Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review 2026: Still the Best First Travel Card?
Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has been the go-to first travel card for over a decade — and in 2026 it still earns that title. With a manageable $95 annual fee, a 60,000-point welcome bonus worth $750 in travel, and one of the best point transfer ecosystems in the business, it's the card that launched millions of people into travel rewards.
But is it still the right pick for you? This review covers everything: rewards rates, real-world value, who should get it, and who should skip it for something better.
✅ Pros
- 60,000-point welcome bonus (~$750+ in travel)
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 2x points on all travel
- $50 annual hotel credit via Chase Travel
- 10% anniversary point bonus each year
- Transfer to 14 airline & hotel partners
- Trip cancellation & delay insurance
- No foreign transaction fees
- Primary rental car insurance
❌ Cons
- $95 annual fee (though easy to offset)
- Requires 720+ credit score
- No airport lounge access
- Subject to Chase 5/24 rule
- 1x on non-bonus categories
- Points worth less without transfers
Rewards Rates Breakdown
The Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points — Chase's most flexible currency, transferable to 14 airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
| Category | Earn Rate | Annual value* |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Travel portal bookings | 5x | Varies |
| Dining worldwide | 3x | ~$72/yr at $200/mo |
| Select streaming services | 3x | ~$18/yr at $50/mo |
| Online grocery (excl. Target/Walmart) | 3x | ~$72/yr at $200/mo |
| All travel (non-portal) | 2x | ~$30/yr at $125/mo |
| Everything else | 1x | — |
*Estimated at 1.25¢ per point via Chase Travel portal.
Transfer partners are the real value. When you transfer to partners like Hyatt, United, or Southwest, points can be worth 1.5–2.5¢ each — making the 60,000-point welcome bonus worth $900–$1,500, not just $750.
Welcome Bonus: Is It Worth It?
The current offer is 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That's roughly $133/month — very achievable if you use it as your main card for dining, groceries, and subscriptions.
At the minimum 1.25¢ portal value, 60,000 points = $750 in travel. Transferred to Hyatt, those same points can cover multiple nights at hotels that cost $300+/night. The bonus alone pays for the card's annual fee nearly 8 times over.
Chase 5/24 rule: Chase will not approve you for this card if you've opened 5 or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. Apply for this card before other cards if you're planning to build a rewards portfolio.
Key Benefits Beyond Rewards
$50 annual hotel credit
Book any hotel through the Chase Travel portal and you'll automatically receive up to $50 back as a statement credit each anniversary year. This alone brings your effective annual fee down to $45.
Trip cancellation / interruption insurance
Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip if your trip is cancelled or cut short due to covered situations (illness, severe weather, etc.). This is worth hundreds of dollars if you book travel with the card.
Primary rental car insurance
Unlike most cards that offer secondary coverage, the Sapphire Preferred provides primary rental car insurance — meaning it pays out before your personal auto insurance, saving you the deductible and potential rate increase.
10% anniversary bonus
Each year on your card anniversary, Chase adds 10% of the total points you earned the prior year back to your account. Earn 30,000 points in a year? Get 3,000 bonus points automatically.
How It Compares
| Feature | Sapphire Preferred | Amex Gold | Venture X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $325 | $395 |
| Welcome bonus | 60k pts ($750) | 60k pts ($600) | 75k miles ($750) |
| Best earn rate | 5x travel portal | 4x dining/grocery | 10x hotels/cars |
| Lounge access | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Priority Pass |
| No foreign fee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer partners | 14 partners | 21 partners | 15+ partners |
| Credit needed | 720+ | 700+ | 720+ |
The best first travel card — by a mile.
At $95/year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred delivers more genuine value than cards charging 3–4x the fee. The welcome bonus alone is worth $750+, the $50 hotel credit cuts the real cost to $45, and the transfer partner ecosystem gives sophisticated travelers access to outsized redemptions. If you have a 720+ credit score and spend on dining, travel, or groceries — this is the card to get first.
Browse More Travel Cards →Who Should Get This Card?
- First-time travel rewards seekers — the approachable fee and flexible points make it the ideal entry point
- Diners who also travel — 3x on restaurants worldwide is exceptional at this price point
- Chase ecosystem builders — pairs perfectly with the Chase Freedom cards to maximize earning across all categories
- People with 720+ scores — see our credit score guide if you need to build up first
Who should skip it
- Heavy spenders on dining & groceries — the Amex Gold's 4x rates will beat it if you spend $500+/month in those categories
- Frequent flyers wanting lounge access — look at the Venture X or Sapphire Reserve instead
- People who prefer simplicity — the Citi Double Cash earns 2% on everything with zero category tracking