Why I’m Exclusively Spending on My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card This Month

Right now, I’ll be exclusively using my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card until my statement ends toward the end of September — even on purchases I won’t get bonus points on or for which I’d normally pay with a different card.

Why? Because I’m trying to earn as many Chase Ultimate Rewards points as possible and transfer them to a specific partner by the end of the month.

Generally, I don’t transfer flexible rewards points to an airline or hotel partner without a specific redemption plan in mind, especially when there’s not a transfer bonus involved. But by the end of September, I’ll be transferring every Chase Ultimate Reward point in my account to Hyatt, so I’m trying to earn as many as possible. Here’s why.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

In normal circumstances I wouldn’t be using my Chase Sapphire Preferred card for every single purchase I make. Still, I greatly value the card, because it’s easy to outweigh the annual fee thanks to perks such as the $100 hotel credit in Chase Travel. In fact, I’m able to get nearly $5,000 in value from the card annually.

BEST FIRST TRAVEL CARD

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 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

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 bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation home rentals with top brands, and streaming services.

It offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and strong travel insurance coverage, including primary car rental insurance. If you travel a few times a year and spend on dining, the card is likely to be a good choice, but it’s hard to justify if you don’t dine out or travel often.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via Chase Travel
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation home rentals with top brands (such as Airbnb and Vrbo), and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Subject to Chase’s 5/24 application restrictions

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 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 TravelSM, 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, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation 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 12 months 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

I’m Using My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Exclusively This Month

I’ve almost never used just 1 card exclusively for a period of time, unless I was trying to meet a minimum spending requirement to earn a high welcome offer bonus. But right now, I’m trying to earn as many Chase Ultimate Rewards points as possible so I can transfer them to Hyatt by the end of the month.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers the following bonus categories:

• 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 3x on dining
• 3x on vacation homes
• 3x on gas
• 3x on EV charging
• 3x on top streaming services
• 3x on online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs)
• 2x on all other travel purchases
• 1x on all other purchases

Typically, I’d focus on using the card at restaurants or gas, and it’s my go-to card for streaming payments. Sometimes I use it for travel, not only because it earns bonus points but because of its impressive set of travel benefits.

However, this month, I’m putting purchases like back-to-school items, department store buys, home goods, car maintenance, and regular groceries on my Chase Sapphire Preferred card — items I’d normally use other cards for, such as my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or my Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.

My goal is to earn as many points as possible that will bank to my account before the end of the month. I’m on a timeline.

This Year’s Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Changes

First, some context. In June 2026, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card got a revamp, and it was mostly good news. The card’s $95 didn’t increase, and the card added perks like the aforementioned $100 hotel credit through Chase Travel (it was formerly $50), as well as the additional points on categories like gas, EV charging, and vacation homes and additional travel protections added to an already-strong suite of them.

The refresh also included benefits like a $120 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every 4 years and a complimentary 1-year Apple TV+ subscription (you have to activate this benefit by December 31, 2026), just in time for me to catch up on “Ted Lasso.”

However, there was bad news that came along with the good. The card is discontinuing its 10% anniversary bonus, where you’d get bonus points calculated against the base points you earned from purchases during the previous cardmember year — about 1 bonus point for every $10 spent on the card.

Even worse for fans of the World of Hyatt program, the card’s transfer ratio to the hotel loyalty program is changing from a 1:1 ratio to a 4:3 ratio.

The 10% Anniversary Points Bonus Ends After This Month

Now here’s one reason why the end of September is my deadline for spending on on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card: Exisiting cardholders can still earn the 10% anniversary points bonus until October 1, 2026, and the points will appear by January 31, 2027. (Those who applied for the card on or after June 15, 2026, don’t qualify for the 10% anniversary bonus.)

This doesn’t generate a huge amount of points for me, but it’s still a nice perk. This is my last-ditch effort to earn as many points as possible and therefore obtain the largest 10% bonus possible.

The Hyatt Transfer Ratio Change Is Driving My September Spending

The Hyatt transfer ratio change is the main reason I’m putting as much spend as possible on the card right now (and have been since the transfer ratio devaluation news was announced this past summer).

My 2 top transfer partners from Chase are Iberia Avios and World of Hyatt, so this transfer change will really affect my strategy going forward.

I haven’t yet decided if I’ll continue to move Chase points to Hyatt after the transfer ratio devaluation. I may use it to top off a low balance for a redemption, but I’ll have to do the math to see if moving large quantities is worth it, as I’d be losing 25% of my points when transferring.

For now, though, I plan to transfer all my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt before October 1, 2026, in order to get the 1:1 transfer ratio. I’m spending as much as possible this month to earn as many points as I can to make the transfer from Chase to Hyatt extra lucrative.

Hot Tip:

If you’re a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders who applied on or after June 15, 2026, the transfer ratio is already 4:3. If you applied for your card before that and want to transfer your Chase points to Hyatt at 1:1, do so soon before it’s too late.

Transferring Points Without an Award in Mind: Exceptions

I almost never recommend transferring points without having a redemption in mind. This takes away the flexibility of flexible reward currencies because you can’t move the points back. Once you transfer them, you’re at the mercy of whatever airline or hotel program you’ved moved your points to.

Airlines and hotels frequently devalue their currencies, often with little or no notice at all. Your points are safest when they’re in flexible rewards form.

It’s best to first have a redemption in mind (the more specific the better, so you know the award you want is available on your dates and exactly how much to budget for it) and transfer your points shortly thereafter, snapping up your award redemption ASAP after your points move.

However, there are exceptions to this:

Transfer Bonuses

When an flexible rewards issuer offers a transfer bonus in conjunction with a specific airline or hotel, it could be a good idea to move the points, especially if it’s a transfer partner I favor. Airline programs tend to have the most lucrative transfer bonuses.

However, I always do the math first to make sure I’m getting a good deal.

Hot Tip:

Check out these current transfer bonuses active this month.

Canceling a Card

If I plan to cancel a flexible rewards credit card and don’t have another card in that card family to which you can send those points, I’ll transfer my points before canceling so I won’t lose them. In this case, I’d pay attention to transfer bonuses or opt for the programs I most frequently use.

Hot Tip:

An alternative to canceling a credit card is downgrading your card. You may be able to retain your points, and downgrades won’t affect your credit score.

Top Off to a Familiar Program

Speculatively moving points to a familiar program can be beneficial, especially if the program has an award chart and I know how many points I need for an award. For example, if I know I tend to stay at a certain category of Hyatt hotels on off-peak dates, it’s not the worst idea to transfer a couple thousand points to the program to get what I need to later for an award redemption.

Before an Award Release

If I’m waiting for an airline to release award availability, moving points ahead of time can be a competitive hack to ensure that, when the award availability comes out, I’m ready with enough points or miles to snap it up before someone else does.

While certain points currencies transfer immediately, there’s always a risk I could lose an award while I wait several hours to a few days for my points to transfer. So transferring them ahead of time ensures my points are there when I need them.

Flexible Rewards Transfer Ratio Devaluation or Discontinued Partner

Right now, the situation with Chase points and Hyatt points is a transfer ratio devaluation, which makes it the perfect time to move my points over to still get the highest value out of them.

Likewise, if a partner is going away (for example, Emirates is leaving as a Chase transfer partner in 2025), I could transfer points to them for the last time.

You Know You’ll Use Them

This also represents why I’m moving my Chase points to Hyatt by the end of the month. I know I’ll use them eventually, and since Hyatt just made a bunch of award chart changes in 2026, I’m confident I’ll be able to redeem them before any other major award chart changes or devaluations occur.

I don’t have any specific redemptions planned, but I am eyeing the Hyatt Regency Mexico City for next summer, which costs 15,000 Hyatt points per night on some summer 2027 dates.

I also find Hyatt’s all-inclusive collection to be a fantastic value, as these hotels include the hotel stay, meals, drinks, and activities. I’m considering spending a week at the Dreams Estrella de Mar in Mazatlán, Mexico, for around 20,000 Hyatt points per night (or nearly $500 per night) for summer 2027 dates, or the Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica, which has similar pricing and will be reopening this December after a big renovation.

Either way, I know that I’ll use my Hyatt points in one way or another, so moving them over without a specific plan for awards still works for me — especially since I’d get more value out of my points by transferring them sooner.

Bottom Line:

It can make sense to speculatively move points without a redemption in mind, but only in certain circumstances.

Final Thoughts

I’m spending big this month on my Chase Sapphire Preferred card and moving my points to Hyatt by October 1, 2026, in order to take advantage of the 1:1 transfer ratio, which will soon change to 4:3. My goal is to get the maximum value out of my spending and points with a partner I value and use often, and this is my strategy this month.

If you are grandfathered into Chase’s 1:1 transfer ratio to Hyatt, consider taking a similar approach this month, moving any exisiting Chase Ultimate Reward points to the hotel program before the October 1 date so you won’t lose out.