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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – Full Review [2024]

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Jarrod West
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Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

437 Published Articles, 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 21U.S. States Visited: 24

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
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Kellie Jez

Director of Operations & Compliance

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Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
4.59
  • 60,000 points

  • $95

  • Good to Excellent (670-850)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
4.59
Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
  • Member FDIC

Customer Service Number

800-493-3319 (Available 24/7)

Pros

  • 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
  • 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
  • 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
  • 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
  • 2x points on all other travel worldwide
  • $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
  • 6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
  • Excellent travel and car rental insurance
  • 10% annual bonus points
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt

Cons

  • $95 annual fee
  • No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Great Card If

  • You want a card that offers flexible redemption options
  • You spend a lot on travel, online grocery purchases, dining, and food delivery
  • You travel frequently for work
  • You’re new to the world of points and miles
  • You frequently use rideshare services like Lyft

Don’t Get If

  • You seldom eat out and prefer cooking at home
  • You don’t enjoy traveling
  • You prefer a card with increased offerings like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Is It Worth It?

For starters, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a workhorse when it comes to earning points on purchases that you likely spend the most on.

From travel to dining, online grocery purchases, and even streaming services, the card will help you rack up points on all of these purchases. Plus, each year, you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.

Of course, once you’ve earned those points, Chase gives you plenty of redemption options that fit whatever you might be looking for. This includes cash-back, redeeming with a 25% bonus through the Chase travel portal or Pay Yourself Back feature, or our favorite — redeeming with one of the Chase transfer partners.

The card offers more than just the opportunity to earn and redeem points, though. Cardholders also get a $50 annual hotel statement credit when booking through Ultimate Rewards. Additionally, your card helps keep you covered when things go wrong with trip delay insurance, lost/delayed baggage insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

Not only is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card one of the best first credit cards, but the card often remains a long-time favorite, as it has for our Compliance Editor and Content Contributor Stella Shon, who said:

“The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is essential to my personal life, whether at home or on the go. As a frequent traveler, I love that this rewards card earns handsomely across 2 of my largest expenses: dining and travel. It doesn’t take much to justify the $95 annual fee since that breaks down to under $8 per month — and with that cost, I get a variety of travel and purchase protections, no foreign transaction fees, and access to key travel transfer partners like World of Hyatt.”

Stella Shon, compliance editor and content contributor

So, is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth it? If you’re looking for a card that’s great at earning points, offers flexible redemption options, and includes solid benefits and travel protections, then yes — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card would be very worth it to you!

What Benefits Do You Get With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

Travel Protections

Your card comes with quite a few benefits to keep you insured while traveling. You’ll receive:

  • Trip Delay Insurance — Receive reimbursements of up to $500 per ticket if your flight is delayed 12 hours or requires an overnight stay. This includes items like lodging, food, etc.
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance — If you need to cancel a trip due to illness, severe weather, or any other covered circumstance, you’ll receive a reimbursement of up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip in non-refundable travel expenses if you need to cancel your trip or end it early.
  • Baggage Delay Insurance — If your checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you’ll receive $100 in reimbursements for essential items per day for up to 5 days.
  • Lost Luggage Insurance — The costs you incur to repair or replace checked and/or carry-on baggage due to physical loss, theft, or damage are covered up to a maximum of $3,000 per person.
  • Travel Accident Insurance — In the case of accidental death or loss of speech, sight, or hearing during your travels, you can receive up to $500,000 when the incident happens on a common carrier (airline, cruise ship, etc.) or $100,000 at any other part of your trip.

Annual Hotel Credit

Cardholders receive $50 in annual statement credits when they purchase a hotel stay through the Chase Travel portal. Unlike other credit card credits, this $50 statement credit is very easy to use and effectively brings the annual fee of the card down to just $45.

Note that we’ve seen that this credit isn’t awarded until your card anniversary for existing card members. Explore your card account to see if the credit is already available for use or when it will be applied to your account.

Rental Car Insurance

An Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is a form of insurance that offers protection against damage or theft of your rental car. The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s car rental insurance is primary, meaning you don’t have to file a claim with any other insurance first.

This coverage applies to rentals in the U.S. and in most other countries worldwide. Your coverage extends to any additional drivers listed on your rental agreement, plus any authorized users on your card and additional drivers listed on their car rental agreements.

To activate your coverage, be sure to decline the policy offered by the car rental agency and pay for your entire rental with your card. You’ll also be earning 2x Ultimate Rewards points when renting a car!

Purchase Protection

Chase purchase protection provides reimbursement or repair for qualifying items purchased with your card in the event of theft or accidental damage. To qualify, at least part of your purchase needs to be made with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or points from your Chase Sapphire Preferred card account.

If the item you purchased is stolen or accidentally damaged within 120 days from the date of purchase, you can receive a replacement, repair, or reimbursement for your item at the discretion of the benefits administrator.

The card’s purchase protection policy is capped at $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.

Extended Warranty Protection

Extended warranty coverage increases the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of an item by 1 year if the original warranty is less than 3 years. At least part of the item needs to have been purchased with your card or points in your Chase Sapphire Preferred card account.

Each claim has a $10,000 maximum, and each account has a maximum of $50,000.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is so popular because it combines an excellent rewards program, great bonus categories, plus solid perks and protections, all for a relatively low annual fee compared to other travel rewards credit cards. This is why it is often the first card people select when jumping into the world of points and miles!

Who Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card For?

In our view, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card can be a good fit for those new to the world of points and miles, as well as experienced pros. It really all depends on what you are looking for in a new card.

If you’re looking for a card with flexible redemption options, including access to Chase transfer partners, bonus categories for travel, dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases, plus perks with partners like DoorDash, Instacart, and Lyft, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred card could be the perfect fit for you.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Chase Points

Aside from using your Chase Sapphire Preferred card for all of your daily purchases, there are many other great ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and our dedicated guide will show you just that!

Once you’re sitting on a nice stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, next is the fun part — redeeming them! While Chase gives you multiple redemption options for your points, we’ve put together an ultimate guide that covers the best ways to redeem your Chase points for maximum value.

You’ll notice when reading through our redemption guide that most of our favorite ways to redeem our Chase points are by using the Chase transfer partners to book travel experiences through programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and World of Hyatt.

While these redemptions require a bit more legwork, they are by far the best way to get huge value from your points — especially if you want to stay in luxury hotels and fly in first or business class cabins!

Alternative Cards to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Interested in the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but curious to learn about your other options? Check out these other offerings:

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

There’s a lot to love about the Capital One Venture card. With a variety of Capital One airline and hotel transfer partners and 2x miles minimum on all purchases, it’s easy to see why this is a direct competitor of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

If the majority of your daily spending comes from purchases outside of dining and travel categories, then the Capital One Venture card might be a great option for you.

For more information, check out our detailed analysis of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card vs. the Capital One Venture card.

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier card is one of the few travel credit cards on the market to offer a high return on gas purchases. This makes the card an excellent choice for those who drive often for work or love taking road trips.

Review a detailed comparison in our head-to-head article on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card vs. Citi Premier card.


We’ve also compared the Chase Sapphire Preferred card with other popular cards:


UP’s Card Review Methodology

Every card we review is assigned a “U.P. Rating” – our star-based system that encompasses all the key details to showcase a card’s standout features, where it falls short, and how it stacks up for travelers to maximize rewards.

These ratings range from 0 to 5 stars and are determined by carefully weighing crucial factors like:

  • Bonus categories
  • Benefits and perks
  • Quality of associated loyalty programs
  • Annual fees and other costs
  • Size of the welcome bonus (and relative to the annual fee)
  • And several more

You can learn more about how Upgraded Points reviews and rates credit cards.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

This credit card offers great earning potential for restaurants and travel-related expenses while offering various high-value redemption options.

These include 25% flight discounts (at 1.25 cents per point), transfers to travel partners, and the ability to combine with other select Chase cards to earn even more points.

Put another way, you get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

What are the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

This credit card earns 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases. You can maximize your redemption on shopping, purchasing travel tickets through the travel portal at 25% off, or transferring to loyalty accounts of partner airlines.

The card also offers a variety of travel insurance coverage, such as travel accident, trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental, lost luggage, and trip delay insurance.

What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card's annual fee?

The annual fee is $95 per year.

Is there a foreign transaction fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

No, there are no foreign transaction fees.

How much is 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point worth?

A point is worth 1 cent if you use it directly for statement credit. However, a point’s value can vary from 1 to 2 cents if transferred to airline partners and redeemed for international travel.

What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card made out of? Is the card metal?

Yes, the card uses a proprietary blend of metal with a blue finish that creates a unique appearance. It is thicker and heavier than most of its plastic counterparts.

Which is better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Freedom Flex card?

You’ll find higher-value redemption options with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but it is best to use both cards simultaneously.

The Freedom Flex card has no annual fee and offers 5% cash-back in rotating quarterly categories, plus 3% back on drugstore purchases, which is greater than what the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers. You can combine all your points from both cards to use for valuable redemptions.

What is the starting credit limit for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

If approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, your starting credit limit will be at least $5,000.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth it?

If you’re looking for a top-notch travel rewards card that earns rewards on travel and dining and offers flexible redemption options, including transfer partners and a 25% bonus or Chase travel portal redemptions, along with great travel and purchase protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card likely would be worth it for you.

Is it hard to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

Generally speaking, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is not hard to get approved for. As long as you have a couple of years of clean credit history and a credit score of 670 or higher, you should have strong approval odds for the card.

How many points do you get for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll earn:

  • 5x points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal
  • 3x points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases
  • 2x points per dollar on all other travel purchases
  • 1x point per dollar on all non-bonused purchases

Plus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a 10% anniversary bonus, which equals 10% of the total amount spent on the card in a calendar year. For instance, if you spent $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, regardless of the purchase category, you’d receive a 10% anniversary bonus of 1,500 points.

Do I qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

Any person with a U.S. address, a Social Security number, or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number can apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Whether or not you will be approved for the card will depend on various factors like your credit score, income, years of credit history, the number of accounts recently opened, the amount of credit Chase has already extended to you, and more.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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