The offers numerous perks for people who like to travel. These include travel protections, flexible point redemptions and up to $100 in statement credits to cover eligible hotel spending each year.
However, it’s fair to question whether the card is worth its $95 annual fee. Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card’s key features, who can benefit from having this card and alternatives you should consider before applying.
Pros and Cons
While this travel credit card features numerous perks, it pays to focus on the key benefits to help you decide if the Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card is worth it. Earn a sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. These points can be worth over $1,000 in travel booked through Chase Travel? with the Points Boost. Other benefits include:
Pros
— Annual hotel benefit. You’ll receive up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year to cover hotels booked through Chase Travel.
— Up to five points per dollar. When you book travel through Chase Travel, you’ll earn five points per dollar (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $100 annual credit). The card also offers two points on other travel and three points on dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services. All other purchases earn one point.
— Complimentary subscription. Get one year of Apple TV at no cost for one year if you activate the benefit through Chase by Dec. 31, 2026.
— Access transfer partners. Ultimate Rewards points also transfer to 14 airline and hotel loyalty programs, generally on a 1:1 basis. These partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
— Travel protections. When you book travel with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you’ll be covered with trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary rental car protection, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement.
“Earning transferrable points is the best benefit because it allows for flexibility in an ever-changing miles and points environment,” says John Perri, a travel advisor and travel blogger at JohnTheWanderer.com.
Cons
— Annual fee. Every year you hold this card, you’ll have to pay a $95 annual fee. While there are numerous ways to get value beyond $95 each year, you must take advantage of rewards and benefits to do so.
— Above-average annual percentage rate. There’s no 0% introductory rate on purchases or balance transfers, and this card has an above-average APR. If you carry a balance, your interest charges will easily outweigh the value of rewards and benefits.
— Strict qualifying requirements. If you’re new to credit or have credit challenges, you’re not likely to get approved for this card.
— Best rewards require travel. You can get cash back and other redemption options, but traveling is the best way to get the most value out of rewards earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
“You have to want to travel,” says Spencer Howard, founder of points travel site Straight To The Points. “If you’re not interested in traveling, the card isn’t worth it. If that’s not a priority, then a 2% cash back card works better.”
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Who Should Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card can be a good fit if you:
— Travel at least a few times each year
— Want to offset trip costs with a large sign-up bonus
— Are comfortable booking travel through the Chase Travel portal
— Want to transfer points to travel partners
— Spend significantly on travel and dining
— Want flexibility in redeeming rewards
— Want travel insurance, purchase protection and no foreign transaction fees
— Will earn enough rewards or use enough benefits to offset the $95 annual fee
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Alternatives to the Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card is an excellent choice for some travelers, but it isn’t the best travel credit card for everyone. Here are a few alternatives that may make more sense based on your budget, spending patterns and travel preferences.
Chase Sapphire Reserve庐
is the premium version of the Preferred card. While it has a $795 annual fee, it includes $1,500 in benefits from partners such as Lyft, DoorDash and StubHub. The card also comes with a $300 annual travel credit, complimentary airport lounge access and reimbursement for the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee once every four years. When compared with the Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve庐 has a much higher annual fee, but the rewards and benefits are greater, too.
“If you’re a road warrior and you can get reimbursed for expenses, get the Chase Sapphire Reserve to get lounge access and greater trip protections,” says Howard.
Chase Freedom Unlimited庐
For people who want to earn rewards without paying an annual fee, is a viable option. It earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. New customers can also use a 0% introductory annual percentage rate offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 18.24% to 27.74% variable.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred庐 Card offers many valuable features and benefits, but when is it worth paying the $95 annual fee? If you travel on a regular basis, its protections provide valuable peace of mind. Just the savings from not paying separately for a collision damage waiver when you rent a car can recoup the annual fee.
If you book travel through Chase, you will also find this card worth its annual fee. The $100 credit for hotels booked through Chase’s travel portal alone offsets it.
Earning the sign-up bonus can easily justify the annual fee. When you meet the spending requirements, you’ll earn points that can be worth more than $1,000. That initial sign-up bonus can cover the expense of the annual fee for multiple years.
“Look at the points you’re earning in a given year,” says Howard. “If that’s worth more than the $95 annual fee, then that’s easy.”
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Update 08/07/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
