Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card review: Full details

Estimated read time 8 min read

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best-known travel rewards credit cards, earning 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ and Lyft purchases, 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. These valuable points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

At TPG, one of the most common questions we get asked is, “which travel credit card should I start with?”

We almost universally recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card because it earns one of our favorite rewards currencies and comes with valuable perks for a low annual fee. In fact, many of us started our journey into points and miles with this card.

Because of this — and so much more — the Chase Sapphire Preferred remains a top pick among TPG staffers year after year. Whether you’re planning to book travel via Chase Travel or redeem your hard-earned points for airfare or hotel stays by transferring to airline and hotel partners, the Sapphire Preferred provides outstanding value.

Designed for frequent and casual travelers and with a $95 annual fee, it’s an especially good choice for beginners.

TPG recommends applicants have a credit score of at least 670 to qualify for the Sapphire Preferred, but it’s not unheard of for someone to be approved with a lower score.

Here’s what you need to know about the Sapphire Preferred if you’re thinking about adding it to your wallet.

Chase Sapphire Preferred pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Earn multiple points per dollar on things like travel and dining
  • Valuable welcome bonus
  • Premium travel protection benefits, including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance and lost luggage insurance

Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer

The Chase Sapphire Preferred features a welcome offer of 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

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THE POINTS GUY

This haul of points is worth a minimum of $750 when redeemed for travel through the Chase portal, but you can maximize value by utilizing Chase’s transfer partners. According to TPG’s December 2024 valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,230.

Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for maximum value

Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits

In addition to the welcome bonus, there are many appealing perks to being a Sapphire Preferred cardholder.

You’ll receive a statement credit of up to $50 on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel upon opening the card and on each account anniversary. It’s automatically applied to your account each year when you make an eligible charge. Note, however, that the $50 credit does not earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

CHASE.COM

I always use this hotel credit when I am overseas in a small city with no chain hotels where I won’t earn any elite nights or loyalty points since booking through an OTA like Chase Travel typically doesn’t qualify you for elite status benefits at hotels.

Cardholders also enjoy a 10% anniversary points bonus each year. This 10% bonus is based on your total spending during the account anniversary year at a rate of 1 point for each $10 spent. If, for example, you spend $100,000 on your Sapphire Preferred during your cardmember year, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus points at the end of the year.

However, this 10% bonus is calculated from the dollars you spent rather than the points you earned, meaning you won’t receive additional points by leveraging the card’s bonus categories.

DOORDASH

The Chase Sapphire Preferred also includes at least one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which includes perks like free delivery and reduced service fees on eligible purchases (activate by Dec. 31, 2027). There is a cost associated with using food delivery services such as DoorDash, but this can be a valuable benefit if you already use the service.

Finally, the Sapphire Preferred is an ideal choice for travel bookings such as car rentals, cruises, plane tickets, and hotels because it comes with comprehensive travel and purchase protections. Among them, cardholders can expect the following:

You can read more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred shopping and travel benefits here.

Related: 7 Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits you might not know about

Earning points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a simple earning structure that is easy to maximize:

  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through March 2025)
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points)
  • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
  • Earn 2 points per dollar spent on all travel not booked through Chase Travel
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on everything else
DEJAN MARJANOVIC/GETTY IMAGES

Those are some of the best earnings rates in the game, particularly when you consider you’re earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Related: Why you’ll want to pay the $95 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Redeeming points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

When you’re ready to redeem the points you’ve earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll understand why the card shines.

You can use your points to purchase airfare, reserve hotel rooms, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point.

That means you don’t need to worry about blackout dates or finding award space; you’ll always have the option to book travel using your points. As long as a seat for sale on the flight you want or a hotel room is available to reserve with cash, you can pay for it with your points.

Note that hotel reservations booked through third-party sites typically do not earn points or count toward elite status qualification.

You also have the option to redeem your points for cash-back or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point or for a slightly higher value when you take advantage of Chase’s Pay Yourself Back option. Still, these redemption options are less valuable than transferring your points to Chase’s travel partners, so we recommend avoiding them whenever possible.

Related: 6 Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots

Transferring points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

You can receive more than 1.25 cents per point in value by transferring rewards to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners. Some of the best Chase transfer partners include World of Hyatt, United, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines for luxury hotel stays and comfy plane seats.

IMPRESSION MOXCHÉ BY SECRETS/HYATT

Utilizing these transfer partners can net you phenomenal value. Chase frequently runs transfer bonus promotions where you can get up to 30% more points or miles when you transfer Ultimate Rewards to a transfer partner.

For example, TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson regularly transfers points to Hyatt and has gotten rooms during peak season in Europe for as low as 4,000 points a night. Hyatt has plenty of great sweet spot redemptions, making it an especially valuable transfer partner.

One TPG reader leveraged Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Sapphire Preferred for his first business-class flight:

“I was able to make my first redemption in business class (Dublin to Boston on Aer Lingus for 50k).” — Alejandro P via X

Note: Reader-submitted responses have not been edited, reviewed or approved by the issuers nor reflect TPG’s opinions of these cards.

Utilizing transfer partners for aspirational travel is a solid way to maximize your Ultimate Rewards points and get value for your spending with the Sapphire Preferred.

Related: The complete guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

Which cards compete with the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

Many worthwhile mid-tier travel credit cards exist, but only a few can go toe-to-toe with the Sapphire Preferred. If you’re trying to decide which is best for you, consider which card’s earning power suits your spending habits and which transfer partners you’re more likely to maximize.

For additional options, check out our full list of the best starter credit cards.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

*Note: Effective Jan. 13, 2025, the $100 LoungeBuddy Credit benefit will no longer be available.

Read more: Chase Sapphire showdown: Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve

Bottom line

If you’re ready to move beyond cash-back or fixed-value travel rewards credit cards, there is no better place to start than with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

After its debut over a decade ago, it’s still regarded as one of the best rewards credit cards. It earns some of the most valuable points and is flexible enough to meet the reward needs of frequent and newbie travelers alike. As long you’re using the card frequently enough to get more than $95 in value from it, this card is definitely worth the annual cost.


Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred


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