Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review: A top travel and dining card

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards. It’s an excellent choice for those who want more value from their travels but don’t need lounge access. This is one of our favorite cards to recommend to people who love travel. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

At TPG, one of the most common questions we get asked is, “Which travel credit card should I start with?”

We almost universally recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card because it earns valuable points, offers useful benefits and has a low $95 annual fee.

Highest-ever offer: Chase Sapphire Preferred — Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.

Designed for frequent and casual travelers and with a reasonable annual fee, it’s an especially good choice for beginner and intermediate travelers. Many of us started our journey into points and miles with this card.

TPG recommends a credit score of at least 670 to qualify for this card; however, it’s not unheard of for someone to be approved with a lower score.

Here’s what you need to know about the Sapphire Preferred if you’re thinking about adding it to your wallet.

Chase Sapphire Preferred pros and cons

Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer

For a limited time, new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

This is the highest bonus we’ve seen on this card in over three years. A 100,000-point welcome bonus has only been offered once in the past eight years, so now is the best time to apply.

This haul of points is worth a minimum of $1,250 when redeemed for travel through the Chase portal. However, if you transfer your points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners, the value of this bonus jumps to $2,050 according to our March 2025 valuations.

Be sure that you are under Chase’s 5/24 rule to be eligible for the welcome bonus. That means you haven’t opened five or more personal credit cards across all banks in the last two years. In addition, if you’ve earned a welcome bonus on a Sapphire card in the past 48 months, you won’t be eligible for the welcome offer on this card.

Current Sapphire cardholders are also ineligible for this offer.

Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for maximum value

Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits

In addition to the welcome bonus, there are many appealing perks to being a Sapphire Preferred cardholder.

You’ll receive a statement credit of up to $50 on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠ upon opening the card and on each account anniversary thereafter. It’s automatically applied to your account each year when you make an eligible charge.

Note, however, that the $50 credit does not earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Cardholders also enjoy a 10% anniversary points bonus each year. This bonus is based on your total spending during the account anniversary year at a rate of 1 point for each $10 spent.

So, if you spend $30,000 on your card during your cardholder year, you’ll receive 3,000 bonus points at the end of the year.

You’ll also get at least one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which includes free delivery and reduced service fees on eligible purchases (activate by Dec. 31, 2027). This is a valuable benefit if you already use DoorDash.

Sapphire Preferred cardholders with an activated DashPass membership can get $10 each month toward non-restaurant purchases on DoorDash, which is a great way to save on a quick convenience store purchase.

Finally, the Sapphire Preferred is an ideal choice for travel bookings, such as flights, hotels and cruises. That’s because it comes with comprehensive travel protections, including:

• Baggage delay insurance
• Primary rental car coverage
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement

It also includes shopping benefits like:

• Extended warranty protection
• Purchase protection

Earning points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a lucrative earning structure that is easy to maximize:

• 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel (excluding the $50 hotel credit)
• 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through Dec. 2027)
• 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 2027, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points)
• 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases*
• 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel not booked through Chase Travel
• 1 point per dollar spent on everything else

*Excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs

Those are some of the highest earnings rates in the game, especially since you’re earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. That said, there are cards out there that earn more points per dollar on dining and groceries.

Related: Why you’ll want to pay the $95 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Redeeming points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

When you redeem the points you’ve earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll see how the card shines.

The best alternative to transferring to partners (explained in the next section) is to use your points to book flights, accommodation and car rentals through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point.

That means you don’t need to worry about blackout dates or finding award space; you’ll always have the option to book travel using your points. As long as a seat on a flight or a hotel room is available, you can pay for it with your points.

You can also redeem your points for cash-back or gift cards (at a rate of 1 cent per point) or for a slightly higher value when you take advantage of Chase’s Pay Yourself Back option.

However, these redemption options are less valuable than transferring your points to Chase’s travel partners, so we recommend avoiding them whenever possible.

Related: 6 Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots

Transferring points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best way to get maximum value from your Chase points is to transfer them to one of Chase’s 11 airline or three hotel partners.

Some of our favorites include World of Hyatt for luxury hotel stays and Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and British Airways Executive Club for comfortable flights.

Chase frequently runs transfer bonus promotions where you can get up to 50% more points or miles when you convert your points.

For example, TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson regularly transfers points to Hyatt, booking hotels in Europe for as few as 4,000 points per night during the summer.

Utilizing transfer partners for aspirational travel is a solid way to maximize your Ultimate Rewards points and get value from your Sapphire Preferred spending.

Related: How long do Chase Ultimate Rewards points take to transfer to partner programs?

Which cards compete with the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

The Sapphire Preferred is hard to beat, but it’s worth comparing it against other options:

• If you prefer Capital One: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is your best bet. It offers a simpler earning structure for the same $95 annual fee. However, Capital One miles are worth slightly less than Chase points, according to TPG’s March 2025 valuations. Learn more in our full review of the Venture Rewards.
• If you prefer American Express: The American Express® Green Card offers a high earning rate on travel, dining and transit. An annual up to $199 Clear Plus credit each calendar year more than offsets its higher $150 annual fee. Plus, Amex has more transfer partners than Chase and offers more frequent transfer bonuses. Learn more in our full review of the Amex Green.
• If you want more perks: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) offers higher earning rates on select travel purchases and elevated perks like airport lounge access and an annual travel credit — for a higher $550 annual fee. To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.

For additional options, check out our full list of the best starter credit cards.

Read more: Chase Sapphire showdown: Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

If you’re ready to level up from your cash-back or no-annual-fee credit card, there is no better place to start than with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

It’s still regarded as one of the best rewards credit cards since its debut over 15 years ago. It earns the most valuable points in the game, and it’s flexible enough to meet the rewards goals of both frequent and beginner travelers alike.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred