Key facts
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best starter travel rewards credit card available now.
A Perfect Starter Card for Miles and Points
Because of the large signup bonus combined with the ability to use Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel transfer partners with this card, it’s a great card for someone just getting started. The signup bonus alone is enough for some amazing redemptions and will help you learn the ins and outs of Chase Ultimate Rewards. Of course, the MilesTalk Facebook group is available to guide you there!
Annual Fee:
$95Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
19.49%-27.74% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
0%From earning versatile Chase Ultimate Rewards points to providing key travel protections like trip delay reimbursement, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the top travel rewards credit card for travelers looking for an annual fee under $100. And a generous sign up bonus is just a cherry on top of an excellent card.
Get 70% bonus Marriott Bonvoy® points when you transfer Ultimate Rewards points between 12:00 AM ET September 15, 2026 and 11:59 PM ET on October 15, 2026. Bonus points will be awarded by Marriott Bonvoy in your Marriott Bonvoy account up to 7 days after your transfer is complete.
Although this is the best offer we have seen on a transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy since November of 2025, that doesn’t make it “good.”
This is almost never a good transfer unless you are topping off for an award you are ready to book. Keep in mind that we value a Chase point at roughly 3X the value of a Marriott Bonvoy point. You might do better paying cash or even using the Chase portal to see how much value per point Chase is giving at a particular hotel (perhaps with Edit benefits).
However, there are always exceptions and you might find a 5 night stay (5th night free) where the transfer makes sense so do the math – but you likely do not want to transfer speculatively unless you are a Bonvoy pro and believe you will exceed value you can get via other Ultimate Rewards partners.
This has also been added to our increasingly popular Transfer Partner Matrix.
Reward multipliers
The earning rates were recently improved on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Plus, cardholders earn 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding wholesale clubs), and select streaming services as well as at gas stations, on EV charging, and on vacation rentals made through through Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa.
All travel purchases earn 2x points.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Estimated Rewards Value: 5.25%
Estimated Rewards Value: 5.25%
Estimated Rewards Value: 5.25%
Estimated Rewards Value: 5.25%
Earn the higher multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.5%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.5%
Earn the higher multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.5%
Earn the higher multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points. 3X Points on Vacation Rentals Bookings through Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa now earn 3X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.5%
Earn the higher multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 2X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.5%
Estimated Rewards Value: 1.75%
Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and on Lyft rides through September 2027.
ALREADY HAVE THIS CARD?
Pair another card and boost your rewards
In some cases, adding cards from the same points system will increase your rewards by unlocking a higher point value based on the ability to transfer points to air or hotel partners. In other cases, the cards simply work together to earn more points with one bank or diversify your bonus category rewards across banks.
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Earn Valuable Ultimate Rewards points
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a variety of great airline and hotel partners, including United Airlines, World of Hyatt, and Southwest. See our guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards for all the details.
Pay Yourself Back
With Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature, you can apply points towards purchases already made. The value per point and eligible categories change from time to time.
DoorDash benefit
Complimentary DashPass membership, a $120 value for 12 months. Enjoy $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders, plus exclusive Chase savings on grocery, everyday essentials, and more. Activate by 12/31/29.
Peloton
Earn 5x total points on eligible Peloton Bike, Tread and Row purchases over $150 with a max earn of 25,000 total points through December 31, 2027.
Primary Car Rental CDW Waiver
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card offers primary collision damage waiver (CDW) protection when you pay for a rental car with the card for up to $60,000 in damages.
However, certain car brands and vehicle types (e.g. motorbikes, pickup trucks, and RVs) are excluded from this coverage as well as cars with a retail price of $125,000 or more.
Specific limitations apply to New York residents: Auto Rental Coverage – inside the United States coverage is secondary to Your personal automobile insurance;
Annual Statement Credits
At Chase Travel ℠
Get up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year when purchasing hotel stays through Chase Travel℠. If you take advantage of just this one card benefit, you’ll more than halfway offset the annual fee.
One Year of Complimentary Apple TV
Cardmembers receive a complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when activated by December 31, 2026, a value of $180.
Activation must be completed through the Benefits & Rewards section on Chase.com or the mobile app to link an Apple ID. (Does not include Apple Music.)
Earns Transferable Points
Cardholders can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 14 airline and hotel partners including Hyatt, United, Southwest, JetBlue, British Airways, and Marriott.
Note that transfers to Hyatt from this card are 4:3 unless you also hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Sapphire Reserve for Business℠.
See our Ultimate Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards for more information on Chase Ultimate Rewards and how to get maximum value out of them.
| Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Ratio | Expected Transfer Time * | |
| Aer Lingus Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | ~ 1 – 2 days |
| Southwest Airlines | 1:1 | Instant |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hyatt | 1:1 (Must have Sapphire Reserve® or Reserve for Business℠ otherwise 4:3) | Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | ~ 1-2 days |
| IHG Rewards Club | 1:1 | ~ 1 day |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | ~ 1 day |
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Reimbursement
Receive up to $120 in reimbursement every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees.
Extended Warranty
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® extended warranty protection extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year when the original warranty is 3 years or less.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection covers against theft and damage to eligible purchases in the first 120 days, up to $500 per claim.
Trip Protections
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® offers a slew of travel protections: baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and trip delay reimbursement.
In addition to the travel protections covered above, Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders get lost luggage insurance and Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage.
Emergency Evacuation and Transportation Coverage
Trip protections have been expanded to include Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage. If a covered traveler is injured or becomes ill during a trip 100 miles or more from home requiring emergency evacuation, medical services and transportation are covered up to $100,000.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Your Checked and Carry–on Baggage each have a maximum benefit up to three thousand ($3,000.00) dollars per Covered Person per Trip.
Both include a sub–limit up to five hundred ($500.00) dollars for jewelry and watches and a sub–limit up to five hundred ($500.00) dollars for cameras and other electronic equipment per Covered
Person per Trip. Additional restrictions apply.
New York State Residents: You are additionally limited to $2,000 per bag and $10,000 for all Covered Travelers per Trip;
Roadside Assistance
Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders get access to Roadside Dispatch. This pay-per-use roadside assistance program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without the need to pre-enroll or pay for a membership.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders are covered in case you have an emergency while traveling. Chase’s benefits administrator can connect you with legal or medical providers or provide other types of emergency assistance.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Free Access to Credit Score
Get complimentary access to your credit score through Chase Credit Journey.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- You can more than offset the annual fee by more than half with the $100 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
- Earns valuable and highly flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
- Extensive travel protections -- including lost luggage insurance, emergency evacuation, and a collision damage waiver on rental cars, primary in most states.
- A low earning rate of 1x point per dollar on other purchases keeps it from being an ideal everyday spending card.
- High credit scores required for account opening.
- Lack of additional travel benefits, though it now has a Global Entry application fee credit and Emergency Evacuation coverage.
Our review
💳 This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Chase often runs transfer bonuses where you can get even more points when you transfer to airline or hotel partners at designated times. Transfer bonuses are awesome. Get 20%, 30%, 40% or more bonus miles when you transfer points at the right times. But they are easy to miss!
You can see all past Transfer Bonuses from Chase Ultimate Rewards here.
Even better? Get notified when a new transfer bonus comes out and again before it ends (either or both, your choice). Sign up for free alerts right here. 🔔
We consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® the best starter travel rewards credit card available today. For a modest $95 annual fee, you’ll earn bonus points in several categories, get up to a $100 statement credit for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠, plus get a slew of travel protections.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card earns bonus points on travel purchases, dining, online grocery shopping, and select streaming services as well as gas and EV charging.
Although the credit card doesn’t earn bonus points on other purchases, you can pair the card with other Chase credit cards to boost your Chase Ultimate Rewards earning rate.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card justifies its annual fee year after year by providing the best set of travel protections on a card with under a $100 annual fee. Your car rentals will be automatically covered against theft and damage when you use your card and primary coverage (secondary for New York residence with their own vehicle insurance) means your own insurance won’t have to get involved. You’ll be protected against weather delays, lost luggage, and trip interruptions or outright cancellations.
Additionally, you’ll get benefits from several partners. For example, earn 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through September 2027. Plus, you can get lower service fees when you use DoorDash by enrolling to get one complimentary year of DashPass through December 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Does Chase Sapphire Preferred® get you into airport lounges?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn’t currently provide airport lounge access.
Is it hard to get Chase Sapphire Preferred®?
Unfortunately, Chase requires great to excellent credit scores to open the Chase Sapphire Preferred®. While the credit card issuer doesn’t set a minimum credit score, there’s a minimum credit limit of $5,000 to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card.
Is it worth getting Chase Sapphire Preferred®?
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best starter travel rewards credit cards available. The credit card easily justifies its $95 annual fee with a valuable sign up bonus, no foreign transaction fees, travel protections (including on car rentals), and $100 in statement credits for hotels purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
How do I get 5X points with Chase Sapphire Preferred®?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
Is there a better credit card than Chase Sapphire Preferred®?
For an annual fee of under $100, it’s hard to find a better card than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. The Citi Premier Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card give the Chase Sapphire Preferred® a run for its money.
However, many travelers will find Ultimate Rewards points easier to use as you can transfer points to United, Hyatt, Southwest, JetBlue, Marriott, and several other familiar programs.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred® charge foreign transaction fees?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred® have car rental coverage?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers primary collision damage waiver (CDW) protection when you pay for an eligible rental car with the card and follow all terms. Coverage is Secondary in New York State
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred® offer extended warranty?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® extended warranty protection extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year when the original warranty is 3 years or less.
What credit score do I need to get a Chase Sapphire card?
Chase requires that applicants have a great to excellent credit score to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That generally means you’ll need a credit score of at least 700.
What's the phone number for Chase Sapphire Preferred®?
To get ahold of a Chase Sapphire Preferred® agent, call the number on the back of your card: 1-800-493-3319. Or, you can call 1-614-776-7050 from overseas.
