The Sapphire Preferred is the card people mean when they say "a first travel card". It costs 95 dollars a year, earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points on a short list of everyday categories, and lets you move those points to airlines and hotels. In 2026 Chase widened the list, so the card now pays 3x on more of an ordinary month. This guide goes through what Chase's own page says in October 2026, the sums, and the cases where a no-fee card does better.
The card at a glance
- 95 dollars
- Annual fee
- 5x
- Chase Travel
- 3x
- The everyday list
- 0
- Foreign transaction fees
Chase says it stayed the same while the earning list grew
Flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities and tours
Dining, gas and EV charging, vacation homes, online groceries, streaming
Per Chase's page
What counts for the extra points
| Category | Rate | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Travel | 5x | Flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities and tours booked in Chase's portal. |
| Dining | 3x | Worldwide, including takeout and eligible delivery services. |
| Gas and EV charging | 3x | New in 2026. |
| Vacation homes | 3x | Brands such as Airbnb and Vrbo. |
| Online groceries | 3x | Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs are excluded. In-store supermarket trips are not on Chase's list. |
| Streaming | 3x | Top streaming services. Chase's category list decides what counts. |
| Other travel | 2x | Airfare, hotels, taxis and trains worldwide, booked outside Chase Travel. |
| Everything else | 1x |
Merchants are sorted by the category code their payment processor assigns, so a shop you think of as a supermarket can still land in 1x. Check an unusual purchase against Chase's category page before relying on it.
Credits, perks and protections
| Perk | Value | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel credit | Up to 100 dollars each account anniversary year | Hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel only. |
| Trusted traveller | Up to 120 dollars every four years | Reimburses the TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS fee charged to the card. |
| Apple TV | One year, a 180-dollar value | Activate by 31 December 2026. |
| DashPass | One year, a 120-dollar value | Delivery fee and service fee savings on eligible DoorDash orders. |
| Peloton | 5x total points on equipment over 150 dollars | Up to 25,000 points, offer ends 31 December 2027. |
| Lyft | 5x total points | Through 30 September 2027. |
Chase also lists built-in travel cover. Trip cancellation and interruption pays up to 10,000 dollars per traveller and 20,000 per trip. Emergency evacuation and transportation pays up to 100,000 dollars for a trip 100 miles or more from home. Rental car damage cover is primary, up to 60,000 dollars, on most vehicles with a list price of 125,000 dollars or less. Delay cover pays up to 500 dollars per traveller after 12 hours or an overnight stay, baggage delay pays up to 100 dollars a day for five days, and lost or damaged luggage is covered up to 3,000 dollars per traveller. Purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft, up to 500 dollars per item, and warranties of three years or less get an extra year. For how these cover types work in general, see card travel protections and insurance.
Does the 95-dollar fee pay for itself?
Points: where they can go
- Ultimate Rewards
- Chase's points currency. Points can be pooled between your Chase points cards.
- Points Boost
- A Chase Travel feature that makes points worth up to 1.5 cents on some hotels and flights with select airlines.
- Transfer partner
- An airline or hotel programme you can send points to, mostly at 1 to 1.
Chase's page lists ten airline programmes and four hotel programmes. Hyatt is the exception, at 4 to 3. A transfer cannot be undone, so check the award price and availability before you send anything. For where flexible points tend to go further, see where to send flexible points in 2026, and for how to put a number on a point, what points are worth.
The bonus and Chase's rules
Chase shows your own new-cardmember offer after you check it, and the amount changes from month to month, so this guide does not quote one. What does not change as often is eligibility.
Check what you hold
List every Chase card you have now or have had in the past.
Read your offer
Look at the offer Chase shows you and the terms behind it.
Price the bonus
Use your own value per point. See how to price a sign-up bonus.
Set up the perks
Activate the Apple TV and DashPass offers in your Chase account, and put the hotel credit's anniversary date in your calendar.
Is it right for you?
Fits you
- Dining, gas and online groceries are a large share of your monthly spending.
- You will book some hotels or flights through Chase Travel, or you plan to transfer points.
- You travel abroad and want no foreign transaction fee plus built-in trip cover.
Think twice
- You mostly shop in stores and warehouse clubs that sit outside the 3x list.
- You will never leave the 1 cent redemption, in which case a no-fee 2 percent card is simpler.
- You want lounge access, which the Preferred does not list. See the Sapphire Reserve comparison.
See also which US cards are worth getting by spending style and cards with no foreign transaction fee.
Questions people ask
Does the Sapphire Preferred charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Chase's page says you will not pay them outside the United States and gives the example that 5,000 dollars spent abroad avoids 150 dollars of fees.
Which groceries earn 3x?
Chase lists online groceries, excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs. Its list does not mention in-store supermarket trips, so plan on 1x for those unless Chase's category page says otherwise.
Where can I send the points?
Chase lists Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United and Virgin Atlantic, plus IHG, Marriott, World of Hyatt and Wyndham. Most go 1 to 1, and Hyatt goes 4 to 3.
Can I hold the Preferred and the Reserve together?
Chase's offer terms decide whether a new Sapphire bonus is available when you already hold another Sapphire or have had the same card before. Read them on the offer page, and see the comparison guide for how people usually sequence the two.
Do the points expire?
Reviewers report that Ultimate Rewards points do not expire while the account stays open, and are lost if you close the card without moving them to another Chase points card. Check Chase's current rewards terms before you close anything.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 9, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
Cards in this guide
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.