5 reasons to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card with an 80,000-point sign up bonus

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Chase Sapphire Preferred (r) is one of the most popular cards amongst those who are just beginning to explore travel rewards. It's not surprising. The Sapphire Preferred comes with a low fee per year, bonus categories, flexible redemption choices, and other benefits.

Spending $4,000 within the first 3 months after opening your account will earn you an additional 80,000 bonus points. This is one of the best offers we have seen so far. It's an excellent way to accumulate a large number of points.

The sign-up bonus may be the main reason for getting one of our top travel credit cards, but it's not the only one. We'll look at the five benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to help you decide if it is worth a spot in your wallet.

Sign up for 80,000 points and get a bonus

The current sign-up offer of 80,000 points on the Chase Sapphire Preferred may not be the highest we've seen, but it is the highest personal Chase Ultimate Rewards card sign-up currently. This is also the highest offer we've seen in the last year for this card.

You can redeem these points in a variety of ways. These 80,000 points could be redeemed for a luxurious three-night stay in the Bahamas at the Grand Hyatt. If you prefer to travel by air, 80,000 points will often get you a ticket for a round trip to Europe.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers the best of both worlds: points you earn with this card never expire, as long as the card is open. You can save your points for a vacation you need in the future.

Great transfer partners

The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to transfer points to 14 partner airline and hotel loyalty programmes that are part of Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The Sapphire Preferred points transfer to these programs in a 1:1 ratio. This means that for every 1,000 Sapphire Preferred points transferred, you will receive 1,000 airline or hotel points.

Transferring points and using a partner program can take some time, but it will allow you to potentially get more value from your points when booking luxury travel, such as first class or business class flights or a stay at a resort in an exotic location.

If you want to book your trips with ease, you can redeem your points through Chase's Travel Portal and receive 1.25 cents per point. This is less than you could get by transferring your points to partners but for many it's a more convenient way to use them.

Transferring points to a partner programme can lead to some amazing travel plans if you are flexible and willing to strategize.

Bonus categories and credits

Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 2 points per dollar spent on travel (or total 5 points if purchased via Ultimate Rewards), 3 for dining, certain streaming services, and online grocery purchases. You will also earn 1 point for all other purchases. This is a great set of bonus categories. Many food delivery services are also included in the Preferred's dining category.

You can also receive up to $50 as a credit on hotel bookings if you book through the Chase Ultimate Reward travel portal and have the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This credit can be used every year to reduce the $95 annual card fee by half, even before you use any of the other benefits.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card currently offers two additional cool benefits. Sapphire Preferred cardholders can get a free DoorDash DashPass for 12 months if they activate the membership by December 31, 2024. DashPass comes with no delivery charges, a credit of 5% on your pickup order and more. If you're able to use DoorDash, it is a fantastic perk.

Now through March 31, 2025, Sapphire Preferred card holders earn 10 total points for every dollar spent on each Peloton Bike, Tread or Row purchase over $250. Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn up to 50,000 points in total for each Peloton Bike or Tread, Row, and Guide purchase above $250. This is a great bonus for anyone looking to buy a new exercise bicycle this year.

Combining the Sapphire Preferred card with other Chase credit cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred, one of many credit cards in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Program, allows you to pool all your points into one large pot.

Chase Freedom Flex (sm) for example is advertised as cash back, but it actually earns cash back in the form of points. The Freedom Flex, which is designed to earn up to 5% in cash back for a rotating set of bonus categories each quarter earns technically 5 points per dollar spent.

If you have only the Freedom Flex you will get 1 cent per point (because 5 points are equal to 5% in cashback). If you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, then you can transfer your points to the Sapphire Preferred at 1.25 cents each.

If you own a Chase Sapphire Preferred card or any other premium Chase credit card that charges an annual fee, you can transfer your points to Chase's airline partners and hotels. This is a fantastic exclusive feature for a card which only costs $95 per year.

5. Travel benefits

When you are ready to travel, a credit card that offers strong travel benefits is a great option. The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you a lot of options to save money and protect yourself in the event of a travel delay or cancellation.

You will not be charged foreign transaction fees when you pay with the Sapphire Preferred card for your travel. The trip delay protection is our favorite benefit.

The trip delay coverage of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card allows you to be reimbursed up to $500 for reasonable out-of pocket expenses per family member. The reasonable expenses are lodging, meals and transportation.

You're also covered if you pay only a portion of the flight using your Chase Sapphire Preferred. If you use airline miles to purchase a reward ticket, but pay the taxes and fees with your Sapphire Preferred card, you are still covered for trip delay coverage.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the right choice for you.

Sapphire Preferred, even if you ignore the sign-up bonus of 80,000 points, is one of the best travel credit cards. The Sapphire Preferred is a top travel credit card thanks to its bonus categories and transfer partners. Even if you have no plans for a vacation right now, when a travel opportunity arises in the future, you will be ready with your top travel credit cards and plenty of points.