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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has long been one of the most recommended travel credit cards, known for its generous rewards, flexible redemptions, and robust travel protections. With a reasonable annual fee and valuable perks, this card is ideal for frequent travelers looking to maximize their spending power.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. When redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards, these points are worth $750 toward travel—a 25% boost in value. If transferred to Chase’s airline or hotel partners, the potential value could be even higher.
💡 Worth noting: This bonus is only available if you have not received a Sapphire cardmember bonus in the past 48 months and do not currently hold a Sapphire card.
The Sapphire Preferred® offers a strong rewards structure with higher earning rates in key spending categories:
🎯 Ideal for: Those who spend significantly on travel and dining, as these categories offer the highest return.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are extremely flexible and can be used in multiple ways:
💎 Best Use: Transferring points to airlines/hotels often yields the highest value, especially for first-class flights and luxury hotel stays.
The Sapphire Preferred® includes built-in travel protections and benefits that can save money and provide peace of mind:
✅ $50 Annual Hotel Credit – Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary for hotel bookings through Chase Travel.
✅ Primary Auto Rental Insurance – Covers theft and damage (up to $60,000) when you decline the rental agency’s collision insurance.
✅ Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance – Covers up to $10,000 per traveler for non-refundable trip expenses due to covered reasons.
✅ Trip Delay Reimbursement – Get up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed expenses if your trip is delayed over 12 hours.
✅ Baggage Delay Insurance – Reimbursement of $100 per day (up to 5 days) for delayed luggage.
✅ Purchase Protection – Covers damage or theft for new purchases for up to 120 days ($500 per item).
✅ Extended Warranty Protection – Extends manufacturer warranties by one additional year (for warranties three years or less).
✅ Chase Pay Over Time – Allows eligible cardholders to split payments into fixed monthly installments.
📌 DoorDash – Free DashPass subscription (worth $120), providing $0 delivery fees on eligible orders.
📌 Lyft – Earn 5x points on Lyft rides (valid through March 31, 2025).
📌 Peloton – Earn 5x points on purchases over $150 (up to 25,000 points) through March 31, 2025.
Feature | Chase Sapphire Preferred® | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | American Express® Gold Card |
---|---|---|---|
Welcome Bonus | 60,000 points ($750 travel value) | 75,000 miles ($750 travel value) | 60,000 points |
Dining Rewards | 3x | 2x | 4x |
Travel Rewards | 5x on Chase Travel, 2x other travel | 5x on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2x on all other purchases | 3x on flights booked directly at airlines or amextravel.com, 1x on hotels |
Annual Fee | $95 | $95 | $250 |
Travel Protections | Excellent | Moderate | Excellent |
💡 Best for travelers: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is superior for flexible travel redemptions and insurance perks.
✅ Frequent travelers who want premium travel perks without a high annual fee
✅ Foodies and online grocery shoppers looking to maximize dining rewards
✅ People who transfer points to airline and hotel programs for maximum redemption value
✅ Those who want strong travel protections for flights, hotels, and rentals
🚫 Who Should Skip It?
❌ If you already hold a Sapphire card or received a Sapphire bonus in the past 48 months, you’re not eligible.
❌ If you don’t spend much on travel or dining, you may earn better rewards with a flat-rate cash-back card.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® continues to be a top-tier travel rewards card, thanks to its high-value bonus, solid rewards structure, and flexible redemption options. For just $95 per year, you gain access to lucrative travel benefits, comprehensive protections, and valuable partner perks.
I’ve been using this card for a little over two years now, and it’s been amazing. No issues, and the travel perks make it worth every penny. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who travels frequently.
The rewards system with this card is top-notch, and the terms are straightforward. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with customer service and how easy it is to track points and benefits.
This card makes earning points effortless. Every purchase helps me build up rewards, and it’s a great feeling to redeem them for travel and dining.
The Sapphire Preferred card offers an amazing way to earn travel points with ease. It’s been a perfect addition to my wallet, and I love how fast I can rack up points!
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is hands down the best travel card I’ve ever owned. It offers amazing benefits, and I’ve never had any issues with it in the three years I've used it.
This card outshines every other card I’ve owned. The travel rewards are outstanding, and earning points on all purchases has been seamless.
Got approved with a 600+ credit score and a $5k limit right away. After 3 years, it's up to $16k. It could be higher, but I've carried some higher balances during tough times. Overall, still a fantastic card!
This card is absolutely iconic! My only wish is that the points per dollar were a bit higher for all purchases. Would also be great if some of the Reserve card benefits were added to this one.
I’ve never had issues with Chase Sapphire before, but be cautious if you go paperless. If you don't check the app regularly, you might miss messages, which could cost you money during a dispute.
The points on this card build up super quickly. It's been a great experience so far!
I rented a car, caused $400+ in damage, and the claim process was a nightmare. They kept finding new reasons not to pay, and after 3 months, I gave up. Not worth the hassle.
Chase cut off my card and online banking without any notice. I had to call them after being declined, and it took four transfers to reach someone who could help. It was a frustrating experience.
This card's sign-up bonus is phenomenal—50,000 points plus another 10,000 for adding an authorized user. That’s worth $500 to $600 for travel. Plus, you continue to earn points on everyday spending.
I got this card for trip cancellation coverage. Had to cancel due to a medical emergency, but 5 months later, I'm still waiting on the claim. Their service is a nightmare.
This was my first credit card, and I couldn’t have chosen a better one. I use it daily, and the customer service is exceptional. Highly recommended!
I’ve trusted this card for almost 3 years, but my first experience with customer support was terrible. A simple e-claim has been unresolved for months.
Great card, and I’ve always had great interactions with Chase’s customer service team.
This is my favorite credit card! The points have allowed me to stay at luxury hotels and get free flights. It’s become my go-to card for business too!
The quality of the card itself is great—really durable and feels premium.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
“Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.”