The #1 Travel Card
By Rachel Lipson
September 3, 2025
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While many things are contested in the world of points and miles, one thing that is widely agreed upon is this must have card.
While there are so many cards on the market and choosing a direction can feel difficult at times, this choice should be an easy one! That’s because the #1 travel card comes in two levels — one with a low fee and one with a high fee — and either one will help you earn the right points to use for travel.
Your job? Simply choose the one that feels right for you and you’re ready to get started on your Chase Ultimate Rewards points journey.
Which cards are they?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and The Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the #1 cards for travel. Chase allows you to hold only one of these at a time (unless you product change to it), so choosing which card is right to apply for is the first step towards traveling better.
What’s so great about these cards anyway?
The Sapphire card unlocks the ability to transfer Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Points to airlines and hotels allowing you to book travel directly with partners. Because this isn’t something all Chase cards can do, and because Chase has truly excellent travel partners, having a card that makes this possible is extremely important.
All of the Sapphire cards offer this capability, so choose one of these, make sure you are under 5/24 (the rule that says Chase will only approve you if you haven’t opened more than 5 personal cards in 24 months from any bank) and you’re ready to go!
The first option: the card with the low fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
With a $95 annual fee, excellent multipliers including 2x on travel booked directly with airlines and hotels and 3x on online grocery purchases (exclusions below), this card is the best place to start for most people who would like to start traveling with points. The annual fee is a low lift, mostly offset by various perks and credits and it unlocks the ability to transfer points to travel partners for direct bookings.
Here are some of the benefits of the Sapphire Preferred:
Earn 5x points per dollar spent on all travel booked through Chase Travel℠
Earn 3x points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs)
Earn 2x points per dollar spent on all other travel
Earn 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Annual $50 hotel credit when you book through Chase Travel
Travel and purchase protections
10% anniversary points boost
$95 annual fee
The second option: The card with the higher fee.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Just like the Preferred, the Reserve unlocks the ability to transfer points to partners. In addition, the Reserve offers lounge access via Priority Pass and access to the Sapphire Lounges! The 4x on flights and hotels booked direct can be quite useful and the credits, perks and benefits can significantly offset the annual fee.
If you do a lot of your grocery shopping online, you might consider going with the Preferred for the 3x multiplier on online groceries (with exclusions). Otherwise, for those who can swing the annual fee, the Reserve is an excellent choice full of perks and benefits to make your travel more affordable and comfortable.
Here are some of the benefits of the Sapphire Reserve:
Earn 8x points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
Earn 4x points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly
Earn 3x points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide
Earn 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Purchases that qualify for the annual $300 travel credit will not earn points. Once the $300 travel credit has been used completely then those travel purchases will earn the respective points.
$500 credit for The Edit, Chase's curated collection of luxury hotels and resorts, broken up into $250 semiannual credits (use toward pre-paid bookings of two nights or more)
Biannual $150 dining credit to use with Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables; $300 annually
Chase Sapphire lounge access
Priority Pass Select membership
$795 annual fee
Which card is right for you:
As long as you are under 5/24 (have opened less than 5 personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months) and have a credit score over 700ish, either of these cards are likely right for you.
For many, picking the card with the higher welcome offer at the time of applying will be the best choice — and after a year, you can choose to make a change as needed.
If you don’t already have a premium card with lounge access and other perks, you might want to start with the Reserve to make your travel more enjoyable right off the bat.
Regardless of which card you choose, by unlocking the ability to transfer points to hotels and airlines, you’re opening up a world of opportunity that wouldn’t otherwise be available to you.
Go forth and enjoy your travels!
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Brooklyn Family Travelers and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
