4.7 / 5 \u00b7 Bonus Eagle score
Chase
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome bonus
75,000Points
after $5,000 in 3 mo
Annual fee
$95
Purchase APR
19.24% – 27.49%
Credit needed
Good to Excellent (690–850)
on Chase's secure site
The bottom line
The Sapphire Preferred remains the default recommendation for a first "real" travel card, and the June 2026 refresh kept the $95 fee while widening the bonus categories. For most people the $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit brings the effective cost down to about $-5, so the card can pay for itself before you earn a single point.
At a glance
Pros and cons.
Pros
- Low $95 fee for a full transferable-points travel card
- $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit offsets most of the fee
- Broad 3x categories after the June 2026 refresh
- 1:1 transfers to Chase travel partners plus strong travel/purchase protections
- Primary rental car coverage and no foreign transaction fee
Cons
- Annual fee is not waived the first year
- The $100 hotel credit only applies to Chase Travel portal bookings
- Hyatt transfers dropped to 4:3 and the 10% anniversary bonus was removed in 2026
- Points value is highest only if you transfer or book travel, not for cash back
The editorial review
Our take on this card.
The Sapphire Preferred remains the default recommendation for a first "real" travel card, and the June 2026 refresh kept the $95 fee while widening the bonus categories. For most people the $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit brings the effective cost down to about $-5, so the card can pay for itself before you earn a single point. Where it earns its keep is the points themselves: Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer 1:1 to a solid partner list, which is where the outsized value lives versus fixed cash-back cards. The everyday multipliers (dining, groceries, gas, streaming, vacation rentals) are now broad enough that many households can put real spend on it. The honest trade-offs: the fee isn't waived up front, the hotel credit is portal-only, and 2026 brought some quiet downgrades — a worse Hyatt transfer ratio and the loss of the anniversary points bonus. None of that unseats it as the best-value mid-tier travel card, but it's less of a slam dunk than a year ago.
How you earn
Rewards by category.
Chase Travel
5x
Lyft
5x
Dining
3x
Online groceries
3x
Select streaming
3x
Gas & EV charging
3x
Vacation rentals
3x
Other travel
2x
Everything else
1x
Rates and fees
The full disclosure.
All rates and fees current as of publication. Verify against the issuer's official Terms and Conditions before applying.
Annual fee
$95
Purchase APR
19.24% – 27.49%
Balance transfer APR
19.24% – 27.49%
Cash advance APR
29.99%
Penalty APR
29.99%
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Late payment fee
Up to $40
Cash advance fee
Either $10 or 5% of each transaction, whichever is greater
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask.
Is the $95 annual fee worth it?
For most travelers, yes — the $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit alone can offset it, before any points earning.
Do the points transfer to airlines?
Yes, 1:1 to Chase's airline and hotel partners, which is usually the highest-value redemption.
Did the card change in 2026?
Yes — a June 2026 refresh added 3x gas/EV and vacation rentals and raised the hotel credit to $100, but removed the 10% anniversary bonus and lowered the Hyatt transfer ratio to 4:3.
Is there a foreign transaction fee?
No.
What credit score do I need?
Generally good to excellent (690+).
