How 1 Benefit Entirely Justifies the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Annual Fee

If you already plan to book at least one hotel stay a year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card comes with a huge money-saving perk that fully offsets the entire annual fee.

Everything else the card offers — bonus categories, transfer partners, insurance coverage — becomes upside on top of the $95 fee you’ve already recovered. And because the fee-offsetting benefit requires zero extra spending, zero strategy, and zero hoop-jumping, this travel card quickly becomes one you’ll want to keep in your wallet for years.

What Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $100 Annual Hotel Credit?

Previously, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offered a $50 annual hotel credit. That recently changed when Chase doubled the value of this benefit to up to $100, all without raising the annual fee on the card. Here’s how the updated $100 hotel credit works:

• The statement credit applies to hotel bookings made through the Chase Travel portal, and does not include bookings made directly with a hotel or through a third-party site like Expedia.
• It renews on your account anniversary, not the calendar year, so the clock resets 12 months after you opened the card.
• There’s no minimum spend and no enrollment required — the statement credit posts automatically once your Chase Travel hotel purchase goes through.
• The credit can be split across multiple stays. If your first booking only uses $60 of it, the remaining $40 is still available for a later stay in the same cardmember year.

How 1 Stay Covers the Annual Fee

The math here is simple, really. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card annual fee is $95, while the annual hotel credit is worth up to $100.

If you book a single qualifying hotel stay each year for $100 or more through Chase Travel, you come out $5 ahead before any other card benefits enter the picture.

For example, say you’re already planning a weekend trip and expect to spend $250 on a hotel. If you book your room through Chase Travel and receive $100 back as a statement credit, you’ll now have fully covered the value of the annual fee you paid, just for booking a hotel you were planning already.

Real-World Ways to Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred Hotel Credit

The hotel credit works best when it slots into travel you’re already planning. A few common scenarios:

• Weekend getaway: the $100 credit provides a nice savings to an otherwise cheaper hotel stay since you’re only gone for the weekend.
• Road trip hotel: On a long trip and need a place to crash for the night? The $100 credit could cover most of your stay.
• Airport hotel before an early flight: Need to be at the airport at 5 a.m.? Booking a hotel near the airport can get you a little more sleep before that early flight, and getting $100 off the booking doesn’t hurt.
• 1-night staycation: For when you’re not planning a full trip but still want to treat yourself.

Stack the Hotel Credit With Elite Benefits and Point-Earning

If you book an eligible hotel through Chase Travel and have elite status with the hotel’s loyalty program, you may be able to double-dip by earning hotel points and receiving elite benefits while also using the $100 annual hotel credit.

For example, if you book a $300 stay at an IHG hotel through Chase Travel and add your IHG One Rewards number to the reservation, you’ll receive the $100 hotel credit, earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points and IHG One Rewards points on the eligible portion of the purchase (excluding the $100 credit), and may still receive elite perks such as complimentary room upgrades, late checkout, and more.

All Other Card Benefits Are Bonus Value

Since you can cover all of the annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card from the annual hotel credit alone, that makes all of the other benefits the card offers bonus value to you.

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.

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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 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 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 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

• 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; and 2x points on all other travel worldwide
• Redeem your points for cash-back, with up to a 75% bonus through Points Boost, or with one of the many Chase transfer partners.
• Strong travel protections, including trip cancellation and interruption coverage, primary rental car collision damage waiver, baggage delay reimbursement, and purchase protection.
• A statement credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, a complimentary 1-year Apple TV subscription (activate by December 31, 2026), and no foreign transaction fees.

Final Thoughts

For most travelers who expect to book at least one hotel stay a year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card easily earns its keep thanks to the $100 hotel credit. It turns the annual fee from a cost you need to justify into one that’s covered by travel you were already planning to book. Once that fee is offset, the card’s earning rates, transfer partners, and protections all become straightforward upside rather than benefits you’re depending on to break even.