Tiger Brokers

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Still the Best Travel Card?

Motley Fool
04 Mar

KEY POINTS

  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers one of the best welcome bonuses around.
  • Booking through the Chase Travel portal earns you 1.25x on your points.
  • If you don't mind a higher annual fee, there are better options out there.

For years, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has been a go-to option for travelers looking to maximize their spending. With its generous rewards structure, travel protections, and flexible redemption options, it's easy to see why this card has long been a favorite.

But with so many travel credit cards on the market these days, is it still the best option in 2025? Let's break it down.

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

2x - 5x points

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

  • Bonus travel and dining rewards, along with an annual $50 hotel credit, make this card worth the (very reasonable) annual fee. Chase points are both valuable and easy to use, offering 25% more value for bookings through Chase Travel, which simplifies the experience compared to other travel cards. Not to mention it provides robust travel protections, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Travel rewards
    • Dining rewards
    • Flexible travel points
    • Consumer and travel protections
    • Annual fee
    • Limited-time perks
    • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
    • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
    • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
    • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
    • Member FDIC

What makes the Chase Sapphire Preferred so popular?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has built its reputation on offering great rewards and flexibility, and it usually boasts one of the leading welcome bonuses. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The current bonus is equal to up to $750 in Chase Travel℠ value.

You will also earn:

  • 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
  • 2X points on all other travel
  • 1X points on other purchases

And redeeming these points is simple. Your points are worth 25% more when booking through the Chase Travel portal. That means 10,000 points equals $125 in travel. But if you can't find what you need there, Chase has over a dozen airline and hotel partners you can transfer your points to at a 1:1 ratio.

Start maximizing your travel points today. Click here to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

How does the Chase Sapphire Preferred compare to other travel cards?

With so many travel credit cards available, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card might not be the best option for your wallet. Here's how some of the competition stacks up:

OfferOur RatingWelcome OfferRewards ProgramAPR
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express

On American Express' Secure Website.

Terms apply

Rates & Fees

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for large welcome offer
80,000 Circle with letter I in it. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.

Intro:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

APR:See Pay Over Time APR

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
60,000 bonus points Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠. Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular:21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred still worth it?

For travelers who want a high-value rewards card with flexibility and strong travel protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card remains one of the best choices out there. Between its great welcome bonus, valuable redemption options, and reasonable $95 annual fee, it's an excellent option for occasional and frequent travelers.

However, if you want a more premium experience with perks like airport lounge access and higher point-earning rates, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® might be a better fit -- if you're willing to pay the higher annual fee.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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