Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an embedded metal card, as is the case for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.For those who travel frequently and are looking for an outstanding travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s benefits more than justify the $95 annual fee. It offers many of the features you’d expect from a top travel card, including an enormous sign-up bonus. You’ll earn points at a fast pace on a variety of everyday categories, including 3X points on dining and a stellar 5X points on travel. You’ll also get a $50 annual hotel credit.
Plus, it gives you access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, which is one of the most flexible options around. You’ll get a 25% bonus on Chase travel portal redemptions. And you can transfer points to a variety of loyalty programs — including United, Southwest and Hyatt — for even more value.
But in exchange for a lower annual fee, you’ll miss out on premium travel benefits, like lounge access or a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit. If you’re a heavy traveler who can get value out of these types of benefits, you might level up with a higher-annual-fee card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Not the right card for you? Check out our top travel credit cards
Sign-up bonus (4.3 out of 5 stars)
While Chase typically offers a 60,000-point bonus for this card, the company recently upped the offering for a limited time. Now, you can 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℠. This is one of the best sign-up bonuses currently available among travel rewards cards.
Who’s eligible to apply? You have to be a new card member to qualify for the sign-up bonus. So if you already have a Chase card or you’ve received a bonus for any Sapphire card within the last 48 months, this bonus isn’t applicable. You also have to spend $4,000 on new purchases within the first three months of getting this card to land this offer — that excludes things like balance transfers, cash advances, and wire transfers. Plus, your account has to be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment.
Should you apply now? If the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is at the top of your list, then the boosted sign-up bonus makes it a great time to apply for this card — especially since this is the first time in a while that Chase has featured a limited-time offer like this.
Recent offers for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
| Date | Number of points |
|---|---|
| May 2024 limited-time offer | 75,000 |
| Typical offer | 60,000 |
Earning points (4.8 out of 5 stars)
This card offers one of the highest rewards rates you can find for a card with a $95 annual fee. It’s a great option for people who spend heavily on travel and dining, since it rewards cardholders richly in these categories. You’ll 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. Additionally, earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025.
In fact, because of the high value of Chase points, it’s one of the most rewarding cards for travel. Notably, you can find cards with better overall rewards rates in cards like the American Express® Gold Card (see rates & fees) or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates & fees), but those also come with higher annual fees than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Rewards earned per $1 spent*
*Based on LendingTree’s value methodology
Redeeming points (5 out of 5 stars)
When it comes to actually cashing in on the points you earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it’s hard to beat this card’s flexibility. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are some of the most valuable and flexible rewards around. That’s because you can redeem them for any travel purchase at a rate of at least 1.25 cents per point, and you can even transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to over 10 of the company’s partners for a potential value of around 2 cents per point.
Plus, you can redeem points for cash back for a value of 1 cent per point, which gives you the option to cash out your points if you’re in a pinch or want to close your card.
Value of 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points
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→ Learn more about transferring Chase points
Other benefits (3 out of 5 stars)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s travel benefits don’t stop at its rewards. You also have access to great travel protections, like primary car rental insurance and trip cancellation insurance. All told, these are especially impressive considering that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s annual fee is just $95.
However, you should be aware that you’re not going to get some of the premium travel benefits that you can get with other higher-fee cards, such as airport lounge access.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card‘s benefits:
→ See the best credit cards for travel insurance
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
 Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
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. | $95 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. | Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. | $550 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
American Express® Gold Card
|
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply | $325 | ||
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | $95 |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer points to Chase’s travel partners or redeem them through Chase Travel with an added benefit: a 50% (rather than 25%) boost on your rewards.
But, with a $95 annual fee — not to mention a $75 authorized user fee — you should ensure you’re taking advantage of all these benefits to justify the fee.
Plus, there’s up to a $120 annual dining credit ($10 monthly) when you spend money at select restaurants (enrollment required). And you can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. Just make sure you’re using the rewards regularly to justify the card’s somewhat hefty $325 annual fee.
You can either book travel through Capital One Travel with your miles or transfer them to over 15 travel loyalty programs. As a drawback, Capital One has a slightly less robust set of travel partners than Chase, with no major U.S. airlines. However, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card does have one advantage over the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
→ See the best cards for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could be an excellent option if you have great credit, travel frequently and want a new card that offers solid travel rewards without a huge annual fee.
However, if you’re a frequent traveler who is looking for better travel perks and even more rewards, you should check out a higher-tier travel card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an embedded metal card, as is the case for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Yes, you can use this card internationally. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which means you won’t rack up additional charges (usually 2% to 3%) on your purchases made outside the U.S.
Yes. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with one of the best credit card travel insurance policies you can find. It includes several protections for travelers, such as trip cancellation insurance, a primary rental car collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, a trip delay reimbursement and travel and emergency assistance services.
No. Unlike many other travel cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card does not offer a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Yes, like most Chase credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with stringent credit score requirements. Chase recommends this card for applicants with
No, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points don’t expire. Chase allows you to keep those points as long as your account is open, including those earned via the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
In order for a purchase to fall into the “travel” points category, the merchant associated with the purchase must be one of the following: Airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds, operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, parking lots and garages.