Independent · · $0 from Chase
Chase Sapphire Preferred — Is It Worth It in 2026?
60,000-point welcome bonus. 3x dining, 3x streaming, 5x portal travel. 14 transfer partners including United, Hyatt, British Airways, and Singapore KrisFlyer. The most versatile travel card under $100. No affiliate links — we earn $0 if you apply.
Welcome bonus
60k pts
After $4,000 spend in 3 months
Annual fee
$95
No fee first year on some offers
Transfer partners
14
Airlines + hotels at 1:1
Foreign transaction fee
None
Use anywhere internationally
Independent·No issuer revenue·No sponsored rankings·Rankings based on actual spend math
Who the Chase Sapphire Preferred is best for
Best for
First travel card
The most versatile entry point into transferable points. 14 partners, 3x dining, no foreign transaction fee, $95 annual fee. Nothing at this price matches the flexibility.
Best for
Hyatt + United earner
Chase UR transfers 1:1 to Hyatt (best hotel value in the industry) and United MileagePlus. CSP is the cheapest way into Chase’s transfer ecosystem.
Not ideal for
Heavy spenders
If you spend $15,000+ annually on travel and dining, the Sapphire Reserve’s 3x on all travel (vs. CSP’s 2x on travel) and $300 travel credit justify the $550 fee. See CSP vs CSR comparison.
Not ideal for
Cash back focus
If you prefer cash back over travel points, a 2% flat-rate card or the Citi Double Cash earns more predictable value with no annual fee to offset.
Earning rates
| Category | Earn rate | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Travel portal | 5x UR | Flights and hotels booked through Chase Travel. Highest earn rate on the card. |
| Dining | 3x UR | Restaurants, delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats), and bars worldwide. Broad definition. |
| Streaming services | 3x UR | Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, and most major streaming subscriptions. |
| Online grocery | 3x UR | Instacart, Amazon Fresh. Excludes Target, Walmart, and Costco. |
| Travel (non-portal) | 2x UR | Flights, hotels, rental cars, transit. Broad definition includes Airbnb and Lyft. |
| Everything else | 1x UR | All other purchases. |
Transfer partners (all 1:1)
Best value — Hotel
World of Hyatt
Avg ~1.7cpp. Park Hyatt, Andaz, Alila. Best hotel redemption value of any Chase partner. Transfer 25k UR for a $400+ night.
Best value — Domestic
United MileagePlus
22.5k for Hawaii off-peak. Star Alliance saver awards. Instant transfers. Best domestic US award program in the Chase ecosystem.
Best value — International
Air Canada Aeroplan
Surcharge-free Star Alliance awards. Business class to Europe ~75k OW. Best international redemption option in the Chase ecosystem.
Premium cabin — Asia
Singapore KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines business class (Suites) via KrisFlyer. Also books partner awards on Star Alliance carriers at competitive rates.
Europe — Avios
British Airways Avios
Distance-based pricing. Short-haul Europe from 10k Avios. Also books AA domestic flights and Iberia transatlantic awards.
Transfer bonus target
Air France Flying Blue
Periodic transfer bonuses (currently 20% through Apr 30). Monthly Promo Rewards pricing Paris business class from ~60k round trip.
Chase also partners with: Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Emirates Skywards, Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG One Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. All at 1:1 except Marriott (1:1 but Marriott points are lower value).
Active Chase UR transfer bonuses
Transfer bonuses for Chase UR currently active. Check before transferring — a 20% bonus means you need 17% fewer points for the same award.
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