How You Could Save Over $1,269 on Travel With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

If there's one travel credit card I recommend more than any other, it's the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).

I've been using it for years now, and it still delivers a ton of value every year with no hassle.

Today, I'll show you how a regular user (like me or you) could save over $1,269 in travel during the first year with this card.

We'll do the math together, stacking the welcome offer, perks, protections, and some reasonable spending rewards (minus the $95 annual fee).

Here we go…

A welcome offer worth at least $750 in Chase Travel℠ value

First, let's talk about the welcome offer.

Right now, new Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

If you redeem those points through Chase Travel, they're worth $0.01 each, making them worth at least $750 in Chase Travel℠ value toward flights, hotels, car rentals, and more. That's already an above-average credit card sign-up bonus, but here's where it could get even better…

Chase just introduced a new Points Boost program, which increases the value of each point by 1.5x for select flights and hotel bookings. (And you could even get 1.75x for some premium cabin bookings.)

But since Points Boost isn't available on all travel purchases, we'll just use the straight-up $750 welcome offer valuation in our calculations.

If you're interested, don't wait. Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card here and snag those 75,000 bonus points upon approval.

Travel perks and hotel credit worth $50+

This travel card doesn't flood you with a bunch of credits for things you'll never buy.

Instead it gives you a few simple and valuable travel perks:

• $50 hotel credit each anniversary for hotels booked through Chase Travel
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person for prepaid, non-refundable travel
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage in the U.S. and abroad
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to five days
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per person for lodging, meals, and more
• No foreign transaction fees

While travel protections don't show up as points or credits in your account, they can easily save you hundreds (or thousands) if things go sideways on a trip.

For this exercise, though, I'll include the $50 hotel credit only.

Everyday spending could earn $564

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers solid earn rates in useful categories:

• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2X points on all other travel purchases
• 1X points on all other purchases

Let's say you spend about $2,500 per month on this card, distributed like this:

Those 56,400 points would be worth $564 if redeemed through Chase Travel at the standard redemption rate.

Total travel savings

Here's how much value a first-year cardholder could reasonably unlock:

• Welcome offer: at least $750 in Chase Travel℠ value
• Annual hotel credit: $50
• Points from spending: $564
• Annual fee: -$95

Net travel value: ~$1,269

Even if you only squeeze out half of that total, you'll come out ahead by several hundred dollars.

Ready to start saving on travel? Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and turn everyday spending into travel savings.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth it?

For new card members or budget-savvy travelers, it's an easy "yes."

Since the welcome bonus is a one-time thing, I'd encourage you to judge this card based on its earning potential for regular spending rewards during the year.

For me, I use the annual hotel credit ($50) each year and easily earn another $50 in spending rewards. This covers my annual fee, and all points on top of that are gravy.