(Increased Offer!) 6 Reasons Why We Love the Chase Sapphire Preferred®
🔥 Increased Offer: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a 75,000 points bonus when you spend $5,000 in 3 months from account opening.
At Travel Freely, our goal is simple: help you earn free travel in the easiest way possible. That’s why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card continues to be our top recommendation for beginners, and one of the best all-around travel cards, period.
Why? Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are both valuable and flexible.
Why We Love the Chase Sapphire Preferred
1. 75,000 Points = $750–$1,500+ in Free Travel
At a minimum, 75,000 points are worth $750 when redeemed for cash or travel.
If you use the Chase Travel℠ portal, you can often get more than 1 cent per point thanks to Chase’s Points Boost feature on eligible flights and hotels (more on this below).
Where this card really shines, though, is with point transfers. By transferring your points to Chase’s travel partners, you could easily get a value of 2 cents per point or more, making the bonus potentially worth over $1,500 in free travel.
And if you don’t like annual fees? You can even redeem 9,500 points for $95 in cash to offset the card’s annual fee.
2. Easy, Flexible Redemption Options
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are simple to use, even if you’re brand new.
You can redeem your points in three main ways:
Book travel through Chase Travel℠
The Chase Travel portal is easy to use. With Points Boost, you can get:
- Up to 1.5 cents per point on select flights and hotels
- Up to 1.75 cents per point for premium cabin tickets on select airlines
For anything not covered by Points Boost, your booking value drops to 1 cent per point.
Learn More: Chase Points Boost: A New Way to Stretch Your Travel Rewards
Transfer points to airline & hotel partners
Chase partners with 13 different airline and hotel partners, including:
- Hyatt
- United
- Marriott
- Southwest
- British Airways
- and more
This is typically where you’ll find the best value. It’s not unheard of to book an expensive domestic or international flight with United, where your points are worth 3-4 cents per point, though Travel Freely values them conservatively at 1.5 cents each.
Get to Hawaii with the signup bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred!
Redeem points for cash
If you prefer the flexibility of cash, you can always redeem you Ultimate Rewards points for 1 cent per point:
1,000 points = $10 cash
10,000 points = $100 cash
75,000 points = $750 cash
Link: Learn How to Apply Now: Chase Sapphire Preferred (75,000 points)
3. Strong Everyday Earning (No Travel Required)
You don’t need to travel constantly to earn a lot of points. In fact, anytime you eat out or even have delivery or takeout, you’re earning bonus points!
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you earn:
- 3x points on dining (including takeout and delivery)
- 2x points on travel
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on select online grocery purchases
Plus, you’ll earn a 10% anniversary points boost each year. For example, if you spend $10,000, you’ll earn a 1,000-point bonus.
Earning 3x Points at Restaurants Can Supercharge Your Earnings
4. $50 Annual Hotel Credit
Every year, you get a $50 credit when booking hotels through Chase Travel℠. You can think of it as a mini rebate that almost covers the card’s $95 annual fee. It’s a simple perk, but it makes a nice difference when you’re booking trips.
5. Awesome Travel Perks (That Actually Matter)
These aren’t just flashy benefits you’ll forget about; they’re practical perks that can save you time and money:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Primary rental car coverage (can save an extra $15-30 per day!)
- Trip delay, trip cancellation, and baggage delay insurance
Going to Europe? Save on Rental Car Insurance and Foreign Transaction Fees
6. One Card, Many Travel Programs
A common beginner mistake is assuming you need a specific airline or hotel card.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you don’t.
Because you can transfer points 1:1 to programs like United, Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt, this card acts like multiple travel cards in one.
You’re not pigeonholed into one program. You can stay flexible and only transfer points when you’re ready to book.
Important Note: The Chase 5/24 Rule
Chase generally won’t approve applicants who have opened 5 or more credit cards in the past 24 months. Some cards don’t count towards this, but most personal cards do.
Since the Sapphire Preferred is subject to this rule, it’s often best to get this card early in your points journey.
(Tip: The Travel Freely app includes a built-in 5/24 tracker. Make your life easier and sign up here. =))
Bottom Line
This is an excellent all-around card. It’s the #1 card for beginners and one of THE best cards for any type of traveler.
With a valuable sign-up bonus, flexible points that can be transferred to top airlines and hotels, and perks like a $50 hotel credit and primary rental car coverage, it delivers value from day one. If you’re a beginner free traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® is hard to beat.
Ready for free travel? Don’t miss out.
Link: Learn How to Apply Now: Chase Sapphire Preferred (75,000 points)
