

What if you catch COVID-19 the day before your flight? What if your house catches on fire while you sit on a beach in Sicily? What if - a lot of things. When you need extra assurance when traveling With that monthly expenditure and because the card does not cap spending on its streaming sites category, you could earn 9,828 points on streaming alone. And considering West Monroe’s newest report, covered by ZDNet, the average consumer spends $273 a month on subscription sites.

Fortunately, Chase accepts quite a few merchants under the streaming services category such as Apple Music, ESPN+, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify and more. In particular, the 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services) and streaming sites will bring in the most rewards. If you like to shop online, you can also go through the Chase portal and use your points towards Amazon purchases, Apple merchandise or gift cards. When you want to earn rewards while not travelingĮven if you don’t travel very often (often being multiple times a year), the card offers plenty of rewards on categories outside of travel such as 5X points on Lyft rides (through March 2025), 3X points on restaurant, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excludes Target and Walmart) and 1X points on everything else. If you find a good deal and want to book your flights or stay on a third-party site, you’ll still get 2X points on general travel. Even if your 60,000 points don’t come in time for your trip, you can use the Sapphire Preferred to book travel on the Chase portal and earn 5X points doing so.

Not to mention, the card’s other travel-related benefits and rewards will bring value while you plan your vacation. And when using your points to redeem for travel through the portal, the card boosts your points’ value by 25 percent, making each one worth 1.25 cents. This bonus alone allows the card to more than pay for itself in the first year. Nevertheless, the current bonus is still solid, worth $750 in travel rewards booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal - and potentially more if you transfer the points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners. (Previously, the Sapphire Preferred had offered a whopping 100,000 points with the same spend requirement.) Starting off, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months. When is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth it? When you’re planning a vacation soon While that’s not as high as fees charged by cards like the The Platinum Card® from American Express (now $695 per year) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s premium sister card - the Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 per year) - it’s still important to consider whether the Preferred is worth the annual fee for you. However, the card comes with a $95 annual fee, which may make those used to no-annual-fee credit cards anxious. It’s an excellent card for those beginning their journey in the world of travel credit cards, thanks to the incredible value and versatility of Chase Ultimate Rewards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular rewards credit cards in the current market.
