Chase Sapphire credit cards have proven themselves to be among the best travel cards year after year, and 2017 is no exception. FrugalTravelGuy has chosen Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve as the best rewards credit cards for beginners and more frequent travelers, respectively.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred is a perfect starter card that familiarizes frugal travelers with the Ultimate Rewards program and lets them dip their toes into the world of heavily subsidized travel. I recommend this card to anybody who comes to me with a question, “I want to travel like you. What’s the best rewards card for me?” Easy peasy.
What is the Annual Fee?
$95 (waived for the first year) and $0 for authorized users
How Much is the Sign-Up Bonus Worth?
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers new customers 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points for spending $4,000 in the first three months of opening an account. These points are worth $500 when redeemed for cash back or $625 when redeemed toward airfare, hotel rooms or activities via Chase’s Travel Portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. Don’t forget to add an authorized user for another 5,000 bonus points.
What are the Bonus Earning Categories?
The card earns 2X points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Travel includes airfare, hotels, Airbnb rentals, train and ferry tickets and Uber/Lyft rides, among other things. Dining includes fast food joints, fancy restaurants and everything in between.
Does the Card Offer Any Other Benefits?
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers waived foreign transaction fees, primary collision insurance coverage on rental vehicles, baggage delay insurance for delays longer than six hours, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay reimbursement for delays longer than 12 hours, purchase/price/return protection as well as extended warranty protection on merchandise.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Once you have learned how lucrative the Ultimate Rewards program is and graduated from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, I recommend moving on to the more advanced Chase Sapphire Reserve Card that opens up even more possibilities when it comes to cheap trips.
What is the Annual Fee?
$450 (applies to the first statement) and $75 for authorized users
How Much is the Sign-Up Bonus Worth?
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers new customers 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points for spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. These points are worth $500 when redeemed for cash back or $750 when redeemed toward all things travel via Chase’s Travel Portal at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.
What are the Bonus Earning Categories?
The card earns 3X points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1X point per dollar spent on everything else. Travel and dining are categorized the same as mentioned earlier. The points couldn’t add up any quicker!
Does the Card Offer Any Other Benefits?
In addition to the benefits that Chase Sapphire Preferred Card already provides, Chase Sapphire Reserve offers cardholders a $300 credit that is automatically applied toward travel purchases once per calendar year, which effectively reduces the annual fee to $150. Additionally, the card offers a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application reimbursement (up to $100 every five years), Priority Pass Select Membership that allows access to hundreds of airport lounges worldwide and access to Visa Infinite Concierge.
What Else Can I Do with Ultimate Rewards Points?
I haven’t even mentioned my favorite feature—travel partners! Both cards earn Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred to multiple partners for the best redemption values. These partners include Air France/KLM, British Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and The Ritz Carlton.
What I love about Ultimate Rewards is that points are flexible and can be transferred to either of these programs at a 1-1 ratio or be redeemed through the travel portal. Take your pick! Multiple options mean the risk of devaluation is lower than with a co-branded hotel or airline card, and you can feel safer accruing points toward future travel.
Bottom Line
I can go on and on about why Sapphire cards keep taking the top spot for the best all-around travel rewards credit cards every year, but I’ll let you go because I have Ultimate Rewards burning a hole in my wallet! If you haven’t applied for five or more credit cards in the last two years, I recommend getting either of these cards to help you take an awesome vacation for less money.
What rewards card would you vote for as the best travel card?
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com