Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – How To Use the $50 Hotel Credit [2024]

Despite its already strong value proposition, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card continues to improve over time. Its annual fee has stayed the same over the years, even though Chase has offered more bonus categories and benefits.

One such benefit is a $50 hotel credit, which is pretty incredible considering the fact that the card’s annual fee is under $100.

In this guide, we’ll examine this benefit in detail and discuss how to maximize it as effectively as possible.

Card Overview

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.

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

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

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.

Pros & Cons

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)

Cons

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

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. 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, 2027.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Key Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Before we get into the specifics of the $50 hotel credit, let’s discuss why we love the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, our favorite beginner rewards credit card, so much.

For new cardmembers, there’s a fantastic welcome bonus, as well as the ability to earn up to 5x Ultimate Rewards points (some of the most valuable points in the world):

• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 5x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
• 2x points on all other travel purchases
• 1x points everywhere else

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also has a unique 10% cardmember anniversary bonus, which earns you a 10% bonus on your total spend in the past cardmember year.

With Ultimate Rewards points being worth around 2 cents per point, you’ll earn a maximum return on spending of 10%, based on a maximum earning structure of 5x points.

Even better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with some of the best travel insurance, a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription (activate by December 31, 2027), purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, and no-additional fee authorized user cards.

What Is the $50 Hotel Credit?

Of course, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with that lovely $50 hotel credit, which is valid for any hotel stays booked through Chase Travel, also known as the Chase travel portal.

No enrollment or registration is necessary — as long as your hotel accommodation purchase is made through Ultimate Rewards, you’ll get a $50 statement credit every cardmember year (not calendar year). If you opened your Chase Sapphire Preferred card before the benefit was added in August 2021, you won’t be eligible for the credit until your account anniversary, after you’ve paid your annual fee.

The statement credit will automatically post to your account within 2 days after your purchase posts, and the credit will show up on your billing statement in 1 to 2 billing cycles.

Hot Tip: If you’re a new cardmember, you’ll be entitled to your $50 hotel credit as soon as you are approved for the card. This is in contrast with many other statement credit benefits where you have to wait an entire year before you can enjoy a statement credit. 

By definition, you are entitled to a $50 hotel credit starting from your account opening date through the first statement date after your cardmember anniversary, and then 12 monthly billing cycles after that every year.

How To Use the Card’s $50 Hotel Credit?

Using the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s $50 hotel credit is easy. Even though stays have to be booked through Chase Travel, the portal itself is super easy to use.

First, visit Chase Travel and log into your Chase account.

Then, select your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

After that, you’ll see a search box in the middle of the screen. Be sure Hotels is selected. Enter your destination, check-in and checkout date, and the number of guests. Click Search.

Select the hotel you’d like to book by clicking on the name of the hotel.

Then, select the room you’d like to book and click Add to itinerary.

You’ll be redirected to the Trip Details page. Confirm all of the dates and prices, and click Begin Checkout.

You’ll be prompted to fill in the guest form. Enter all the information required and click Save Changes and Continue.

Next, fill out the payment information and click Complete Checkout.

After you make your reservation, you’ll see the charge post as pending on your credit card account. After that, wait up to 2 days, and you should see your credit post. Easy enough, right?

Purchases That Do Not Trigger the Hotel Credit

So, the next logical question is what doesn’t count towards the $50 hotel credit?

The good news is that the answer is very straightforward: any hotel stays that are booked outside of the Chase Travel portal will not count. For example, booking a hotel stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando Grande Lakes directly through Marriott or the hotel website will not qualify for the $50 hotel credit.

So if you want to use the $50 hotel credit, you’ll want to make 100% sure that you’re booking your hotel stay through Chase Travel.

Bottom Line: Stays booked directly through the hotel do not qualify for the $50 hotel credit. To get the $50 hotel credit, book your stay through the Chase Travel portal and pay with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Is The $50 Hotel Credit Worth It?

Truthfully, this is one of those benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card anyway, so it seems foolish not to use it.

Similar benefits from other competitor credit cards usually come with restrictions; but with this card, as long as you book through Chase Travel, your hotel booking should qualify.

That’s great news because even a $50 hotel stay could qualify for the full hotel credit! So, yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card $50 hotel credit is well worth it.

Final Thoughts

The value proposition for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has never been stronger. Chase has continued to offer additional rewards categories, new perks, and state-of-the-art rewards without increasing annual fees or introducing new restrictions.

One such perk is the $50 hotel credit. And with the ability to earn up to 5x points with purchases on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, the stellar travel insurance you get through this card, and the 10% anniversary bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card feels like the gift that keeps on giving.

And to sweeten the deal even further, there’s a fabulous welcome bonus you can take advantage of. It’s hard to believe that this incredible product has such a mild annual fee!