Intro Offer
60,000 bonus points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
1x – 5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.; 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.; 2x on all other travel purchases.; 1x on all other purchases.
$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
1% – 5% 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!; 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.; 3% cash back on dining and drugstores.; 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) -- worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
1.5% – 5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more.; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service.; 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
To ensure you’re maximizing your rewards on different purchases, you would split your spending among the cards like so:
Spending category | Best card to use | Rewards rate* |
Travel booked through Chase Travel℠ | Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited | 5x points |
Purchases that fall in the Chase Freedom Flex’s rotating bonus categories for the current quarter (past examples include Amazon, fitness clubs and Target) | Chase Freedom Flex | 5x points (up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1x) |
Dining | Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited | 3x points |
Drugstores | Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited | 3x points |
Purchases not in the above categories | Chase Freedom Unlimited | 1.5x points |
Then, pool your points onto the Chase Sapphire Preferred and take advantage of its travel partners or 25% redemption bonus when redeeming rewards for travel through the Chase Travel portal. Compared to using only one of the above cards for all your purchases, the Chase Trifecta helps you maximize your earning potential by taking full advantage of each card’s bonus categories.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel cards on the market, but it’s not that great of a card if you rarely travel.
Most of the top perks and benefits are travel-related. If you don’t use your rewards for travel, you lose out on the best features of the card -- the ability to transfer your points to airline and hotel partners, several of which are unique to Chase.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred does let you redeem your points for cash back at a 1 point to 1 cent ratio, but if you’re only interested in cash-back rewards, you’re better off with one of the Freedom cards or a cash-back card from another issuer. That way, you can get most of the same benefits and potentially better rewards without paying an annual fee.
Even if you do travel and can take advantage of the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s transfer partners, it’s not a card you should use for most of your everyday spending. The Chase Freedom cards offer equal or better earning potential on essentials like dining, groceries, gas and drugstore purchases. You can earn more rewards by using a Freedom card on day-to-day expenses, and then transfer your points to the Chase Sapphire Preferred for its travel partners.
*All information about the Chase Freedom Flex has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
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Source: cnet.com