Chase just made some of the biggest (and overwhelmingly positive, with one massive exception) changes we've seen in a decade or more to one of its most popular travel rewards cards – all without hiking its $95-a-year annual fee.
Effective next Monday, June 15, the *csp* is getting several new perks and benefits, including:
- 3x points on gas stations and EV charging
- 3x points on vacation rentals
- A doubled annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit, increasing from $50 to $100 every account anniversary year
- $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS credit every four years
- A complimentary one-year Apple TV+ subscription (must be activated by Dec. 31, 2026)
- Enhanced travel protections, including new emergency evacuation and transportation coverage
- No increase to the card's annual fee, which remains $95
There's a lot to love here but that last point might be the most surprising of all. Despite adding several new benefits, Chase isn't raising the Sapphire Preferred's annual fee. Longtime cardholders and new applicants alike will continue paying the same $95 annual fee the card launched with nearly two decades ago.
Unfortunately, it's not all positive news. Coupled with this big announcement, Chase is reducing transfers to World of Hyatt to a 4:3 ratio for Sapphire Preferred cardholders – if you've got the more expensive *chase sapphire reserve*, you'll still be able to transfer points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. Chase is also eliminating the Sapphire Preferred's 10% anniversary points bonus – a confusing and often-ignored benefit and a change that leaked last month.
One thing that hasn't changed? The welcome offer … at least for now. Normally, when a bank rolls out a major card refresh like this, it pairs the changes with a bigger offer to attract new applicants. At least for now, you'll still bonus_miles_full Whether Chase sweetens that offer down the road remains to be seen.
Read on for a full breakdown of all the (mostly exciting) changes coming to the Chase Sapphire Preferred– or get caught up on our bonus episode of the podcast!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Overview
- Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full
- Earn 5x total points on travel purchased through the Chase Travel℠ portal, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit.
- New! Earn 3x points on gas and EV charging
- Earn 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services), online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), and select streaming services
- New! Earn 3x points on vacation homes at top brands, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and more
- Earn 2x points on travel purchases
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases
- Updated! Earn up to $100 Chase Travel℠ Hotel Credit every account anniversary year (doubled from $50)
- New! Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when activated by December 31, 2026 (terms apply).
- New! Get up to a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS credit every four years
- Ending soon! 10% Annual Points Bonus: Receive a 10% points bonus on your total spending during the account anniversary year – 1 point for every $10 spent.
- The 10% Anniversary bonus is being discontinued, effective immediately for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026. For cardmembers who applied prior to June 15, 2026, eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026, will continue to earn the 10% bonus, which will be awarded by January 31, 2027.
- Updated! Travel Protections: Trip Cancelation & Interruption Coverage, Baggage Delay and Lost Luggage Coverage, Primary Rental Car Insurance – now, including Emergency Evacuation and Transportation Coverage
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *csp*
New & Changing Benefits
We've long considered the Sapphire Preferred to be one of the best cards on the market for beginners and experts alike. After these updates, that case is airtight.
On the whole, these changes make the Chase Sapphire Preferred an even more compelling travel rewards card. While a few cuts sting, Chase is adding meaningful value across the board – all without increasing the card's $95 annual fee.
Chase Sapphire General Manager Laura Picciano put it this way: The changes are designed to help cardholders “earn valuable points quickly” while delivering “value well beyond the annual fee.”
For once, that kind of marketing claim might actually be true.
New Bonus Categories
A big part of what we already loved so much about the Sapphire Preferred is that it's a solid earner. With 3x on dining, online grocery orders, and streaming services, 2x on all travel, and 1x everywhere else, racking up points in a hurry is no problem at all.
And now that you can (soon) earn 3x at gas stations as well as on vacation rentals, it'll be even easier. The addition of a 3x multiplier at gas stations is a huge win, as few cards offer that kind of spending bonus.
If you're planning a road trip this summer, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more rewarding card than this.
$100 Chase Travel℠ Hotel Credit
Chase added a $50 Chase Travel hotel credit to the Sapphire Preferred back in 2021. It was a nice perk – one that countless cardholders have likely taken advantage of – but in this day and age, $50 doesn't move the needle much.
Was it a decent discount? Yes, but it's hardly enough to cover a night.
Now, you can offset the card's entire annual fee and come close to covering a full night at many hotels with this change alone. At the very least, it should be enough incentive to make sure the credit doesn't go to waste and further justify renewing the card year after year.
Existing cardholders will get access to the full $100 credit starting June 15. If you've already used your $50 credit this anniversary year, you'll have a fresh $50 to spend on hotels through Chase Travel before your card renews again. And if you haven't yet made use of it, you should see the full $100 available starting Monday.
Complimentary Apple TV+ Subscription
The Sapphire Preferred is already a great option for paying for digital streaming services like Apple TV+, thanks to its 3x point-earning in this category. But now, Chase is further upping the ante with a free year of Apple TV+. Just know, you must enroll in this benefit before Dec. 31, 2026, to take advantage.
This new benefit builds on Chase and Apple's partnership that we first saw extend to the refreshed Sapphire Reserve last summer. The pricier Sapphire card comes with complimentary subscriptions to both Apple TV+ and Apple Music (through June 22, 2027).
There's no telling if this new perk will be extended beyond the first year – but at a cost of $12.99 per month, it amounts to a nearly $156 savings for anyone who was already paying for this service outright.
$120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS Credit
Add the Sapphire Preferred to the growing list of cards that offer up to $120 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. One nice thing about the Sapphire Preferred's credit (and all other Chase cards that include it) is that it can also be used for NEXUS, which provides expedited screening when entering the U.S. or Canada.
While this perk is already available on a number of other travel cards these days, at $95 per year, the Sapphire Preferred is one of the cheapest options on the market for getting into the fast lane at airport security. The only other card that can really compete with it on price is the *capital one venture card*.
Given the Sapphire Preferred's popularity, this new credit will likely add a swell of new travelers to the TSA PreCheck® ranks – get ready for longer lines.
Enhanced Travel Protections
The Sapphire Preferred's travel protections were already best-in-class (or pretty close) – now it's even better.
Things like trip delay and cancellation protection, lost luggage reimbursement, and primary rental car coverage are the kind of benefits you never hope to use. The same could be said for the emergency evacuation and transportation protection that Chase just added.
But if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to use it, the added peace of mind that this benefit provides could be worth its weight in gold.
Read more: The 4 Best Credit Cards with Travel Insurance
10% Anniversary Bonus Ending
As much as we love the changes Chase made to the Sapphire Preferred, it's not all good news: The card's 10% anniversary bonus benefit is being discontinued.
This change is effective immediately for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026 – and effective October 1, 2026, for cardmembers who applied prior to that date. For existing cardmembers who applied prior to June 15, 2026, will continue to earn the 10% bonus on eligible purchases made through Oct. 1, 2026. All anniversary bonus points will be awarded by January 31, 2027.
As disappointing as it is to see this benefit get cut, it's hardly the end of the world. If you typically spend $25,000 per year on your Sapphire Preferred – a relatively significant sum – this means you'll earn 2,500 less points than before. With the addition of new 3x-earning on gas and EV charging, as well as vacation rentals, you should be able to make up that difference and then some.
Chase Points Get Less Valuable
The bigger hit (in my opinion) is the loss of 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt.
New Sapphire Preferred Cardmembers (on or after June 15, 2026) will only be able to transfer to Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio. If you're a longtime cardholder, or add the card to your wallet before Monday, you'll still be able to transfer at the old 1:1 ratio until Oct. 1, 2026.
Critically, this change only applies to the Sapphire Preferred and *chase ink preferred* – if you've also got the pricier Sapphire Reserve, your 1:1 transfers to Hyatt are safe … for now.
Coupled with Hyatt's recent devaluation, this change really stinks and has us rethinking whether Hyatt is still the best hotel loyalty program of all. Travelers with the Sapphire Preferred Card will now (or soon) need 33% more Chase Ultimate Rewards points if they're planning to kick them over to Hyatt for a big redemption.
Let's make this real with an example. The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme is one of the most sought-after hotels in Hyatt's portfolio. With Hyatt's new five-tiered award chart, redemptions now go for as high as 75,000 points per night.
With the new 4:3 transfer ratio, you'll soon need to transfer 100,000 Chase points to book a free night stay here. Ouch!
To be fair, not all nights price out at this new “top” tier – some are still available for as few as 45,000 points … but even still, it's a double devaluation that's going to cost you a lot more points than it did just a few weeks ago.
Unless you're willing to pay annual_fees per year for the Sapphire Reserve, Bilt points will be a far better option for World of Hyatt fans, as they still transfer 1:1 for everyone.
Bottom Line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is getting a meaningful upgrade.
Between new bonus categories, richer credits, and even stronger travel protections, Chase has added real value to an already excellent travel card – all while keeping the annual fee at just $95.
The loss of the 10% anniversary bonus and weaker Hyatt transfer ratio are undeniable drawbacks, especially for loyal Hyatt fans. But for most travelers, the positives outweigh the negatives, making the Sapphire Preferred an even stronger contender for one of the best travel rewards cards on the market.
Honestly, we're shocked … in a good way.
