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Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card issuers from which MillionMileSecrets.com receives compensation. Compensation does not impact the placement of cards on Million Mile Secrets other than in banner advertising. MillionMileSecrets.com does not include all credit card offers that might be available to consumers in the marketplace.
Editorial Note: We’re the Million Mile Secrets team. And we’re proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader’s comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! 🙂
Need Help Choosing Your 1st Travel Rewards Card?
October 25, 2015 By Meghan Hunter
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I currently have a few cards including the Amex Blue Cash (wife and I use for groceries), Discover it® Cash Back (use it for regular purchases), Visa (just a plain Visa thru my local bank, not a great reward program). But I don’t have 1 card dedicated to travel.
I’m considering closing the Visa card and getting 1 travel card to save for a family trip. Although I prefer no annual fee I would open to 1 if value is there. I know you’re high on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Can you recommend a card?
Thanks for your question, Mitch! And welcome to the world of Big Travel with Small Money! Be sure to check out my Beginner’s Guide for all the details on how this hobby works!
It’s true, I really do like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card! And it’s great for folks, like Mitch, who are new to this hobby and looking for their 1st travel rewards card.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Is an Excellent Choice for Your 1st Travel Rewards Card
I’ll explain what you get with this card and why it’s well worth paying the annual fee!
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred you’ll earn 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
There is a $95 annual fee. But it’s waived the 1st year.
It’s a great card to keep despite the annual fee because you get terrific category bonuses (like 2X points on restaurant spending), transfer partners (like United Airlines and Hyatt), and excellent customer service!
However, if you evaluate the card for ~10 months and decide it’s not worth the annual fee, canceling before the fee is due is an easy no-hassle process. You can even cancel by sending a secure message through your online account.
But you’ll get the most value by using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Big Travel withairline and hotels like United Airlines, Hyatt, and Southwest.
For example, Mitch could transfer his points to United Airlines for a round-trip flight to Costa Rica.
You Could Use 35,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for a Round-Trip Flight to Costa Rica, Worth ~$650
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starter card for folks, like Mitch, even if you don’t have firm travel plans or know where you want to go. You get a lot of flexibility with this card because you have so many terrific transfer partners. So this keeps your options open when you’re ready to book your trip!
Plus, it’s easy to earn points because you’ll get 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every $1 you spend on dining and travel.
There Are Lots of Great Credit Cards Out There, Ultimately You’ll Have to Choose the Best 1 for You!
Mitch doesn’t need to cancel his Visa card before signing-up for his new travel card. It doesn’t cost anything to keep a NO annual fee card and hanging onto it could help his credit score.
That’s because the length of your credit history makes up 15% of your credit score. Plus, having a card long-term lets you build a relationship with the bank and shows you can handle credit responsibly over time.
Building Good Credit & Relationships With No Annual Fee Cards Will Help You Get Approved for New Cards in the Future
Bottom Line
If you’re trying to decide on your 1st travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent choice! This is my favorite card for folks new to our hobby. Because there are so many ways to use the points you earn including transferring to airline and hotel partners.
The 40,000 Chase Ultimate rewards points you’ll earn by completing the minimum spending requirements on the Chase Sapphire Preferred are worth at least $400 in cash back. And when you transfer to partner like Hyatt you can get ~$1,200 worth of Big Travel!
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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