How I Earned Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Welcome Offer Again After 10+ Years

I first applied for a Chase Sapphire card in 2015. Though much has changed with the lineup — and myself — Chase’s range of Sapphire credit cards remains among the best in the industry.

I started with a Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, had a multiyear stint with the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, and then a brief period with neither. Once I learned that the 100,000-point welcome bonus offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card came back, I knew it was the perfect time to try to get back into the Sapphire game.

However, it wasn’t as simple as just sending an application and waiting for my card to arrive in the mail. With some of the new Chase eligibility rules, it wasn’t guaranteed I’d be approved.

I decided to try anyway — and I ended up being successful. Let’s take a look at some of the eligibility considerations to keep in mind, and how the application process went for me.

Applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Again

Back in 2015, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card was the “it card” on the market, offering a strong earning structure, access to the powerful Ultimate Rewards program with its excellent transfer partners, a reasonable annual fee, and more. I knew it was the right card for me at the time, so I applied and got accepted.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

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.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

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

Less than a year later, Chase rocked the credit card world when it unveiled the brand-new Chase Sapphire Reserve card with tons of industry-leading features and an even better earning power than its less-expensive sister.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

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 top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$2,000

Annual Fee

$795

APR

19.49% - 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 card application.

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like worldwide airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus, it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to cover you at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8x points on all Chase Travel purchases
• 5x points on Lyft rides
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly

Cons

• $795 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge^® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^® every 4 years
• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
• Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The FOMO was real, so I upgraded my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. However, this was considered a product change rather than opening a new account, I wasn’t eligible to earn the welcome bonus. Oops.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card served me well for the next decade. But when the card was refreshed in 2025, and its annual fee jumped to a staggering $795, I was forced to think a little harder about keeping it in my wallet.

After weighing the pros and cons, I decided it was time to part ways. I called Chase and asked them to downgrade my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to a no-annual-fee Chase Freedom^® card, and I planned to wait a few months before applying for another Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

The timing worked out very well, as shortly after the downgrade, Chase announced the return of the limited-time 100,000-point welcome bonus offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Can You Earn Another Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Offer?

There were a few restrictions I had to consider before applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card again.

First up is the Chase’s 5/24 rule, which prohibits you from being approved for a new Chase card if you’ve opened 5 or more cards from any issuer (excluding most business cards) within the last 24 months.

I didn’t have to worry about my 5/24 standing in this case, as I’ve only opened a couple of cards in the last 2 years.

The second factor — and the one I was far more worried about — was Chase’s relatively new application rules for Sapphire cards.

Earlier in 2026, Chase made some important clarifications surrounding these rules. It said: “Eligible Sapphire cardmembers can now earn a welcome bonus offer on each Sapphire card, once per card, as long as they haven’t previously received a welcome bonus offer on that card.”

On the bright side, these new rules let travelers hold both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card at the same time and earn a welcome bonus on each. However, they also introduced lifetime language that only allows you to earn a welcome offer on each card once per lifetime.

Based on that limitation, I fully expected Chase to deny my application since I had previously held the Chase Sapphire Preferred back in 2015. I didn’t want a hard pull on my credit report if it wasn’t guaranteed that I could earn the welcome offer.

Here’s why I decided to apply — and why it actually doesn’t hurt to throw your hat in the ring, even if you don’t expect to be approved.

Applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card After a Decade

Fortunately, Chase has recently built-in features in its application process that will alert you if you’re not eligible for the welcome offer. This gives you the opportunity to withdraw your application before there’s any credit score impact.

Another Upgraded Points staffer attempted to apply for a new Chase Sapphire Preferred card and ran into the following pop-up message before submitting the application:

After learning about this, I knew what to look out for as I filled out my application. If I didn’t come across any pop-up message, then I’d still be eligible for the 100,000-point bonus offer.

I navigated to the application page and I was applying for the card with the 100,000-point welcome offer.

I entered all of my personal information, including my full name, date of birth, my mother’s maiden name, and my Social Security number.

I was bracing myself for the pop-up message shown above, telling me that I was ineligible to earn a bonus. However, nothing appeared, and after clicking submit, I received immediate approval. Next, I was prompted to read and agree to the terms and conditions.

After that, I was all set. Chase told me that while I could expect my new card in the mail in 5 to 7 days, I could set it up in a digital wallet and start using it immediately.

Even though I had been approved and never saw a pop-up message stating I was ineligible for the welcome bonus, I was still nervous I would miss out on the 100,000 bonus points. Fortunately, 2 days after my application was approved, I opened my Chase mobile app to check the welcome offer tracker and confirm I would earn it.

Sure enough, the mobile app tracker showed that I’m on track to earn 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points as long as I spend at least $5,000 by September 17, 2026.

Final Thoughts

The application for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card was the easy part, but brushing up on some of the eligibility criteria was tricky.

Even though I’d previously had the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase’s new rules suggested I wasn’t eligible, I was approved. Now, I’m on track to earn the 100,000-point welcome bonus offer.

If you’re in a similar boat, know there’s no harm in applying. Just take your time with the application process and watch closely for the pop-up message that says you’re ineligible.

If you do encounter this notification, you can quit the application process before any hard credit pull. However, without any pop-up message at all, you should have no problem qualifying for the welcome offer. And if you’re approved and meet the minimum spending requirement, you’ll have a fresh set of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points to play with.