Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: Still the Best Starter Travel Card?

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card continues to be one of the best travel credit cards for beginners—and in 2025, it’s still holding strong. With an elevated 75,000-point welcome offer, a modest $95 annual fee, and access to Chase’s powerful Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem, this is often the first serious points-earning card I recommend for travelers who are just getting started.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, this may be the time to apply—especially if you’re looking to book flights or hotels using points this year.

Why This Is the Best Starter Card for Free Travel

Current Welcome Offer: 75,000 Ultimate Rewards® points after $5,000 spend in 3 months
Annual Fee: $95
Earning Rates:
- 5X on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3X on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Walmart/Target)
- 2X on all other travel
- 1X on everything else
$50 Annual Hotel Credit through Chase Travel
1.25x Redemption Value in the Chase Travel portal
Transfer Partners include Hyatt, United, Southwest, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, and more

Why This Card is a Staple for Free Travel

This card is essential for anyone interested in entering the world of award travel and using their everyday spending and expenses to earn points and miles for free travel. I also recommend starting with this card because its points are flexible; you can transfer them to various airline and hotel partners to maximize their value, making it easier to book flights and accommodations without spending a lot of money. Check out our recent post on flexible point-earning cards versus co-branded cards here.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Eligibility in 2025:

Subject to Chase 5/24 rule — must have opened fewer than 5 personal credit cards in the last 24 months
You cannot hold another Sapphire card (like the Reserve) or have received a bonus on one in the last 48 months
Use Chase’s pop-up eligibility checker when applying—it will tell you upfront if you qualify for the bonus

This offer won’t last long—don’t miss your chance to earn 75K points – apply here and start booking FREE travel today!

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