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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a legion of fans for good reason. The card packs in features common with the best travel credit cards, such as a large sign-up bonus, premium rewards in several diverse spending categories, and perhaps most importantly, one of the top travel rewards programs we've come across. Its annual fee is justifiable for most cardholders.
Check out our in-depth Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review to see if this card is a fit for your needs.
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards 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.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
75,000 bonus points
The enormous welcome bonus (worth over $900), bonus points for travel and dining, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the $95 annual fee. What really stands out are the rare travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. It’s one of the only low annual fee cards we’ve seen offer those protections.
This credit card is a good fit for: Travelers who want to earn the most versatile travel points we know of and a great introductory bonus offer.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an affordable way to save on big trips. Since it has a $95 annual fee, it's not made for luxury benefits, like airport lounge access and travel credits. What it does have are ample bonus opportunities and flexible points you can use to cover the cost of expensive flights and hotels.
When you want to book a trip using your travel points, it's nice to have options. This card is part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is a huge benefit. Through this program, you can transfer your points to over a dozen airline and hotel partners.
This gives you the flexibility to book all kinds of trips. Here are a few examples:
These are all ways I've used my own Chase points, and I've saved over $5,000 multiple times on flights and hotel stays. Not only does being able to transfer your points give you flexibility, you can get incredible value.
The Ultimate Rewards program gives you other options, too. Another popular choice is booking travel through Chase's portal and paying in points. You get $0.0125 per point, so 10,000 points are worth $125 this way. But to get the most from Chase points, transfers are the best option.
RELATED: The Ascent's Travel Credit Cards Hub
If you use this card regularly, you shouldn't have any trouble earning points. For starters, the welcome offer is 75,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
It's only fair to mention that this welcome offer has been higher at times. Chase occasionally offers 80,000 bonus points, and on rare occasions, even 100,000. You might want to wait and see if you're not in a hurry. But if you are, 75,000 bonus points are still impressive. Through the Chase travel portal, 75,000 bonus points are worth over $900.
You'll also be earning bonus points on everyday spending and travel purchases.:
Chase says that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers over $200 in partner value. It's technically true, although I wouldn't get your hopes up about saving that much. Here's a quick look at where all this value is coming from:
If you like getting food delivered, you'll probably enjoy having this card. The DoorDash and Instacart benefits are both easy to use, plus you'll earn bonus points on purchases with those delivery apps. And if you also happen to be buying a Peloton bike, even better.
There's nothing like renting a car and hearing that you personally could be on the hook for some absurd sum of money if anything happens to it. If you pay the full rental cost with your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and decline the add-on the rental company wants to sell you, you won't need to worry about that.
Since this card has an auto rental damage collision waiver, it provides complimentary coverage. It's also primary coverage, meaning you wouldn't even need to file a claim with your own insurance first (many travel cards have secondary coverage that only kicks in after your own insurance is exhausted).
That's one of many complimentary protections. Others include:
This card offers up to $50 in statement credits per account year toward hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You could look at it like a $50 annual discount on hotels -- but there's a catch.
You need to book through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and you won't always find the best prices there. I've found that Chase's prices are often higher than they are if you book directly through the hotel. A stay may cost $1,000 through Chase or $900 through the hotel, in which case this benefit doesn't do you any good. Sometimes it works out, but it's hit or miss.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
||
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Up to $300 cash back 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. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 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 |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
75,000 bonus points Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. | 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases 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. |
Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
This Chase card won't be right for everyone. There's nothing wrong with it, but there are a few downsides compared to some of its competitors. If one of them is an issue for you, then you're better off with a different card.
With all that it offers, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can be a handful. It gives you what seems like a million ways to use your points. Transfer them. Book travel with points in Chase's portal. Get cash back. Shop for Apple products. Those are just some of your options. Don't forget about the card's $50 hotel credit, or the partner benefits with DoorDash, Instacart, and Peloton, either.
Its list of features feels like one of those never-ending infomercials with add-on after add-on. It starts out strong, but you eventually wonder how many of these perks you're actually going to use.
These benefits could be valuable, if you know you'll use them and you don't mind keeping track of everything. Just keep in mind that there's a learning curve involved, both in making the most of this card's features and figuring out how to use your points.
This Chase card is great at helping you pay for your trips, particularly airfare and hotels. But it doesn't have the kind of luxury travel perks that improve your experience along the way.
You won't be getting into any airport lounges with this card. That's understandable for a $95 annual fee, but there are cards in this price range that at least offer a few lounge passes per year. You also won't get silver or gold status with your favorite hotel with this card. And it won't pay for your Global Entry/TSA PreCheck membership so you can get through airport security faster.
If you were hoping for some high roller perks, you'll need to look at other travel cards with higher annual fees. But if those don't matter to you, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will probably have everything you need for a reasonable annual fee.
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card's annual fee is worth it for many cardholders, given the rewards, sign-up bonus, and extra perks it offers. The sign-up bonus is already worth over $900 in travel with Chase, so you can come out well ahead in value that first year.
Beyond just the first year, the card still retains its value for cardholders with modest credit budgets. You'd need to earn only 7,600 Ultimate Rewards points to balance out the annual fee. That's because, at a rate of $0.0125 per point for travel purchases, 7,600 points is worth $95 in travel.
With several earning categories with high rewards rates, this is an achievable goal for anyone who uses their credit card regularly.
However, there are situations in which you could find a better deal with another card. For example, if you spend only a few hundred dollars per month on your credit card, you'd be better off with a no annual fee travel credit card. Another good option would be a cash back card. If you have high spending and travel quite a bit, then you could benefit more from a travel card with a higher annual fee and more features.
READ MORE: Best Cash Back Credit Cards
Though it has a higher annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worth considering alongside this card. Importantly, the two credit cards offer big sign-up bonuses, premium rewards for travel and dining, and access to Chase's valuable Ultimate Rewards program. But there are some differences to consider when evaluating the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® matchup.
FEATURES | CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED | CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE |
---|---|---|
Annual fee | $95 | $550 |
Travel rewards | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 |
Travel rewards (booked through Chase) | 5 points per $1 | 10 points per $1 on hotel and car rentals, 5 points per $1 on air travel |
Dining rewards (paid for outside of Chase) | 3 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 |
Streaming services rewards | 3 points per $1 | None |
Online grocery rewards | 3 points per $1 | None |
Ultimate rewards redemption bonus | 25% | 50% |
Sign-up bonus | 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within 3 months | 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within 3 months |
Airport lounge access | None | 1,300+ lounges |
Anniversary bonus points | 10% of the total purchases made in the previous year | None |
Travel statement credits | Annual $50 hotel credit | Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®, $300 each anniversary year for travel purchases |
When to pick the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: This card is best suited for everyday cardholders and occasional travelers. It's better for those who don't place much value in the premium travel perks offered with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, such as reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® fees, and access to certain airport lounges.
When to pick the Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Frequent travelers could find more value in Chase Sapphire Reserve's premium perks, such as higher rewards for travel and dining and travel statement credits. If you travel every few months, the additional benefits of this card could justify the much higher annual fee.
Applicants will have the best shot of securing approval for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card with a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Although your credit score is important, keep in mind that it's not the only factor. It is possible to be approved with a lower score and even to not be approved with a higher score.
Chase looks at many factors during the underwriting process. Another number that can sway an approval decision is how many credit cards you've opened recently. In what's unofficially known as the Chase 5/24 rule, Chase normally denies any applicant who has already opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months.
LEARN MORE: What Credit Score Do I Need for a Chase Credit Card?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will be a match if you want a card that offers versatile travel rewards and that doesn't cost much per year. It's loaded with great travel perks, includes a hotel credit and anniversary points bonus, and offers high earning rates in both travel-related and everyday spending categories.
The best thing about the Chase Ultimate Rewards program is all the redemption opportunities it offers. You can transfer your points if there's an award booking you like, and if not, you can always use the Chase travel portal to book travel at cash prices. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can earn you a lot of points in this program at a reasonable annual fee.
If this card isn't the right fit for you, take a look at our picks for the best travel rewards credit cards to find something more in line with your needs.
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
The minimum credit limit for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is $5,000. Depending on your income and credit score, it's possible to receive a much higher credit limit, with some cardholders reporting limits of over $30,000.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is made of a metal alloy.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted. It also charges no foreign transaction fees for purchases made abroad and/or in a foreign currency.
Our Credit Cards Experts
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