Chase Sapphire Preferred + LIMITED TIME ELEVATED Offer
Updated November 14, 2024
To understand why I am so passionate about this hobby, I always like to go back to my definition of travel hacking/award travel: it’s simply traveling for cheaper, better and/or more often and credit cards are the NUMBER one way to be able to do this.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) card is hard to beat as your first card/step. And now is the time as there is a current (but LIMITED TIME) ELEVATED offer with a sign up bonus (SUB) of 60,000 points AND $300 in ChaseTravel Credit!
In case you don’t read my other posts on this subject, I must stress to please only consider if you can pay off the credit card IN FULL every month because no reward amount can justify interest charges! Curious about credit: read this.
And so why are credit cards my favorite travel hack? You put your everyday spend on a rewards credit card and earn points that you will be able to use for hotel rooms and/or flights for free or very low cost travel! When you start to maximize the spend with sign up bonuses for new cards, then you are really making your money work for you (read this for more info on SUBs and this for how to meet spending requirements)
And why the Chase Sapphire Preferred card as your starter card?
In order to transfer to Chase travel partners, you must have either a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred card and this card is the perfect starting point for most people with the $95 annual fee and lower minimum spend requirement and the elevated offer PAYS YOU to have this card for THREE YEARS =)
Flexibility is the name of the game with award travel and this card allows you to earn Ultimate Reward Points that can be transferred to Chase travel award partners as opposed to having a co-branded card (one that is tied to a specific airline or hotel).
Why is this important? You could transfer to Chase’s airline or hotel loyalty programs partners so those points from your Sapphire Preferred SUB could be worth a nearly FREE business class on Singapore Airlines. There’s also many times when Chase will offer a % bonus on transfers so the rate might be 1:1.25 or even 1:1.5 so your points will go even further!
With this card, you earn 5x on Chase Travel purchases, 3x points on dining, streaming services, online groceries and 2x TRAVEL and 1x for all other spending.
Travel and Purchase Benefits: It’s pretty amazing what the CSP offers for its $95 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees (these can range from 1-3% which really adds up when you are traveling internationally)
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Baggage Delay Insurance, Trip Delay Reimbursement & Travel and Emergency Assistance Services,
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
- Purchase Protection & Extended Warranty Protection
The more I have looked into these insurance, the more I have been impressed that it’s so high caliber (car rental insurance is primary/travel insurance’s definition of family is wide ranging) for a $95 AF card!!
Beautiful tip: Depending on the location and the activities that you will be doing, you may want to consider purchasing a standalone travel insurance policy since being injured or needing medical evacuation IS NOT covered and can be very costly. I personally have stand alone yearly travel and international medical policie.
For $95 per year, you also receive a Visa Signature card (why there are so many travel and purchase protections) with an additional benefit when you book stays through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. You get elite-ish benefits such as
- Automatic room upgrades upon arrival, subject to availability
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, when available
- Complimentary breakfast for two
- A $25 food or beverage credit
- VIP guest status
- Late checkout upon request, when available
So if you have not been loyal to a hotel chain this card and these benefits offer an exceptional deal at brands like the Peninsula, Park Hyatt and Shangri-La. Some of these perks you would have to be at one of the upper elite levels in a reward program to get such as the breakfast option or room upgrade. It is important to note that there is a fairly limited number of hotels listed AND this is considered a non-direct channel so if you are pursuing elite status, you would want to book through the hotel’s website/app!
Want to learn the basics of travel hacking: read this
Chase Travel $300 credit: this one pains me a bit. I am not normally a fan of booking travel through a travel portal as it adds a third party to your booking and can add in headaches instead of benefits. But you should definitely book $300 worth of travel through the portal to be reimbursed that amount back as this would essentially pay the annual fee of the card for THREE YEARS but I would limit this to only $300 personally. And remember that for hotels, any nights not booked directly are not eligible for elite night credit and benefits. To minimize the potential issues, it would be best to book a boutique hotel or lodging that you wouldn’t earn points with and verify with the property that the reservation was made.
Interested? Support me by using my referral link when applying for the CSP!
NEED HELP?
- I offer free mini consult sessions if you want to learn more!
- I also have coaching packages to help you learn how to or maximize your points and miles earning INCLUDING some additional ways to meet MSR!
PS I’ll continue to sweeten the deal if you’re approved using one of my referral links, I’ll throw in some baked goodies (beautiful tip: I won’t know unless you tell me if you have been approved for a card!)
Because life should be beautiful and delicious – Rosemary
Who else loves their Chase Sapphire card?
