TPG reader Michael tweeted me to ask about the travel category on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card:
@thepointsguy– "Does Uber count as 2X travel for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?"
It's no secret that I love Uber. It has fundamentally changed the way I travel; I can't even tell you the last time I rented a car. There are plenty of other great rideshare apps out there like Lyft, Sidecar and more, but in my experience Uber is the most reliable.
To get back to Michael's question, yes, you do earn double points on Uber with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Other merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, campgrounds, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.
As far as I know, Uber actually counts as a travel category for pretty much all the major issuers, including the Citi Premier® Card, which gives you 3x points per dollar spent on travel.
If you spend a lot of money with Uber specifically, you might want to consider getting the Capital One Quicksilver Card or the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards credit card, because Uber and Capital One have teamed up to offer 20% off all Uber rides when using these cards until April 30, 2016. You just pay with your Capital One Quicksilver card, and the discount will then be applied as a statement credit.
When it comes to redeeming points for Uber rides, you can use Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but not at a very good rate. The better option is to use miles from the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard to wipe those charges off your statement. American Express also has a partnership with Uber, but like with Ultimate Rewards, I recommend using Membership Rewards points for transfers to airline and hotel partners that will offer a better value.
In general, if you have a travel bonus category on any of your credit cards, make sure you know exactly what is included in order to maximize your earnings.
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
