For a while now I've been searching for a travel credit card to add to my repertoire of cards. Recently, I chose the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to fill that role. While there were other options I considered (looking at you, Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card*), in the end, the Sapphire Preferred offered everything I was looking for, with one exception.
1. It offers flexible rewards
The biggest draw to the card, for me, was its rewards program. Primarily, its 5x points for travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal, and 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase's hotel and airline partners.
I like that it provides a lot of choices when it comes time to redeem. You can either redeem for travel directly through Chase Travel to earn a 25% bonus or transfer your points to Chase's travel partners. You could also redeem for statement credits, but then you'd miss out on considerable value.
2. Chase has my preferred travel partners
When you use point transfers, you could even find a greater per-point value than if you chose to opt for Chase's redemption bonus. And luckily, Chase is partnered with some great options, including brands that I fly with or stay with often, like United, Southwest and JetBlue. They also partner with IHG Hotels, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
When you transfer points to any of its partners, you're guaranteed a 1:1 transfer rate. But that's just the floor -- oftentimes, you'll get an even higher per-point value when you move your points to a partner's program.
3. It covers restaurant purchases
Before applying for the Sapphire Preferred, I had two go-to credit cards -- the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*. That left a glaring hole in the purchases that earned a good rewards rate -- dining.
By adding the Sapphire Preferred to my wallet, I'll earn a return on all of my frequent purchases -- groceries, gas, travel, dining and everything else.
4. $50 hotel credit
One of the card's better perks is its $50 annual hotel credit for stays booked through Chase Travel. If you can use that every year, it essentially knocks off $50 from the card's $95 annual fee.
Paying essentially $45 each year (after using the credit) is a pretty great deal for how valuable the card's rewards could likely be.
5. No foreign transaction fees
This isn't unique to the Sapphire Preferred (none of the best travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees), but it factored into my decision nonetheless. I have some international travel coming up, and being able to put everything on one card without worrying about incurring any additional fees will make it a bit easier to budget.
And one thing I wish it did include
The card checks all of my boxes, aside from one. I was hoping to get an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. I often look at the shorter TSA PreCheck lines from the meandering, snake-like TSA line with envy.
However, if you do want everything the Sapphire Preferred offers (and then some) you could upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It offers cardholders up to $100 in statement credits for the application cost of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
And not only does it include the benefits listed above, but it also improves on the Sapphire Preferred's annual travel credit. Instead of a $50 credit, the Sapphire Reserve features a $300 annual travel credit. The catch is it also charges a $550 annual fee.
The annual travel credit and TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee essentially drop the annual cost to $150. Depending on how much use I get from the Sapphire Preferred, I may upgrade to the Sapphire Reserve.
The bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred matched everything I was looking for. It has an annual fee that should be easy to cover with its rewards, transfer partners that I fly with or stay with often, and a travel credit that could knock off some of the cost of its annual fee.
If you’re looking for expanded perks, including an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck and a larger annual travel credit, check out the Sapphire Reserve. It’s a bit more expensive, but if you have the travel budget to cover the cost, it could be an even better option.
*All information about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
