Choosing the right travel credit card can significantly enhance your travel experiences, offering valuable rewards and benefits that cater to frequent travelers and occasional vacationers alike. Among the top contenders in the travel rewards arena are Chase Travel Cards, renowned for their generous points programs, flexible redemption options, and premium travel perks. If you’re looking to elevate your travel game, understanding the landscape of Chase travel cards is your first step towards unlocking a world of rewards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card stands out as a leading option for those seeking substantial travel benefits without a hefty annual fee. This card is packed with features designed to reward your travel and dining spending, making every trip more rewarding. Let’s delve into the key benefits that make the Chase Sapphire Preferred a top chase travel card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Your Gateway to Travel Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is specifically designed for travelers who want to earn valuable rewards on their adventures and everyday spending. It offers a compelling combination of bonus points, earning multipliers, and travel protections, making it an excellent entry point into the world of premium travel credit cards.
Generous Sign-Up Bonus: Kickstart Your Rewards Journey
New cardmembers can take advantage of a significant sign-up bonus: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This substantial bonus provides a fantastic head start to your rewards balance, redeemable for travel, cash back, gift cards, and more. It’s important to note the eligibility requirements: this offer is not available to current or previous Sapphire cardholders who have received a new cardmember bonus within the past 48 months.
Earning Points: Maximize Rewards on Travel and Dining
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card accelerates your points earning in key spending categories:
- 5X Total Points on Chase Travel Purchases: Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel booked through Chase Travel. This includes flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruises, offering a significant return on your travel bookings. This is comprised of 3 bonus points in addition to the base 2 points earned on travel.
- 2X Points on Travel Purchases: Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other travel purchases, from airfare and hotels to taxis and tolls.
- 3X Points on Dining, Select Streaming Services, and Online Groceries: Earn 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants (including takeout and delivery), on select streaming services, and at online grocers (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs).
- 1X Point on All Other Purchases: Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases, ensuring you earn rewards on every dollar you spend.
These earning categories are strategically designed to reward common travel and lifestyle expenses, allowing you to accumulate points quickly and efficiently.
10% Anniversary Points Bonus: Rewards That Grow Over Time
As a cardmember perk, you’ll receive a 10% anniversary points bonus each year. This bonus is calculated as 10% of your total spending in points earned from purchases made with your card during the previous account anniversary year. This annual bonus further enhances the long-term value of the card, rewarding your continued loyalty.
$50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit: Savings on Hotel Stays
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card includes a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit. Each year, you’ll automatically receive a statement credit of up to $50 for hotel accommodations purchased through Chase Travel. This credit helps offset the annual fee and provides direct savings on your hotel stays.
Complimentary DashPass: Perks for Food Delivery
Cardmembers receive a complimentary DashPass membership for at least 12 months when activated by 12/31/2027. This membership provides benefits on both DoorDash and Caviar, including waived delivery fees on eligible orders (minimum subtotal applies). Additionally, cardmembers can enjoy $10 off monthly on DoorDash non-restaurant orders, adding even more value to this partnership. These DashPass benefits provide substantial savings and convenience for food delivery enthusiasts.
Exclusive Perks with Peloton and Lyft: Beyond Traditional Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders also gain access to unique partnerships that extend beyond typical travel benefits:
- Earn Bonus Points on Peloton Purchases: Earn 5X total points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through 03/31/2025. This offer applies to purchases made directly through Peloton, catering to fitness enthusiasts.
- 5X Points on Lyft Purchases: Earn 5X points on qualifying Lyft products and services purchased through the Lyft app through 03/31/2025. This includes rides, bike and scooter rentals, and subscriptions, making your daily commutes and local travels more rewarding.
These partnerships demonstrate the versatility of chase travel cards in providing value across various lifestyle categories.
Flexible Redemption Options: Use Points Your Way
The points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card are part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, offering diverse and flexible redemption options:
- Redeem through Chase Travel Portal: Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel portal, providing a 25% bonus in value compared to cash redemption. This makes your points go further when booking flights, hotels, and more. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 when redeemed for travel through the portal.
- Transfer to Travel Partners: One of the most valuable redemption options is transferring points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. This can unlock even greater value, often exceeding 1.25 cents per point, by leveraging partner award charts and sweet spots.
- Cash Back and Gift Cards: Points can also be redeemed for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point or for gift cards. While these options offer less value compared to travel redemptions, they provide flexibility.
Maximizing Your Chase Travel Card Rewards
To fully leverage the benefits of your chase travel card, consider these strategies:
- Prioritize Spending in Bonus Categories: Maximize your points earnings by using your Chase Sapphire Preferred card for travel, dining, streaming services, and online grocery purchases.
- Utilize the Chase Travel Portal for Bookings: When redeeming points for travel, explore the Chase Travel portal to take advantage of the 1.25 cents per point value and potentially find competitive fares and rates.
- Explore Point Transfer Partners: Research Chase’s travel partners and consider transferring points for potentially high-value redemptions, especially for premium cabin flights or luxury hotel stays.
- Take Advantage of Card Perks: Actively use the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, DashPass membership, and bonus offers with Peloton and Lyft to maximize the card’s value.
Conclusion: Is a Chase Travel Card Right for You?
For individuals seeking a rewarding travel credit card with a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a compelling choice. Its combination of a generous sign-up bonus, strong earning categories, flexible redemption options, and valuable travel and lifestyle perks makes it a top chase travel card in the market. By strategically utilizing its benefits, you can significantly enhance your travel experiences and unlock substantial value from your everyday spending. If you’re ready to turn your spending into rewarding travel experiences, exploring the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is an excellent starting point.
