The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel credit cards — and for good reason.
It’s what we call a “keeper card” — one that we believe deserves a permanent spot in your wallet. Why, you ask? For starters, this card is cheap, especially when you consider its dollar value. But there’s a lot more the Sapphire Preferred has going for it, all of which helps make that $95 annual fee seem very small.
So, is the Sapphire Preferred worth it in 2025? Let’s break down what makes this travel card so valuable and why it might be the perfect fit for you.
Is the Sapphire Preferred It?
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Absolutely, especially if you travel even a couple of times per year.
The Sapphire Preferred strikes the perfect balance of affordability and high-value travel perks. You’re getting flexible rewards, access to valuable transfer partners, and strong travel protection — all for under $100 a year.
It’s one of the best starter travel cards out there, but even points pros keep it around for good reason.
What Makes the Sapphire Preferred So Valuable?
At its core, this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are widely considered some of the most flexible and valuable in the game.
Here’s what you’ll earn:
5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit)
3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases
2x points on all other travel
1x points on everything else
Points are worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, which is already a win, but you can also transfer them to plenty of amazing travel partners like World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, and Air Canada Aeroplan for even more value.
On top of that, the Sapphire Preferred offers:
Up to $50 in annual hotel credit (when booked through Chase Travel)
10% anniversary bonus on points based on your annual spend
Primary rental car insurance (super rare at this price point)
Trip delay reimbursement
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Baggage delay insurance
No foreign transaction fees
These are the kinds of perks that save you serious money — and serious headaches — when things don’t go as planned.
Trips You Could Book With the Welcome Offer
The current offer on the Sapphire Preferred is: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
100,000 points are worth at least $1,250 when redeemed through Chase Travel — or potentially even more when strategically transferred to airline or hotel partners.
For example, you could:
Book two round-trip flights from the U.S. to Mexico on United
Transfer 60,000 points to World of Hyatt and spend four to six nights at high-end properties in Europe or Asia
Fly to Europe in business class one-way through transfer partners like Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Iberia Plus
But those are just a few fun ideas! If you play your cards right (pun intended), this welcome offer alone could cover an entire vacation.
Who Should Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The Sapphire Preferred is ideal if you’re serious about miles and points but don’t want to splurge on a premium credit card.
But even if you only take a couple of trips a year, this card still earns its keep, especially with that hotel credit softening over half of the cost.
It’s also one of the best starter travel cards out there. If you’re new to points and miles, the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem is easy to use and opens the door to more advanced redemptions down the road.
When It Might Not Be the Best Fit
As much as we love it, if you’re someone who doesn’t travel much, prefer cash-back rewards, or already have a premium travel credit card with overlapping benefits, the Sapphire Preferred might not be your best option.
If you want something simpler and don't care as much about transfer partners, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2x miles on everything, and you can still use points to cover travel purchases without worrying about redemption portals.
If you're after airport lounge access and some higher-tier perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® might be a better fit, but it does come with a $550 annual fee. Still, if you travel pretty often, that extra cost might be worth it for the lounge access, higher earning rates, and other premium benefits.
Why the $95 Annual Fee Is Worth It
The welcome bonus alone crushes the annual fee in terms of value.
Plus, you’re getting the hotel credit, an anniversary bonus, and elevated points value through Chase Travel. So you’ve more than doubled your money before you’ve even boarded your next flight.
Not to mention, the long-term earning potential and travel protections make this card one of the most affordable ways to unlock some pretty sweet travel experiences.
Bottom Line
The Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel cards under $100 a year — hands down.
It’s beginner-friendly, packed with value, and unlocks some of the best travel redemptions in the game. From bonus categories and transfer partners to strong travel protections and a big welcome offer, this card punches well above its weight.
So is the Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee worth it? Yes — and then some.
