MoneyGeek’s Take

Chase Sapphire Preferred Review

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is an industry-leading card for earning and redeeming points for travel. The bonus points earned for travel and restaurant purchases are great for frequent travelers. With premium travel and dining rewards, this card can give you great value for vacation expenses.

Advertising & Editorial DisclosureLast Updated: 7/5/2022
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Last Updated: 7/5/2022

In this review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, we focus on its merits for travel rewards and the many ways you can earn and redeem reward points based on your travel, dining, and general purchases. The card also comes with an excellent welcome offer that further enhances the value. It combines a reasonable annual fee, bonus points for travel, dining and other activities as well as travel protection features.

Card Details to Know Up Front
  • Bonus, Fee or Feature
    Has or Not
  • Has Annual Fee
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

Chase Sapphire Preferred at a Glance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is a travel card that offers high rewards in many different areas, including 5x rewards on travel expenses, 3x rewards on dining and 2x points for all other travel-related purchases. You also receive one point per dollar for all purchases that don’t fall under these categories. This card is a great entry into the Chase Ultimate Rewards program and has a generous welcome offer of 100,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months.


  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

    A very good rewards card with no foreign transaction fees and comprehensive travel cover

    • ExcellentCredit Needed
    • $95Annual Fee
    • 1–2 Points per $1Rewards Rate
    • 2xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 2xRewards Rate on Dining

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other cards with lower interest rates.

Pros & Cons Explained

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card brings many benefits to the table, we need to look at both its pros and cons to give you a clear picture.

Pros

  • Benefits
    Description
  • Excellent signup bonus
    The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers one of the most enticing welcome offers in the industry. 100,000 bonus points are awarded if you can meet the minimum spending requirement of $4,000 in the first three months of use. This can give you a quick head start on points.
  • High rate of rewards
    This card provides five rewards points for every dollar spent on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, three points for every dollar spent on select streaming services, dining and grocery purchases and two points per dollar for all other travel-related purchases.
  • Flexible redemption
    You have many ways of redeeming your rewards points. You can book through the Chase travel portal or transfer rewards points to Chase’s travel partners for even more value.

Cons

  • Drawbacks
    Description
  • Complicated categories
    In order to make the most of this card, you would need to keep track of the relevant bonus categories available on this card. Simpler cards can be much easier to use.
  • Annual fee
    The card comes with a $95 annual fee. While this is a very low fee compared to some other cards, some competing cards also have no annual fee. Good credit required. You need to have a good-to-excellent credit rating in order to qualify for this card.
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LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2022?

MoneyGeek regularly updates its recommendations of credit cards across multiple categories by analyzing current data. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is not currently featured in the top cards, you can check out other top travel credit cards of 2022 to see what fits your needs.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, travel purchases have significant bonuses. You earn 5x rewards points on all travel purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. You earn 3x reward points for eligible dining, takeout and delivery services. On other travel purchases, you get 2x reward points. Meanwhile, all other purchases accrue one point per dollar. You can then redeem these points with Chase Ultimate Rewards or transfer them to several hotel and airline partners.

The card also includes a very generous welcome offer of 100,000 points, a value of about $1,250, once you complete $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of opening your card account. You can also earn 3x rewards points for grocery expenses and select streaming services.

>>MORE: CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS: PROGRAM GUIDE

Other Features Explained

Many other features and benefits come bundled with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, including:

  • Card Feature
    Description
  • Primary rental car insurance
    The card includes an auto rental collision damage waiver which means you would not need to file a claim with an insurer to receive coverage. This covers physical damage, theft, towing charges and valid loss of use.
  • Travel features
    Since this is a travel card, it comes with a plethora of travel-specific features. This includes baggage delay insurance, trip delay insurance and insurance for trip cancellation or interruption. You also have insurance for travel accidents, reimbursement for lost luggage, travel and emergency assistance and complimentary roadside dispatch.
  • Purchase protection
    New purchases you make using this card are protected with purchase protection against theft or damage for a period of 120 days, with certain exceptions like used items and antiques. The protection includes up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

"You can earn more bonus points by acquiring a separate Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card for each adult member in your household. Earning both referral bonus points and an additional sign-up bonus for your household is a fantastic way to accumulate points for a travel redemption." - Alene Laney, Credit Card Journalist

Understanding the Fine Print

  • Card Feature
    Amount or Rate
  • APR
    15.99%–22.99%
  • Annual Fee
    $95
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Rewards Rate
    1–2 Points per $1
  • Airline Benefits
  • This is an icon

    Regular APR

    This card has no introductory APR offer, so you will have to work with a variable APR of 15.99–22.99%, which is quite high compared to other credit cards.

  • This is an icon

    Annual Fee

    The card has an annual fee of $95, which is reasonable considering market trends. In fact, you can easily recoup the value of the annual fee with your rewards spending, especially if you are primarily using your card for travel-related expenses.

  • This is an icon

    Other Fees

    With this card, you have a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater. You also have a cash advance fee of the greater of $10 or 5% of the transfer amount. There is no foreign purchase transaction fee.

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WHERE TO FIND THIS INFORMATION?

If you want to compare this card with other cards you have or cards we recommended in our top travel cards category, you need to pay attention to the APR and all relevant fees and charges. You can take a look at your billing statement or check the website or mobile app of the card provider. You can also find information through the credit card agreement database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Chase Sapphire Preferred?

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Other Considerations for Chase Sapphire Preferred

Before getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you need to decide how you plan to use it. Do you want it as your only credit card or should you add it to an existing collection of different types of cards?

Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

If this is your only credit card, keep the annual fee and the high APR in mind. If you do not pay your balance monthly, the high APR would mean having to pay extra. If you frequently book your travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, the high rewards rate can work for you. However, if most of your purchases happen in other categories like grocery, delivery and dining, the rewards rate might not be as appealing.

Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

As an additional card, this card can work well if you travel frequently. With no foreign transaction fees, this card is a good choice for international travel, along with all the other travel-focused perks. Similarly, if you have other Chase cards and use the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, the transferable rewards points can give you some good value.

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WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

MoneyGeek meticulously verifies and analyzes data while reviewing credit cards. We standardize data points for fair comparisons, estimate average spending profiles, determine long-term value and re-rank regularly. We collect information from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s database.

How Chase Sapphire Preferred Compares to Other Cards

This card is a good choice both for casual and frequent travelers who are looking for a streamlined experience with a solid reward accumulation rate with a low annual fee. It stacks up well against the competition. However, it is a good idea to compare it against other cards to see if it is the right fit for you.

In-Depth Credit Card Comparisons:
Quick Comparison of Chase Sapphire Preferred
creditCard

Chase Sapphire Preferred

  • Annual Fee: $95
  • APR : 15.99%–22.99% variable
  • Welcome Bonus Points: 100,000
  • Best for: Casual and frequent travelers
creditCard1

Capital One Venture Rewards

  • Annual Fee: $95
  • APR : 15.99%–22.99% variable
  • Welcome Bonus Points: 100,000
  • Best for: Casual and frequent travelers

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card that you might want to know about.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

If you are still not sure about this card, take a look at our top recommended travel cards. If you are not looking for a travel card, you can opt for a rewards card or a balance transfer card instead.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.
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