The MOST recommended card for people who want to travel on points and miles is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
With an annual fee of just $95 this card offers great earning potential, easy redemption options and some of the best travel protections out there.
Points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card are FLEXIBLE which means you’ll have lots of options when it comes to redeeming them.
Chase points can currently be transferred to 14 different travel partners including 11 airlines and 3 hotel chains. Some of the most beginner friendly transfer partners include Southwest, United and Hyatt which are not available with other credit card programs. Hyatt in particular is a sweet spot where you can often get 3-4x more value from your points if you transfer points to stay at Hyatt properties. Here’s a post that gives an example of using Chase points to book a Hyatt stay.
It’s not uncommon to redeem Chase points for Hyatt stays that are worth 3x, 4x even 5x in value!
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns points as follows:
- 5x points on TRAVEL purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 2x points on all other TRAVEL
- 3x points on DINING
- 3x points on ONLINE GROCERIES (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 3x points on STREAMING SERVICES
- 1x point on everything else
Perks of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card include:
- NO foreign exchange fees
- $50 annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit
- $10 per month DoorDash credit through December 2027 – check out this post for all the details
- 10% anniversary points boost
- 5x on Lyft rides through 9/30/2027
- Primary car rental insurance
- Travel and purchase protection benefits
There are a lot of great cards out there, but starting with the Chase Sapphire Preferred will give you a great introduction into the points and miles world.
As of June 23, 2025, you are able hold both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card; however, they added verbiage that you may not qualify for a welcome bonus if you’ve previously earned a bonus on the card or currently have a Sapphire card open. Thankfully, Chase has implemented a pop-up tool for card applications that will tell you if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus before you proceed, with no impact on your credit score. This will be the best way to know if you are eligible for a welcome bonus. If you are not able to apply for a Sapphire card, I’d be happy to help you figure out the next best card for you based on your travel goals and credit card history.
Couple things to NOTE:
➜ You must be under 5/24 to qualify for the bonus. Chase will not approve you for a new card if you’ve opened 5 personal cards in the past 24 months. This includes retail cards like Target or Home Depot so choose your new cards wisely!
➜ I don’t recommend adding your spouse or partner as an authorized user because they are better off earning a welcome bonus of their own using your referral link. You can read more about Player 2 Mode HERE.
➜ Chase points can easily be combined and moved between household members. This makes it easy to maximize your redemption options!
➜ Never apply for a new card without using a referral link! I’m always grateful when you use my links to apply for a new card as it allows me to continue providing FREE resources at no cost to you. Let me know if you like me to send you a referral link or if you’d like help choosing the best card for you. Thank you for supporting my small business!
** NOTE: Please send me a DM if you’re ready to apply for a new card and I’ll get that link sent to you!
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