The best travel hacking credit card
In 2016, we took one, four-day, three-night vacation. And that trip was completely paid for in cash (credit card). We walked over 25,000 steps a day because we were afraid of spending money on a car rental or any ride-shares. We did the same thing in 2017.
Relatively early in our careers and focused on becoming financially stable, we were also planning a wedding — which came with plenty of expenses. Travel felt like a luxury, something to be postponed until “someday” when we had more money.
That is, until we found this card.
Today, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is our favorite travel hacking credit card and the one we recommend to anyone looking for the best travel hacking credit card. It’s the card that started our points and miles journey, and it’s still one we use to this day.
How We Got Started with Travel Hacking
Knowing that travel was important to us and wanting to make the most of our spending, we began exploring the concept of travel hacking.
P2 was the first to open the Chase Sapphire Preferred, starting our journey into traveling on points and miles. He then referred me (P1) for the same card, earning a referral bonus in addition to his sign-up bonus. Within a few months, we had enough points to book our first trip on points and miles, and we’ve been hooked ever since.
That’s the power of a great first travel hacking card: it turns everyday spending into travel opportunities you might not have thought possible.
How the Chase Sapphire Preferred Earns Points
Here’s how you can start earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points with this card:
- 3x points on dining, including takeout and delivery
- 3x points on select streaming services
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2x points on travel (purchased outside the Chase Travel portal. This includes transit passes, parking fees, and websites like Viator)
- 5x points on travel purchased through the Chase Travel portal
- 5x points on Lyft rides
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost each year
- 1x points on all other purchases
These categories make it easy to rack up points just by living your normal life going out to eat, watching Netflix, booking a flight, or ordering groceries online.
Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred Is the Best First Travel Hacking Card
1. Valuable and Flexible Points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed in multiple ways:
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners (like United, Southwest, and Hyatt) for maximum value
- Book travel directly through the Chase Travel Portal at 1.25¢ per point
- Redeem for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits if you want more flexibility
You can even combine your other Chase cash back points (from no annual fee cards like the Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex) into your Sapphire Preferred account, turning them into transferable Ultimate Rewards points rather than their typical cash back. That’s an easy way to maximize your earning points potential without juggling multi points ecosystems.
2. Low Annual Fee, High Value
At $95 per year, the Sapphire Preferred delivers significant value:
- A $50 annual hotel credit when booking through Chase Travel
- A 10% points boost each account anniversary (going away in 2026)
- Access to exclusive transfer partners (like Hyatt) that no other credit card provider offers
- Monthly $10 DoorDash credit at non-restaurants ($120 for the year)
- Complimentary DashPass membership
Given the points you earn and the protections included, the fee easily pays for itself — especially in your first year.
3. Travel Protections That Actually Matter
When things don’t go according to plan, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can really come in handy:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Trip delay and baggage delay coverage
- Primary rental car insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- No foreign transaction fees
If you’ve ever had a flight canceled or baggage delayed, you know how valuable these benefits are. They make travel hacking not just more rewarding, but less stressful too.
Fortunately, we’ve never had to use the travel insurance in the 8+ years we’ve had the card. But it’s nice to have in the event of an emergency, right?
4. The Best Transfer Partners in the Game
One of the biggest reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred stands out is its incredible lineup of transfer partners. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to more than a dozen major airline and hotel programs, giving you flexibility that’s hard to beat. They also periodically have promotions throughout the year where you can capitalize on the offers. Personally, we’ve taken advantage of a 70% transfer bonus to Marriott, because that’s our favorite hotel chain and we know we’ll use those points in the future.
Airline partners:
- United MileagePlus
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- British Airways Executive Club
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Emirates Skywards
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Iberia Plus
Hotel partners:
- World of Hyatt
- Marriott Bonvoy
- IHG One Rewards
Hyatt is the key here — no other bank has Hyatt as a transfer partner, and that’s often where you’ll find some of the best value redemptions in all of travel hacking for hotels.
For example, 30,000 Hyatt points can get you a night at a luxury resort that would otherwise cost $1,000 or more, all thanks to points earned from the Sapphire Preferred. This isn’t a random example – it’s one that we personally have redeemed when we went to Kauai on points and miles.
You’ll notice Chase doesn’t transfer to Hilton Honors, a hotel chain with a significant footprint. For some people, that may be a deal-breaker. But considering we haven’t stayed at a Hilton in more than three years, it’s not a big deal for us.
Why It’s the Perfect First Travel Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred checks all the boxes for the best travel hacking credit card:
- Strong welcome bonus (often around 60,000 points after $5,000 spend in the first 3 months after opening the card. They have elevated offers (like 75,000 in fall 2025 or spring 2026) and have even offered up to 100,000 points for the sign-up bonus in the past)
- Points that are easy to earn and redeem at a variety of transfer partners that give you options, regardless of your travel preferences
- Flexible transfer partners that unlock premium redemptions
- Practical travel protections
- A low annual fee ($95) with meaningful credits
It’s a beginner-friendly credit card, but also grows with you. Once you understand how Ultimate Rewards work, you can add other Chase cards to your wallet to earn even more points across different spending categories. Or, if you’re like us, you already had some of those no-annual-fee Chase cards in your wallet and are now able to get better use out of the rewards.
How we used our first Chase Sign-Up Bonuses
As mentioned earlier in the post, P2 opened up a Chase Sapphire, earned the sign-up bonus, referred me, got the referral bonus points, and I earned the sign-up bonus too while we were paying for our wedding.
Chase does allow you to combine points with individuals that live in the same household, so all of these points went towards our joint travel fund.
What did we do with all those points? Only covered a four-country, two-week European honeymoon! We used points to fly into London, where we spent a few days, took the Chunnel to Paris, then flew to Berlin and finally Amsterdam. All of our hotels in these countries were covered by points. Our flights home from London were also covered by miles.
What didn’t we use points and miles for? Some of the inner-Europe flights – you can find very cheap flights at cash (credit card) rates. And given they were very short flights, we didn’t mind flying a budget airline.
From “We Can’t Afford Travel” to “Where Should We Go Next?”
Opening that first Chase Sapphire Preferred changed everything for us. What started as a way to save money turned into a passion for finding new places to explore — all while maximizing every dollar we spend.
We’ve since added other cards and refined our travel hacking strategy, but this one remains the cornerstone of our travel hacking setup. It’s the card that made travel feel possible, even in the middle of planning a wedding and starting our careers.
If you’re ready to start your own points and miles journey, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the perfect place to begin. It’s simple, rewarding, and designed for real travelers, whether you’re just starting out or already dreaming about your next big trip.
Fast Facts about the Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Annual Fee: $95
- Welcome Offer: ~60,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months
- Earning: Up to 5x points on travel and 3x on dining, streaming, and online groceries
- Perks: $50 hotel credit, 10% anniversary boost, travel protections, no foreign transaction fees
- Best For: Beginners who want to travel more without overspending. And really anyone who wants to travel hacking. We’ve kept this card open for over 8 years because it really is such an asset to have in our wallets for travel hacking.
Final Thoughts
Here’s the bottom line: If you’re looking for the best first travel hacking card, look no further than the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It’s the card that started our journey, and it just might be the one that starts yours too.