Card guide · Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Card guide overview
A flexible travel card that earns across everyday spending without charging a premium-tier annual fee.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | Chase Ultimate Rewards | Flexible, transferable travel points | Visa | $95 |
Closest alternatives
- Citi Strata Premier
- Capital One Venture
- Amex Green
- Bilt Obsidian
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
Chase Sapphire Preferred (better known as CSP) is the workhorse of Chase’s travel-card lineup. It may also be the issuer’s most popular card with an annual fee, and the appeal is easy to understand: strong 3X categories, flexible transfer partners and enough annual credits to offset the fee. For U.S.-based travelers, the card’s primary rental-car coverage is a rare benefit at this fee level. That combination makes CSP a 5/5 keeper.
The recent Hyatt transfer devaluation hurts, and the $100 hotel credit may feel closer to $75 when Chase Travel prices above third-party sites such as Expedia. Those are real drawbacks, but they are not deal-breakers; there is still plenty of value to be had. Coupon Book credits include up to $100 in annual Chase Travel hotel credits and a $10 monthly DoorDash non-restaurant promo for eligible DashPass members.
Best fit
Travelers who want transferable rewards without a premium annual fee
Especially relevant if dining, gas, EV charging, online grocery and travel are meaningful expenses.
Current timing
100K matches the tracked maximum
The public offer sits above both the tracked 60K standard and occasional 75K elevated level.
Main watchout
Portal value and transfer ratios need attention
The hotel credit requires Chase Travel, and World of Hyatt transfers at 4:3 for newer accounts rather than 1:1.
Current & historical offer
100K matches the tracked maximum.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch, targeted and mixed cash-plus-points offers are outside this ladder.
Timing assessment
A historically strong time to consider the card—if it already fits.
100K is 40,000 points above the tracked 60K standard, a 66.7% increase, and ties the highest tracked public points offer.
Why someone may still wait
A maximum offer is not a universal recommendation.
Apply only if the $5,000 spend is ordinary planned spending, the annual fee makes sense and Chase’s eligibility language does not rule you out.
Card benefits
Travel protections stand out; credits add practical value.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among comparable $95 general-travel cards—not labels supplied by Chase.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits uncommon enough at this fee level to influence the card decision.
Primary car rental damage coverage
Chase advertises primary treatment for eligible theft and collision damage on many rentals, subject to the Guide to Benefits.
- Decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver.
- Charge the entire eligible rental to the card.
- Most covered vehicles must have an MSRP of $125,000 or less.
Know the limits: This is not liability or medical coverage. Vehicle, rental-duration, geography, documentation and state exceptions apply; domestic coverage is secondary for New York residents.
Emergency evacuation and transportation
A high coverage ceiling for qualifying medical evacuations on eligible trips—rare among the comparable cards reviewed.
- The eligible trip must be at least 100 miles from home.
- Medical necessity and benefit-administrator coordination are required.
- Payment and trip-eligibility requirements in the guide control.
Know the limits: This is not general travel medical insurance. The benefit administrator must coordinate eligible arrangements and the controlling guide determines coverage.
Tier 2 · Strong, but available on some peers
Meaningful ongoing or temporary value with visible restrictions.
$100 Chase Travel hotel credit
Automatic statement credits each account-anniversary year for eligible hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel.
The credited first $100 earns no points. Portal pricing, cancellation and hotel-loyalty treatment may differ from booking direct; reversals can apply.
Up to $120 Trusted-traveler application credit
One statement credit every four years for an eligible Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee charged to the card.
Useful if the cardholder needs an eligible application or renewal; it is not recurring annual cash value.
Limited time Partner benefits
One year of Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026; DashPass benefits with activation terms; and temporary 5X earning with Lyft and eligible Peloton purchases.
Lyft 5X is advertised through September 30, 2027; Peloton 5X through December 31, 2027. Enrollment, purchase minimums and caps apply.
Tier 3 · Expected travel-card basics
Useful protections and services that should not drive the decision alone.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases made abroad; merchant currency-conversion choices can still add cost.
Trip cancellation and interruption Guide controls
Coverage may apply to eligible prepaid travel interrupted or cancelled for covered reasons, subject to payment and claim requirements.
Baggage protections Guide controls
Delayed- and lost-baggage benefits may apply after qualifying triggers, waiting periods and documentation.
Purchase protection and extended warranty Retail baseline
Eligible purchases can receive time-limited damage/theft protection or added warranty coverage; exclusions and caps apply.
Roadside and travel assistance Referral service
Access to assistance coordination does not mean third-party services are free; cardholders can remain responsible for service costs.
Fraud and account protections Card baseline
Standard account-security and unauthorized-transaction protections remain useful but are not a distinctive reason to choose this card.
Comparison method: General consumer travel cards around the $95 annual-fee level, including Capital One Venture, Citi Strata Premier and Wells Fargo Autograph Journey; official public pages reviewed in July 2026. A public page’s silence is not proof that a competing benefit does not exist.
Earning rates
Broad 3X categories do most of the work.
Rates shown are total points per dollar on eligible purchases. Merchant coding and Chase’s current terms control.
Travel purchased through Chase Travel
Flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities and tours. Portal pricing, cancellation and loyalty treatment may differ from booking direct.
Dining worldwide
Includes takeout and eligible delivery services.
Online grocery and select streaming
Online grocery excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs.
Gas and EV charging
Newly expanded everyday earning categories shown on Chase’s current benefits page.
Eligible vacation homes
Includes top brands such as Airbnb and Vrbo, subject to current eligible-brand terms.
Other travel worldwide
Travel purchases such as airfare, hotels, taxis and trains outside the higher-rate portal category.
All other purchases
One point per dollar on purchases not eligible for another rate.
Credit interaction: The first $100 of eligible Chase Travel hotel purchases reimbursed by the annual hotel credit does not earn points. Temporary 5X offers for Lyft and eligible Peloton purchases are separate from the permanent earning ledger above.
Unique & popular transfer partners
Chase’s network is broad; the ratios are not uniform.
Ultimate Rewards points can move to participating airline and hotel programs. Transfers are generally final, and availability—not the transfer ratio alone—determines whether a redemption is useful.
Important exception
4:3World of Hyatt ratio for newer accounts
Hyatt remains distinctive, but it is no longer a universal 1:1 transfer.
Most listed partners transfer at the standard ratio. World of Hyatt transfers at 4 Hyatt points for every 3 Ultimate Rewards points for newer accounts; older accounts had limited grandfathering through September 30, 2026. Confirm the ratio shown in your own Chase account before moving points.
Distinctive direct access
Programs that help define the Chase ecosystem for U.S. travelers.
- United MileagePlus
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- World of Hyatt 4:3
Popular international options
Commonly used programs with broad alliance or international redemption reach; most transfer at the standard ratio.
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Club
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Additional airline programs
Useful in narrower itineraries or when award pricing is favorable.
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Club
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Aer Lingus AerClub
Additional hotel programs
Compare transfer value with booking through Chase or paying cash before moving points.
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 19, 2026
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