Chase Sapphire Credit Cards
Perfect for Beginner Travel Hackers
Chase Sapphire — How We Use These Cards to Travel Smarter
Why We Love the Sapphire Cards
We’re big fans of Chase Sapphire because they’re flexible, reliable, and the points are ridiculously easy to use for travel. The best part? The points can either book travel directly through Chase, or transfer to a wide range of airline and hotel partners for even more value.
Quick reminder: You can only earn a Sapphire sign-up bonus once, so plan wisely.
The Cards We Use
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Annual Fee: $95
Current Welcome Bonus: 75,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months (as of September 2025)
Points Multipliers:
5× on travel purchased through Chase Travel
3× on dining (takeout, delivery, restaurants)
2× on all other travel purchases
3× on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
3× on select streaming services
Extra Perks:
10% anniversary points bonus (worth 10% of your total purchases for the year)
$50 annual hotel credit via Chase Travel
Travel protections including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, and baggage delay insurance
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Annual Fee: $795
Current Welcome Bonus: 125,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months (as of September 2025)
Points Multipliers:
8× on travel purchased through Chase Travel
4× on flights and hotels booked directly
3× on dining worldwide
10× on Peloton purchases (up to $5,000 annually) and up to $120 in statement credits toward Peloton memberships
Extra Perks:
$300 annual travel credit
Up to $500 hotel credit via The Edit (up to $250 per half of the year)
Complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club and Priority Pass lounges
$120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
Exclusive access to curated travel and dining experiences
Transferring Points — Where You Get the Best Value
Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to these partners:
Airlines (11): Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Emirates, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic
Hotels (3): Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG
Pro Tips:
Always check award availability in the partner program first.
Transfers are instant for some airlines, a few hours for others.
Watch for transfer bonuses — sometimes transferring points to a partner will give you extra points.
Use points for premium cabins or luxury hotels to get the most value.
How We Hack the Sapphire Cards
Sign-Up Bonus Timing: Apply around big spending to hit minimum spend easily. (Think Christmas, Holidays, Home Remodels, etc.)
Use Bonus Categories: Preferred for travel & dining multipliers; Reserve for high-value bookings & lounge perks.
Transfer Points Strategically: Move points to airline/hotel partners for flights, upgrades, or hotel stays where you get more value per point.
Use Credits Fully: Travel credits, hotel credits, dining credits, and lounge access help offset the annual fees.
Track and Redeem: Keep an eye on points, partner award charts, and promotional offers.
Sign Up Through Our Referral Link
If you’re thinking about getting a Sapphire card, we’d love it if you applied through our referral link!
Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 125,000 bonus points
Sapphire Preferred®: Earn 75,000 bonus points
Benefits of signing up through us:
You still get the full sign-up bonus, multipliers, and perks of the card.
We earn a small reward if you are approved, which helps us continue sharing travel tips and hacks.