Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an embedded metal card, as is the case for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
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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 a huge 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®.
Sign-up bonus (4.3 out of 5 stars)
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is one of the best sign-up bonuses currently available among travel rewards cards.
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*
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
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:
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 3 months from account opening | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals 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. Just make sure you’re using the rewards regularly to justify the card’s somewhat hefty $325 annual fee (see rates & fees).
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 $120 credit for Global Entry or 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®.
Apply Now
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 excellent credit.
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.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
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