It is simple to resolve you need to have the ability to journey for much less, however it’s laborious to know the place to start out.
Whereas now we have a information to getting began with factors and miles and even a complete Points101 free e mail collection designed to get you going with rewards incomes and burning and encourage you to dive in there if you wish to, simply getting began does not should be all that difficult.
The overwhelming majority of the time, my primary suggestion for these trying to delve into incomes factors and miles is to first get the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs). It is not an accident that it has received the Greatest Journey Rewards Credit score Card for the seventh 12 months in a row … it is that constantly nice.
Highest-ever provide: Earn 100,000 bonus factors with the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
The Sapphire Most well-liked has been round for over 15 years, however that does not imply it’s stale. In truth, it means it is a basic that has stayed with the occasions because it was launched in 2009. However on this case, it is robust to high this basic when beginning within the rewards bank card panorama.
So whether or not you are in search of which rewards bank card to start out with — or which card to get subsequent — listed here are 5 the explanation why the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked remains to be my most steadily really helpful card.
Restricted-time highest welcome bonus in years
The sign-up bonus for the Sapphire Most well-liked varies over time, however proper now, it is the best provide now we have seen since 2021: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s April 2025 valuations peg the welcome bonus at $2,050. It’s based mostly on maximizing factors with Chase’s resort and airline switch companions.
Studying to maximize your Chase Final Rewards factors with switch companions — resembling Hyatt and United — takes a little analysis. Nonetheless, it’s definitely worth the myriad advantages you will reap when you begin utilizing switch companions with precious Final Rewards factors.
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In case you use the factors instantly for journey booked by way of Chase Journey℠, you will nonetheless get 1.25 cents in worth per level. Although that mounted valuation is available in decrease than in the event you maximize your factors with companions, that is an excellent sign-up bonus that requires little effort to make the most of.
Excellent switch companions that stretch your factors
When you get the grasp of it, the lineup of switch companions out there with the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked is stellar.
These switch companions are:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Govt Membership
- Emirates Skywards
- IHG One Rewards
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Southwest Speedy Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
- World of Hyatt
Not like different card packages, Chase Final Rewards factors can switch to those companions at a 1:1 ratio (or larger, with occasional switch bonuses).
Which means 100,000 Chase Final Rewards factors may turn out to be the equal of 100,000 United MileagePlus miles, Aeroplan miles, World of Hyatt factors and the record goes on. In the long run, your factors are extra helpful than they’d be in the event that they had been locked into incomes and redeeming with one loyalty program.
A number of switch companions — resembling United, Southwest and Hyatt — are comparatively distinctive to Chase, so the lineup cannot be simply replicated with most different bank card packages.
To provide an instance of why this issues, it could price $800 or extra to remain at a resort just like the Hyatt Regency Maui in the event you had been paying with money (which, at $800, can be 64,000 factors if redeemed on the mounted 1.25 cents every choice).
Nevertheless, you may switch your Chase factors to the World of Hyatt and e book that very same resort from simply 21,000 factors per evening through Hyatt’s award chart. When in comparison with an $800 fee, that will be virtually 4 cents per level — rather more than in the event you used them on the mounted fee through Chase Journey.
Individuals newer to journey rewards are sometimes extra snug beginning with U.S.-based loyalty packages than some worldwide choices, the place you may leverage accomplice bookings typically in a neater means. Fortunately, Chase has a variety of these so that you can begin with, just like the World of Hyatt.
Low annual charge with added perks
Premium journey rewards playing cards resembling The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and the Sapphire Most well-liked’s luxurious counterpart, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs), have changed the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked’s slot in my very own pockets. Nevertheless, I journey a number of occasions monthly and have been on the factors and miles recreation for a extremely very long time.
Even when these playing cards are price it — and they are often — it is uncommon for a factors and miles newcomer to start out with a card that comes with a $695 annual charge (see charges and costs) for the Amex Platinum) or $550 for the Sapphire Reserve.
Testing the rewards bank card waters with a card just like the Sapphire Most well-liked could be a a lot simpler place to start out. With only a $95 annual charge, making an attempt out a brand new card for no less than a 12 months is a minimal funding — particularly whereas the welcome bonus is so excessive.
Some perks can partially offset the annual charge, even on an ongoing foundation. For instance, you may get pleasure from a $50 annual resort credit score for stays booked by way of Chase Journey, and you may additionally obtain 10% of your factors again annually (based mostly in your card spending).
Associated: The 8 finest bank cards with annual charges beneath $100
Good incomes charges that may enhance with time
The Sapphire Most well-liked does not have the best incomes charges on the market, nevertheless it nonetheless presents a stable return on many purchases:
- 5 factors per greenback on journey booked by way of Chase Journey
- 5 factors per greenback on Lyft rides (by way of Sept. 30, 2027)
- 3 factors per greenback on eating
- 3 factors per greenback on choose streaming companies
- 3 factors per greenback on on-line grocery retailer purchases (excludes Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment)
- 2 factors per greenback on all journey not booked by way of Chase Journey
- 1 level per greenback on every little thing else
These classes are fairly broad, and journey consists of every little thing from airplane tickets and motels to subway passes and parking garages. Eating consists of every little thing from a high-end restaurant to quick meals and DoorDash supply companies.
Since these factors are price 2.05 cents every (in accordance with TPG’s April 2025 valuations), you might be getting wherever from 2.05 to 10.25 cents in worth per greenback charged to the cardboard, relying on the class you are spending in.
Associated: The ability of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Most well-liked and Freedom Limitless
Straightforward-to-use rewards
Probably the most mathematically rewarding method to maximize your Final Rewards factors is to switch to the beforehand talked about resort and airline companions when award availability ideas in your favor.
Nevertheless, I like this card for inexperienced persons as a result of it isn’t obligatory to try this. In truth, I’ve many family and friends members who by no means redeem their Chase factors through switch companions.
You should use your Chase Final Rewards factors at a set fee to e book flights, motels, and different journey through Chase Journey. With the Sapphire Most well-liked, your factors are price 1.25 cents every when utilized in that method. In case you or another person in your family ever get the Chase Sapphire Reserve, factors used that means are price 1.5 cents every with that card.
The reserving web site operates the identical as when reserving journey through a web based journey company like Expedia. This makes it a simple and intuitive means to make use of your factors, even for these new to this manner of touring for much less.
Chase makes it simpler to get authorised when you find yourself newer to rewards playing cards
Final however not least, Chase makes it simpler to get Chase-issued bank cards earlier than you get too far into your rewards bank card journey.
There’s an unwritten but well-documented rule that Chase typically will not situation a brand new bank card account upon getting opened 5 or extra card accounts throughout all banks within the final 24 months. Informally, this is called the Chase 5/24 rule.
That appears simple sufficient if you’re used to solely getting a brand new bank card as soon as each few years, at most. Nevertheless, when you get into bank card rewards, it may be simple to make use of these slots as you get an airline card, resort card, and so forth.
Due to this restriction, it is smart to start out by getting a Chase card, just like the Sapphire Most well-liked, as one in all your first playing cards earlier than you run right into a brick wall with opening new Chase accounts for a while.
Associated: The most effective methods to fill your 5/24 slots
Backside line
With the best welcome bonus now we have seen since 2021, now could possibly be the suitable time to dive into bank card rewards and get the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card.
It walks an exquisite line between being rewarding and wealthy relating to perks and factors with out being intimidating or too dear to check out. It may be the right gateway to having a pockets filled with Final Rewards-earning bank cards and maximizing switch companions, award chart candy spots, built-in stopovers and extra.
Or, in the event you choose, it could stay a basic, low-annual-fee journey bank card that unlocks easy rewards all by itself.
There is no incorrect means to make use of a Sapphire Most well-liked, and there is not any higher card with which to get your journey rewards journey began.
To be taught extra, learn our full overview of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum card, click on right here.
