Why I’m Keeping My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Despite the Hyatt Transfer Changes

Updated: August 16, 2026, 8:30am CDT

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Table of Contents

What Changed With Hyatt Transfers?
4 Reasons I’m Still Keeping My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Excellent Transfer Partners Beyond Hyatt
Final Thoughts

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For years, the World of Hyatt program has been the fan favorite of Chase’s transfer partner lineup. So when Chase announced it was cutting the 1:1 transfer ratio for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, it naturally drew a lot of pushback.

While the change is definitely a bummer, it doesn’t change the math for me on why the card is still worth holding, and here’s why.

What Changed With Hyatt Transfers?

On June 15, 2026, Chase announced that the World of Hyatt transfer rate would be reduced to a 4:3 ratio for new applicants to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, down from the previous 1:1 rate. That’s a 25% devaluation — meaning 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points now nets 30,000 Hyatt points when transferred.

If you’re a current Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder, there’s some breathing room. Chase has grandfathered in anyone who had the card open before June 15, 2026, at the original 1:1 ratio through October 1, 2026.

If you’ve been sitting on a stash of Ultimate Rewards points earmarked for a Hyatt stay, that gives you a few extra months to transfer at the old rate before the 4:3 ratio takes over for existing cardholders.

Hot Tip:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ are entirely unaffected — those cards keep the 1:1 ratio to Hyatt. Given that, if you frequently transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the World of Hyatt program, you may want to consider adding one of these cards to your wallet.

4 Reasons I’m Still Keeping My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card won’t be as useful now for World of Hyatt fans, for me, the card is still well worth holding thanks to its wide range of other perks and benefits.

1. The $100 Annual Hotel Credit

Previously, the annual Chase Travel hotel credit was $50, and it has now been doubled to $100. This is a huge win in my book, as this single perk fully offsets the $95 annual fee I pay for the card.

Better yet, there’s no minimum stay requirement and no need to split it across multiple bookings. All I need to do is book 1 hotel stay through the Chase Travel portal each year and receive my $100 statement credit.

2. Improved Bonus Categories

The number of points you can earn on purchases has also improved. In addition to 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, some streaming services, and online groceries (Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs excluded), you now also earn 3x on gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.

BEST FIRST TRAVEL CARD

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

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 OfferEarn 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

19.49 - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

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 Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes at top brands, 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 Coverage, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation, and more.
Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $180.
Complimentary DashPass membership, a $120 value for 12 months. Enjoy $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders, plus exclusive Chase savings on grocery, everyday essentials, and more. Activate by 12/31/29.
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: 19.49 - 27.74% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

These are great additions that help you rack up more points on common everyday purchases and during your travels.

3. Other Useful Transfer Partners

Ultimate Rewards points still transfer to a lineup of airline and hotel partners well beyond Hyatt. I consistently get great value out of programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, among others.

This flexibility is what makes cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards so useful. Instead of overly committing to a single program, you have multiple redemption options that you can take advantage of when good deals pop up.

4. Great Card Protections

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is great at keeping you covered when things go wrong. Its primary rental car coverage means I can skip the rental counter’s collision damage waiver entirely without touching my personal automobile insurance.

You also receive trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost and delayed baggage insurance, and no foreign transaction fees. Outside of travel, purchase protection covers new products you buy against accidental damage or theft, in addition to extended warranty protection.

Excellent Transfer Partners Beyond Hyatt

If you’re like many who previously used your Ultimate Rewards points mostly for World of Hyatt redemptions and you’re now considering other options, here are great redemption ideas with a few of the other Chase transfer partners, all of which transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air Canada Aeroplan is great when booking awards on nearly any Star Alliance carrier. It often has generous award availability and competitive pricing for premium tickets on its Star Alliance partners. For instance, you can book Star Alliance business class tickets between the U.S. and Europe for as low as 60,000 points per direction.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

The Flying Blue program can deliver great value, especially for those looking to travel in business class on Air France or KLM to Paris, Amsterdam, or other top European destinations.

Air France Business Class A350 New Business Class — Use your points to fly to Paris in style. Image Credit: Juan Ruiz

One of my favorite uses of Flying Blue miles is to take advantage of the monthly Promo Rewards, a rotating menu of discounted award tickets, usually 25% off, on select routes between North America and Europe.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club can offer outrageous value on certain redemptions, with flights between the U.S. and the U.K. as low as 6,000 miles in economy and 29,000 miles in business class. That said, these awards do tend to charge much higher taxes and fees, so that’s worth bearing in mind.

You can also use Virgin miles to fly Air France or KLM business class to Europe for as low as 48,500 miles one-way.

Bottom Line:

Flexibility is still the biggest strength of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Instead of being locked into a single brand’s ecosystem and pricing, transferable points sit in your account with pure optionality until you decide what’s most useful to you.

Final Thoughts

The changes to the World of Hyatt transfer rate are definitely a loss. A 25% cut to one of the best Chase transfer partners changes the redemption math. That said, I’m grateful that long-term cardholders have until October 1, 2026, to make transfers to Hyatt at the older 1:1 rate.

But overall, my decision to hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card never rested solely on the Hyatt transfer rate, and since other card perks have stayed the same or improved, it still deserves a place in my wallet.