Why You Should Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Before the 100K Bonus Ends

The best welcome offer we’ve seen in 2026 is officially ending soon.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is featuring its highest-ever welcome bonus offer of 100,000 points. While some premium travel cards can advertise much larger welcome offers, few deliver this level of value with a annual fee of just $95. Ultimately, this limited-time welcome offer can provide a return worth upward of 20 times the card’s annual fee.

Here are 3 reasons why you’ll want to hop on this bonus offer before it disappears very soon.

1. Only the Third Time We’ve Seen 100,000 Bonus Points

The Upgraded Points team has tracked the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s welcome offer history since 2020, and there are a few trends to note.

Historically, the card’s standard welcome offer has long been 60,000 points, though that changed when Chase actually raised the baseline to 75,000 points in June 2025.

The all-time best 100,000-point welcome offer first appeared in 2021 — but didn’t return until 2025. The current welcome offer marks just the third time we’ve ever seen a bonus offer this high.

This limited-time welcome offer is ending soon, and we’re not sure when it will come back — if ever.

It can be frustrating to apply for a card only to see its welcome offer increase shortly afterward, but if history tells us anything, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s 100,000-point bonus offer appears to be its ceiling.

2. Take Advantage of New Perks Immediately

Once you’re approved for the card, you don’t have to wait the full 7 to 10 business days to receive your physical card in the mail. Chase now offers a digital wallet immediately upon approval, so you can start spending on the card to work toward the minimum spending requirement.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has always excelled in travel, but now it takes a top slot for everyday purchases. In addition to the rewards you’ve already been able to earn (which we’ll discuss below), the Chase Sapphire Preferred card got additional 3x bonus categories for gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals, including Airbnb and Vrbo.

Not having to wait for the physical card means you can take advantage of the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit (awarded every 4 years) immediately. You can sign up for any one of these trusted traveler programs online and pay for the application fee with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to get reimbursed for the full amount back within in a few weeks.

There’s also the updated Chase Travel hotel credit, which is now worth up to $100 per cardmember anniversary (which is defined by the date you applied and got approved for the card). This benefit can also be used immediately to offset the cost of a hotel night — with virtually no limits, as long it’s available on the Chase Travel portal and you pay with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

You can use it to cover a hotel stay that costs exactly $100, treat it as a $100 discount on a more expensive luxury hotel, or perhaps even spread the credit across multiple budget hotel stays until you’ve used your full $100 annual allotment. The statement credit should arrive within 1 or 2 billing cycles.

3. Exceptional First-Year Value (More than $2,000)

The first year of opening a new account is when you get the best value from a card, even after considering the $95 annual fee. Here’s the estimated value you’d get from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card in year 1:

• 100,000-point bonus offer: Worth $2,000 for travel redemptions based on our valuations of 2 cents apiece for Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Annual hotel statement credit: Worth $100
• DoorDash credit: Worth up to $120 per year when you activate by December 31, 2027
• Complimentary Apple TV subscription for 1 year: Worth up to $99 per year in savings if you activate by December 31, 2026

OFFER ENDING SOON

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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 75,000 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

75,000 100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$2,000

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.24% - 27.49% 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 card application.

Good to Excellent

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, gas, EV charging, vacation homes, 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 and emergency evacuation. 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
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation homes (such as Airbnb and Vrbo), and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

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

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck^® or NEXUS application.
• Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

More than $2,200 in potential value is huge compared to the ongoing $95 annual fee.

Even after the first year, you can take advantage of just one of the above benefits to offset the $95. Of course, that’s also before you consider the points-earning potential and redemption possibilities with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. There are also the benefits it’s harder to put a price tag on, like primary rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, purchase protection, and no foreign transaction fees.

Final Thoughts

There have been very few times when it has made perfect sense to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Because Chase welcome offers are typically a one-time opportunity for eligible applicants (and issuers generally won’t match a higher bonus offer that launches after you’ve applied), there’s little reason to hold out for something better.

If the card fits your travel and lifestyle habits, applying now will lock you in the best bonus offer we’ve ever seen — before it disappears very soon.