Q&A on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Updated 4/3/25: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card now has a 100,000 points bonus when you spend $5,000 in 3 months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is our favorite beginner card! In our opinion, everybody needs to have this card as one of their first cards in their wallet. We break down the most frequently asked questions we get when it comes to eligibility for the Chase Sapphire Preferred here.
There are many great reasons to be very interested and excited about the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s current welcome offer where you can earn 100,000 points after spending $5,000 on the card within the first 3 months. It is an incredible offer, especially for those who are just starting out with free travel. This is a run-to-sign-up situation! Not much thinking required! BUT, if you have had the card before, it is important to read through this article to make sure you qualify or understand how to qualify. Here’s the breakdown:
- Under 5/24: If your credit report shows that you opened 5 or more new cards from any card issuers in the past 24 months, then you will not be approved for a new Chase card.
- No current Sapphire card: You must not currently be the primary cardholder of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, Sapphire Preferred, or the no-annual fee Sapphire card. It’s okay if you are an authorized user with any of those cards, but not a primary cardholder.
- No Sapphire bonus in last 48 months: If you received a welcome bonus for either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve in the past 48 months, then you are not eligible for this bonus.
- Qualify for $5,000 credit line: Chase won’t approve your application unless they see fit to allocate a $5,000 credit line or more to your new account. Note that if you are a current Chase customer with other consumer cards, they will usually be open to moving credit from other cards in order to make this happen if needed, but it might require you to call Chase and ask directly.
- Meet minimum spend requirements: Once you are approved for the Sapphire Preferred, you have 3 months to make purchases totaling $5,000 or more. Keep in mind that the $95 annual fee (and any other card fees you incur) do not count towards that total. Also, any charges that count as cash advances will not count towards the total.
Questions Specific to the Latest Increased Offer (100,000 points)
How do I apply?
Our affiliate link for this offer can be found on our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card page here. For more info, here’s our full Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide.
How much is this elevated offer worth?
The answer depends on how you use the points:
- $1,000: You can directly cash out your points for a penny apiece.
- $1,250 towards travel: Points are worth 1.25 cents each when you use points to book travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
- $1,500+ towards travel: If someone in your household has the Sapphire Reserve card, you can move your points (not your travel credit) to their account to make them more valuable. Or, after a year with the Sapphire Preferred, you can upgrade to the Sapphire Reserve. Either way, booking travel through the Chase Travel portal with the Chase Sapphire Reserve will get you 1.5 cents per point value. (Note: You cannot transfer the travel credit to a Sapphire Reserve account. It must be used in the Sapphire Preferred account it is associated with.)
- $1,800+ towards travel: Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be transferred to a number of travel partners (see details here). In many cases, if you know what you’re doing, it’s possible to get far outsized value for your points this way. We believe Chase points are worth approximately 1.8 cents per point, which makes the 100,000 welcome offer worth $1,800. However, your points can many times be worth significantly more. Here’s just one example: The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa usually charges $500 or more per night. Alternatively, you can pay 25,000 Hyatt points per night for the same stay (during standard award availability). Since you can transfer Chase points to Hyatt 1-to-1, you could move 100,000 of your Chase points to Hyatt and then book 4 nights at the centrally located Hyatt Regency Maui (worth over $2,000) with those Hyatt points. Even better, Hyatt doesn’t charge resort fees on free night award stays.
How long will this offer last?
We don’t know. In the past, these offers seem to last 4-6 weeks.
I applied and was denied. Is there anything I can do?
Yes! When denied for a Chase card, call the reconsideration line (1-888-270-2127) to ask for the decision to be reconsidered. If you currently hold other consumer Chase cards, tell the agent that you are not looking for more credit and that you are happy to move credit from another card to open this one. We have a great article walking you through what to do for pending or denied applications here.
I recently applied for the lower offer. Will Chase match me to the higher offer if I ask?
Chase has been known to match signup bonus offers in the past if they are public offers and within 90 days of a previous account opening. That said, there’s no guarantee. It also seems like people get denied if they ask within a few days of the new offer going live.
So, I would wait a few days. Then, go to your Chase online portal and send them a secure message with a screenshot of the new offer from chase.com. Mention the last 4 digits of the card so they can streamline the communication.
Can my significant other also apply?
Yes! If you can both qualify and can both meet the minimum spending requirements, then it absolutely makes sense for both of you to apply. Chase even allows people within the same household to share points! So you could move the points all to one account as needed (you’ll have to call Chase to set up the initial transfer though). See our article on doubling up!
Can I earn the bonus by product changing to the Sapphire Preferred from another Chase card?
No.
5/24 Questions
How do I know my 5/24 status?
Check your Travel Freely My Cards page. Read more about 5/24 here.
I am over 5/24 due to being an authorized user on several accounts. Can I qualify?
Yes. When you apply for the Sapphire Preferred, you will probably be initially denied, but you can then call the reconsideration line (1-888-270-2127) to explain that you are not responsible for those credit lines. They should then be able to reconsider your application and approve you if you are under 5/24 with your primary cardholder accounts.
Current Sapphire Card Questions
I currently have the Sapphire Reserve card. Can I qualify for the Sapphire Preferred?
No. Chase treats these, and the no-fee Sapphire card, as a single product family. You are only allowed to have 1 Sapphire card at any time.
However, if you meet the other eligibility requirements, you can downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to a no-fee Freedom card (we recommend the Chase Freedom Unlimited®). Product changing will preserve your points, your credit line, and credit history tied to the opened date of the original card. Plus, if you aren’t approved for the Sapphire Preferred, you could then product change back.
After cancelling or product changing, it’s best to wait at least a week before applying for the Sapphire Preferred.
Note: If you already have a Chase Freedom card, you can still downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to the same card. Chase allows multiples of these cards through downgrades.
I currently have a Sapphire Preferred card. Can I cancel it and then apply for the Sapphire Preferred?
Yes, but don’t! Downgrade your card to a no-fee Chase Freedom card (we recommend the Freedom Unlimited). Product changing will preserve your points, your credit line, and credit history tied to the opened date of the original card. Plus, if you aren’t approved for the Sapphire Preferred, you could then product change back.
After cancelling or product changing, it’s best to wait at least a week before applying for the Sapphire Preferred.
Note: If you already have a Chase Freedom card, you can still downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to the same card. Chase allows multiples of these cards through downgrades.
I currently have a regular Sapphire card. Can I product change it and then apply for the Sapphire Preferred?
Yes! Chase even mentions that option directly in the card’s offer terms. They state: “If you are an existing Sapphire customer and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change.”
Product change your card to a no-fee Chase Freedom card (Freedom Unlimited). Product changing will preserve your points and your credit line. Plus, if you aren’t approved for the Sapphire Preferred, you could then product change back.
After product changing, it’s best to wait at least a week before applying for the Sapphire Preferred.
Note: If you already have a Chase Freedom card, you can still downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to the same card. Chase allows multiples of these cards through downgrades.
I currently have a Sapphire Preferred card but only because I’m an authorized user. Can I sign up for the Sapphire Preferred?
Yes! Only the primary cardholder of a Sapphire account is prohibited from signing up for a new Sapphire card.
Product Change Questions
I currently have a Sapphire card. Which card should I product change to?
You can product change to the Freedom Unlimited Visa. While there is more than one no-fee Chase Freedom card, the Freedom Unlimited is the one Travel Freely recommends.
Note: If you already have a Chase Freedom card, you can still downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to the same card. Chase allows multiples of these cards through downgrades.
If I product change, what happens to the points in my account?
If you product change to any kind of Freedom card, your points will be preserved in your Freedom account. Once your Sapphire Preferred account is open, you can then move your Freedom card’s points to your Sapphire Preferred account in order to make them more valuable again.
If I product change and then I’m denied for the Sapphire Preferred, can I product change back?
Yes — most likely. It’s not guaranteed that Chase will offer you that product change option, but it is very likely.
But be sure to call the reconsideration line (1-888-270-2127) to see if there’s anything you can do to get your application approved first before giving up! We have a great article walking you through what to do for pending or denied applications here.
What happens to travel booked recently on my Sapphire card for the travel protections? If I product change to a Freedom card, will I keep the travel insurance protections for my trips?
Not sure. Your travel protections may be based on the card you have at the time that you file a claim. I’d recommend contacting Chase directly if you want to ask.
48 Month Rule Questions
I signed up for a Sapphire card a while back. How do I know if it’s been 48 months since I earned the bonus?
If you have Travel Freely, just check and see if the card is showing up on your CardGenie™! Or, look at the individual card info in your “My Cards” list to see when you opened the card. If it’s a card you closed and marked it as “Canceled” in your Travel Freely account, you’ll need to look at your Inactive Card list to find it. I would add 52 months from the date opened if you want to be certain you are eligible for the card again. Otherwise, look at old credit card statements, or simply call Chase or send them a secure message to ask when you last earned the bonus.
How long has it been since I earned my last Sapphire bonus? I don’t remember.
If you have records of when you signed up for the card (check your Travel Freely My Cards page!), you can estimate that you received the bonus about 3 months later. That should give you a good enough timeline. Or, look at the individual card info in your “My Cards” list to see when you opened the card. If it’s a card you closed and marked it as “Canceled” in your Travel Freely account, you’ll need to look at your Inactive Card list to find it. I would add 52 months from the date opened if you want to be certain you are eligible for the card again. Otherwise, look at old credit card statements, or simply call Chase or send them a secure message to ask when you last earned the bonus.
It has been more than 48 months since I received a signup bonus, but less than 48 months since I cancelled my Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card. Can I qualify?
Yes. The 48 month rule is specific to the date you last received a signup bonus for the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card. It’s okay if you have recently had one of those cards, as long as you no longer have it at the time you apply.
I recently closed my Sapphire card in the last year. Am I eligible?
See question above. The 48 Month Rule has nothing to do with when you closed or product changed your previous Sapphire card. It is specific to the date you last received a signup bonus for the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card.
The bonus went up since I applied for my Sapphire Preferred card. Can I get matched to the higher offer?
Chase has been known to match signup bonus offers in the past if they are public offers and within 90 days of a previous account opening. That said, there’s no guarantee. It also seems like people get denied if they ask within a few days of the new offer going live.
So, I would wait a few days. Then, go to your Chase online portal and send them a secure message with a screenshot of the new offer. Mention the last 4 digits of the card so they can streamline the communication.
I previously had a Sapphire card, but I never earned a signup bonus. Can I qualify?
Yes. As long as you don’t currently have a Sapphire card (Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve) you can qualify.
Is it helpful if I use Travel Freely’s link?
Yes! Using our affiliate links is the best way to support our site and app. Feel free to tell all your friends about this great offer too!
(Some of this content originally appeared on The Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)
