[ad_1]
Will this card live up to the hype?!
Key Point
- Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great way to join the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, especially if you have a Freedom card and want to transfer points for travel.
- There are better cards in many bonus categories (even travel), but this one might surprise you.
- So far I have no regrets in adding the card to my wallet or keeping it for a second year.
No matter who you talk to or what forum you haunt, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is typically considered one of the cornerstones of any good travel rewards strategy. The more expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve® has largely fallen out of favor, but its cheaper sibling is one of the most frequently recommended travel reward cards I see.
As a bit of a free travel hacker myself, I looked to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as a way to join the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. However, I didn’t get a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card until last year because I violated the Chase 5/24 rule (which says you can’t open a Chase card if you have too many recent accounts). My own.
I am now in my second year of ownership. That meant I had time to use (and sometimes not use) many features and perks. Overall, I’m happy with this card so far, and it actually offered some pleasant surprises.
Discovered: This card has one of the longest intro 0% interest rate periods.
Details: Consolidate your debt with one of these top rated balance transfer credit cards.
Travel perks (mostly) meet expectations
Unfortunately, there are two main motivations for getting a Chase Sapphire Preferred® card other than the “everyone has it” that works more often than necessary. The first was the signup bonus. But another, and perhaps even greater, motivation was to allow existing Ultimate Rewards points to be transferred to travel partners.
(If you have a Freedom Family card, I have Chase Freedom Unlimited® which I love. You technically earn Ultimate Rewards points. Unless you have Sapphire, you can earn points for your travel partner. Non-transferable card.)
This particular feature worked well. Ultimate Rewards aren’t automatically pooled like American Express Membership Rewards points are, but Chase makes it easy to combine points. I was able to instantly transfer my existing points to my Chase Sapphire Preferred® card account and from there transfer them to a Chase partner.
As far as transfer partners go, Chase has some really great options, including United and Hyatt, two of which are hard to find elsewhere. Transfers are often worthwhile, as Hyatt points can be easily redeemed for good value. Points are transferred very quickly in a 1:1 ratio.
The experience of using points to book a trip on the Chase portal was a little less than smooth. Granted, Chase has a higher value per point (you can get an extra 25% with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card), so it’s not as good as a partner transfer, but it’s still a solid return.
The problem is if you want a room type other than the standard rate. In my case, I had to book an adjoining room and an accessible room on another occasion. Unfortunately the Chase portal didn’t have options for these room types for the hotel I wanted (although it did on his website for the hotel). I called the specific hotel just before my stay and hoped they had the room type I needed.
Incredibly useful beyond regular travel
Despite Chase Portal issues, I only keep the card for transferable points. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it holds its rightful place in
Of course, you’ll get double points (5x) for every dollar spent on travel purchased outside of Chase. This category is so broad that I have cards that are good for things like airline tickets, but I rely on the Chase Card for transportation, tolls, and parking. (Though, I managed to use up my $50 annual hotel credit by booking an overnight stay through Chase.)
As for dining benefits, I use my American Express Gold card, so sadly I don’t see much restaurant usage with the Chase card. Any exceptions? Once you find a good Chase offer, you can add it to get even more discounts. Keeping an eye on the offer page is often enough. This also applies to online grocery rewards categories.
Oddly enough, the streaming category of this card caused me to change my billing habits. All of the streaming services that were previously on other cards based on transactions with issuers above all have moved to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. In addition to earning 3x points on these purchases, the Chase Offers portal also offers regular discounts on most services you use.
I’m glad I gave you another year
All in all, I’m happy with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card so far. It has a utilitarian place in my card lineup and is well worth the annual fee. Maybe not. However, I have paid the $95 annual fee twice so far and have not regretted it yet.
Top credit cards interest-free until 2024
If you have credit card debt This top balance transfer card Guaranteed 0% first year APR for up to 21 months! Plus, no annual fee. These are just some of the reasons why our experts rate this card as the best option to help you manage your debt. Read full review Sign up for free in just 2 minutes.
[ad_2]
Source link