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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
A polished travel card for people who want serious travel rewards without jumping into ultra-premium annual fees.
- Best for
- Overall travel value
- Annual fee
- $95
- Rewards
- 5x on travel through Chase Travel, 3x dining, 2x other travel, plus additional eligible categories such as online grocery and select streaming.
- Welcome offer
- Issuer-listed offer as of verification date; verify before publishing or updating affiliate copy.
- 5x Chase Travel
- 3x dining
- $50 hotel credit
- 10% anniversary bonus
Issuer terms apply.
Quick verdict
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the entry door to the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel ecosystem and the most-recommended sub-$100 travel Visa for a reason: it earns 5x on Chase Travel and 3x on dining, applies a $50 hotel credit that almost halves the $95 annual fee, and turns its points into transferable currency you can move to airline and hotel partners. If you travel a handful of times a year and don't already have a richer travel card, it's hard to beat — but it's not the right card if you only want flat cash back, dislike booking through a travel portal, or already pay for a premium Visa Infinite card that earns the same Ultimate Rewards points at higher rates.
Who should get it — and who should skip it
- You travel one to four times a year and want a single travel card without a premium annual fee.
- You dine out regularly and want a 3x dining bonus that also covers takeout and eligible delivery.
- You want flexible Ultimate Rewards points you can transfer to airline and hotel partners, not just redeem for cash.
- You'll book at least some travel through Chase Travel — that's where the 5x rate and the $50 hotel credit apply.
- You want the simplest possible cash back card with no categories or portals to think about.
- You almost never travel and won't use the 5x Chase Travel rate, the dining bonus, or the $50 hotel credit.
- You already pay for a Visa Infinite premium card from Chase that earns the same Ultimate Rewards points at higher rates on travel.
- You're not comfortable with rewards-program rules — transfer ratios, partner availability, and Chase Travel pricing — and would rather just earn 2% back.
Annual fee break-even, in plain English
A simple way to think about whether the fee is actually being paid back by the card's benefits. All numbers reflect the rates and credits listed in the card data; current terms are set by the issuer and can change.
Net annual cost after the $50 hotel credit
The $95 annual fee is partly offset by the $50 Chase Travel hotel credit that applies when you book a hotel through Chase Travel each anniversary year. Use the credit and the effective annual cost drops to roughly $45. Skip the credit and the math reverts to the full $95 — so this card only really earns its fee when you actually book at least one hotel through Chase Travel.
Earning $45 of extra value vs a 2% flat-rate card
Against a hypothetical 2% flat-rate Visa (which would earn $30 of cash back on $1,500 of dining), the same $1,500 spent at the 3x dining rate earns 4,500 Ultimate Rewards points — worth $45 at the base 1¢-per-point redemption value. That's a $15 advantage on dining alone. Add the 5x Chase Travel rate: $1,000 booked through Chase Travel earns 5,000 points worth $50, vs $20 of cash back on a 2% card — a $30 advantage. With those two illustrative buckets alone, the bonus categories already clear the ~$45 net fee.
When the math gets meaningfully better
Points are worth more than 1¢ each when you redeem through Chase Travel under the Sapphire-tier portal multiplier, or transfer to airline and hotel partners and book a redemption that's priced above 1¢ per point in cash terms. The break-even shrinks accordingly — but transfer-partner value is opportunistic, not guaranteed, so it's wise to evaluate the card on its baseline 1¢ floor first. Rates and credits above are pulled from current card data; the issuer can change rewards terms, and dollar examples are illustrative — your mileage will depend on real spending.
Head-to-head: how it compares to the Reserve and Venture X
The Preferred sits in the middle of Chase's travel lineup and is most often cross-shopped against the Reserve (one tier up at Chase) and the Capital One Venture X (a different issuer's premium Visa Infinite). Here's the head-to-head on the facts that drive the decision:
| Feature | This card Chase Sapphire Preferred | Visa Infinite | Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $795 | $395 |
| Visa tier | Visa Signature | Visa Infinite | Visa Infinite |
| Rewards summary | 5x on travel through Chase Travel, 3x dining, 2x other travel, plus additional eligible categories such as online grocery and select streaming. | 8x on Chase Travel, 4x on direct flights and hotels, 3x dining, and 1x other purchases. | Elevated miles on eligible Capital One Travel bookings and 2x miles on other purchases. |
| Standout perk | $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit and flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. | $300 annual travel credit plus lounge access and premium travel/lifestyle credits. | Capital One Lounge and Priority Pass access for eligible primary cardholders, plus premium travel benefits. |
| Best for | Overall travel value | Luxury travel and high-end Visa benefits | Premium travel with a lower premium annual fee |
| Airport lounge access | Not included | Chase Sapphire Lounges + Priority Pass (per card data) | Capital One Lounges + Priority Pass (per card data) |
| Points currency | Chase Ultimate Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards | Capital One miles |
| Editorial score | 9.6 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 | 9.4 / 10 |
If your travel budget can support the higher fee and you'll use the lounges and credits, the Reserve or Venture X earn back more value. If you travel a few times a year, mostly want strong dining and travel earning, and don't want to chase lounge perks, the Preferred is almost always the more rational pick. The two cards above are detailed in the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X reviews.
Where it fits in the travel-card category
Inside the travel-card category, the Sapphire Preferred is the mid-tier anchor — above no-annual-fee travel cards (which lack the 5x portal multiplier, the $50 hotel credit, and the deeper trip protections) and below the Visa Infinite premium tier (which adds lounges, larger credits, and higher earning rates in exchange for a much higher fee). It earns the same Ultimate Rewards points as the Reserve, which means upgrading later doesn't strand the rewards you've already earned — a real advantage if you're not sure whether premium will eventually be worth it. For most one-to-four-times-a-year travelers, the Preferred is the rational starting point in the travel-card category.
See the full best Visa travel cards ranking for the other cards in this category, or browse the top 10 Visa credit cards ranking to see where every card sits. Visa Signature vs Visa Infinite features are explained in the Visa Signature vs Visa Infinite guide. Confirm current rewards, credits, and fees with the issuer before applying.
Best quick win: 5x points on every Chase Travel booking, with a $50 hotel credit each year.
Why this card stands out
The specific benefits that make this card stand out.
5x points on Chase Travel
Earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel — flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and tours.
3x points on dining
Earn 3x points on dining worldwide, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
3x on online groceries & streaming
Earn 3x on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) and on select streaming services.
$50 annual hotel credit
Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel.
10% anniversary points bonus
Get a 10% anniversary points bonus based on total purchases for the year.
What the rewards actually mean
Earn elevated points when you book travel through Chase, dine out, and spend on online groceries or streaming. Points are flexible — redeem through Chase Travel or transfer to airline and hotel partners.
Tip: "5x points" means you earn 5 points per $1 spent in that category. Point values depend on how you redeem.
Issuer terms apply.
Is this your card?
A traveler who wants strong rewards and flexibility without paying a luxury-card annual fee.
You want the simplest possible cash back card or rarely travel.
Use this card for
- Flights
- Hotels
- Dining
- Streaming
- Shopping
Things to know
- Best value often comes from using Chase Travel and eligible redemption options.
- Has an annual fee.
Welcome offer
Issuer-listed offer as of verification date; verify before publishing or updating affiliate copy.
Also ranked in
Compare against alternatives
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- $300 Capital One Travel credit
- 10,000 anniversary miles
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- $300 travel credit
- 8x Chase Travel
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Unlimited 2% cash rewards
- $0 annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — FAQ
Editorial standards
How we rate cards is explained in our editorial methodology. How we make money is explained in our advertiser disclosure. You can also browse the full Best Visa Cards ranking or the Visa Signature vs Visa Infinite guide.Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- 5x Chase Travel
- 3x dining
- $50 hotel credit
Issuer terms apply.