The Best Starter Card?

Viewed over and over as the best card to start with, the Chase Sapphire Reserve will not disappoint! This card remains a classic in the Chase Ultimate Rewards family. It s a great starting point for those staring with the point and miles hobby. But be prepared, once you start, there’s no going back!

Current offer terms

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 
• The $95 annual fee
• $50 Annual hotel credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
• No foreign transaction fees
• Primary rental car insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Trip delay/interruption insurance

Here are the earning rates:

• 5X on travel when purchased through Chase Travel℠(excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel℠Hotel Credit).
• 3X on
  • Dining
  • Eligible delivery services
  • Online grocery (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
  • Select streaming services
• 2X on other travel purchases.
• 1X on all other eligible purchases

Redeeming Your Points & Redemption “Sweet Spots”

You get 25% more value when you redeem your points for travel though Chase Travel℠. For example 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

HOWEVER, I usually recommend transferring your points to transfer partners to get a lot more than 25% more. (You can often get 200-300% more value when you transfer to partners like Hyatt!)

Combining Points in Your Household

You can combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points with one other member in your household. Sometimes you first have to call Chase to move points over and to link your accounts.

Downgrade/Upgrade Option

If you no longer want to pay the $95 after the first year, you can downgrade to one of the no-annual-fee Freedom cards and still keep the line of credit open (which will not hurt your credit score). If you downgrade your card, you will keep your Chase Ultimate Reward points but lose the ability to transfer your points to transfer partners or redeem your points through Chase Travel℠ for 25% more value. For this reason, I suggest keeping at least one Chase Sapphire Preferred open in your household!

You can also upgrade your card to a Chase Sapphire Reserve, which has a higher annual fee but more benefits.

Chase 5/24 Rule

I recommend opening a Chase Sapphire Preferred as one of your first cards because of the 5/24 rule. Chase will not approve you for any of their cards if you have opened 5 or more cards from ANY bank within 24 months.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: Final Thoughts

We typically recommend most folks to start with Chase cards because of the 5/24 rule. And of all the Chase cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card really is the best option for most of those starting off in award travel. The card and its benefits are easy to use and understand. Dining and travel are straightforward bonus categories that can benefit most travelers. For points redemptions, the Chase portal offers an easy way to redeem points, and the breadth of Chase’s travel partners offers something for everyone.

The CSP is often the starting point for the chase trifecta. Through this powerful trio of Chase cards, you can earn between 1.5x and 5x on every single purchase. This means your Chase points will accumulate much faster, allowing you to redeem for your dream trip even sooner!

Ready to get started?! Apply here and be sure to let us know where these points take you!