Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review

If you are a frequent traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel credit cards of its class. A flashy metal card design combined with a lucrative rewards rate and flexible redemption options makes it easy to see its long-term value.

What are the pros and cons?

Why you might want the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel credit cards out there. It offers an outstanding sign-up bonus, decent perks, rewards for ongoing spending and it earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider signing up for the Sapphire Preferred card.

Solid sign-up bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently offering 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in your first three months as a new cardholder. While that’s a 20,000-point drop from the card’s previous bonus for the same spend requirement, the new bonus still offers plenty of value, especially if you redeem points for travel with Chase.

Since points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal, 60,000 points comes out to $750 in travel redemptions, which should be enough for at least a couple of reasonably-priced round-trip flights. That’s before you even add in the rewards you’d earn on your way to spending $4,000.

Along with this one-time sign-up bonus, cardholders also enjoy an ongoing annual bonus of a $50 credit on hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, which on its own covers over half the card’s cost. You’ll also get a 10% annual bonus based on your total spend each account anniversary year. This means if you spent $50,000 on your Sapphire Preferred during your anniversary year, you’d receive 5,000 bonus points at the end of the year. While this isn’t a huge amount of extra rewards, it could definitely add up for heavy spenders.

Tip: Since Chase allows cardholders within the same household to transfer points to one another’s accounts, you and your spouse can both sign up for the Sapphire Preferred card, collect the sign-up bonuses and combine them. 

Earning valuable Ultimate Rewards points

The rewards rate on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is designed with travelers and foodies in mind, offering 5X points on all travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit), 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery shopping, 2X points on other travel purchases and 1X points on general purchases. Given Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most valuable card rewards around, that’s a terrific amount of rewards category variety and includes a great mix of practical everyday categories.

Best of all, the points you earn are worth more than those of the average rewards card. While competing cards from the likes of Chase and Capital One allow you to redeem points or miles for travel through their issuer portal at a value of 1 cent each, the Sapphire Preferred gives you a 25% bonus on points redeemed through the Ultimate Rewards portal, making each point worth 1.25 cents. Though it may seem like a small difference, this increase point value can really add up. For example, while 50,000 Amex Membership Rewards points are worth $500 when redeemed with American Express Travel, 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points redeemed for travel through the Chase portal with the Sapphire Preferred are worth $625.

Tip: Another valuable way to earn a few extra points is by taking advantage of Chase’s referral bonus policy. You can earn up to 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points per year by referring a friend for the Sapphire Preferred (15,000 points per approval).

Great mix of redemption options

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card rates well on the flexibility of redeeming rewards. Redeeming points on your Chase Sapphire Preferred account is easy, and you have several options. On the Ultimate Rewards portal, you can see your current account balance and all the different ways to use your points.

Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for anything from travel purchases to gift cards, and while the value does fluctuate depending on how you choose to redeem your points, this is one of the few travel rewards cards that gets you a minimum of 1 cent per point back on non-travel redemptions like cash back. Many competing travel cards only offer a full 1-cent-per-point value on travel redemptions, limiting point value for cash back, merchandise and gift cards to 0.8 cents per point or less.

Valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

Adding to the Sapphire Preferred card’s flexibility, Chase allows cardholders to transfer their points to several travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. Since many airline and hotel points are worth more than 1 cent per point, you can use this option to stretch your rewards even further.

While several other rewards programs, including those from American Express and Capital One, also offer the ability to transfer points, we think that Chase offers the best list of partners, including three major U.S. airlines and some valuable airline partners abroad. If you are a frequent flyer of Singapore Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue or United, transferring your points to the airline program makes them more valuable than if you book through Ultimate Rewards. With several major airlines on this list, you can stretch your points further for travel to all sorts of destinations.

Pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with other Ultimate Rewards cards

Another major advantage of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is that you can use it with other cards to complete the Chase trifecta and boost your rewards earnings.

For example, the Chase Freedom Flex℠* offers 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories that you activate each quarter (up to $1,500 per quarter) and the Chase Freedom Unlimited* offers at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases. All of the rewards that you earn with these cards, including their sign-up bonuses, can be transferred as points to the Sapphire Preferred card to be redeemed for travel with Chase at a 25% higher point value. If you use Freedom Unlimited for general purchases, the Sapphire Preferred for dining, online grocery shopping and travel, and the Freedom Flex for rotating bonus categories, you can easily cover a wide swath of your everyday and special occasion spending.

These Ultimate Rewards cards create one of the most valuable card combinations of any major rewards program, so if you enjoy juggling cards to maximize rewards, Ultimate Rewards may be the program for you.

Why you might want a different card

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred is an outstanding credit card, it may not be perfect for everyone. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider other cards.

More luxurious perks

The Chase Sapphire Preferred does a good job of balancing valuable rewards, benefits and perks with a modest $95 annual fee, but there’s no denying that there are cards that offer more higher-end and luxurious perks. Cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express offer substantially more entertainment and travel benefits, albeit at an annual fee that’s hundreds of dollars more.

No TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

The Chase Sapphire Preferred does not offer a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. And it’s not only luxury credit cards that offer such a credit – there are a few cards with annual fees under $100 that offer this credit, including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, all of which carry similar annual fees as the Sapphire Preferred. If that’s a benefit you’re looking for, you might want to consider one of those cards.

How does the Sapphire Preferred compare to other travel cards?

If you are a frequent traveler trying to maximize your travel rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best options. However, there are a few other travel cards that compete.

Chase Sapphire Reserve card	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	American Express® Gold Card
Rewards rate 10X points on hotels and rental cars purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 5X points on Chase Ultimate Rewards air travel 3X points on general travel and restaurants All travel rewards rates apply only after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases 1X points on general purchases	Rewards rate 5X miles on hotels and rental cards booked through Capital One Travel 2X miles on all purchases	Rewards rate 4X points at restaurants 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar) 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com 1X points on other purchases
Welcome bonus 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months	Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months	Welcome bonus 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first six months
Annual fee $550	Annual fee $95	Annual fee $250
Other things to know $300 annual travel credit up to $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit 50% bonus on travel rewards redeemed through Chase website Free Lyft Pink membership for one year (activate by 3/31/25) Free DashPass membership for one year (activate by 12/31/24)	Other things to know No foreign transaction fees Redeem miles for any travel purchase (even those made on third-party sites)	Other things to know Up to $120 dining credit ($10 monthly credits toward purchases at participating restaurants, enrollment required) No foreign transaction fees Terms apply

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a more luxurious version of the Sapphire Preferred. This card comes packed with travel perks like TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary airport lounges and offers a generous $300 travel credit that can be used to cover anything from airfare to baggage fees. If you spend a lot on travel and value luxury perks the Reserve could be more rewarding – despite a $550 annual fee. Not to mention that you get a 50 percent boost on all points redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

See related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture card

With the Venture card, your miles are only worth 1 cent each when redeemed for travel, which means they won’t take you as far as Sapphire Preferred points. However, the Venture offers a competitive 2X miles on every purchase, 5X miles when spent on Capital One Travel. Depending on your spending habits, this can make up for the lower point value.

While it doesn’t have as many benefits as the Sapphire Preferred, for people who like to redeem points on travel, it’s a great option for earning points on everyday purchases.

See related: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card offers one of the best rewards rates you can find on U.S. supermarket and restaurant purchases, making it a valuable choice for foodies looking to earn travel rewards. It also offers up to a $120 dining credit ($10 credits per month, enrollment required) for select restaurants and other valuable food-centric perks that easily justify its annual fee.

One drawback may be the point value for the card, which is 1:1 for most travel partners while the Chase Sapphire Preferred averages 1.5 points per dollar. However, this value can be made up by the $100 hotel credit via The Hotel Collection and the $100 activity credit on American Express Travel vacations over $3,000.

Learn More: Who Should Get the Amex Gold?

How to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred:

• Use your card for all travel and dining purchases to boost points earning.
• Spend at least $4,000 in the first three months to secure the sign-up bonus of 60,000 points.
• Redeem your points for travel – you will get the best rewards rate for Ultimate Rewards portal travel redemptions and transfer partners.
• Pair with another Ultimate Rewards card with bonuses in different categories of spending to maximize rewards.
• Use the card when you rent a car to take advantage of its primary car rental coverage.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card right for you?

If you’re looking to supercharge your rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a great card to get. The Sapphire Preferred has a lot of potential value for frequent travelers, especially in the first year. Rewards are easy to earn and redeem, and though the annual fee is not waived the first year, the introductory offer alone can offset this cost several times over. If you’re looking for an upgrade in the world of travel rewards, the Sapphire Preferred may be the card for you.

*All information about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex have been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.