ChaseSapphire Preferred

4574 7062 5717 3216

VALID THRU 11/31SAM RIVERA

A person in a blue suit walking with luggage past airport carts — Photo: Yanhao Fang / Unsplash

Travel Rewards · United States

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

4.8 / 5 editorial rating

Best for: Mid-tier travelers who want transfer partners without a premium fee

Reviewed by the CreditCardCompare editorial team · Fees and rates checked September 2026 — confirm on the issuer's site before you apply

Annual fee$95/yr

IssuerChase

NetworkVisa

Purchase APR21.49%–28.49% variable

Foreign transaction feeNone

Credit neededGood to Excellent (700+)

Pros

Send points to airline and hotel loyalty programs
Solid coverage for trips and purchases
Charges nothing extra on purchases made abroad

Cons

Carries an annual fee
Doesn't get you into airport lounges
You'll need good credit to qualify

Check current offer on issuer site Compare USA cards

Rates and offers change. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's official site before applying. Independent comparison — not financial advice.

Our take on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best choice for someone who wants transferable travel points for under $100 a year, because its $100 Chase Travel hotel credit can cover most of the $95 fee on its own. As of September 2026 the card earns 3x on dining, gas stations, EV charging, top streaming services and online grocery, which puts a bonus rate on spending most households already do. The 5x rate applies only to travel booked through Chase Travel, so we would not count on it unless you already use a booking portal.

The trade-off is that the hotel credit only works on a stay booked through Chase Travel, and portal prices are not always the lowest. If you never book that way, the fee has to be earned back through spending: earning 3 points per dollar at a conservative 1 cent each, about $3,200 a year of dining, gas and streaming returns the $95.

Where it loses: there is no airport lounge access, and the grocery bonus applies only to online grocery orders, not your weekly trip to the supermarket. People who want 3x on in-store groceries should look at the Citi Strata Premier instead.

Good fit if

You spend $300 or more a month combined on restaurants, gas and streaming
You book at least one hotel stay a year and are willing to do it through Chase Travel to use the $100 credit
You want points you can move to airline and hotel partners without paying a premium fee

Skip it if

Your grocery shopping happens in-store rather than online
You want airport lounge access included with the card

Worked example

Assume you spend $400 a month on dining, $150 on gas, $30 on streaming and $1,000 on everything else. Dining, gas and streaming total $580 a month, or $6,960 a year, which earns 20,880 points at 3x. The other $12,000 a year earns 12,000 points at 1x. That is 32,880 points. At a conservative 1 cent per point, that is $328.80. Subtract the $95 fee and you keep $233.80, before the $100 Chase Travel hotel credit, which adds real value only if you book a hotel that way.

How it stacks up

Against the Citi Strata Premier, the Sapphire Preferred has the same $95 fee but a different 3x list: Citi covers in-store supermarkets and air travel, while Chase covers streaming and online grocery. Citi's $100 hotel benefit requires a single stay of $500 or more booked through Citi Travel, which makes it harder to use on short trips. If you would rather earn 2x on everything and skip categories, the Capital One Venture costs the same $95 and suits people whose spending doesn't cluster in dining or gas.

If you want transferable points without paying for lounge access you'll never use, the Preferred beats the Reserve on math for most people: $95 a year as of 2026 versus $550. Points move 1:1 to partners like Hyatt and United, and a $20,000-a-year spender earns roughly 25,000 points on travel and dining alone, often worth $375+ through transfers. Skip it if you fly enough to actually clear the Reserve's lounge and credit value, and confirm current bonus terms on chase.com since welcome offers rotate.