Chase relaunches Chase Sapphire Preferred card with new perks

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has lengthy occupied a novel place within the travel rewards world. For years, it has been one of many best premium-adjacent credit cards to suggest, because of its comparatively low $95 annual charge, sturdy journey protections, priceless switch companions and broad attraction to each rookies and skilled factors lovers.

That’s what made the card so standard within the first place. It delivered most of the advantages individuals wished from a journey card with out requiring them to pay lots of of {dollars} in annual charges. But now Chase is making the most important overhaul to the Sapphire Preferred in years.

While the annual charge stays unchanged at $95, Chase is including new bonus classes, rising the annual resort credit score, introducing a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit score, and making modifications to how factors will be redeemed and transferred.

Some of those modifications are genuinely priceless. Others will matter solely to sure card holders. And one change may have an effect on the long-term worth proposition of the card, relying on how you utilize your Ultimate Rewards points.

Here’s a better have a look at what’s altering and if the refreshed Sapphire Preferred is definitely higher than earlier than.

Before diving into the new advantages, it’s price noting that Chase isn’t touching most of the options that helped make the Sapphire Preferred so standard.

The card will proceed to characteristic the next:

For many present card holders, these core advantages are the first motive they carry the card, and so they stay intact, and maybe most significantly, the annual charge will not be altering.

The most simple enhancement is the addition of two new 3x bonus classes, starting on June 15, 2026:

The gas category is especially notable as a result of gas spending has historically been an space the place the Sapphire Preferred lagged behind some competing journey rewards playing cards just like the Citi Strata Premier® Card, which earns 3x on gasoline and EV charging. For households, road trippers and commuters, incomes 3 transferable Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback at gasoline stations may symbolize a rise in annual rewards earnings.

The trip rental class additionally displays altering journey habits. Many vacationers now break up their lodging spending between conventional hotels and platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, so it’s logical to see Chase increasing rewards past typical resort bookings.

Neither class alone transforms the card, however collectively, they make the Sapphire Preferred extra aggressive as an on a regular basis spending card.

One of essentially the most helpful modifications is the rise to the annual Chase Travel resort credit score. Currently, card holders obtain an $50 annual credit score for pay as you go lodges booked on Chase Travel, however starting on June 15, 2026, that credit score will increase to $100.

Unlike many card advantages that require important effort to maximise, resort credit are typically comparatively simple to make use of for vacationers who e-book a minimum of one pay as you go resort keep per 12 months by means of Chase Travel. And assuming you’ll be able to absolutely make the most of the credit score, the rise successfully makes the Sapphire Preferred price greater than its annual charge. That’s a incredible enhancement.

The new Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credit score provides actual worth

Perhaps essentially the most stunning addition is an announcement credit score price as much as $120 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS, and it’s a profit that’s accessible as soon as each 4 years.

While the efficient annual worth quantities to solely about $30 when unfold over 4 years, the profit can nonetheless be extremely priceless for vacationers who don’t already obtain it from one other credit card.

That mentioned, many frequent vacationers already carry playing cards such because the American Express Platinum Card®, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or different premium merchandise that present comparable credit. For these shoppers, the addition might not transfer the needle a lot.

Chase can also be including a complimentary one-year Apple TV+ subscription for card holders who activate the profit by Dec. 31, 2026.

This falls into the class of “nice to have” quite than a core motive to use for the card. If you already subscribe to Apple TV+, the profit may present some incremental worth. If you don’t, it’s unlikely to affect your choice about whether or not to maintain or apply for the Sapphire Preferred.

It’s essential to notice that not like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred card holders don’t obtain a complimentary Apple Music subscription.

The most consequential replace may very well be the modifications to factors redemption and switch mechanics.

Under the present construction, card holders obtain a ten% anniversary factors bonus and factors transfers at a 1:1 ratio to all switch companions.

Under the new construction, nevertheless, the next modifications happen:

The lack of the anniversary bonus isn’t devastating. While many card holders appreciated it, the precise worth generated annually was typically pretty modest. It’s price nothing, although, that present card holders will proceed to obtain the anniversary bonus by means of Oct. 1, 2026. The Hyatt change, nevertheless, is way extra important.

For years, World of Hyatt has been arguably essentially the most priceless switch companion within the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. In truth, one of many principal causes I’ve persistently really helpful Chase factors is the power to switch them to Hyatt and unlock outsized worth on resort stays. While airline redemptions will be hit and miss, Hyatt has lengthy supplied a number of the most predictable and profitable award pricing amongst main resort applications.

That’s what makes this alteration so important. Under the present construction, 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards factors switch to 1,000 Hyatt factors. Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, Sapphire Preferred card holders will switch factors to Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio, which means 1,000 Chase factors will develop into simply 750 Hyatt factors.

Put one other means, you’ll want 33% extra Chase factors to generate the identical Hyatt steadiness, which reduces the efficient worth of your Chase factors when transferring to Hyatt.

Earlier this 12 months, I transferred 50,000 Chase factors to Hyatt to book a beachfront hotel stay in California. Under the new switch ratio from a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, that very same redemption would require roughly 67,000 Chase factors as a substitute of fifty,000 factors.

To Chase’s credit score, card holders will nonetheless be capable to switch factors to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio by means of Sept. 30, 2026. In addition, Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders will proceed to get pleasure from 1:1 Hyatt transfers after that date.

For informal card holders who primarily redeem factors by means of Chase Travel, this alteration might not matter a lot, however for vacationers who’ve spent years maximizing Ultimate Rewards by means of Hyatt, that is simply essentially the most consequential change in the complete Sapphire Preferred refresh. In some ways, Chase is giving with one hand by means of richer credit and bonus classes whereas taking away a number of the outsized worth that made Ultimate Rewards so compelling within the first place.

Travel protections have at all times been one of many Sapphire Preferred’s strongest options, particularly in contrast with playing cards charging comparable annual charges. To that finish, now Chase is including emergency evacuation and transportation protection to the card’s journey safety package deal.

Most card holders will hopefully by no means want evacuation protection, however when these advantages develop into mandatory, they are often terribly priceless. Adding one other layer of safety helps reinforce the card’s place as one of many strongest journey insurance coverage merchandise within the sub-$100 annual charge class.

For most shoppers, the reply might be sure, the new Sapphire Preferred is best than its predecessor. The enhanced resort credit score, Global Entry credit score, new bonus classes and expanded journey protections collectively present extra worth than the outgoing model of the card.

Hyatt loyalists like me, nevertheless, might come to a distinct conclusion. If a big portion of your Ultimate Rewards technique revolves round transferring factors to Hyatt, the new 4:3 switch ratio notably reduces the worth of one among Chase’s strongest redemption alternatives.

Personally, I view this refresh as a trade-off quite than a pure improve. Chase is making the Sapphire Preferred extra interesting to mainstream vacationers by including easy-to-understand credit and bonus classes. At the identical time, it’s lowering a number of the outsized worth that factors lovers have traditionally loved by means of Hyatt transfers.

For vacationers who need a well-rounded, easy-to-use rewards card with a modest annual charge, the Sapphire Preferred stays compelling, however for these of us who’ve lengthy considered Hyatt because the crown jewel of the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the modifications are a reminder that even essentially the most priceless candy spots don’t final ceaselessly.

The refreshed Chase Sapphire Preferred retains its $95 annual charge whereas including a bigger resort credit score, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit score, new bonus classes and enhanced journey protections.

On paper, most card holders will come out forward. The one exception is Hyatt loyalists. Moving Hyatt transfers from 1:1 to 4:3 represents a devaluation and will considerably alter the best way many factors lovers select to redeem Ultimate Rewards factors going ahead.

Whether this refresh seems like an improve or a downgrade will probably rely upon one easy query: How typically do you switch factors to Hyatt?

According to NCS Underscored’s credit card methodology, we consider playing cards based mostly on a wide range of elements, gauging their utility for real-world customers, not simply card specialists. The principal elements we take into account are the next:

NCS Underscored’s group of knowledgeable editors and contributors rigorously opinions bank cards, journey rewards and loyalty applications to assist readers navigate modifications and make knowledgeable monetary choices. Our knowledgeable suggestions are grounded in real-world worth, not hype, and backed by thorough evaluation, knowledgeable perception and a dedication to readability and transparency.

For this text, NCS Underscored journey product editor and credit score card knowledgeable Kyle Olsen outlined and evaluated the most recent modifications to the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit score card that will help you decide if it’s nonetheless best for you.