The Top 5 Reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Should Be In Your Wallet
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Finding the perfect travel rewards credit card for your specific travel style is extremely important to maximize your points and miles.
There are plenty of cards to choose from — but here are the top 5 reasons we think the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card should be the first card you always pull out of your wallet.
Here’s a quick overview before we dive in:
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|---|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card How We Get $1,000+ Value From Just 60,000 Pts > |
|
Table of Contents
1. A Big 60,000 Point Sign-Up Bonus ($750 Value)
The best and current offer for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
The 60,000 point bonus alone is worth at least $750 when you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. This is because the points are worth 25% more when you make a redemption for travel rewards with Chase.
Update: Starting May 31, 2020, you can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 cents per piece as a statement credit towards purchases at grocery stores, home improvement stores, and dining establishments until September 30, 2020
We value Chase Ultimate Rewards points as one of the most valuable travel rewards currencies on the market, and not just for the increase of value when redeeming your points on the Chase travel portal.
Bottom Line: The current sign up bonus is 60,000 Chase points (which is worth at least $625), but the most value comes from transferring to their partners. You’ll see below the amazing flights you can take by using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
2. Earn 2x Points on ALL Travel and Dining Purchases
You will earn an unlimited 2 points for every dollar spent on travel and dining expenses on your card.
update: Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders will also earn 3x points per dollar at grocery stores, up to $1,500 per month, through June 30, 2020.
This benefit compares to most other premium travel rewards cards, but this card gives an extended range and applies to purchases made worldwide — and provides a wide variety of options to earn extra points in the specific categories that qualify for this double point bonus.
That is why we recommend having the Sapphire Preferred be the first card you always pull out of your wallet because these are just some of the places where you will earn 2x points on each dollar spent:
- Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops
- Uber and other ride-sharing/taxi services
- Airfare – booked directly through the airline or through 3rd party sites like Expedia
- Metro fares and other public transportation like buses and trains
- Postmates and other food-delivery services
- Airbnb and other house-sharing services
- Parking meters and garages
- Tours organized by travel companies
Bottom Line: Earn an easy 2 points per $1 spent on ALL travel and dining purchases. This means you can (effortlessly) rack up lots of valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points to use on incredible redemptions — or book through the Chase travel portal.
3. Maximize Your Points with Transfer Partners
Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with your Sapphire Preferred can be transferred to various elite airline frequent flyer programs and multiple luxurious hotel loyalty programs, all at a rate of 1:1.
That simply means 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point gets you 1 point when transferred to one of their transfer partners.
To maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, easily transfer your points (directly) to Chase’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
Chase Airline Transfer Partners
| Chase Airline Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio (Chase > Airline) | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1 hour |
| Emirates Skywards | 1,000 | 1:1 | New, pending reports |
| Iberia Plus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| JetBlue | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| United Airlines MileagePlus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
Chase Hotel Transfer Partners
| Chase Hotel Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| IHG Rewards Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1 day |
| Marriott Rewards | 1,000 | 1:1 | 2 days |
Fly Singapore Suites: JFK > Frankfurt: Just 76,000 Points!
Transferring your points directly to these different travel rewards programs unlocks some incredible premium travel experiences held exclusively to these elite programs — such as first class tickets on Singapore Airlines.
The Singapore Airlines First Suites Class on their A380 aircraft has been impressing fliers since it was introduced in 2007 offering a full double bed to couples flying together in the middle cabin.
The easiest way to experience this amazing flight is to transfer just 76,000 Ultimate Rewards points to your existing or newly created Singapore KrisFlyer account and redeem for a one-way First Suites Class ticket from New York’s JFK to Frankfurt, Germany.
Want to continue all the way to the Far-East and visit Singapore? Save up to get 120,000 points and spend 20 hours in your own private suite in the sky for the ride.
Fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class: (US > Europe) – 100k Miles Round-Trip!
You can experience Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to Europe using your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles for less than flying on Singapore Airlines and have more options for your final destination.
Singapore Airlines partners with Virgin Atlantic and only charges 100,000 miles for a round-trip ticket in their Upper-Class premium cabin. That’s saving of over 50,000 points for a premium cabin ticket to Europe!
There are so many ways to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from using your Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. We’ve come up with the best ways to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value.
Fly Lufthansa First Class (US > Europe) – Starting from 95,000 Points
Lufthansa has also been hailed as one of the best airlines for first-class experiences. With your Ultimate Rewards points, you can easily transfer your miles to United MileagePlus to book first class flights with Lufthansa.
United charges 110,000 points each way, however United does not charge any additional surcharges, you’ll just have to pay the nominal taxes and fees. Here is a complete go-to guide to finding and booking Lufthansa first class.
For less miles (but more in taxes) you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Singapore Airlines and it’ll cost 95,000 KrisFlyer miles.
One of the most sought-after flights for Lufthansa first class is on the A380, which connects Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and New York to Frankfurt.
Looking for the ultimate first-class experience? Be sure to use your miles to fly from Frankfurt to the USA and get a chance to explore Lufthansa’s exclusive first class terminal where you can wine and dine at a full-scale restaurant, take a bubble bath with a Lufthansa rubber ducky, and be driven right to your flight in a luxurious private car from your very own personal assistant.
Bottom Line: As you can see above, there are many incredible redemption options for Chase points. For many more, see our list of all the different ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
4. Extra Protection, Insurance and Travel Benefits
Purchases made with this card come with an extra layer of protection and insurance to ensure you enjoy all your trips and purchases no matter what happens.
We’ve listed the top 10 benefits the Sapphire Preferred, but here is a quick look at some of the most useful benefits:
Car Rental Primary Insurance Benefit
When renting cars from car rental agencies, we are often pressured to purchase extra protection like the Auto Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which is an extra daily fee which can really increase the cost of your car rental.
However, car rentals made with your card are already covered when you decline to purchase that extra protection.
The CDW benefit provides reimbursement for damage or theft of the vehicle for up to the actual cash value of most rental vehicles.
Hot Tip: The major perk of the card is that it offers this benefit as primary coverage, which means you do not need to make a claim with your personal insurance first, while other credit cards mostly offer secondary coverage, which only covers anything above what your personal insurance will cover first.
Purchase Protection
Purchases that you make with this card are insured for 120 days from:
- accidental damage
- theft
- unintended separation from the item – all 3 for a value up to $500.
Bottom Line: This purchase protection benefit is excellent for mid-level priced electronics, like a new iPad or set of headphones, that could be easily misplaced or damaged since you are constantly bringing them everywhere.
One Year Warranty Protection Extension
Purchases made with this card that come with a manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less, will have an additional 1 year of protection with the same terms as the original warranty. This will cover up to $10,000 of your purchase, but not more than the original purchase price.
Now that’s a cool perk that you wouldn’t likely know about unless you read the fine print!
5. $0 Foreign Transaction Fees!
There are several rewards cards out on the market that charge fees when you use your card abroad, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is not one of them!
You won’t incur any fees when using this card abroad.
Final Thoughts
The Sapphire Preferred has one of the best sign-up bonus offers on the market, offering up to 60,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000.
Using this card for travel and dining expenses will earn you double points anywhere in the world with no foreign transaction fees.
You will also be able to maximize the value of your points significantly by transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to select travel partners, and try some of the most exclusive travel rewards out there including International Business and First Class experiences.
Plus — with the additional travel protections and benefits, this card will put your mind at ease when using your card knowing your purchases are protected. If you’re interested in applying, you might want to see our article on the credit score requirements for the Sapphire Preferred before submitting your application!
