Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card been one of the most popular rewards credit cards since Chase debuted it over 10 years ago. The card remains a mainstay of the Chase Ultimate Rewards family. We typically recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) as the first card for those starting in the points and miles hobby. In this Chase Sapphire Preferred review, we will take a look at the welcome offer, the earning structure, card perks and share our overall thoughts. UPDATE 6/15/26: The new changes, which we outlined here, are now live—along with a 100K welcome offer!
Sapphire Preferred's Current Welcome Offer
Here is the current Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offer terms:
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- The $95 annual fee is NOT waived the first year.
Chase Application Rules
Like other Chase cards, you will not qualify for this card if you have opened more than 5 credit cards with any bank in the last 24 months. Here are the other offer terms displayed on the application page as well:
This credit card is unavailable to you if you currently have this card open. The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card. We may also consider the number of cards you have opened and closed in determining your bonus eligibility.
For more details on all of the offer terms for this card be sure to check our complete guide on the new Chase application rules.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: Earning Rates
Here are the earning rates for the Chase Sapphire Preferred:
- 5X on travel when purchased through Chase Travel℠(excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $100 Annual Chase Travel℠ Hotel Credit).
- 3X on
- Dining
- Gas and EV charging
- Vacation homes
- Online grocery (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- Select streaming services
- 2X on other travel purchases.
- 1X on all other eligible purchases
Sapphire Preferred Card Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with a slew of benefits for cardholders, here are some of the more notable ones:
- Earn up to $100 each account anniversary year on hotel stays purchased through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026.
- Complimentary DashPass and a monthly $10 promo on non-restaurant orders. Must be activated by 12/31/27.
- One statement credit of up to $120 every four years for an application to Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver.
- This benefit provides reimbursement for damage due to collision or theft up to the actual cash value of most rental vehicles. Since the CSP's coverage is primary, you do not have to file a claim with any other party before you can receive coverage under this benefit.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance coverage.
- If your trip is cut short or interrupted by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can receive reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses on up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.
- Baggage delay insurance.
- If your checked bag is delayed by more than six hours, the CSP provides reimbursement for up to $100 per day for up to five days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing.
- Emergency evacuation and transportation.
- If you or a covered traveler are injured or become sick during a trip 100 miles or more from home and it results in an emergency evacuation, the CSP can cover medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
Ultimate Rewards Redemption Potential
You may be able to book travel at higher rates in the Chase Travel℠ portal thanks to their Points Boost program. You may see increased rates at select travel options at the following rates:
- Up to 1.5 cents on eligible Points Boost airline and hotel bookings
- Up to 1.75 cents on eligible Points Boost premium cabin airline bookings
- 1 cent on every other travel bookings that are not Points Boost eligible
Redeeming Ultimate Rewards through the portal is only one of the ways to score free flights with your Chase points. As with other Ultimate Rewards earning cards, you can transfer your points to any of Chase’s airline or hotel transfer partners, which we'll outline below.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: Chase Transfer Partners
Unlike points and miles earned with a specific airline or hotel brand, Chase URs can be transferred to Chase's roster of travel partners—which is one of the strongest in the industry. Partners include airlines like Air Canada, Air France/KLM, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and many more. Hotel partners include Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Wyndham. Points transfer at a ratio of 1:1 to partners, with the exception of Hyatt. (Transfers to that hotel program will be at a 4:3 ratio for new cardholders after 6/15/26; existing Sapphire Preferred will stay at 1:1 until 10/1/26.) This means every time you swipe your CSP, you could earn 1x, 2x, 3x or 5x points with a range of partners.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: Final Thoughts
We typically recommend most folks to start with Chase cards because of the 5/24 rule. And of all the Chase cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card really is the best option for most of those starting off in award travel. The card and its benefits are easy to use and understand. Dining, gas, vacation homes and travel are straightforward bonus categories that can benefit most travelers. The breadth of Chase's travel partners offers something for everyone, though those who value World of Hyatt should have Chase Sapphire Reserve and/or the Sapphire Reserve For Business as well.
The CSP is often the starting point for the Chase Trifecta. Through this powerful trio of Chase cards, you can earn between 1.5x and 5x on every single purchase. This means your Chase points will accumulate much faster, allowing you to redeem for your dream trip even sooner! How will you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for your dream vacation? Join our Facebook group and share your thoughts!
