💳 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Review (2026): The Best Starter Travel Card That Pays for Itself

Here’s why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® is the best beginner travel credit card in 2026 — and how its perks easily offset the $95 annual fee.

✈️ Why It’s a Must-Have for Travel Rewards

It’s beginner-friendly, packed with value, and helps you earn flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points which are some of the flexible points you can earn in the reward travel world.

💰 Sign-Up Bonus + Earning Potential

Right now you'll earn 75,000 points after meeting the minimum spend — worth $750+ in travel through Chase’s portal, but 3-4x times that by transferring the points to partners, which I'll teach you how to do.

Everyday earnings:

• 5x points on travel booked through Chase

• 3x on dining, online groceries & select streaming

• 2x on other travel

• 1x on everything else

It’s easy to rack up serious points just by living your normal life.

💎 Perks That Offset the $95 Annual Fee

Here’s how the card practically pays for itself:

• 💼 $50 Annual Hotel Credit – Use it on any hotel booked through Chase Travel each year, even in the first year.

• 🎁 10% Anniversary Points Bonus – Every year, get a 10% points boost based on what you spent the previous year.

• 🧳 Travel Protections – Trip cancellation, baggage delay, and primary rental car insurance.

• 🌍 No Foreign Transaction Fees – Save 3% on every purchase abroad.

• 🔁 1:1 Transfer Partners – Move points to Hyatt, United, Air France, and more for max value.

• 🥘 Free DashPass Membership – If you DoorDash, this perk in itself offsets the annual fee.

Between the $50 credit, the annual bonus, and the built-in protections, that $95 fee easily earns itself back, plus some — before you even redeem a single point.

🌴 Real-World Value

With 75,000 points, you could:

• Fly round-trip to Europe ✈️

• Stay 3-5 nights at a Hyatt resort (total sweet spot with these points)🏖️

• Book $750 + of flights or hotels through Chase Travel

I’ve personally used my points for luxury Hyatt stays and family trips that would’ve cost $600+ per night — for free. 😎

🔑 The Bottom Line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® remains the best travel credit card for beginners in 2026. It’s affordable, packed with valuable perks, and offers flexible points that can take you almost anywhere in the world.

💬 Apply here to get started and start earning travel rewards today.

Note: Under Chase’s current eligibility rules, you can only receive the welcome bonus on the Sapphire Preferred® once per lifetime — another reason this is a card worth keeping long term.