Chase is making key changes to one of its most popular travel credit cards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will provide new and existing cardholders with some new rewards categories, an increased annual travel credit and a new TSA Precheck benefit effective June 15, 2026.
“Sapphire Preferred has always been a favorite for travelers and now we’ve made it even better, especially for those who want to earn valuable points quickly and prioritize simplicity and reliability,” said Laura Picciano, General Manager of Chase Sapphire, via press release.
And it all comes without an increase to the annual fee, which will remain $95.
Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming changes.
What Is Changing for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?
Effective June 15, 2026, the following changes will take place for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
1. New Spending Categories for Rewards Multipliers
There are two new spending categories that will earn 3x points when you use your Sapphire Preferred Card:
- 3x points on gas and EV charging
- 3x points on vacation homes at top brands, including Airbnb, Vrbo and more
These rewards join the already existing multipliers on other areas of spending with the card:
- 5x points on all Chase TravelSM purchases, including flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities and tours
- 2x points on all other travel worldwide
- 3x points on dining worldwide, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points on top streaming services
- 3x points on online grocery purchases
- 5x points on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027
- 5x total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027
- 1x points on all other purchases
2. An Increased Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
This card is now eligible for a $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit every account anniversary. That is double the $50 featured on the previous credit.
A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for hotel accommodation purchases made through Chase Travel.
Given that the card has an annual fee of $95, this increased credit offer is a great strategy to negate that moving forward.
3. New TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS Credit
Cardholders will be able to earn a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years by using the card to pay for their service of choice.
This is a big perk for travelers who are looking to save time at the airport.
And, honestly, a perk that most travel credit cards should be offering at this point. Team Clark has a list of cards that offer this benefit here.
Note from Chase fine print: “Cardmembers will be eligible to receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to the Sapphire Preferred card. Cardmembers must pay the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS with their Sapphire Preferred card. The $120 statement credit will then be automatically applied.”
4. New Complimentary Apple TV Subscription
One of the new benefits is a complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year, when activated by December 31, 2026.
This video streaming service, known for shows like “Ted Lasso” and “Severance,” costs $12.99 per month as a standalone subscription. So there’s clearly some value here if you’re a regular watcher.
Note from Chase Fine Print: “Cardmembers must activate their Apple TV subscription through the Benefits & Rewards section on Chase.com or the mobile app to link their Apple ID. Terms apply.”
5. Additions to Travel Protections
This card is already known as one of the best to provide travel protection benefits at a low annual fee.
And with this card update, cardholders will now receive Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage when they use their Sapphire card to purchase travel.
These protections join an already robust list of travel benefits:
- Auto Rental Coverage
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Travel and Emergency Assistance
6. Reduction in Hyatt Points Transfer Value
It can’t all be good news. There are a couple of changes that will make cardholders unhappy with this card refresh.
The first is a reduction of points transfer value when you try to move Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt.
Ultimate Rewards points will now transfer to World of Hyatt at a 4:3 rate instead of a 1:1 rate. So, for example, 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points would be worth 750 Hyatt points when transferred.
For Sapphire Preferred cardmembers who applied prior to June 15, 2026, this update is effective October 1, 2026. Sapphire Preferred cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026, will see the updated transfer rate in Ultimate Rewards immediately.
7. Chase Is Eliminating the Anniversary Reward for This Card
The second piece of bad news is that Chase will be eliminating its annual anniversary reward for this card.
Each account anniversary, cardholders were able to earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. That meant if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’d get 2,500 bonus points.
The 10% Anniversary Bonus will be discontinued, effective immediately, for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026.
For cardmembers who apply prior to June 15, 2026, eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026, will continue to earn a 10% bonus. All eligible bonuses earned will be awarded by January 31, 2027.
Do these changes make you more or less likely to carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in your wallet? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by Clark Howard Inc. and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see the issuer website for current information.
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