At TPG, we love the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see charges and charges). It was the first journey rewards bank card for many people and stays one in every of the playing cards we will not reside with out.
We love that it earns versatile Chase Ultimate Rewards factors and has our backs if one thing goes flawed whereas we’re touring. It’s good for the average traveler who takes one or two massive journeys a 12 months and desires journey advantages however would not want the extras that include a extra premium journey card.
While many people have upgraded to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) as our journey habits have advanced, the Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to be one in every of the high playing cards we suggest to novices and anybody searching for a stable set of journey advantages.
Here’s why we contemplate the Sapphire Preferred the greatest card for the average traveler.
Low annual charge
The Chase Sapphire Preferred expenses a $95 annual charge, which is way extra affordable than what you may pay for a extra premium journey card. While the trade-off is fewer perks, most average vacationers will not use advantages like lounge entry or airline charge credit sufficient to warrant the greater charges that accompany them.
You could also be skeptical of annual charges for those who’re new to bank card rewards. But when you have got a powerful card with a manageable charge, equivalent to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, it is easy to make up the distinction so that you simply aren’t really paying something out of pocket for the card annually.
If you are like TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak and use DoorDash continuously, you may get your entire Sapphire Preferred’s annual charge again with some to spare by means of its complimentary DoorDash DashPass profit (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).
Since a DashPass membership prices $9.99 every month, utilizing your Sapphire Preferred’s complimentary membership would get you $120 a 12 months in worth. Since the Sapphire Preferred prices $95 a 12 months, you would be in the inexperienced by $25.
That’s not even factoring on this card’s $50 annual resort credit score for Chase Travel℠ bookings and the worth of the Ultimate Rewards factors you may earn.
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Related: Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred price the annual charge? I say sure
Valuable welcome bonus
New cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This is the greatest provide we have seen on the Sapphire Preferred in years, and it could not come round once more for some time. This provide ends on May 15 at 9 a.m. EDT.
While spending $5,000 in simply three months might sound like a tough process for some budgets, there are many methods you may meet the minimal spend requirement to unlock the welcome bonus.
According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome bonus is price a whopping $2,050 in journey rewards. With 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards factors at your disposal, you have got a ton of redemption choices.
You will not cease incomes these helpful factors whenever you’re accomplished incomes the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome provide. This card has a few of the greatest incomes charges of any mid-tier card accessible.
Related: I believed I’d hardly use my Sapphire Preferred, then it grew to become one in every of my go-to playing cards
Solid incomes
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards factors, a few of the most versatile factors accessible.
The welcome bonus offers you an important begin towards incomes the factors needed to your subsequent trip, but it surely is not the solely approach to earn factors. You’ll earn factors on a variety of frequent purchases, together with:
- 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by means of Chase Travel (excluding the $50 resort credit score)
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft purchases (by means of Sept. 2027)
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Peloton tools and accent purchases of $150 or extra (by means of Dec. 2027, with a restrict of 25,000 bonus factors)
- 3 factors per greenback spent on eating, choose streaming companies and on-line grocery retailer purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale golf equipment)
- 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey not booked by means of Chase Travel
- 1 level per greenback spent on all the pieces else
Chase’s eating class is extremely broad. Many issuers prohibit eating purchases to only customary eating places and perhaps quick meals, however Chase additionally consists of bars, breweries, college eating halls, merchandising machines and even some restaurant supply companies like DoorDash and Grubhub.
The journey class can be fairly beneficiant. You’ll earn bonus factors on typical journey purchases like inns and airfare, however you may additionally earn on purchases that different in style journey playing cards do not cowl. These embrace ferries, toll bridges, parking garages, low cost journey websites and a few campgrounds.
Related: How to maximise your rewards incomes with the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Great redemptions
In addition to flexibility in what earns bonus rewards, the Sapphire Preferred presents flexibility in how one can redeem your factors.
As of May 2025, TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every. That’s as a result of Chase has many helpful journey companions that offer you entry to all three main airline alliances and three totally different resort manufacturers (IHG, Marriott and Hyatt).
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to every of its companions at a 1:1 ratio, and lots of of those transfers course of nearly immediately.
Transferring your factors to airline companions is vital if you wish to fly enterprise or first-class internationally, but it surely presents actual worth to those that favor journey with out bells and whistles, too.
For instance, you could possibly switch simply 10,800 Ultimate Rewards factors to United and guide a one-way economic system flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) on choose dates this August. Or, you could possibly switch as few as 3,500 factors per night time for an off-peak keep at a Category 1 Hyatt property.
Many TPGers, together with TPG senior bank cards editor Giselle Gomez, use their Ultimate Rewards factors for Hyatt redemptions. Some of her greatest current redemptions weren’t for hard-to-snag worldwide flights or world-class luxurious inns however as an alternative to satisfy her MLB park bucket listing.
If you wish to begin with one thing simpler, you may redeem your factors for 1.25 cents every when reserving by means of Chase Travel. This redemption fee is usually an excellent deal for those who’re reserving economic system awards or customary room charges. Just remember the fact that you will not earn elite night time credit when reserving inns by means of Chase Travel.
Another bonus to reserving airfare, particularly by means of the portal, is that airways contemplate your redemption money. That means your factors can even cowl any taxes and charges related together with your flight.
Related: 21 methods to make use of 100K Chase Ultimate Rewards factors: Budget-friendly redemptions and splendid journeys
Helpful journey advantages
The Sapphire Preferred might not include lounge entry or a whole lot of {dollars} in journey credit, however that does not imply it lacks helpful advantages.
The Sapphire Preferred has a few of the greatest journey protections of any mid-tier bank card on the market, together with:
This card additionally comes with main rental automobile insurance coverage — a rarity for any card, not to mention a mid-tier card. Note that your Sapphire Preferred’s insurance coverage insurance policies might have further phrases, so be certain to verify your card’s information to advantages for full particulars.
TPG bank cards author Augusta Stone not too long ago used her Sapphire Preferred’s journey cancellation insurance coverage to cowl a missed resort keep. Thanks to her card’s protection, she saved nearly $250.
The Sapphire Preferred additionally comes with a $50 resort credit score for bookings made by means of Chase Travel. This credit score is nice for reserving boutique inns that are not a part of a serious resort loyalty program, or if there is not nice award availability to your keep. Giselle used this credit score along with transferring her factors to Hyatt for her bucket listing baseball journey.
Finally, the card presents Visa Signature advantages (together with entry to the Visa Signature Concierge Service) and no international transaction charges.
Related: How I acquired a 20X return on my Chase Sapphire Preferred final 12 months
An awesome sibling
Most average vacationers in all probability do not have 15-plus bank cards of their pockets, which suggests the playing cards you have got have to make an affect. The Chase Sapphire Preferred can simply be paired with Chase’s no-annual-fee cash-back playing cards that will help you maximize your incomes potential throughout spending classes, with out including a whole lot of {dollars} in annual charges to your plate.
The rewards you earn on the Chase Freedom Flex® (see charges and charges) and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see charges and charges) cannot be transferred to companions with out assist from a card like the Sapphire Preferred.
With the Sapphire Preferred in your pockets, you may transfer the rewards you earn from both of the Freedom playing cards to the Chase Sapphire Preferred to make the most of switch companions or an elevated redemption fee by means of Chase Travel.
The Chase Freedom Flex has rotating quarterly bonus classes that earn 5% money again on the first $1,500 you spend every quarter you activate, whereas the Chase Freedom Unlimited earns a minimum of 1.5% money again on all purchases.
Both playing cards additionally earn 5% again on Chase Travel and three% again on eating at eating places and drugstores. Neither card has an annual charge.
The Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited may help fill gaps in your pockets that the Sapphire Preferred cannot cowl. Common quarterly classes for the Freedom Flex that are not included amongst the Sapphire Preferred’s bonus classes embrace Amazon, PayPal, gyms and charity donations.
The Freedom Unlimited can cowl any purchases that do not fall into the Sapphire Preferred or Freedom Flex’s bonus classes.
Related: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Bottom line
The factors and miles world is not simply for individuals who journey for work or spend all of their free time on the highway. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the average traveler can earn helpful factors that may flip into flights and/or resort stays for a much-deserved trip.
Having the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a superb first step to exploring the world by means of award journey. If you are bought on this being the proper card for you, do not wait. The card’s greatest provide this 12 months might be gone quickly, and you do not wish to miss out.
Not satisfied but? To be taught extra, try our full evaluation of the Sapphire Preferred.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred with a present provide of 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
