How Soon Will I See My Chase Sapphire Preferred Annual Points Dividend?
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Update: As of July 20, 2014, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card no longer offers the 7% annual points dividend.
TPG reader John sent me a Facebook message asking:
"How quickly after the first of the year do your Chase Sapphire Preferred dividend bonus?"
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of my all-time top travel credit cards, and is the credit card I recommend most to family and friends because it offers really lucrative category spending bonuses including 2.14X points per $1 on travel (including the 7% annual points dividend) – which includes not only airline tickets, hotel rooms and things like that, but also parking garages and meters, taxis, metro transit like the Subway and a host of other transportation options – as well as on dining (and 3.21X points per $1 on dining the first Friday of each month through 2013). You can earn even more if you maximize the Ultimate Rewards shopping portal where merchants regularly offer multiple bonus points per dollar, and I personally earn an additional 2X points per $1 by booking airfare through Travelocity
Then when it comes time to redeem those points, you've got a ton of different options thanks to Ultimate Rewards' Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which are what you earn on the card) transfer at a 1:1 ratio to 10 travel programs: British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt, IHG Rewards, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Amtrak. So when you think about it, you're potentially earning multiple airline miles or hotel points on nearly every dollar you spend if you strategize your spending.
At the end of the year, the card also offers a 7% dividend on all the points you accrue during the year (not including the sign-up bonus) – so if you earned 20,000 points, you'd earn an additional 1,400 points at the end of the year – which helps boost your balance even further. So it's a great card that lets you rack up multiple points per dollar on a lot of different purchases.
So John is wondering is when exactly he can expect to see that extra dividend. It's usually around your February statement. What Chase does is look at all the points you've earned over the course of the calendar year (excluding the sign-up bonus, as I mentioned) including bonus points you've earned on travel, dining and through the UR portal, and then they just add 7% to your balance. Even if you've already used or transferred some of the points you've earned, you still get 7% on what you earned during the year, whether those points are still in your Ultimate Rewards account or not.
So when your February statement closes, look out for a message on your statement and/or in your online account about that 7% dividend, and you'll probably get an email about it as well - so you should see it next month!
For more information, check out these posts:
The Top 5 Travel Credit Cards for 2014
The Top 10 Credit Cards in My Wallet and What I Use Each For
Details on the Sapphire Preferred 2X on Travel
Ranking the Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners
Top 10 Ways To Maximize Each Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partner
Why I Love Chase Ultimate Rewards
Ranking the Top Chase Travel Credit Card Offers
Let me know if you have any other questions by messaging me on Facebook, Tweeting me or emailing me at info@thepointsguy.com.
TPG featured card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees