Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

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When traveling, you make sure to pack your passport, wallet and other essentials. Bringing a good travel credit card is just as important. You’ll want one that waives foreign transaction fees, offers complimentary trip insurance and helps you earn rewards along the way.

Only a few cards check all of these boxes for just the $95-per-year price point. That’s what makes the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card one of the most recognizable travel rewards cards out there. It's jam-packed with travel benefits that can easily be worth thousands every year. And since it’s offering a limited-time welcome offer, you’ll want to decide if you should apply for the card before it’s too late. Here's what you need to know.

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

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

  Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. 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 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.

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

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the gold standards for earning travel rewards. This travel credit card helps users earn points quickly with accelerated rewards in everyday spending categories like travel and dining.

Cardholders enjoy perks like a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, 10% anniversary point boost and access to the Chase Travel℠ portal.

New cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus points after using their credit card to spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. This bonus is worth $750 in travel reservations booked through Chase Travel℠, but potentially more when transferred to airline and hotel partners.  Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Current Welcome Offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card 

Without a doubt, 60,000 points is a lot of points. But what are they actually worth? 

Each point is worth 1.25 cents when booking flights, hotels, car rentals and more through Chase. 

However, you can stretch the value of your points—reaching our latest estimations of over 2 cents per Ultimate Rewards point—when you transfer your points directly to Chase’s unique travel partners, such as Southwest, United, Hyatt and many more. You’ll want to read up on our guide for the best uses of Chase Ultimate Rewards, which can help get considerably more value from your 60,000 bonus points. 

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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 TravelSM, 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 TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases	Apply Now
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	Apply Now
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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

Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

For starters, Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn a ton of bonus points on travel and everyday purchases:

In addition, here are other benefits for travelers:

• $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit when booking your stay through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
• Earn 10% bonus points based on your card spend in a year, every cardmember anniversary.
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for free deliveries on eligible orders of $12 or more and reduced service fees for at least one year when activated by December 31, 2027.
• Primary rental car insurance, covering theft or damage up to the actual value of the rental car.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, reimbursing up to $10,000 per person or up to $20,000 per trip.
• Trip delay reimbursement, reimbursing up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12 hours (or more) or requires an overnight stay.
• Baggage delay insurance, reimbursing up to $100 per day (for up to five days) if your bag is delayed by six hours or greater.
• Purchase protection, reimbursing up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account for new purchases against damage or theft, up to the first 120 days.
• Extended warranty protection, adds an additional year of protection on an item with an eligible U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less. 

All of these protections and benefits come with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which is pretty impressive for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Who Should Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a great pick for a lot of travelers, but we’ll go over a few specific scenarios where the Chase Sapphire Preferred really knocks it out of the park. 

You're Looking for Your First Travel Credit Card

For those who are moving on from their cash-back cards to their first travel card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card will strike gold for most people. 

You’ll quickly earn points you can redeem for flights, hotel nights, group tours and more, significantly reducing the cost of your travel expenses. The Chase Travel℠ portal is also easy to navigate, and you can redeem your points at a moment’s notice—without any required amount of points you need to save up first.

Finally, the $95 annual fee isn’t as intimidating as other travel cards that charge north of $695 per year. Still, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card manages to offer a range of competitive perks and a strong rewards currency that is best for booking “free” travel.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	Apply Now
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Apply Now	85,000Southwest Rapid Rewards Points More Info Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,190 (85,000 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
Citi Custom Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.	$0	1% - 5%Cashback More Info Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	70,000Citi ThankYou® Points More Info Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. Dollar Equivalent: $1,260 (70,000 Citi ThankYou® Points * 0.018 base)	$95	1X-10XPoints More Info 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations 1x -- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases	Apply Now Rates & Fees

You Want to Earn Flexible Travel Rewards

When you open a credit card with an airline, you’ll earn and redeem miles within that frequent flier program. Similarly, when you open a credit card with a hotel chain, you can only earn and redeem points within that loyalty program.

For the most wiggle room, you’ll want to earn flexible travel rewards rather than being locked into one program. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are touted as one of the best flexible rewards currencies out there, and for good reason. You can essentially transform your points to flights on any airline or into hotel stays at a chain, independent property or home rental—and more. 

Finally, many airline and hotel currencies have significantly devalued in the last decade or so. What your points and miles were worth years ago may not afford you the same amount of luxury now—so again, travel rewards points that aren’t tied to one brand are the way to go. 

Related Article

Chase Travel Rewards: Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards

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You Want Travel Protections

Every trip you book with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card automatically becomes protected thanks to its long list of complimentary travel protections. You may even want to apply for this card merely for the peace of mind you’ll gain.

As we head into the busy summer season, flight delays and other travel mishaps are common. Rather than purchasing individual travel or car rental insurance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a great way to protect yourself—and for relatively minimal cost.

If you’re filing a claim for reimbursement with any of the protections afforded to you, be sure to keep track of all receipts and proper documentation. In the event of a travel emergency, these protections can rescue the day by saving you thousands of dollars. 

Who Shouldn’t Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card? 

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Here are some examples of when the Chase Sapphire Preferred isn’t the best card for you.

You're Getting Your First Credit Card

You’ll want a good or excellent credit score to maximize your chances of approval. If you’ve only ever had a debit card and have no credit history to report, your application for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card will most likely be denied. Fortunately, you can build up your credit portfolio over time and eventually work toward applying the Chase Sapphire Preferred. 

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Citi Double Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.	2%Cashback More Info Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
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 TravelSM, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.	1.5% - 5%Cashback More Info Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases	Apply Now
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.	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
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)	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

You Can't Meet the Welcome Offer Spend Requirement

If you’re unable to meet the spend requirement needed to earn the Chase Sapphire Preferred card's bonus, you lose the opportunity to earn the welcome offer for good. 

Plus, you don’t want to make unnecessary purchases (and potentially fall into debt) just to unlock the welcome offer. Before you apply, you’ll want to feel comfortable that you’re getting enough value from the card to justify paying the $95 annual fee. 

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You Don’t Meet Chase’s 5/24 Rule

Although it’s an unpublished rule, the issuer will most likely deny your application if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. This rule of thumb applies to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or any other Chase card you may be interested in.

In addition, the issuer has strict rules on who can receive a new welcome offer for previous cardholders of any Chase Sapphire-branded card. If you’ve held the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve in the past 48 months, you’re ineligible to receive the current welcome offer. Be sure to backtrack and see if it’s been at least four years since you’ve earned the bonus; otherwise, you won’t be able to see those 60,000 bonus points in your account.

Bottom Line

No card is perfect, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the top contenders. Any prospective applicant should read over and understand the breadth of these benefits, as they can truly unlock so many travel possibilities for a fraction of the cost of other cards.

Ready to apply? Start here.

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Featured photo courtesy of Marriott.