ToolsCard ScoresChase Sapphire Preferred
Every Chase Sapphire Preferred credit — and what each is really worth
MoneyRoom Card Score
8.9/ 10
For most people who eat out or buy groceries online, yes. At typical use the credits alone cover the $95 fee, and what it earns rates near the top of our scale.
Data: MoneyRoom card catalog (details pending verification are flagged) · scores update daily · catalog data as of 2026-10-26 (source: creditcards.chase.com) · How we verify
The Sapphire Preferred scores 8.9/10 because it does two things well. Its bonus categories are things you already buy: dining, online groceries and gas. And we count its points as worth 1.35¢ each, so a typical year of spending earns about 2.9% back. On top of that, the credits and memberships are worth about $366 a year at typical use, against the $95 fee.
What keeps the score from perfect is upkeep. The hotel credit only counts when you book through Chase Travel. The DoorDash promo needs enrollment and resets every month, so if you don't keep up, you lose part of it. The list below shows how much.
Credits vs. fee
The $95 fee vs what you get back.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred lists $526 in yearly credits and benefits at face value (their full amounts). Using our published assumptions, we estimate a typical cardholder gets back about $366. Typical value applies our published discounts for what makes credits easy to miss: deadlines, limits on where you can use them, enrollment (switching a credit on once), and waiting to be paid back.
| Credit / benefit | Resets | Face value / yr | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 annual Chase Travel hotel creditHotel · via Chase Travel | Yearly · cardmember year | $100 | $81 |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS creditTravel | Every 4 years | $30 | $27 |
| DoorDash non-restaurant promoDining/grocery · enrollment required | MonthlyEnrollment required | $120 | $59 |
| Complimentary DashPass (12 months)Partner benefit · enrollment required | Yearly | $120 | $87 |
| Complimentary Apple TV+ (one year)Partner benefit · enrollment required | Yearly | $156 | $113 |
| Yearly total | $526 | $366 | |
After the fee, at face value:+$431 / yr
After the fee, at typical use:+$271 / yr
The fine print that matters
Why is typical value less than face value?
Three things make the typical value lower than the full amount. The hotel credit only works through Chase Travel, so people who book on a hotel's own site tend to skip it. The DoorDash promo is use-it-or-lose-it every month, after you enroll. And the Global Entry credit comes once every four years, so the list counts a quarter of it each year instead of pretending you get it yearly.
The two memberships, DashPass and Apple TV+, are worth something, but only for a limited time. Each needs to be switched on once, and each is only worth its full price if you'd pay for it anyway.
$100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit — $81 typical of $100 face
Hotel · via Chase Travel
- Resets yearly × 0.95
- Only works at certain places × 0.85
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS credit — $27 typical of $30 face
Travel
- Comes every 4 years (counted per year) × 0.95
- Paid back after you spend × 0.95
DoorDash non-restaurant promo — $59 typical of $120 face
Dining/grocery · enrollment required
- Resets monthly × 0.65
- Only works at certain places × 0.80
- Enrollment required × 0.95
Earning
What does everyday spending actually earn?
Rewards come as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which we value at 1.35¢ per point (a middle-of-the-range value). On our published mix of everyday spending, that works out to 2.9% back.
| Category | Rate | After spending caps | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 3× | 3.00× | |
| Groceries | 3× | 3.00× | |
| Gas | 3× | 3.00× | |
| Flights booked direct | 2× | 2.00× | |
| Hotels booked direct | 2× | 2.00× | |
| Everything else | 1× | 1.00× |
Not in the score
What does the score leave out?
- The welcome bonus. Never scored, on any card. The score measures what a card is worth from year two on, not the sign-up bonus.
- Moving points to airlines and hotels. The score counts each point as 1.35¢. Moving points to an airline or hotel program can be worth more, but that depends on you, so we don't count it.
- The anniversary points bonus — discontinued. Chase is ending it. If you apply on or after June 15, 2026, you won't get it. Current cardholders earn it only on purchases through October 1, 2026, paid out by January 31, 2027. It was never part of the score, and a new applicant shouldn't count on it.
- Travel insurance. Rental car damage coverage that pays before your own insurance, trip cancellation and delay, baggage delay, purchase protection and extended warranty. What insurance is worth depends on your luck, so it's listed, never scored.
Listed on the card, never priced:
- Ultimate Rewards transfer partners: 1:1, World of Hyatt 4:3
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Baggage delay insurance
- Purchase protection
- Emergency evacuation and transportation (up to $100,000, trips 100+ miles from home)
- Extended warranty protection
Your own numbers
See if it pays for itself for you.
The score assumes a typical cardholder. The free Annual Fee Calculator loads this card's real credits and fee and lets you enter what you'd actually use — no account needed.
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Questions
Common questions before you apply.
What does the Chase Sapphire Preferred score?
8.9 out of 10: value 10.0, effort 6.5, earning 9.7. The methodology page shows how each part is worked out, and every number updates from our card data, with a flag where a detail is pending final verification.
Do the credits cover the annual fee?
At typical use, yes. We estimate $366 a year against the $95 fee, before you count the points you earn.
What earns bonus points on this card?
Dining, online groceries, select streaming and gas earn 3× points. Travel booked outside Chase earns 2×. Everything else earns the base rate. Across a typical year of spending, that works out to about 2.9% back.
Who shouldn't get the Sapphire Preferred?
Someone who won't book a hotel through Chase Travel or keep up with a monthly promo. Without those credits, the card has to win on earning alone, and a no-fee card that pays the same cash back on everything is simpler.
When do the Chase Sapphire Preferred credits reset?
Each credit has its own schedule: 1 credit resets monthly, 1 credit resets once a year, 1 credit resets every four years. 1 of them runs on your cardmember anniversary instead of the calendar, so the deadline depends on the date you opened the card. Four-year credits count from when you last used them, not January 1; check when you last used yours and the issuer's terms. Unused amounts don't roll over. See every card's reset calendar.