Choosing the best credit card is not only good for free travel, it will literally change your life. I want to share with you why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the top dog and how I continuously use it to book free flights, hotels, and receive insane travel perks.
Whenever I meet someone who wants to travel like I do, I immediately ask about a credit card strategy. One of the reasons I can afford to travel so much is ultimately because of incredible sign-up bonuses and accumulation of purchase points!
The Jaw-dropping Sign-Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a standard sign-up bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. You can use these reward points as 50,000 miles (a free roundtrip ticket to Europe, Africa, etc. or two free roundtrip tickets in the U.S.) about a $1,200 value.
*Also, there is no fee to have the card for the first year, rock’n roll
Put all the expenses on here that you possibly can. Buy things for friends and have them pay you back just so you can hit this threshold, I have never seen a deal this good in my life!
You’ll also earn an additional 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Double Points on Dining and Travel
On the surface, this feature of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card may not sound that special, but if you read the fine print, you will see otherwise. Many cards offer bonuses for travel purchases and dining, but the real appeal of these bonuses is how wide the definitions span.
I use the Sapphire Preferred for all of my purchases; in the last 3 months, I’ve had the following purchases earn me 2x Ultimate Rewards points per each dollar spent:
- Uber
- Postmates (Food delivery app)
- Train and Bus tickets to NYC
- Street and airport parking meters
- A rental car
- Any restaurant or bar
- All my city tours in Italy, booked through a local tourism office
- Any plane tickets purchased
The Varied Redemption Options
Ultimate Rewards points are among the most flexible and valuable currencies out there. You have a variety of ways to redeem your points, including booking travel directly (points are worth 1.25 cents apiece). The big benefit of redeeming points this way for flights is that they count toward elite status.
To get the most out of your points, you need to transfer them to 1 of 10 available partners, including Singapore Airlines, Marriott and United.
When you transfer points to these partners, you’ll unlock terrific redemptions, such as free hotel rooms and upgrades, increased point transfer value, and travel perks like access to premium airport lounges. Woohoo!
Travel Benefits
In addition to earning valuable rewards for making purchases while traveling, this card has two killer perks. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers primary car rental insurance. This covers the entire loss, damage, or theft of your car rental without reporting it to your insurance company, a benefit that can save you big time in the long-term.
The second amazing money-saving benefit is the lack of foreign transaction fees on the card. This will typically save you 2.7%-3% on every purchase abroad!
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a terrific starter card but also a great product for experienced award travelers. If it isn’t currently in your wallet, definitely make it your next application.
Travel Smart. Fly for Free, Book Hotels, and Enjoy Epic Travel Perks. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of these life changing opportunities?
Apply for the Card Here -> Chase Sapphire Preferred
