Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred Is My Top Travel Card for Summer 2026

If there’s one card I’m carrying around with me this summer, it’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.

While it’s a great travel credit card any time of the year, it’ll easily be the most-used in my wallet during my upcoming travels. The Ultimate Rewards points I’ve earned are helping offset a major portion of my trip costs, but there are several practical, real-world benefits that I’ll be glad to have.

Here are the 5 major reasons why the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is my go-to.

1. I Can Book All of My Travel Using Points

Last June, Chase permanently increased the standard welcome offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Previously, the card typically featured 60,000 bonus points, but the new standard offer is 75,000 points.

I applied for a Chase Sapphire Preferred card with the new standard offer. Once I met the $5,000 spending requirement within the 3-month window, the bonus points were credited to my account just a few business days later. Then, over the next 10 months, my points balance grew through everyday and travel spending.

Plus, when my card anniversary arrives, I’ll also receive the card’s 10% anniversary points bonus based on the purchases I made throughout the past year. While the anniversary bonus isn’t massive, consistently using the card and stacking points throughout the year pushed my balance beyond 100,000 points.

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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 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 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, 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
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, 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 Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• 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.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

We currently value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece when transferred to the program’s airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. The exact value you’ll get depends on how you redeem them; that 2-cent-per-point valuation is about what I got.

After spending a week in France, I’m wrapping up the summer with a 4-night stay in Oceanside, California, at the Mission Pacific Beach Resort. This World of Hyatt property is known for its iconic Top Gun House on the front lawn. To book the stay, I transferred exactly 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to my Hyatt account, which arrived immediately.

The cash rate for those same 4 nights was roughly $2,400, including nearly $500 in taxes and fees. However, Hyatt award stays don’t require you to pay taxes and fees when redeeming points, so my redemption translated into 2.4 cents per point.

Here’s where the redemption gets even better: One of my close friends is a World of Hyatt Globalist member and gifted me one of his Guest of Honor awards to use for my stay. Since Globalist members receive 5 of these awards each year, it essentially allows me to “borrow” his elite benefits during my trip. As a result, I’ll receive perks like complimentary breakfast for 2, free valet parking on award stays, and late checkout.

2. I Earn Bonus Points With No Foreign Transaction Fees

I’ve continued building my Ultimate Rewards balance by spending on the card, which offers a great variety of bonus categories:

• 5x points on Chase Travel bookings, including flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, vacation homes, cruises, and more
• 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2x points on all other travel purchases (outside of Chase Travel)

I still earn 1x points on all other eligible purchases, though I typically use other cards that offer elevated rewards rates whenever possible. For example, gas, vet bills, car insurance, and everything in between go on my trusty $0-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited^®, since it earns 1.5% cash-back on those same purchases.

While the Freedom Unlimited card is technically a cash-back card, pairing it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets me combine those rewards into my Ultimate Rewards balance to use for travel.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

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.

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Welcome Offer

Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening

$200

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.

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 Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases
• 1.5% back on all other purchases

Cons

• 3% foreign transaction fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
• No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited^® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

There is one important exception. When I head to France this summer, my Freedom Unlimited card will be staying at home. That’s because the Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, while the Freedom Unlimited card does: 3% of purchases made in another currency.

3. I Get a Complimentary International Data Plan

Visa Signature cardholders can access complimentary international data plans in more than 170 countries through Visa’s partnership with GigSky, an eSIM provider.

For travelers heading abroad, that benefit can help offset roaming charges or the cost of buying additional international data plans. Every 365 days, eligible Visa Signature cardholders can redeem a complimentary 15-day plan with 1GB of data, while Visa Infinite cardholders receive a complimentary 15-day plan with 3GB of data.

For my weeklong trip to France, being able to download the GigSky app (iOS, Android) and activate a complimentary 15-day data plan within minutes is a useful travel perk.

4. It Has Travel Protections, Including Primary Rental Car Insurance

For a travel credit card with just a $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers surprisingly strong travel insurance protections that can compete with some more premium travel cards.

The benefit I use most is the card’s primary rental car insurance, which provides coverage for theft or collision damage up to $60,000 on eligible rentals lasting 31 consecutive days or less. To activate the coverage, decline the rental agency’s collision insurance and pay for the rental using your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Primary rental car coverage is typically reserved for far more expensive cards (with annual fees climbing into the hundreds of dollars). Many other cards that offer rental coverage only provide secondary insurance, meaning you’d first need to file a claim through your personal auto insurance policy before the card’s coverage would apply.

I’m also no stranger to flight cancellations and delays, and I have additional coverage that gives me peace of mind when I travel, both domestically and internationally. Policies like trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, and trip cancellation and interruption insurance are included with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, as long as I use it to book all of my travels.

5. I’ll Save Money on an Airport Hotel

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a very simple way to offset more than half of the $95 every year with its $50 annual hotel credit.

Here’s how it works. Once per cardmember anniversary, you can save $50 off any Chase Travel hotel booking with no minimums.

Saving $50 might not seem like much, but it’s a benefit I plan to use this summer. On our last full day in Paris, we’ll check into an airport hotel to make catching our morning flight back to the U.S. much easier.

Saving $50 on an already fairly inexpensive hotel stay delivers excellent value: roughly a 33% discount.

This is a great example of when it makes more sense for me to save my points for a future redemption and simply pay cash for the stay, especially since my out-of-pocket cost drops to around $100 per night. As an added bonus, I’ll earn 5x points when I book through Chase Travel.

Final Thoughts

At a time when premium travel cards with $500-plus annual fees are becoming increasingly common, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card continues to offer straightforward, easy-to-use perks that deliver value and savings for travelers. That simplicity may be exactly what many travelers are looking for as they head into another busy summer travel season.