(Amazing 100K Offer!) 6 Reasons Why We Love the Chase Sapphire Preferred®

by Zac Hood | Jun 15, 2026 | Beginner Resources, Credit Card Strategy
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🔥 Exciting New Offer! The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is now offering a 100,000 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.

Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 100,000 points after spending $5,000 on the card within the first three months

Why We Love the Chase Sapphire Preferred

1. 100,000 Points = $1,000 – $1,500+ in Free Travel

At a minimum, 100,000 points are worth $1,000 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 1.5 cents per point or more, making the bonus potentially worth $1,500 or more 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 14 different airline and hotel partners, including:

  • Hyatt (Now at 4:3 ratio. See below for more info.)
  • United
  • Marriott
  • Southwest
  • British Airways
  • and more

This is typically where you’ll find the best value. From a firsthand experience, we have been able to book an expensive domestic flight with United where our points have been worth 3 cents per point. We’ve also read reports of others receiving a similar 3 to 4 cents per point valuation, such as a $900 domestic first-class ticket booked for 30,000 miles. Though, at Travel Freely, we still value them conservatively at 1.5 cents each.

Tropical resort pool with people swimming, surrounded by lush palm trees and vibrant flowers. Thatched-roof sunshades and a yellow building are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.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 your Ultimate Rewards points for 1 cent per point:  

1,000 points = $10 cash
10,000 points = $100 cash
100,000 points = $1,000 cash

Link: Learn How to Apply: Chase Sapphire Preferred (100,000 points)

3. Strong Everyday Earning

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)
  • 3x points on gas and EV charging
  • 3x points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb and Vrbo
  • 3x on select streaming services
  • 3x on select online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
  • 2x points on travel (5x through Chase Travel℠)

A person holds a smartphone above a wooden board with assorted sushi, including nigiri and rolls, topped with fish. There is soy sauce in a small bottle on the table. The person wears a zigzag-patterned top and has a ring.Earning 3x Points at Restaurants Can Supercharge Your Earnings

4. $100 Annual Hotel Credit

Every year, you get a $100 credit when booking prepaid hotels through Chase Travel℠ (no minimum nights). On its own, that credit more than covers the card’s $95 annual fee, which is a nice way to think about the cost.

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 
  • Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage (up to $100,000)
  • $120 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS every four years
  • Free One-year Apple TV subscription (must activate by December 31, 2026)

Chase Sapphire Preferred Paris France EuropeGoing 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 to programs like United, Southwest, Marriott, and British Airways (all 1:1), and World of Hyatt (at a 4:3 rate for new cardholders as of 6/15/26 and existing cardholders starting 10/1/26), 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. 

About that Hyatt ratio: the new 4:3 ratio (1,000 Chase points become 750 Hyatt points); means Hyatt transfers don’t stretch quite as far as they used to for new cardholders. But there’s good news working in your favor too. The current welcome offer of 100,000 points is a strong offer so you’re starting with a bigger cushion of points to work with. And even at 4:3, Hyatt remains one of the best transfer values out there. A free night that would cost you $500 in cash for around 33,400 points is still a redemption most travelers would happily take.

So while the Hyatt math changed, the Chase Sapphire Preferred still earns its spot as our #1 beginner card. The bigger bonus and the flexibility to transfer to 14 partners (not just Hyatt) are what make it worth it.

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 welcome bonus, flexible points that can be transferred to top airlines and hotels, and perks like a $100 hotel credit and primary rental car coverage, it delivers value from day one. If you’re a beginner free traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is hard to beat.

Ready for free travel? Don’t miss out.

Link: Learn How to Apply: Chase Sapphire Preferred (100,000 points)

A credit card image with a beach and city background on the left and bold text on an orange background on the right that reads, Travel Freely’s #1 Card – At least $1,000 value.