Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Full Benefits, Credits, Points, Protections & Best Uses
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the card I recommend to almost every family just getting started with points and miles.
Not because it is the flashiest card.
Not because it has the biggest annual fee or the most impressive perks.
But because it does something that no other personal card at this price point does quite as well. It gives you access to the full power of Chase Ultimate Rewards points for just $95 per year.
That means transfer partners.
That means business class to Europe.
That means free Hyatt hotel nights.
That means real travel for nearly free, not just a small discount on a hotel booking.
If you are new to points and miles, this is almost certainly the card you should get first. And if you are more experienced, this is often the card that anchors everything else in your Chase setup.
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👉 View the current Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer here
👉 Or see all my recommended cards: Best Credit Card Offers Page
Quick Facts
Annual fee: $95
Foreign transaction fees: None, making it great for international family travel
Current welcome offer: 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
Key annual perk: Up to $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
Welcome Offer: Why Year One Is Almost Always a Yes
The current public offer is 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred strategically can be worth well over $1,000 in travel.
Transferred to World of Hyatt, that could be several free nights at a category 4 or 5 property.
Transferred to Air France Flying Blue, that could be economy or even premium economy flights to Europe for your family. Air France’s 25% award redemption discount for children ages 2 to 11 makes your points stretch even further.
Before applying, it is worth checking for targeted offers. The highest public offer ever seen on the Sapphire Preferred was 100,000 points. This is a rare but real offer that occasionally appears through referral links or Chase's pre-qualification tool. Spending 5 minutes checking this before applying could be worth hundreds of dollars in travel value.
👉 View the current Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer here
Important note on welcome bonus eligibility:
As of January 2026, Chase updated its rules so you can now earn a welcome offer bonus on each individual Sapphire card once per lifetime, even if you currently hold the other Sapphire card.
That means if you hold the Sapphire Preferred and have never earned the Sapphire Reserve bonus, you can now apply for the Reserve and earn that bonus too. The reverse is also true.
The key restriction is once per lifetime per card. If you have previously earned the Sapphire Preferred bonus, you are unlikely to earn it again. Chase shows a popup notification during the application process if you are not eligible, so you can withdraw before it affects your credit.
👉 View the current Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer here
👉 Read More: Chase Sapphire Reserve Review
Annual Fee: The Best Value in Travel Cards
Annual fee: $95
At $95 this is one of the easiest annual fees to justify in the entire points and miles space. With the $50 hotel credit effectively cutting the net fee in half for most cardholders, and the DoorDash and Lyft perks adding additional value on top of that, this card often pays for itself before you earn a single point toward a trip.
This is not a coupon book card. The credits are simple, the earning structure is clear, and the value comes from using the points well, not from tracking a dozen monthly reset dates.
If you want to understand how I think about annual fees across my entire card stack, I walk through it here:
👉 Are Credit Card Annual Fees Worth It? Here's the Math
👉 Why I Was Willing to Pay $8,000 in Annual Fees
Who This Card Is Best For
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great fit if you want one anchor travel card that works long-term, the ability to transfer points to airlines and hotels for outsized value, solid travel protections without paying a premium annual fee, and a simple setup that still has real upside.
For families specifically, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is powerful because it unlocks Chase's transfer partners, including Air France Flying Blue with their 25% child discount on award tickets, World of Hyatt's family-friendly properties, and Air Canada Aeroplan's free stopover policy. These are just a few of the excellent programs that Chase partners with.
These programs that make business class and luxury hotel redemptions possible for a family of four without spending a fortune.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred will not be the best fit if you want airport lounge access included, because this card does not have it. If lounge access is a priority for your family, check out my full guide here:
👉 Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access for Families
The Chase Sapphire Preferred also may not be the best fit if you only ever redeem points as cash back, or if you are already deep into a different points ecosystem. However, for the sign up bonus alone, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is likely worth it for at least the first year.
How You Earn Points
5x points: 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
Note that hotel purchases qualifying for the $50 annual hotel credit do not earn points
3x points: 3x on dining including takeout and eligible delivery services, 3x on online grocery purchases, and 3x on select streaming services
Chase explicitly excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs
2x points: 2x on all other travel purchases not booked through Chase Travel
1x point: 1x on everything else
For families, the dining and grocery categories are where this card really shines. Food is one of the biggest monthly expenses for most households with young kids. Earning 3x on every grocery order and restaurant visit means that your everyday family spending is quietly building your next trip.
Earning 2x on all travel purchases is also a huge win for this card. For many other cards, general travel is a non-bonused spending category. This is one of the reasons that many people put all of their travel spend on their Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
The 10% Anniversary Points Bonus (ending 10/1/2026)
Every account anniversary, Chase gives you bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases from the previous year calculated at 1 point per dollar spent. This means that if you spend $25,000 on the card in a year, you earn an extra 2,500 points at your anniversary. Unfortunately, Chase has stated that this benefit is ending on 10/1/2026.
The $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
Chase gives you up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel. The first $50 of your qualifying hotel purchases are essentially rebated.
Just know that purchases qualifying for this credit do not earn points.
If you use this credit once per year, it effectively drops the net annual fee from $95 to $45. For a card that unlocks the full Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner ecosystem, that’s a great deal.
👉 View the current Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer here
Points Boost — How Portal Redemptions Work Now
Chase replaced the flat 1.25 cents per point portal redemption with Points Boost. This is a newer system where boosted value varies based on the specific booking that you make, and card that you hold.
My practical advice: Always compare the portal points price against transferring to a partner or paying cash before booking. This is how you avoid mediocre redemptions and maximize the value of every point.
However, generally, the best redemptions almost always come from transferring points to airline and hotel partners rather than booking through the portal directly.
👉 Chase Travel Portal vs Transfer Partners — Which Is Better for Family Travel?
👉 How to Redeem Points and Miles for Maximum Value
Transfer Partners
This is the feature that makes the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth having. Without transfer partner access, your Chase points are worth 1 cent each at best. With transfer partner access, they can be worth 2, 3, or even more cents per point on the right redemptions.
All transfers are at a 1:1 ratio.
Airline partners:
Aer Lingus AerClub
Air Canada Aeroplan
British Airways Executive Club
Air France KLM Flying Blue
Iberia Plus
JetBlue TrueBlue
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Rapid Rewards
United MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotel partners:
World of Hyatt
IHG One Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy
Wyndham Rewards
For a full breakdown of every bank’s transfer partners, and how to use them for family travel, check out my guides here:
👉 Bank Transfer Partners - Full Guide
👉 How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Travel Partners
👉 5 Amazing Trips You Can Book With Points Instead of Cash
The partners that matter most for family travel
World of Hyatt is consistently the most valuable hotel transfer partner Chase offers. Points go much further at Hyatt than at Marriott or IHG. Our family regularly books Hyatt properties using transferred Chase points for nearly free stays. Hyatt is especially useful for families because you can use your points to book suites, which gives your family much needed room and assists with typical occupancy limits in standard rooms.
Air France Flying Blue gives a 25% discount on award tickets for children ages 2 to 11. For a family of four, this makes your points stretch significantly further than any other airline partner. I took advantage of this benefit with business class flights from Europe back to the US.
Air Canada Aeroplan allows free stopovers on international awards and offers a really competitive award prices to areas like Europe and Asia.
Partner Benefits
DoorDash DashPass
This benefit is valid through December 31, 2027. You receive complimentary DashPass membership worth approximately $120 annually plus a $10 monthly promo usable on groceries, retail, and more through December 31, 2027. For families who use DoorDash regularly, this benefit alone nearly offsets the entire annual fee. This is actually a really solid benefit, I make sure to max mine out each month.
Lyft
This benefit is valid through September 30, 2027. Earn 5x total points on qualifying Lyft rides booked through the Lyft app through September 30, 2027.
Peloton
This benefit is valud through December 31, 2027. Earn 5x total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 up to $5,000.
👉 View the current Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer here
Travel Protections: A Huge Reason Families Keep This Card
The Sapphire Preferred includes a surprisingly strong set of travel protections for a $95 annual fee card. For families traveling with young kids, these protections are not just a perk, they are genuine peace of mind.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for prepaid non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is canceled or cut short by covered reasons like sickness or severe weather. For families booking expensive international trips, this coverage can save thousands.
Trip Delay Reimbursement
If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you can be reimbursed up to $500 per covered traveler, per trip, for reasonable expenses including meals, lodging, toiletries, and medication. Anyone who has been stranded at an airport with toddlers knows how valuable this is.
Baggage Delay Insurance
If your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you can be reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to 5 days for essentials like toiletries and clothes. This is essential when traveling with kids who need their gear.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Up to $3,000 per covered traveler per trip if checked or carry-on baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen.
Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Coverage is primary, not secondary, and covers up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage on most vehicles with MSRP $125,000 or less when you decline the rental company's collision coverage. This saves $15 to $30 per day versus buying coverage at the counter. This is one of my favorite benefits of the card, making it a go-to for all rental car purchases.
Travel Accident Insurance
$100,000 maximum benefit for 24-hour travel accidents and $500,000 for common carrier accidents.
Chase Application Rules to Know
Chase 5/24 Rule
Chase generally does not approve applicants who have opened five or more personal credit cards across all issuers in the past 24 months. Know your 5/24 status before applying.
👉 What Is Chase's 5/24 Rule? — Full Explanation
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
As of January 2026, you can earn a welcome offer bonus on each individual Sapphire card once per lifetime, even if you currently hold the other Sapphire card. The once per lifetime restriction applies separately to each card. If you have already earned the Sapphire Preferred bonus, you are unlikely to earn it again on the same card.
Chase shows a popup notification during the application if you are not eligible, so you can withdraw before affecting your credit.
You Can Now Hold Both Sapphire Cards Simultaneously
You can now hold both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve at the same time. The old One Sapphire rule has been eliminated. If you hold the Reserve and have never earned the Preferred bonus, you can now apply for the Sapphire Preferred and earn its welcome offer. This is a significant change that opens up a major points earning opportunity for existing Preferred cardholders.
👉 Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
My Recommendation
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is where I tell almost every person to start their points and miles journey.
At $95 per year, it is one of the least expensive ways to unlock Chase's full transfer partner ecosystem. These are the same partners that have funded our family's business class flights to Peru, free hotel nights at Hyatt properties, and nearly free international trips.
👉 How to Book Peru with Points & Miles for a Family
👉 How We Flew Business Class to Peru Using Points & Miles
The Sapphire Preferred is not the card with the most credits or the most impressive perks. But it is the card that makes all the other cards work. Without a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card, your Chase points from Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, and Ink Cash cards cannot be transferred to travel partners. They are stuck at 1 cent per point.
👉 Chase Freedom Unlimited Review
With the Sapphire Preferred, suddenly all of those no-annual-fee cards become full partners in a points strategy that can fund real travel for your family.
If you think the Chase Sapphire Preferred might be a good fit you can view the current welcome offer and apply here.
👉 Chase Sapphire Preferred Application
Next Steps
If you are building a travel rewards strategy these resources may help:
👉 Best Credit Card Offers Page — see current welcome bonuses across all cards
👉 Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access for Families
👉 Are Credit Card Annual Fees Worth It? Here's the Math
👉 Bank Transfer Partners - Full Guide
👉 How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Travel Partners
👉 Chase Travel Portal vs Transfer Partners — Which Is Better for Family Travel?
