5 reasons why I love my Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is consistently recognized as one of the best travel rewards cards and has been a staple in my wallet for over a decade.

While the card may not have the highest earning rates or the most extensive benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card provides cardholders with a comprehensive range of benefits, earning potential and valuable features for a reasonable $95 annual fee. 

Here are five reasons I love my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and why I will keep it in my wallet for years to come.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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On Chase Bank USA, NA’s secure website

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

60,000 bonus points

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit score

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

(700 – 749) Good, Excellent

Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining and 2x points on all other travel purchases, plus more.

Editor’s take

Pros

• Flexible points that can be transferred to 14 travel partners or redeemed through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents each.
• $50 annual statement credit toward Chase Travel hotel bookings.
• Valuable travel protections.

Cons

• $95 annual fee.
• Category bonuses are limited and not competitive against other travel cards.
• Transfer partner list is limited compared to programs like Amex Membership® Rewards and Citi ThankYou®.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred may not have a premium fee but it comes packed with enough benefits to stand tall in a crowded field of travel cards. It earns rewards at generous rates on travel purchased through Chase and on dining, and offers the same lineup of transfer partners as the more expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve®, plus a robust selection of travel protections.

Card details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

1. Strong earning rates

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is highly appealing due to its impressive earnings rates across a wide range of categories.

You can accumulate rewards based on the following rates:

• 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
• 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs).
• 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

While dining out, I normally use my American Express® Gold Card (terms apply, rates & fees), which has a strong earning rate of 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point), 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases and a $250 annual fee. However, when I travel abroad, which I do frequently, I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to pay for meals because I can earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining and, because the card is a Visa, it is accepted at significantly more dining establishments globally than my Amex.

Also, Chase has a broad definition of what counts as a travel purchase that includes a lot of transactions that I make on a regular basis, like parking, rideshares and toll costs. Because of this, earning those 2 points per $1 on a wide range of travel purchases is valuable to me.

In addition, if I book travel through Chase Travel℠ or take a Lyft ride, I can earn 5 points per $1 on these expenses when paying with my Chase Sapphire Preferred, which can add up to a wealth of points.

2. Attractive transfer partners

The Chase Ultimate Rewards® program is highly versatile, making it a sought-after rewards program. This program allows Chase Sapphire Preferred and other eligible cardholders to transfer their points to 14 partner airlines and hotel loyalty programs. As a result, members can transfer their Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly to any of these transfer partners.

A favorite Chase transfer partner of mine is the World of Hyatt program. Since I hold top-tier Globalist elite status with World of Hyatt, I frequently transfer my Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. This allows me to book Hyatt awards at very reasonable rates and enjoy additional perks, thanks to my high-level elite status.

There is some overlap with other transferable travel rewards programs such as American Express Membership Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Points, such as British Airways, JetBlue and Singapore Airlines. However, on occasion, I will transfer points to Southwest and United — two airlines that are exclusively Chase transfer partners — in order to top off my account balance and redeem miles for flight awards.

3. Offers excellent redemption potential

I love the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card because it earns highly-valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards and I like having the option to book travel directly through Chase Travel or transfer my points at a 1:1 ratio to one of Chase’s travel transfer partners, which include 11 airlines and 3 hotel chains, and get some outsized value in return.

Cards such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, or one of Chase’s other no-annual-fee cards, function as excellent cash-back credit cards on their own. However, these cards have limitations when converting cash back into points for valuable travel redemptions.

For starters, there’s no rewards boost when booking travel through Chase on those cards, and only the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. allow you to transfer your rewards to Chase’s travel loyalty partners. I find it essential to have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which allows me to transfer my Ultimate Rewards to eligible partners, in order to maximize the value of my Chase points.

With my Chase Sapphire Preferred, I get the added benefit of being able to redeem points at a value of 1.25 cents. That means that if I don’t want to transfer my points to a transfer partner for redemption, I can use them to purchase airline, hotels, car rentals, or other travel expenses through Chase Travel, albeit at a somewhat lower value.

With the 25% points boost a $200 flight booked through Chase Travel would only cost 16,000 points.

4. It offers primary car rental coverage

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card stands out for its exceptional travel protection, surpassing the offerings of most other cards. This card offers a highly valuable and often overlooked benefit of primary car rental coverage protection.

Whenever I rent a car, I always decline the car rental company’s insurance offer of “Collision Damage Waiver” or CDW because the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers primary car rental coverage. I simply pay for my car rental with my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, and am granted the peace of mind to know I’m protected in the event of an accident. 

Additionally, this car rental protection also covers any authorized users who use their card to pay for the rental, as well as any additional drivers listed in the rental agreement.

5. It’s accepted virtually everywhere

As mentioned before, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is accepted worldwide because it is part of the Visa network. I frequently travel internationally and often encounter difficulties when trying to use my American Express card. However, Visa is highly recognized and accepted worldwide compared to other payment networks.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card never fails me, as I can use it to make purchases or dine out anywhere in the world that takes credit cards.

Bottom line

I absolutely love my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for its excellent earning rates across various categories, along with highly valuable travel rewards points and additional perks that more than make up for its modest annual fee.

^{For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.}