If you’ve been eyeing the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and its solid welcome offer, you’re not alone. With a sweet stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points up for grabs, there’s never a bad time to snag one of the world’s best travel credit cards.
But before you dive in and apply, you’ll want to be sure you’re actually eligible. Chase has a few important rules — some more obvious than others — that could make or break your ability to snag this deal.
Here’s exactly what you need to know to apply with confidence.
Are You Eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Offer?
To qualify for the Sapphire Preferred welcome offer, you’ll need to:
Be approved for the card
Seems obvious, but it’s the first step. Even if you meet all the criteria, Chase still needs to approve your application — and that depends on your credit profile, income, and other factors.
Not have received a Sapphire Preferred welcome offer in the past
Chase offers a once-per-lifetime bonus on Sapphire cards, including both consumer and business versions. If you’ve already received a welcome bonus for the Sapphire Preferred, you won’t be eligible to receive another, even if you close your account and reapply later.
Be under Chase’s 5/24 rule
If you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months, Chase may automatically deny your application, even if you meet every other requirement. (Note: Business cards from most issuers, including Chase, typically don’t count toward this limit.)
Meet the spending requirement
To unlock the offer, you’ll need to spend a specific amount: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Things to Remember Before You Apply
Even if you meet the basic criteria above, here are a few more details to keep in mind so you don’t get tripped up during the application process.
You Can Now Hold Multiple Sapphire Cards
Chase recently updated its policy to allow cardholders to hold more than one Sapphire-branded card, including the Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠.
However, you’re still only eligible for the welcome offer on each card once. For example:
If you have the Sapphire Preferred and apply for the Sapphire Reserve, you may be able to hold both cards, but you won’t be eligible for the Sapphire Reserve’s welcome offer unless you meet two criteria: You must not currently have any Sapphire card, and you must not have received an offer on the Sapphire Reserve before.
If you have the Sapphire Preferred and apply for the Sapphire Reserve Business, you may be eligible for the business card’s welcome offer, as long as you haven’t received an offer on the Sapphire Reserve Business before. Like the personal Sapphire cards, the business version now follows a once-per-lifetime bonus rule.
If you have both personal Sapphire cards and apply for the business version, you can have all three and still earn the offer on the business card (as long as you haven’t received it before).
If you previously had the Sapphire Preferred but closed it, you may be eligible for the Sapphire Reserve welcome offer, but only if you’ve never earned the Sapphire Reserve bonus before, and the system no longer recognizes you as a current Sapphire cardholder.
This typically requires waiting until your Sapphire account is fully closed and Chase's systems are updated, which may take a week or more.
The 48-Month Rule No Longer Applies
Chase has eliminated the 48-month restriction for Sapphire cards. In the past, you had to wait 48 months between receiving Sapphire offers, but this rule is now gone.
Instead, eligibility is simply based on whether you’ve received the specific card’s bonus in the past (a small win… I guess?).
Chase’s 5/24 Rule (Still a Thing)
The infamous 5/24 rule isn’t officially listed in Chase’s application terms, but it’s very real. If you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the last 24 months, Chase could deny your application.
Before you apply, check your credit report and count how many new accounts you’ve opened. If you’re at 4/24, you’re good to go. If you’re at 5/24 or more, you may need to wait.
What If You’ve Had a Sapphire Card Before?
If you’ve had the Sapphire Preferred in the past but never received the welcome offer, or if you only earned an offer on a different Sapphire product (like the Sapphire Reserve), you may still be eligible.
The key factor is whether you’ve earned the specific Sapphire Preferred offer before, not whether you’ve simply had the card.
💡 Pro Tip: Time your application! Chase often cycles through elevated offers on the Sapphire Preferred. Sometimes it’s 60,000 points. Sometimes 75,000. And once in a while, you might see an offer for 100,000 bonus points.
If you’re eligible and the timing aligns with a big offer, it’s worth jumping on it.
Bottom Line
The Sapphire Preferred is a favorite for a reason. It offers great travel protections, solid bonus categories, and those sweet, sweet Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Now that you can hold multiple Sapphire cards and Points Boost has increased redemption value, this card is more powerful than ever… if you’re eligible. 🙂
Make sure you haven’t received the Sapphire Preferred offer before, check your 5/24 status, and consider timing your application around a big welcome offer. If everything lines up, you could be on your way to your next trip for far less than you’d think.
