Travel rewards guide
This guide separates the card’s current terms from the decisions a traveler may need to research. It is designed to explain the moving parts without treating a product summary as a recommendation.
Facts reviewed · Review due . Issuer terms control.
$95 annual membership fee.
Chase’s pricing disclosure states the disclosure is accurate as of 2026-09-22 and warns that terms may change.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Pricing Information and Terms & Conditions (opens in a new tab)The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Program rules and redemption options may change under the agreement.
Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Foreign transaction fee: none.
This is the disclosure’s transaction-fee entry; it does not address exchange rates, merchant pricing, ATM fees or cash advances.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Pricing Information and Terms & Conditions (opens in a new tab)A fee, an earning rate and a benefit answer different questions. Separating them makes it easier to look at the ongoing cost, the actions a benefit requires and the rewards a purchase may earn.
Hypothetical only: a traveler with a $95 annual fee might use only $30 of a benefit under its terms. That comparison does not assign value to unused features, require further spending or imply that additional perks must be pursued to offset a cost.
Earning categories depend on how a transaction is routed and classified, not simply on what a purchase seems to be. The detailed terms beside each rate matter when a booking or merchant falls near a category boundary.
| Purchase category | Earning and conditions |
|---|---|
| Chase Travel earning | 5 points per $1 on purchases made using the card through Chase Travel. Only the card-paid portion earns if a booking is partly paid with points. Chase Travel means prepaid chasetravel.com or phone bookings; charges outside that route and FROSCH/Valerie Wilson/Frosch International Travel purchases do not qualify for this rate. The core clause states no dollar cap; that is not evidence that no supplemental or future cap can exist. Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Rewards Category FAQ (opens in a new tab) |
| Everyday category earning | 3 points per $1 on vacation homes at top brands; gas stations; electric-vehicle charging; restaurant dining including takeout and eligible delivery services; top streaming services; and online grocery, excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs. Merchant-code assignment controls category treatment. Vacation homes require a direct booking with listed providers; secondary cleaning fees and mixed-inventory merchants do not qualify. EV equipment/rentals and related services are excluded; mixed-use charging depends on classification. Gas merchants must specialize in automotive gasoline. Online-grocery exclusions include subscriptions/memberships, gift cards, supermarket pharmacies, Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs. Payment intermediaries or wallets may not qualify when they do not pass the category. Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Rewards Category FAQ (opens in a new tab) |
| Other travel earning | 2 points per $1 on the travel category other than qualifying Chase Travel purchases; FROSCH travel earns 2 points per $1. The generic Chase travel definition includes airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rentals, cruises, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds, listed transport and parking merchants. It excludes examples including in-flight/on-board purchases, sightseeing activities, tourist attractions, RV/boat rentals, merchants inside hotels/airports, public campgrounds, points/miles sellers and gift-card merchants. Merchant-code and payment-routing qualifications apply. Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Rewards Category FAQ (opens in a new tab) |
| Other purchase earning | All other purchases earn 1 point per $1. Returns/refunds reduce purchases. Qualifying hotel-credit purchases, balance transfers, cash advances, listed cash-like transactions, checks accessing the account, interest, unauthorized/fraudulent charges and fees, including the annual fee, do not earn points. Cash-like examples include foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gambling, person-to-person transfers and account-funding transfers. Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab) |
Hypothetical only: if two $100 flight purchases are card-paid and meet the stated conditions, one through Chase Travel earns at the 5-points-per-$1 rate and one in the other-travel category earns at 2 points per $1. The calculated results are 500 and 200 points. This flight-only example is not a 5x guarantee and does not change the separate rule that the first $100 of qualifying Chase Travel hotel purchases earns no rewards points.
A travel credit is operational as well as financial: the booking path, account status and timing can determine whether it applies. Reading those conditions before purchase is different from assuming a hotel stay will qualify.
Up to $100 in automatic statement credits for a prepaid hotel booking through Chase Travel. The benefit runs from the account open date through the first statement date after that anniversary, then through each following 12 billing cycles.
The credit must be available when the qualifying purchase is made. The first $100 of qualifying Chase Travel hotel purchases does not earn rewards points. The account must be open and not in default at fulfillment. Chase may reverse a credit for a returned, canceled or modified eligible purchase, or for account closure within 90 days after receiving it. Chase says posting should occur within three business days but can take up to four weeks.
Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Chase Sapphire offer details and terms (opens in a new tab)Earning points and choosing a redemption are separate stages. A flexible program can offer several routes, while the terms shown for a particular route determine what is available at the time of use.
Available redemption routes include cash, gift cards, travel through Chase Travel, transfers to participating frequent-travel programs, and pay-with-points products or services made available through the program or third parties. Points may be combined with other eligible Chase cards that have Ultimate Rewards.
Availability, limits and additional terms are shown before use. A redemption is final unless otherwise noted. No fixed point valuation is used in this guide.
Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Chase Ultimate Rewards (opens in a new tab)For eligible Sapphire Preferred cardmembers, Points Boost offers can make points worth up to 1.5x on selected top-booked hotels and flights with select airlines through Chase Travel.
Offers are indicated in search results and are promotional, rotating and inventory-dependent. Point requirements can change with travel dates, stay length and hotel availability; an offer can change or become unavailable. This is not a fixed point value or a promise that a particular itinerary will appear.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card product page (opens in a new tab)Browse New Points Boost Offers on Hotels and Flights Through Chase Travel (opens in a new tab)A transfer changes where points are held and which program’s rules apply. That makes transfer timing, recipient information and the receiving program’s terms central details rather than administrative afterthoughts.
Points can transfer in 1,000-point increments to a participating frequent-travel account belonging to the cardmember or to one additional household member listed as an authorized user. Transfer details must match the receiving program account. Most requests process by the next business day but may take up to seven business days. Once transferred, points cannot be refunded or canceled.
A mismatch can delay or prevent a transfer. After a transfer to an authorized user, that person is the only authorized user eligible to receive transfers through the program. A transfer fee may be charged; Chase says it will disclose any fee and amount before transfer. Participating programs and their terms can change; no partner list or transfer-ratio list is published here.
Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)How to transfer points through Chase Ultimate Rewards (opens in a new tab)Points do not expire while the account is open. If Chase closes an account for misuse, fraud, certain failures to comply with Chase agreements, inability or unwillingness to pay debts on time, or bankruptcy, points are immediately lost.
For closure for another reason, the agreement provides at least 30 days from closure to use points unless they are otherwise lost under the agreement; unused points are then lost unless law limits or prohibits that result. Do not infer automatic cash redemption. Chase says it will not reinstate lost points unless it made an error.
Chase Sapphire Preferred with Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement, RPA0444_0477 (opens in a new tab)Hypothetical only: after checking that an award use is available, a traveler may consider a 1,000-point transfer to an eligible matching account. The example assigns no economic value to those points; once transferred, they cannot be refunded or canceled, and receiving-program timing can extend to seven business days.
Protection names are only high-level labels. The underlying guide connects each benefit to payment conditions, covered circumstances, exclusions, documentation and deadlines, so a label alone cannot establish an outcome.
The current Chase product page links the BGC11599 Guide to Benefits. Its front matter says benefits are in effect as of 06/14/26; its Additional Terms says that effective 10/01/24 the guide replaces prior disclosures.
The date statements are retained as written. Do not infer that 10/01/24 is the start date of every listed benefit. Chase determines eligibility; restrictions, limitations, exclusions, documentation and time limits apply. Receipt or possession of the guide does not guarantee coverage or availability, and most travel/purchase benefits are administered by unaffiliated companies.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card product page (opens in a new tab)Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits, BGC11599 (opens in a new tab)For theft or collision-related rental-vehicle damage, the guide lists up to $60,000 worldwide for rentals up to 31 consecutive days. Initiate and complete the rental with the covered card and/or redeemable rewards, and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW. Coverage is primary where available, subject to the stated New York personal-auto-insurance exception.
It does not cover personal liability, bodily injury or others’ property. Exclusions include vehicles over $125,000 MSRP and listed vehicle types, rental-agreement violations, intoxication or illegal activity, off-road damage and car sharing. Report damage or theft as soon as reasonably possible and no later than 100 days; requested documents are due within 365 days.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits, BGC11599 (opens in a new tab)When all or part of a common-carrier fare is charged to the card and/or paid with redeemable rewards, the guide lists reimbursement for emergency essential personal items after checked baggage is delayed or misdirected more than six hours: $100 per day, up to five days.
Report the delay to the carrier. Coverage is secondary and excludes, among other things, jewelry/watches, cameras and other electronic equipment, and specified war-related loss. Notify the benefit administrator within 20 days and submit requested documents within 90 days, each subject to the guide’s reasonable-possibility language.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits, BGC11599 (opens in a new tab)When all or part of a trip is charged to the card and/or paid with redeemable rewards, the guide lists reimbursement of covered non-refundable prepaid travel expenses up to the lesser of $10,000 per covered traveler, $20,000 per trip, $40,000 per account in 12 months, or the amount charged or paid with rewards. Covered reasons include specified illness, death, severe weather, named storm, military order, jury/subpoena, residence/lodging events, quarantine, strike and qualifying terrorism events.
It is not cancel-for-any-reason coverage and is secondary. Exclusions include changes of plans or financial circumstances, defined pre-existing conditions, some pregnancy situations, border closure or disinclination due to epidemic/pandemic, supplier insolvency, war and events before booking. Trips scheduled over 60 days are not covered. Notify the benefit administrator within 20 days and submit requested documents within 90 days.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits, BGC11599 (opens in a new tab)For a qualifying card/rewards-paid common-carrier fare, reasonable additional meals, lodging, toiletries and medication may be reimbursed if a carrier delay exceeds 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, up to $500 per covered traveler per trip. The guide names equipment failure, inclement weather, strike and hijacking/skyjacking as qualifying causes.
Coverage is secondary. Notify the benefit administrator within 60 days and submit requested documents within 100 days, subject to the guide’s reasonable-possibility language.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits, BGC11599 (opens in a new tab)A useful comparison begins with the costs, travel habits, and redemption plans that inform a decision. The following questions highlight those assumptions rather than reducing them to a single conclusion.
Specialist guides can handle the next question in more depth: how travel rewards work, how transfers operate, how award travel is researched and how cash and miles can be compared. Keeping those jobs separate avoids turning one card page into a catch-all tutorial.
The annual membership fee is $95. Chase’s pricing disclosure says its information is accurate as of September 22, 2026 and that terms may change, so the current disclosure should be checked before acting.
It earns 5 points per $1 through Chase Travel, 3 points per $1 in listed everyday categories, 2 points per $1 on other qualifying travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. Channel, merchant-code, payment-routing and transaction exclusions determine whether a purchase qualifies.
The benefit is up to $100 in automatic statement credits for a prepaid hotel booking through Chase Travel during the account-anniversary cycle. The credit must be available at purchase; the first $100 of qualifying hotel purchases does not earn points, and reversal, account-status and posting conditions apply.
Current available routes include cash, gift cards, travel through Chase Travel, transfers to participating frequent-travel programs and pay-with-points products or services made available through the program or third parties. Availability, limits and terms are shown before use; no fixed point value applies across every route.
The program permits transfers in 1,000-point increments to a participating account belonging to the cardmember or one authorized-user household member. Account details must match; a fee may be disclosed before transfer; most requests process by the next business day but may take up to seven business days, and transferred points cannot be refunded or canceled.
The Chase pricing disclosure lists foreign transactions as none. That entry concerns the foreign transaction fee only, not exchange rates, merchant pricing, ATM fees or cash advances.
The Chase-linked Guide to Benefits lists Auto Rental Coverage, Baggage Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance and Trip Delay Reimbursement. Each has card/rewards payment triggers, limits, exclusions, documentation and deadlines; the guide does not guarantee a claim outcome or availability.
Points do not expire while the account is open. Chase says points are immediately lost for specified closure reasons, including misuse, fraud and bankruptcy. For closure for another reason, the agreement provides at least 30 days to use points unless they are otherwise lost; do not assume automatic cash redemption.
VERIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Current marketing/product representation; linked pricing disclosure and program agreement govern detailed fees and rewards.
VERIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. The disclosure says its information is accurate as of 2026-09-22 and that rates, fees and terms may change.
VERIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Governing program document; it says Chase may supplement the agreement and give required notices of changes.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Linked from S1. Front matter says benefits are in effect as of 06/14/26; Additional Terms says effective 10/01/24 the guide replaces prior disclosures. Eligibility and conditions remain guide-controlled.
VERIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Page contains several Sapphire products; use only the Sapphire Preferred section.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. First-party educational content corroborating S3; S3 governs transfer finality, recipient and fee conditions.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Dynamic promotional inventory; documents a feature and caveats, not a permanent rate or availability guarantee.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. High-level overview; S3 and disclosures shown before use control particular routes, availability and terms.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Transition announcement only; it is retained to prevent revival of a legacy anniversary earning claim.
QUALIFIED · Retrieved 2026-10-19. Generic Chase category FAQ; applied only with S3, which establishes the Preferred card categories.