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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.
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Should the Chase Sapphire Preferred be your next card?
Ethan's been a frequent flier for as long as he can remember, from studying abroad in Paris to moving to Shanghai after graduating college, where he served as TPG's eyes and ears for all things travel in the Asia-Pacific region. If you asked him where he wants to travel next he'd quote Anthony Bourdain and tell you "anytime I'm eating spicy noodles in a bowl, I'm happy."
Compliance manager Stanley Sanford has years of compliance experience in the credit card industry dating back to 2017. He's reviewed content for several reputable sites, including CreditCards.com, Bankrate, CNET. and even thepointsguy.com before leading the compliance team for The Points Guy full time in early 2022.
May 6, 2025 • 9 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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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.
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Quick summary
A mid-tier travel rewards card remains a popular choice for those seeking flexible points and valuable travel protections.
Points can be redeemed through a travel portal at a fixed rate or transferred to a wide range of airline and hotel partners for potentially higher value.
The card offers strong travel benefits, including trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage delay reimbursement and no foreign transaction fees.
Pairing this card with select no-annual-fee options can enhance rewards value for those with a broader card portfolio.
What to consider
Eligibility is restricted by a rule limiting new accounts if you have opened five or more cards in the past 24 months.
You are not eligible for the sign-up bonus if you currently hold or have recently received a bonus from a similar product within the last 48 months.
Points are valued at 2.05 cents each as of April 2025 per TPG's valuations, but the best value depends on your travel habits and preferred loyalty programs.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how to maximize point redemptions and combine rewards across multiple cards for greater value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is the card that made travel rewards accessible to the masses.
You don’t have to be rich or a business traveler to earn some of the most valuable and versatile points. With the Sapphire Preferred, all you had to do was build a solid rewards strategy, and free flights and hotels would be yours.
But with increasing competition and more premium card options, we wanted to see how well the Chase Sapphire Preferred has stood the test of time. Here’s what we found.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a mid-tier travel rewards card with a $95 annual fee. It comes with a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
According to TPG's April 2025 valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, making this offer worth $1,230.
In addition to the sign-up bonus, you’llearn rewards at the following rates:
5 points per dollar on travel when booked through Chase Travel℠
3 points per dollar on dining purchases, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
2 points per dollar on all other travel
1 point per dollar on everything else
Chase is known for how broadly it defines these bonus categories. For example, travel purchases aren’t limited to flights and hotels — they also include ride-hailing services, public transit and some parking fees. Similarly, the dining category includes food delivery services, giving you plenty of opportunities to rack up points.
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You have two main options when redeeming your points for travel. If your goal is simplicity, you can use your points to book any travel directly through Chase Travel at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. You can mix points and cash if you don’t have enough points to cover your entire trip.
Another benefit of booking directly with Chase is that you can rack up bonus and elite qualifying miles with the airline you’re flying. These redemptions code as cash tickets and usually earn miles.
These partners cover all three major airline alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld and SkyTeam) and three of the biggest hotel chains. So no matter where you’re traveling, your points will help you get there and stay there.
Beyond Chase’s travel booking options, this card offers many benefits. First and foremost, it charges no foreign transaction fees.
It’s nice when your travel plans go off without a hitch, but delays and cancellations are inevitable. When things don’t go as planned, your Sapphire Preferred cardcan come to the rescue with some generous travel benefits.
Trip delay insurance is at the top of the list. If your flight is delayed by 12 hours or more or requires an overnight stay, you can be reimbursed up to $500 to cover food, lodging and local transportation.
And if your trip is canceled by illness, weather or other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for nonrefundable, prepaid expenses such as tours, hotels and plane tickets.
Finally, if your bag is delayed six hours or more, you can be reimbursed up to $500 ($100 a day for five days) for essential purchases such as clothing and toiletries.
Chase also offers partnerships on the Sapphire Preferred, such as a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which offers at least a year of unlimited free food delivery. Normally valued at $9.99 a month, DashPass customers receive lower service fees and free delivery on all orders of more than $12.
Sapphire cardholders can register anytime before December 31, 2027. And cardholders with an activated DashPass membership also receive up to $10 off each calendar month at checkout on one grocery, convenience or other nonrestaurant order on DoorDash.
Pair with other Chase cards
You may have already started collecting Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most valuable and versatile loyalty currencies. As long as you’re eligible to apply for the Sapphire Preferred (more on that below), owning this card can strengthen your existing collection of Chase cards.
The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) are valuable cash-back cards. But if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards-earning card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees), your Freedom cards get even more rewarding.
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The Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on your first $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly bonus categories (activation required). Meanwhile, the Freedom Unlimited earns at least 1.5% cash back (1.5 points per dollar) on purchases, making it a great card for those new to the world of credit cards and award travel.
The cash back earned from these cards is issued in the form of points worth 1 cent each. You can redeem your points for cash back or move them over to your Chase Sapphire Preferred and turn them into full-fledged transferable Ultimate Rewards points, more than doubling their value.
You’ll find that the Preferred also pairs well with the no-annual-fee Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees). This card earns 5% back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellphone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year. Once you move those points over to your Sapphire Preferred, that brings your return to over 10%, based on TPG’s May 2025 valuations.
Who should wait to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Nick Ewen, a senior editorial director at TPG, has made a compelling case for why the Chase Sapphire Preferred should be your first card. Unfortunately, not everyone can get this card, so let’s examine who should hold off getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
The infamous 5/24 rule
Chase has a 5/24 rule to combat credit card churning and attract long-term customers.
Simply put, you’ll be automatically rejected for any Chase cards — including the Sapphire Preferred — if you’ve opened five or more cards in the last 24 months. If this applies to you, don’t waste time applying for the Sapphire Preferred — you won’t qualify and will receive a hard inquiry on your credit report.
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Current Chase Sapphire cardholders
If you’ve received a sign-up bonus from another Chase Sapphire card in the last 48 months, you won’t be eligible for the current bonus on the Preferred:
This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus in the last 48 months.
If this applies to you, you shouldn’t apply until you’re outside this 48-month window.
Is Ultimate Rewards the best program for you?
As mentioned before, the Ultimate Rewards program provides access to a broad range of airline and hotel loyalty programs. However, there are certain circumstances where one of those programs might not be right for you.
For instance, if you live in an American Airlines hub such as Miami International Airport (MIA) or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and primarily fly long-haul international flights to Europe, you might not get great value out of British Airways Club or Club Iberia Plus, which are the only Oneworld transfer partners in Ultimate Rewards. Similarly, if you’re a die-hard Hilton loyalist, the ability to transfer points to Hyatt might not excite you that much.
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On the other hand, I’m a loyal American Airlines flyer who’s never redeemed Ultimate Rewards for hotels, but I still find immense value in the program. Remember, you can always book travel through Chase Travel and snag the 25% points redemption bonus. So, analyze your travel habits and see if branching out could add value to your points and miles strategy.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is highly recommended as a well-rounded rewards credit card for travelers. It offers great value with a reasonable annual fee of $95 and no foreign transaction fees. The card’s sign-up bonus alone makes it a no-brainer for the first year.
Furthermore, the Chase Sapphire Preferred‘s double points on travel and dining, along with its valuable perks, such as trip insurance and car rental coverage, make it a worthwhile choice for any wallet into the second year and beyond.
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.
