TPG credit card reader question: Can you pair the Chase Sapphire Preferred with an airline or hotel credit card?
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One of the first steps into the world of earning points and miles is getting a travel credit card. But once you have that first card and are ready to add another one to your wallet, it’s important to consider which cards will pair best strategically with what you already have.
Can you pair the Sapphire Preferred Card with a specific airline/hotel credit card?
Matthew Hankins
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is arguably one of the most easily pairable cards on the market right now. Because Chase allows you to transfer points between accounts, you can apply for other Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards and pool your points for the best redemptions. The card’s list of ten airline and three hotel transfer partners gives you some great redemption options.
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Which card strategy is best for you depends on your goals, so we’ll dive into a few different options below.
Cards from a Chase transfer partner
One strategy is to pair your Chase Sapphire Preferred with a card from a brand that is also a Chase transfer partner. This is a great strategy because it means you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points over to your cobranded card’s connected loyalty account to top up your balance for amazing redemptions.
For example, one of Chase’s transfer partners is Hyatt. So if you get the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you could use your Ultimate Rewards points to top your Hyatt account when you need a little extra push to hit a redemption tier for a trip.
Other options could be a United credit card, such as the United Quest Card — which currently comes with a bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, offering 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Related: The 11 hotels where you’ll get the most out of your Hyatt reward night certificate
Diversifying your points and miles options
But there is also value in diversifying your points portfolio for maximum redemption options outside of Chase transfer partners.
For example, if you live near a Delta Air Lines hub and enjoy flying with the airline, having a Delta credit card in your wallet so you can earn Delta miles isn’t a bad idea. Chase doesn’t transfer directly to Delta, so you’d only be able to book Delta award flights through either SkyTeam alliance member FlyingBlue or mutual partner Virgin Atlantic.
While that doesn’t make it impossible to find Delta redemptions, it could be worth it to have a Delta credit card that earns SkyMiles directly. In fact, one of the cards I pair with my Chase Sapphire Preferred is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
Related: Best Delta credit cards
Another card to consider is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. It has a sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles and an Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after $2,000 spent on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. The airline has one of the most valuable loyalty programs in the U.S. because of its array of partners — both through the Oneworld alliance and standalone partnerships.
Alaska Airlines isn’t a direct transfer partner with Chase, so there’s value in having a card that earns miles for any redemptions you want to make through its Mileage Plan loyalty program.
Related: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card review
Bottom line
If you’re looking for an easily pairable card, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one than the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Right now, the card is offering 100,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Hopefully, for those of you who already have the card, this helps give you some insight into which cobranded airline and hotel cards make great pairing options!
Apply here for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with an 100,000-point bonus.
Featured image by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy.
Updated on 9/08/21
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