I've been at the points and miles game for about 20 years, and the card I recommend over and over again to those wanting to get started in a rewards-earning lifestyle is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
It's a slam-dunk place to start; it has a reasonable annual fee under $100 and earns rewards that are easy to use, too.
You can book travel via Chase's Ultimate Rewards portal — or, even better, you can transfer the points to popular travel programs such as United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Southwest Rapid Rewards and more. This gives you many options when the time comes to cash in your points and make your dream trip a reality.
Points add up quickly, with 60,000 bonus points awarded after you get the card and spend $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. You'll also rack up points in some bonus categories, like 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel. TPG values those points at $1,200 when used with travel transfer partners.
An underrated perk these days is that the Sapphire Preferred Card will even have your back covering some unexpected eligible expenses if you use the card to pay for your trip. Then, if dreaded flight cancellations and long delays come to ruin your fun — even when it's a "weather-related" cause — your card will have you covered.
If you get the card now and work on earning that sign-up bonus, then 2024 can become the year that you take that first big rewards trip. Spoiler alert: If you already have the Sapphire Preferred, or you just want to peek ahead in the points and miles playbook, here's the card we recommend getting next. |
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