Travel Hacking
Chase Sapphire Preferred
There are several important benefits you should make requirements when selecting your primary travel credit card of choice. Earning travel points will only be one of many perks to evaluate before applying, At the conclusion of this article there will be a bonus travel hack tip use in conjunction with this Chase card.
New Cardmember Bonus
60,000 bonus point after $4,000 in purchases the first 3 months
Must Haves Included In Chase Sapphire Preferred
No foreign transactions fees.
If you plan to do any international travel you must have a card with no transaction fees. The foreign fees can add up incredibly quick and be quiet devastating to unaware consumers.
Ease and fair use travel points.
A comprehensive rewards portal along with several travel partners that allow point transfers. Sadly there are some Credit Card reward portals that have inflated the rate of hotel reservations, car rentals, airline ticket prices, ie; while not allowing 1:1 point transfers to frequent flyer partners.
Protections and coverages.
Vacations should be durations of time to take a break from work and stress; however, unfortunate events can arise. The Chase Sapphire Preferred includes: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Baggage Delay Insurance, Travel and Emergency Assistance Services. The card also provides new purchase protection and warranties.
Reasonable Annual Renewal Fee.
Some reward cards have a renewal fee of over $500 and if the benefits each year can offset the fee then it might be worth it. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a rate of $95 per year and is easily offset with rewards and a high earning points system.
Pros
Earnings rate structure:
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Earn 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 2x on other travel purchases.
- Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
- Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
- Earn 3x points on select streaming services.
- Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Value with Ultimate Rewards
Get 25% more value when redeemed for travel. For example 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
My Chase Plan
Eligible cardmembers can break up card purchases of $100 or more into fixed monthly payments with My Chase Plan. No interest, just a fixed monthly fee.
Cons
- No access to airport lounges.
- No statement credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Bonus Travel Hack Tip
The Chase Freedom Flex card earns 5% cash back in categories that change every three months. You have to “activate” the categories each time in order to qualify for the 5% rewards rate, and you earn the 5% only on the first $1,500 spent in the category per quarter. The bonus points earned in the rotational period can transfer to your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card account and be used to book and pay for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal where points are worth 25% more.
