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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
6 ways to maximize the Chase Sapphire Preferred as a beginner
Stephanie Stevens is an associate writer with TPG's credit cards team. She focuses on creating timely credit cards content for TPG readers.
September 14, 2026 • 11 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
A popular travel rewards card offers strong value for beginners, with flexible points that can be redeemed for flights, hotels or transferred to travel partners.
Cardholders can benefit from built-in travel protections such as primary rental car coverage, trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
The card provides bonus rewards at select merchants, including travel, dining, gas, vacation rentals and streaming services, making it easy to accumulate points through everyday purchases.
Additional perks include hotel credits, complimentary food delivery memberships and statement credits for expedited airport security programs.
What to consider
Points can be transferred to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, with some partners offering higher value per TPG's September 2026 valuations.
A hotel credit is available each account anniversary year when booking through the card's travel portal, and select perks require activation by specific dates.
Some bonus categories and partner offers are time-limited or have spending caps, so review terms to maximize value.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step examples of maximizing points through transfers, portal bookings and leveraging travel protections for real-world savings.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
When I opened the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) over two years ago, I had no idea how quickly it would become my go-to tool for earning travel rewards — or how much value I’d be able to unlock.
Since then, I’ve used it to book international flights, navigate unexpected travel hiccups and learn how to stretch points far more than I imagined when I first applied.
Whether you’re new to earning travel rewards or recently picked up the card yourself, here are six beginner-friendly ways to make the most of the Sapphire Preferred.
Use the welcome bonus to help cover your next trip
Earning a welcome bonus is one of the easiest ways for beginners to kick-start their points and miles journey, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred gives new cardholders the chance to earn a meaningful amount of Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting the minimum spending requirement.
Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points hold strong value and offer flexible redemption options, that welcome bonus can stretch surprisingly far. A substantial stash of points can easily cover a domestic round-trip, multiple hotel nights or even part of an international itinerary.
Right now, new cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening — a strong offer that averages just under $1,670 in spending per month.
When I earned my 60,000-point welcome offer in 2024 (no longer available), I quickly built on it with everyday spending and ended up with 100,000 points in a few months, which was enough to cover a large portion of a three-week trip to Europe. Some of my redemptions included:
15,000 points for a nonstop flight on Air France from Washington, D.C., to Paris
8,000 points for a nonstop flight on Swiss from Zurich to Ljubljana, Slovenia
49,500 points for a three-night stay at IHG's Hotel Indigo Florence in Italy
One of the most exciting parts of starting your travel card journey with the Sapphire Preferred is watching your points transform into flights and hotel stays (more on that below). Making my first travel redemptions taught me just how powerful a single welcome bonus can be — especially when you’re just starting out with points and miles.
Another reason why the Chase Sapphire Preferred works so well for beginners is that it earns bonus points across many common travel and everyday spending categories:
5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through Sept. 2027)
5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 2027, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points)
3 points per dollar spent on dining, online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services
3 points per dollar spent on select vacation homes (Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa)
3 points per dollar spent on gas and EV charging
2 points per dollar spent on all other travel
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
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As a new cardholder, the easiest way to build your points balance is simply to use the card for your everyday purchases. Categories like dining, gas and vacation rentals can make that especially easy if you frequently spend money in these areas.
As a huge Airbnb fan who road trips frequently, I find the gas and vacation rental categories align particularly well with how I travel. I've stayed in more than 60 Airbnbs over the years and frequently book them for road trips, so the Sapphire Preferred has become my go-to card for Airbnb stays. I can earn 3 points per dollar on the vacation rental itself and another 3 points per dollar on gas and EV charging along the way.
During my first six months with the card, I put nearly every purchase on it and watched my points balance grow rapidly — all from transactions I would have made anyway.
This highlights a great reminder for all beginners: you don't need a complicated strategy or a wallet full of cards to maximize value. Consistently putting your regular spending on one strong card is enough to grow a meaningful points balance while you learn how the system works.
I learned the value of these protections firsthand after getting into a minor accident in a rental car.
It’s the kind of situation you never think will happen, but because I’d paid for the rental with my Sapphire Preferred, the card’s primary rental car coverage would cover any damage. In the end, I didn’t need to use the benefit since I wasn’t at fault, but having that peace of mind in the moment was a benefit all its own.
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The card’s trip delay reimbursement is another standout feature. If your flight is delayed by a qualifying number of hours or overnight, you can be reimbursed for essential expenses like meals and lodging, making an unexpectedly long travel day far less stressful.
For a card with a modest $95 annual fee, these protections offer outsize value, especially if you’re traveling internationally, renting cars or just want added security when you’re away from home.
Since Ultimate Rewards points are currently worth 2.05 cents each, according to TPG's valuations, these transfers are often where beginners unlock the highest value.
Transferring points can feel intimidating at first — I hovered over the “confirm” button longer than I care to admit on my first transfer — but the process is surprisingly simple. And once you do it, the door opens to flights and hotel nights that would cost significantly more if you paid cash.
FRESHSPLASH/GETTY IMAGES
Transfer bonuses make this perk even better. For example, I recently took advantage of a 25% Air France-KLM Flying Blue bonus, which meant I only needed to transfer 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points for an overseas flight that would otherwise have required 18,750 Flying Blue miles.
If you’re new to the Sapphire Preferred, think of transfers as a next-step skill and something that you don't need to master immediately, but can level up to as you grow more confident with your points.
Book travel through Chase Travel for simplicity and value
Chase Travel can be useful whether you're paying for a hotel stay or redeeming points, and the Sapphire Preferred offers several ways to get additional value from bookings made through the portal.
One of the easiest benefits to maximize is the card's up to $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit. Each account anniversary year, cardholders can receive up to $100 in statement credits toward hotel accommodations booked and prepaid through Chase Travel. This benefit alone can more than offset the card's $95 annual fee if you use the full credit.
CHASE TRAVEL
If you're using points instead, Chase Travel can also be one of the most beginner-friendly ways to redeem your rewards. As a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card holder, you have access to Chase’sPoints Boost feature, which increases the value of your points on select bookings through the portal.
With Points Boost, Sapphire Preferred cardholders can redeem their Ultimate Rewards points on select hotels and flights at up to 1.5 cents apiece, all without needing to learn airline or hotel transfer partners.
I used Chase’s Points Boost feature last summer for a three-night stay at Hotel Indigo Florence in Italy — a booking that would have cost nearly $800 in cash. By using Chase Travel, I was able to book the stay for just over 49,000 points plus fees, getting solid value without the hassle of transferring points.
While transferring points can sometimes unlock even higher value, the Chase Travel portal remains the most straightforward way to get reliable, predictable returns on your points, especially for beginners or anyone who wants to keep things simple.
Beyond its well-known travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred also comes with everyday perks that add real value, even if you’re not traveling frequently.
These benefits can help offset the annual fee and give beginners more reasons to keep the card at the front of their wallet. Key perks include:
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for at least 12 months (when you activate by Dec. 31, 2029)
Up to $120 in statement credits every four years toward a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee
One of my personal favorites (and most used) perks is the complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, valid through Chase’s partnership until Dec. 31, 2029 (depending on your activation date). Since DashPass normally costs $9.99 per month (or $96 annually), this benefit covers the card’s $95 annual fee on its own.
DashPass gets you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12, plus 5% back in DoorDash credits on eligible pickup orders. Pair that with the card’s 3 points per dollar spent on dining, and you’re stacking everyday value: You save on fees while earning points you can later redeem for travel.
When you combine these perks with the card’s strong earning rates and reliable travel protections, it’s easy to see why the Chase Sapphire Preferred remains one of the best starter travel cards for beginners.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred stands out as one of the best beginner travel cards because it’s easy to use from Day 1, delivers immediate value and offers the flexibility to unlock even more as you learn the world of points and miles.
Start with the basics by using it for everyday spending, exploring the Chase Travel portal and taking advantage of built-in perks, and move into point transfers and more advanced strategies when you’re ready.
Two years after opening the card, I’m still discovering new ways to maximize it. For beginners, that’s exactly what makes the Chase Sapphire Preferred such a smart and reliable place to start.
