bonus

With the Sapphire Preferred card, you can earn 60,000 bonus points —when you spend $4,000 in your first three months—valued at $750 in travel rewards when redeemed for Chase Travel℠. In other words, just for using the card to make everyday purchases you've already budgeted for, like dining and auto repair, you can earn a trip to Hawaii later in the year. Keep those positive island thoughts in mind while you're filling up your gas tank during the cold of winter.

Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you three months to earn this introductory bonus. That means if you're approved for your card on September 5th, you'll have until December 5th to spend that first $4,000 and unlock your bonus points.

Just keep in mind that this card comes with a $95 annual fee, and you can only score the current sign-up bonus if you don't already have an active card in the Sapphire family and haven't received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card within the past 48 months.

Recommended Credit Card Bonuses

Credit Card	Intro Bonus	Annual Fee	Rewards Rate	Learn More
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Now	1.5%Extra Cash Back More Info Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.	$0	1.5% - 5%Cashback More Info Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.	Apply Now
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too.	Apply Now
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	20,000Points More Info Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. Dollar Equivalent: $200 (20,000 Points * 0.01 base)	$0	1x - 3xPoints More Info Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.	$0	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	Apply Now Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards Rate

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers several bonus categories that give this already popular travel credit card even more value.

• Travel Booked via Chase: 5x points per dollar
• Dining (Including Eligible Takeout and Delivery): 3x points per dollar
• Select Streaming Services: 3x points per dollar
• Online Grocery Purchases (Excluding Target, Walmart and Wholesale Clubs): 3x points per dollar
• Other Travel: 2x points per dollar
• Other Purchases: 1x points per dollar

Travel Benefits

Cardholders also get a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit that is automatically applied to the first $50 in annual hotel expenses booked through Chase Travel℠. This statement credit essentially reduces the card's $95 annual fee to only $45.

Plus, cardmembers will receive a 10% anniversary point boost based on however many points they earned the prior year. For example, if you earned 20,000 points using your Chase Sapphire Preferred, then you would receive 2,000 points on your card anniversary.

4 Reasons to Book Travel With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred is a particularly versatile card, and it's a smart choice when you're new to travel rewards credit cards in general. The annual fee might seem scary if you've never paid for a credit card before, but that fee is a small change when you consider all of the travel benefits and freebies you'll receive. Here are a few of our favorite perks.

1. 25% More Value With Travel Redemption

Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, but they can also be transferred to airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio.

For example, you could redeem 15,000 points for a free night in a Hyatt hotel that costs several hundred dollars a night. Or, you could transfer 150,000 points to frequent flyer miles and redeem them for a business class ticket to Europe that could cost over $5,000.

Pair the Sapphire Preferred with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card and you can transfer your cash back to the Ultimate Rewards program as points. The Freedom Unlimited earns a generous 5% back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores and 1.5% back on all purchases, which is more lucrative than the 1:1 points you'll earn on non-eligible spending with the Sapphire Preferred.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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Secure application on issuer’s website

• Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
• APR20.49% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Annual Fee$0
• Sign Up Bonus 1.5%Extra Cash Back More Info

  Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

We like that the card offers a high flat rewards rate but also provides accelerated rewards on some common everyday spending categories. You’ll also get access to the Chase Travel portal, which allows you to use your cash-back earnings for travel rewards, gift cards and more. If you make this your primary card for most purchases you can quickly rack up a lot of rewards.

• Overview
• Pros & Cons

Overview

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is unique for a couple of reasons. First, it comes with purchase protection and extended warranty protection you don’t see with some other cash-back cards. Second, you earn cash back in the form of points (Chase Ultimate Rewards) and when paired with another annual-fee earning Chase product, you can get even more value if you love to travel by transferring to partners.

That’s because while the Freedom cards are marketed as cash-back credit cards, they actually offer points. You can use those points to book travel through Chase at a rate of 1 cent per point. But if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll get 25% and 50% more value on those travel redemptions, respectively. (Plus, the ability to transfer your points, too.)

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Pros

• No category bonuses to remember; earn at least 1.5% back on everything
• No annual fee
• Generous travel and purchase protection benefits

Cons

• Can't transfer Chase points unless paired with another annual-fee Chase product

For example, spending $1,000 on purchases other than travel and dining, the Sapphire Preferred will only earn 1x point per dollar spent. This will earn you 1,000 points that can be redeemed for $12.50 toward travel. However, spend that same $1,000 with the Freedom Unlimited card, and you'll earn 1.5% cash back. However, if you transfer your $15 cash back to the Sapphire Ultimate Rewards portal, you'll have $18.75 to spend on travel instead.

Related Article

Chase Travel Rewards: Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards

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2. Trip Delay Reimbursement

Travel delays are a common nuisance for travelers, especially during unexpected inclement weather. If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, then you, your spouse or domestic partner and children under 26 are covered for unreimbursed expenses (such as meals and lodging) up to $500 per ticket.

3. Trip Cancellation Insurance

Life happens. If illness or severe weather threatens your travel plans, don’t worry: Sapphire Preferred has you covered. Even if you purchased nonrefundable travel, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per eligible trip. This coverage applies to flights as well as tours and hotels paid for with your Sapphire Preferred.

4. Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Did baggage claim get a little too rough with your luggage? Chase Sapphire Preferred covers up to $3,000 in lost or damaged luggage for you or an immediate family member. If your baggage is delayed by the carrier, the card reimburses up to $100 a day for up to five days.

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Your Sapphire Preferred Spending Plan: Turn Everyday Spending Into Travel

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the gold standards for earning travel rewards. It starts you off with a generous sign-up bonus and continues to offer strong value by allowing you to earn double points on travel and dining expenses. Here's how to use maximize the travel-earning potential of your new Sapphire Preferred card:

• In addition to earning the 60,000-point bonus, you'll also earn points on your purchases. Spend a portion of those points on travel and dining, and you'll earn 2x-5x points per dollar.
• Plan to open the card during the time you'll do the bulk of your spending. You can even add an authorized user to hit your spending minimum faster.
• If you're still struggling to hit $4,000 worth of expenses, consider booking future travel now or book travel with a friend or relative and have them reimburse you for their half.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a user-friendly card with great travel perks. But when it comes time to redeem your rewards for travel, this credit card really shines. You can take advantage of some really strong transfer partners such as United, Southwest, Singapore, Virgin Atlantic and Hyatt. Or you can easily book any reservation you want through Chase Travel℠. Plus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus is among our picks for the best credit card bonuses.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too.	Apply Now
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Apply Now	50,000Southwest Rapid Rewards Points More Info Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $700 (50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points * 0.014 base)	$69	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.	Apply Now
United Gateway℠ Card Apply Now	20,000United MileagePlus Miles More Info Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Dollar Equivalent: $280 (20,000 United MileagePlus Miles * 0.014 base)	$0	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2X United miles per dollar on United purchases, local transit and commuting and at gas stations. You’ll earn 1X mile per dollar on all other purchases.	Apply Now
Citi Premier® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	60,000Citi ThankYou Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after making $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,080 (60,000 Citi ThankYou Points * 0.018 base)	$95	1X-10XPoints More Info 10X total ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets 1X -- Earn 1 Point on All Other Purchases	Apply Now Rates & Fees