Our favorite cards have been updated for ways to earn even MORE Ultimate Reward Points than previously, as well as giving some extra perks for cash back. As of August 16th, these new benefits are in place for NEW and EXISTING card members. The best part is the annual fees are staying the same. Let’s dig into the new changes!
Who can Qualify?
Before I jump into the new changes, let’s quickly go over who can qualify for the Chase Sapphire cards:
- If you are NOT currently a Sapphire cardholder
- Have NOT received a Sapphire card bonus in the last 48 months
- Have NOT opened more than 5 cards in the last 24 months
If you meet the above qualifications, do not delay getting this card. For more ideas on what you can use the points for, you can check out 11 ways to use 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Starting with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. This card gives you the best bang for your buck. If you don’t currently hold a sapphire product, this is THE card to get RIGHT NOW before this amazing bonus goes away. It has a lower annual fee ($95) and you can see the current rewards bonus below.
Now you can also get a $50 hotel credit annually when you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal, as well as:
- 5x Ultimate Reward Points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal
- 3x Ultimate Reward Points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excludes Target, Walmart, and Wholesale Clubs, as well as in-store grocery purchases)
- 2x on all other travel purchases outside of the Chase Travel Portal
- 1x on all other spending
10% Anniversary Points
Now new Sapphire Preferred cardmembers can also earn an annual 10% point bonus. This will be 10% of the total purchases made for the previous year. So if you spent $30,000 in a calendar year, you would earn an additional bonus of 3,000 points. Its not a ton but I’ll take any extra points I can get for doing nothing more than swiping that card wherever I go.
Updated Design
Chase also gave the Sapphire Preferred card a sleek but simple makeover. This is available to new and existing cardmembers as well. I think it is nice to differentiate the card from the Chase Sapphire Reserve as they currently did not look very different.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Now if you travel more than maybe 4 times a year, you might want to take a closer look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This is the premium version of the Sapphire products, but, it does not have as high of a welcome offer as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. For the same $4,000 spend, you earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points. This card also comes with a hefty $550 annual fee. However, there ARE some other benefits to the Sapphire Reserve, such as the annual travel credit, lounge access, and TSA PreCheck/Global Entry reimbursements. So lets talk about the changes.
- 10x on dining purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal when you order takeout, make a prepaid restaurant reservations or join virtual cooking events
- 10x Ultimate Reward points on hotel and rental cars reserved throug the Chase Travel Portal
- 5x Ultimate Reward points on airfare booked through the Chase Travel Portal
- Chase Sapphire LoungeSM by The Club- New Airport Lounge access coming soon
Basic Review
If you are new here, we highly recommend starting with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for the Ultimate Rewards Points. You can always upgrade to the Reserve after a year if you want some of the other benefits. This card is seriously our favorite travel card that we’ve both held over the last 4-5 years. You do not want to miss out. If you are still contemplating, check out the Preferred vs Reserve overview here!
