The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) has long been one of our favorite travel cards at TPG. For a $95 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred delivers outsize value in the form of solid benefits and valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
With its recent refresh, the Sapphire Preferred added more bonus categories. Now, its suite covers nearly every aspect of the typical spender’s everyday expenses.
The card is an excellent option for award travelers of all types, whether you’re a points and miles beginner, a family traveler or a road warrior. Here’s why it works for almost everyone.
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Broad bonus categories on the Sapphire Preferred
There are multiple bonus categories on the Sapphire Preferred, including two new additions. With the card, you’ll earn:
- 5 points per dollar spent on all Chase Travel℠ purchases*, Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027) and eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through Dec. 31, 2027): 10.3% return on spending, per TPG’s June 2026 valuations
- 3 points per dollar spent on gas† and electric vehicle charging†, vacation homes at eligible brands†‡, dining worldwide (including takeout and eligible delivery services), top streaming services, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs): 6.2% return
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel worldwide: 4.1% return
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases: 2.1% return
*Purchases include flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation homes, cruises, activities and tours
†New or updated benefit
‡Includes Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa
With the addition of gas and EV charging and vacation homes booked directly, the Sapphire Preferred has turned into a genuinely competitive everyday spending card — and an excellent candidate for a one-card setup, if simplicity is what you value.
Plus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) notably lost the 3 points per dollar bonus category on general travel in last year’s refresh. So, it’s worth considering that the mid-tier Sapphire Preferred now earns more on eligible vacation rentals than its premium counterpart.
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In the next two parts of this guide, we’ll focus on the everyday spending categories that earn 3 points per dollar spent and on how different types of spenders can make the most of them.
Related: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is more than just a starter card
How to maximize earnings with the Sapphire Preferred
The Sapphire Preferred‘s bonus categories cover many everyday purchases.
The addition of gas and EV charging is a major plus with the card’s refresh. Gas can be an overlooked category for many major travel rewards cards, since many of the best cards for gas earn cash back. And with currently high fuel prices in the U.S., there are multiple ways to turn this high cost into valuable rewards. Per TPG’s valuations, you’ll get 6.2% back on every dollar you spend on gas or EV charging.
When it comes to food, you’ll continue to earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide (including takeout and eligible delivery), with no limits. If you prefer to cook, most online grocery purchases will also earn 3 points per dollar spent.
The Sapphire Preferred’s streaming services bonus category stands out as one of the best on the market, as it’s rare for a non-cashback-earning card to offer bonus rewards on streaming services.
And for frequent travelers, the addition of a bonus category for vacation homes is a game changer. It’s an earning category we haven’t seen often on transferable rewards cards.
The Sapphire Preferred is rivaled by two other mid-tier cards with solid earning rates on everyday purchases: the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees). These cards earn Citi ThankYou points and Wells Fargo Rewards points, respectively, which come with different sets of transfer partners.
Consider familiarizing yourself with each of these programs (in addition to Chase Ultimate Rewards) before you make a decision. Overall, TPG’s June 2026 valuations peg Ultimate Rewards points higher than both Citi ThankYou and Wells Fargo Rewards points, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for all spenders.
Related: 7 Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits you might not know about
Who gets the most out of the Sapphire Preferred?
The Sapphire Preferred could easily work for a variety of spenders. Let’s break down the math with three key groups and how they can maximize their earnings with the card.
Beginners
If you want a simple, one-card setup to get your award travel journey started, the Sapphire Preferred could be a great choice.
Here’s a hypothetical chart of what a single person who’s newer to rewards cards may spend, and how much they would earn in a month and a year with the Sapphire Preferred’s 3-point-per-dollar categories:
| Category | Estimated monthly spending | Points earned per month | Value per month§ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$200 |
600 |
$12 |
|
|
$150 |
450 |
$9 |
|
|
$25 |
75 |
$2 |
|
|
$60 |
180 |
$4 |
|
|
$50 |
150 |
$3 |
|
|
$485 |
1,455 points |
$30 |
§Per TPG’s valuations
With this math, an average single spender could earn 17,460 points annually with these bonus categories alone — worth about $358 per year, or more than three times the card’s $95 annual fee.
About 17,000 Ultimate Rewards points could easily get you a one-way domestic United Airlines economy flight. For example, an economy seat from Chicago to San Francisco costs 15,000 points (plus $5.60 in taxes and fees) when transferred to MileagePlus.
Families
Let’s do the same with a family, which will naturally spend more money in certain categories than a single person:
| Category | Estimated monthly spending | Points earned per month | Value per month§ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$400 |
1,200 |
$25 |
|
|
$500 |
1,500 |
$31 |
|
|
$50 |
150 |
$3 |
|
|
$150 |
450 |
$9 |
|
|
$100 |
300 |
$6 |
|
|
$1,200 |
3,600 points |
$74 |
§Per TPG’s valuations
A family with this spending pattern could earn 43,200 points in a year, which would be about $886 in annual value. That’s more than nine times the Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee, just with this set of categories.
There’s a lot a family could do with 43,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Transferred to World of Hyatt at the new 4:3 ratio¶, that’s enough for four nights at a Category 3 property, such as the Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale Airport, where award rates start at 8,000 points per night. For families, that could help cover multiple rooms or a few extra nights before or after a cruise.
¶Effective immediately for cardholders who applied on or after June 15; effective Oct. 1 for other cardholders
Frequent travelers
Given that the Sapphire Preferred is a travel card after all, a high-spending frequent traveler who enjoys dining out and booking vacation rentals often will certainly be able to maximize these categories. Here’s a hypothetical:
| Category | Estimated monthly spending | Points earned per month | Value per month§ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$500 |
1,500 |
$31 |
|
|
$150 |
450 |
$9 |
|
|
$40 |
120 |
$2 |
|
|
$100 |
300 |
$6 |
|
|
$400 |
1,200 |
$25 |
|
|
$1,190 |
3,570 points |
$73 |
§Per TPG’s valuations
Frequent travelers with spending patterns similar to this could earn 42,840 points from these bonus categories in a year. With TPG’s valuations placing it at around $878, you’d be getting more than nine times the annual fee back.
If you top off the roughly 43,000 points you’d earn from these bonus categories with 17,000 more points (plus taxes and fees), you could unlock a business-class seat to Europe on Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
Related: How to maximize your rewards earning with the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Bottom line
The Sapphire Preferred is an excellent choice for a wide range of spenders, in part because it earns 3 points per dollar on the things people buy most. This includes the card’s newly added gas and EV charging and vacation homes categories.
For beginners, families and frequent travelers especially, this could make the Sapphire Preferred the only card you need. Its bonus categories cover a wide range of purchases, giving it high earning potential for a $95 fee that’s easy to justify.
However, the card is not ideal for spenders who prefer straightforward cash-back rewards or people who don’t travel enough to maximize Chase’s transfer partners.
Still, considering how valuable Ultimate Rewards points can be (especially when transferred to airline and hotel partners), the math speaks for itself.
To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
