I’ve spent years working with points and miles, and when people ask which rewards card to get first, my answer is almost always the same: the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It’s been around for more than 16 years, but recent updates have made it even more compelling — and it still carries a modest $95 annual fee.
Here are the five main reasons I still recommend the Sapphire Preferred as an entry-level rewards card.
1) A big, fast welcome bonus
Right now the card is offering 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points after $5,000 in purchases within the first three months. That requires an average of about $1,667 per month for three months, but everyday expenses — groceries, gas, utilities, phone bills, insurance, medical costs — usually count toward the requirement.
Booked through Chase Travel, those points are worth at least 1 cent each and can be worth up to 1.5 cents each with eligible Points Boost bookings, meaning the 100,000-point bonus could be worth up to $1,500 that way. Using transfer partners or higher-value redemptions, many valuations place 100,000 Ultimate Rewards at more than $2,000, so the bonus can jump-start a meaningful travel balance very quickly.
2) Points that are easy to use — and flexible
Chase Ultimate Rewards are beginner-friendly. You can use them in two straightforward ways:
– Book travel through the Chase Travel portal, where points redeem at 1 cent each (and sometimes 1.5 cents with Points Boost). The portal works like any OTA: search, compare, book. This is the simplest route.
– Transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners for potentially much higher value. Transfer partners include Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France–KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, Emirates Skywards, IHG One Rewards, Iberia, JetBlue TrueBlue, Marriott Bonvoy, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and World of Hyatt. Transfers are typically 1:1, except Hyatt (which transfers at 4:3 from the Sapphire Preferred), and occasional transfer bonuses can increase value.
That flexibility means you can keep redemptions simple at first and learn transfer tricks later to stretch points further — whether for domestic flights, resort nights, or premium cabin travel.
3) A low annual fee with useful perks
At $95, the annual fee is low compared with premium travel cards. The card also includes perks that can offset the fee or add real value:
– $100 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel (can more than offset the $95 fee if used)
– Up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus once every four years
– Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music for one year (enrollment required; limited-time enrollment window applies)
– DoorDash DashPass through a promotional window and up to $10 in monthly DoorDash credits for eligible nonrestaurant orders (limited-time)
– Strong travel protections: trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, emergency evacuation, and more
These benefits give the card outsized value for its modest cost, especially for someone starting out.
4) Competitive ongoing earning rates
The Sapphire Preferred earns well on everyday categories, so it keeps delivering after the welcome bonus:
– 5x points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Travel
– 5x points on Lyft rides (through a promotional period)
– 5x points on eligible Peloton equipment/accessories over $150 (through a promotional period)
– 3x points on dining
– 3x points on gas and electric vehicle charging
– 3x points on select streaming services
– 3x points on online grocery purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, wholesale clubs)
– 3x points on qualifying vacation home bookings (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.)
– 2x points on other travel
– 1x point on all other purchases
Because the card covers broad, commonly used categories, it often earns as much as or more than higher-fee cards in areas many people actually spend.
5) It’s practical to get early in your rewards journey
Chase has an informal “5/24” rule: the bank generally won’t approve a new Chase card if you’ve opened five or more credit card accounts across all banks in the previous 24 months. If you plan to build a travel rewards portfolio, getting a Chase card early — like the Sapphire Preferred — can avoid running into that limitation later. In short: if you think you’ll want Chase benefits down the road, consider taking one of your first slots for a Sapphire Preferred.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is flexible, easy to use, and affordable. It earns valuable points, gives straightforward redemption options through Chase Travel, allows transfers to many airline and hotel partners, offers useful perks that can offset the annual fee, and is often easier to get before you’ve opened many other cards. For most people starting in the points-and-miles world, it remains one of the best first rewards cards.
Note: Current offer details and enrollment windows for promotional benefits can change. The 100,000-point welcome bonus requires $5,000 in purchases in the first three months and may be a limited-time promotion.