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:
19.24%-27.49% 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 20% bonus Aeroplan® points when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points between 12:00 AM ET on April 1, 2026 and 11:59 PM ET on April 30, 2026. Bonus Aeroplan points will be awarded by Aeroplan in your Aeroplan account after your transfer is complete. Promotional offer terms and conditions apply. This bonus, unlike the last one, is not tiered by transfer size. That one ranged from 15% – 25% depending on how much you moved over.
Chase Aeroplan cardmembers get an additional 10% bonus – must transfer at least 50,000 points; max bonus from being a cardmember is 25,000 points per year) – which would make this a 30% bonus.
I suggest reviewing historical transfer bonuses from Chase and American Express to Air Canada Aeroplan as you might find that bonuses are more common than you think. 20% is the “standard” offer we see the most, though Chase did offer a flat 30% in late 2022. I’m not counting a one-off Bilt Rewards transfer bonus that went as high as 150% since that is unlikely to repeat.
Aeroplan sweet spots: No fuel surcharges; just a $39CAD booking fee. Lap infant just $25CAD. Can book Star Alliance flights as well as partners like Etihad and Emirates. Add a stopover for just 5,000 miles! Award pricing is not necessarily the best there is, but is consistently fair.
A business class award on a partner (not on Air Canada metal as that is dynamically priced) from the East Coast to Europe would be 70,000 points (as an example), which would be 56,000 Chase points with this promotion.
There have been five transfer bonuses from Chase to IHG One Rewards in 2025 early 2026. One was 100%, two were 80%, and two were 70%. This bonus is on the lowest end of the range.
We value IHG Rewards points at 0.4 cents and Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.75 cents, so this is far from a slam dunk and we’d advise to only transfer if you’ve already found a great redemption.
You also may be looking to “top up” an existing IHG Rewards balance for a reward stay and this would be an opportune time.
But as a general rule, we find that one Chase Ultimate Rewards point is at least 4 times more valuable than IHG Rewards points, so, again, do your homework before transferring and make sure you have a deal lined up – ideally using the 4th night free benefit from a co-branded credit card.
Transfers take less than a day (most likely less than a few hours, but not instant), although note that IHG is adding the bonus on their side so their could be a delay.
Reward multipliers
The earning rates were recently improved on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Now, cardholders earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and on Lyft rides through September 2027. All other travel purchases earn 2x points. Plus, cardholders earn 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding wholesale clubs), and select streaming services.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Estimated Rewards Value: 8.75%
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.
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%
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
10% Annual Bonus on Base Points
Each account anniversary, Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders earn bonus points equal to 10% of purchases made in the previous year.
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
Get lower service fees when you use DoorDash by enrolling to get at least one complimentary year of DashPass when you enroll through December 2027.
You must add your card to your DoorDash account to activate.
Also, you can get one discount of up to $10 off each month at checkout on one non-restaurant order on DoorDash (i.e. convenience store, etc.)
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
Get up to $50 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.
Earns Transferable Points
Cardholders can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 14 airline and hotel partners including Hyatt, United, Southwest, JetBlue, British Airways, and Marriott.
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 |
| Emirates (Transfers End Oct 15, 2025) | 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 | Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | ~ 1-2 days |
| IHG Rewards Club | 1:1 | ~ 1 day |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | ~ 1 day |
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.
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 offset the annual fee by more than half with the $50 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 and a damage waiver on rental cars.
- 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 travel benefits like a Global Entry application fee credit.
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 $50 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. Plus you’ll earn an annual Ultimate Rewards bonus of 10% of the prior year’s spending.
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 $50 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.
