The Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to represent a solid value proposition for a wide swath of the public. So long as you're using the card frequently enough to get more than $95 in value from the rewards earned and benefits utilized, this card is definitely worth the annual cost.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent card for travelers in general. It even has a few travel perks, such as primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and lost luggage insurance.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is right for you if:
It's loaded with great travel perks, includes a hotel credit and anniversary points bonus, and offers high earning rates in a few new categories.
With a $95 annual fee, it ranks as one of the best credit cards with annual fees under $100. New cardholders signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred can earn a 60,000-point welcome bonus after they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card isn't a credit card for everyone — you'll need to have good to excellent credit to have a chance at getting approved. We recommend having a FICO score of at least 690 before applying for this card. If you need to wait a bit and work on your credit, it's a good idea to do that.
Common reasons why applications for Chase Sapphire Reserve get denied include having a less-than-excellent credit (a credit score below 750) and not earning enough income to keep up with monthly payments. ... If you think the stated reasons are inaccurate, you can call the Chase reconsideration line at (888) 609-7805.
If declined due to too many recent inquiries
If you applied for multiple loans or credit cards within a short period of time, Chase may decline your application. They are scared you are desperate for funds and are therefore applying for new loans or credit cards every second day.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card may have enticing rewards and benefits, but this is not a credit card you want to carry a balance on. It doesn't offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, so you'll pay interest on any balance you carry.
If you want to try for a fee waiver or reduction, you can call the number on the back of your card or the general Chase customer service line: 1-800-432-3117. According to people who've had luck with fee waivers on other credit cards, having a high income and spending a lot can help.
Chase Freedom Unlimited is better for everyday use and intro APRs. But Chase Sapphire Preferred is the clear choice for travel rewards and a big initial bonus. Sapphire Preferred also has a $0 foreign transaction fee, while Freedom Unlimited charges 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
What are 60,000 Chase points worth? The Chase Sapphire Reserve's 60,000-point bonus can be worth up to $900 when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or as a statement credit with the Pay Yourself Back feature, since point redemptions are worth 50% more this way.
Chase's Pay Yourself Back allows cardholders to use their Chase Ultimate Rewards points towards other, nontraditional expenses in categories that occasionally change. Through March 31, 2022, you can use points to cover purchases at Airbnb, Away Luggage, and on dining (only for Sapphire Reserve cardholders).
Chase Sapphire Preferred does not provide complimentary access to airport lounges/clubs. The higher-tier Sapphire Reserve does offer free access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. You'll just have to pay the card's $550 annual fee in order to take advantage of this benefit.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Highest reported credit limit: $500,000, according to Quora (although a $50,000 limit seems more likely). As a Visa Signature card, the minimum credit limit this card should offer is reportedly $5,000.
50,000 points are worth $750 toward eligible food.
What purchases does Pay Yourself Back qualify on? With Chase Sapphire cards, Pay Yourself Back works for purchases at grocery stores, dining, home improvement stores, to fund vaccine rides with Lyft, and to donate to eligible charities. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can also apply the balance to their annual fee.
Call your credit card issuer to cancel your card. Be prepared that you may be given a counter-offer to keep the card open. If you're sure you want to close, say no and continue with the process. You'll want to confirm that you don't have an existing balance on the card.
To complete the process of downgrading, simply call the phone number on the back of your Sapphire card and ask Chase to switch you to either the Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Unlimited. As long as your account has been open for at least 12 months, you should have no problem.
Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth an extra 25% for travel when you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, 100,000 points will be worth $1,250 to put toward flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and other travel experiences when you book them through the Chase portal.
Lounge access and other top-tier benefits
The card also offers up to a $100 reimbursement every four years for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, which can let you sail through customs or security lines on your next trip. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card lacks these travel perks.
Applying for a credit card and being denied can be frustrating—especially if you're worried it might impact your credit scores. ... Instead, applying may lower your credit scores—usually by just a few points, according to credit-scoring company FICO®—because applying for a credit card will trigger a hard inquiry.
Through March 2022, Chase extended its Pay Yourself Back feature on the Sapphire Preferred, so you can redeem points for Airbnb and Away purchases for the same boosted 1.25 cents per point as travel. And, of course, even the new 60,000-point welcome bonus can be a great value.
Will a credit card company verify your income? Although a credit card company could ask you to provide income verification, this almost never happens. Instead, they'll take your word for it and use your reported income.
What is the 5/24 rule? Many card issuers have criteria for who can qualify for new accounts, but Chase is perhaps the most strict. Chase's 5/24 rule means that you can't be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.
Six or more inquiries are considered too many and can seriously impact your credit score. If you have multiple inquiries on your credit report, some may be unauthorized and can be disputed. The fastest way to identify and dispute these errors (& boost your score) is with help from a credit expert like Credit Glory.