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The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the best travel rewards credit card for beginners. Not only can you earn an impressive 80,000 sign-up bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, but you can also accumulate many points in useful reward categories.

Cardholders earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery and takeaway, and 3x points on select send service and online grocery store Purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and Wholesale Club), 2x points on all other eligible travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

When I was new to credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred was the first travel card I ever opened. And now, nearly a decade later, it’s still the first card I recommend to friends and family who want to collect and use travel rewards.

In addition to flashy sign-up bonuses and competitive earnings in the useful rewards category, the card includes lesser-known perks that can save you money and inconvenience whether you’re traveling or near home.

Here are seven of the best Chase Sapphire Preferred card benefits you might be overlooking.

While some other travel credit cards offer great benefits, you often pay eye-popping annual fees to match. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is unique in that it offers broad travel and shopping protection comparable to premium cards, but only for a $95 annual fee.

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Most of these benefits can protect you if something goes wrong while traveling or buying new items. Of course, no one wants the opportunity to take advantage of it — but if you need that kind of coverage, this card can save you a ton of money.

1. Pay for your rental car with Sapphire Preferred for damage due to theft or collision

If you’ve ever been to a rental car counter and an agent tried to intimidate you into buying expensive rental insurance, you can safely decline when paying with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Additional coverage can cost $10 to $20 per day, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred includes major rental car coverage—meaning you don’t have to bill your personal insurance company before coverage begins.

For damage to most rental vehicles in the U.S. and abroad due to theft or collision, this benefit covers up to the cash value of an eligible vehicle. Please note that the types of damage and vehicles that may not be covered are limited. So check your benefits guide to make sure this insurance applies to your rental. Also keep in mind that you are still responsible for liability insurance – either through your own policy or purchased separately through a rental agency.

2. Get up to $50 per year in hotel stays with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

As part of last year’s overhaul of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, cardholders will now receive a statement of up to $50 per year for hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal. You can book everything from well-known brands to luxury resorts to independent town hotels through the portal, and the selection is generally good compared to other OTA sites.

If you have at least one paid hotel stay per year, the credit is almost as good as cash. Please keep in mind that because the Chase Portal is considered a third-party website, you will not receive hotel or elite points when you book, and you may not receive any of the elite membership benefits to which you are entitled.

3. If your flight is cancelled, Sapphire Preferred Travel Delay Insurance will reimburse you for your hotel and meals

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers excellent benefits, and for those who travel a lot, two that come in handy are Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Trip Interruption Insurance.

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If you miss a connection or your flight is cancelled due to weather, the airline may rebook you, but if you stay overnight, they won’t pay for meals or accommodation. But if you use the Sapphire Preferred to pay for your airfare, you’re out of the woods.

For example, if your flight is delayed by 12 hours or more, or if the delay requires an overnight stay, Travel Delay provides up to $500 per ticket for essentials like meals, lodging and toiletries. Filing a travel delay claim with the card’s benefits administrator is easy – just keep your receipt.

If your trip is canceled or interrupted due to illness, severe weather or other covered conditions, the card will reimburse up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip on eligible prepaid non-refundable reservations.

4. If your new device breaks, Sapphire Preferred purchase protection protects you

The excitement of buying a new phone, computer, or other expensive item can quickly turn into heartbreak if it is immediately damaged or stolen. In that case (for example, if you dropped your new phone or splashed water on your fancy laptop), Chase Sapphire Priority Purchase Protection can cover repairs or replacements as long as you pay with the card.

Buyer Guarantee protects eligible new items from damage or theft for up to 120 days after purchase. Coverage is up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account. Filing a repair or replacement claim with the benefits administrator is a fairly straightforward process as long as it hasn’t been intentionally damaged.

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5. Sapphire Preferred cardholders get $10 worth of free items every month with Gopuff

One of the newest Chase Sapphire Preferred perks is a $10 monthly Gopuff purchase credit. Gopuff is an on-demand service that delivers items like groceries, snacks, household items, and even alcohol in 30 minutes or less.

To get Gopuff credit on the Chase Sapphire Preferred (or other eligible Chase card), you must add your card as a payment method to your Gopuff account and make a purchase of $10 or more.

6. The Sapphire Preferred extends the manufacturer’s warranty

The Sapphire Preferred card extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties by one year to three years or less. Up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.

There are some exceptions – notably boats, automobiles, aircraft, other motor vehicles, items purchased for resale, professional or commercial use, used or used items, and computer software. See your benefit guide for a complete list of ineligible items.

7. You can transfer points from other chase cards to increase their value

The Ultimate Rewards points you earn with Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve are the most valuable rewards you can get with a credit card.

If you have a card such as the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash Credit Card or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, your points are worth 1 cent each and can be used for cash back, gift cards and travel. However, when you transfer points from these cards to your Sapphire card, you unlock better and more valuable redemption options.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, each point is worth 1.25 cents when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal. The Chase Sapphire Preferred also allows you to transfer points to Chase’s travel partners like United, Southwest and Marriott, where you may get more value per point.

Conclusion

The benefits of a credit card are only valuable when you actually use it, and cardholders often don’t even know what kind of insurance they’re getting by simply paying with a credit card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good example. Once you have the card, you can easily use it to pay for travel and expensive purchases, automatically covering the unexpected.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95, and if you use the card regularly, it’s easy to earn at least as many points as you earn. Additional perks and perks are perks that can add hundreds (or thousands) in value if you have to use them.

VOIR ÉGALEMENT!

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