Tiger Brokers

How My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Saved Me $782 in an Emergency

Motley Fool
12 Apr

KEY POINTS

  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a limited-time welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points.
  • Points can be transferred 1:1 to popular travel partners like United Airlines, unlocking even more value.
  • With a generous welcome bonus, strong rewards, and flexible redemptions, it's a great value for a $95 annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) has been my beloved travel card for years, and last weekend, it really came through for me.

My husband needed to book a last-minute flight from Denver back home to Columbus. The cheapest ticket? A painful $782, with the same price on United's website and in the Chase Travel portal.

I had 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points in my account, which was worth $250 if I booked through the portal. That would've knocked the price down to $532 -- better, but still hard to stomach.

The power of 1:1 point transfers

Then I remembered one of my favorite features of the Chase Sapphire Preferred: the ability to transfer points 1:1 to travel partners like United, Southwest, and Hyatt.

I went back to the United website, switched the search to show prices in miles, and found the same flight for 30,000 United miles.

Thankfully, my husband already had 10,000 miles in his account. So I transferred my 20,000 Chase points to United, and the transfer went through instantly. Within minutes, we booked the flight for free, entirely with points (minus a small amount in taxes and fees).

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

100,000 bonus points

  • This card easily justifies the (very reasonable) annual fee with benefits that deliver real value. For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, which we estimate is worth $1,250 in Chase Travel℠ value. Plus, enjoy bonus travel and dining rewards, a $50 annual hotel credit, and 25% more value when booking through Chase Travel. With added travel protections like rental car insurance and trip reimbursement, we think this card is a game-changer for any traveler.

    Read Full Review
    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Travel rewards
    • Dining rewards
    • Flexible travel points
    • Consumer and travel protections
    • Annual fee
    • Limited-time perks
    • Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
    • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
    • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
    • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
    • Member FDIC

One smart transfer saved us $782

That flight would've cost us nearly $800 out of pocket, but instead, we paid nothing thanks to one smart points transfer.

This is why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card stays in my wallet. It's not just about collecting points. It's about what those points can actually do when you use them wisely.

Apply now for your chance to earn 100,000 bonus points and unlock major savings

Right now, Chase is offering a limited-time welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus points to new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers. To earn it, you'll need to spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.

If 20,000 points saved us hundreds on a last-minute flight, just imagine how far 100,000 bonus points could take you. With 1:1 point transfers to travel partners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred gets you the most out of your rewards.

This offer won't last forever, and opportunities like this don't come around often. Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred today, start earning points, and save big money on your next adventure.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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