chase points towards travel

• What is the Chase Travel Portal?

Benefits of Using the Chase Travel Portal

Chase ultimate rewards credit cards.

• Points Value
• How to Use the Portal to Book Travel

Chase Travel: Explore Destinations and Savings with Chase Ultimate Rewards

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• The Chase Travel℠ portal works just like an online travel agency.
• You can use points, cash, or a combination of both to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. 
• Several Chase cards offer better redemption values or bonus points when you book through the portal.

The Chase Travel℠ Portal is an online booking platform for flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and vacation rentals, similar to an Online Travel Agency (OTA). If you're a Chase Ultimate Rewards® cardholder, you can use points to book travel through the portal — or pay with your card or a combination of points and cash.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most flexible and lucrative credit card rewards programs, and its benefits can be even greater depending on the Chase cards you have. With a no-annual-fee card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom Unlimited® , your points are worth 1 cent each toward travel booked through the portal.

But if you have a Chase travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , you'll get 25% to 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel, plus the ability to transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners . 

Some Chase cards also offer bonus points for paid bookings you make through the portal. Chase added lucrative new bonus categories to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, including certain types of travel booked through the portal.

Here's everything you need to know about booking airfare, hotels, and more through the Chase travel portal — and how to make the most of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

What Is the Chase Travel Portal?

The Chase travel portal works like any other Online Travel Agency (such as Travelocity or Priceline), and the searches you do for hotels, airfare, and more will produce similar results to what you see on that OTA. 

You must be a Chase credit card customer to use Chase Travel℠ to book with cash or with points. In fact, you'll only access the Chase travel portal when you log into your account management page with Chase.

Chase Travel℠ lets you book travel directly with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, use your credit card to pay, or combine the two. This is one of the main benefits of using Chase Travel℠ — you can spend the rewards points you earn directly on the travel you want without having to worry about dealing with specific hotel or airline loyalty programs. 

There are a few other key benefits to know:

• You'll still earn airline miles and work toward elite airline status: You won't earn points or elite night credits when you book a hotel stay with Chase Travel℠ because it's considered a third-party booking. However, you can earn airline and elite-qualifying miles on flights you book as long as your frequent flyer number is attached to the reservation. 
• Your points are worth more with certain Chase credit cards: Also be aware that some Chase credit cards give you more than the standard rate of 1 cent per point when you redeem your rewards for travel through Chase. We'll go into more detail on the cards that offer this perk below.
• The Chase Travel℠ portal is easy to use: If you don't want to deal with a bunch of hotel and airline award charts, booking through Chase Travel℠ can help keep your rewards game simple. You'll always be able to use your points for any booking you want without having to worry about blackout dates or capacity controls you would normally encounter with loyalty programs.

To be eligible to use the Chase Travel℠ portal, you'll need a Chase credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points . 

No-annual-fee Chase cards open to new applicants (points are worth 1 cent each through the Chase Travel℠ portal):

• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review )
• Chase Freedom Flex℠ (read our Chase Freedom Flex review )
• Chase Freedom® Student credit card (read our Chase Freedom Student review )
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Unlimited review )
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Cash review )

Chase travel rewards cards open to new applicants (points are worth more with Chase Travel℠, plus these cards allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners):

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (read our Chase Sapphire Reserve review )
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review )
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Preferred review )

If you have more than one Chase card, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points between accounts. It makes the most sense to pool your points in the account that gives you the best redemption value — for example, if you pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, moving all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards to your Sapphire Reserve account will increase the value of your points when you redeem through the Chase Travel℠ portal.

To pool your points onto one card, log into your Chase online account, navigate to the "Redeem" section for your Chase Ultimate Rewards card, then select the option to combine points in the "Earn/Use" tab:

From there, you can move your Chase points between accounts in any increments you want. 

Points Value in the Chase Travel Portal

Some Chase credit cards give you a bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Here's a summary of how much your points are worth with each Chase card:

It's important to note that Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth, on average, 1.8 cents apiece based on Personal Finance Insider's points and miles valuations . That's because it's possible to get outsized value when you transfer points to partners for award travel.

How to Use the Chase Travel Portal

Using the Chase Travel℠ portal is a breeze, but it all starts with logging into your online account management page. From there, you'll click on the right side of your screen where it shows your Chase Ultimate Rewards account balance. 

Once you click on the account balance, you'll have the option to select the card you want to access. And remember, this step can be important because some cards give you more value from your points when you redeem them for travel.

How to book a flight through Chase travel

Once you are logged into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, you'll see different travel options to search for at the top of the page.

To search for a flight, make sure the prompt is on "Flights" and begin searching for the flight you want. Enter your departure airport, destination, travel dates, and the number of passengers.

Once your flight options pop up on the screen, you can filter your results by the number of stops, the airlines you want to fly, and arrival times.

Note that each of your flight options will include a payment amount in points as well as a cash price. 

You can also click on "Details and baggage fees" in order to find out the cost of carry-on luggage or checked baggage, as well as whether your flight charges any change fees.

When you click to "Select" a flight option, you'll get a rundown of what is and isn't included in the fare you selected. You may also get a note that you can upgrade before you check out.

Once you settle on a flight you want, you'll be taken to the "Trip Details" page that shows the final cost of your flight in points or in cash, as well as a summary of the added costs you may be charged for baggage or change fees.

After you agree to the terms, you'll be taken to a final payment page where you can decide how you want to pay. You have the option to cover your flight entirely in points if you want, but you can also choose to pay with your Chase credit card or with a combination of points and your credit card.

During the booking process, make sure to add your frequent flyer number to your reservation. That way, you can earn miles on your booking and your flight will count toward elite status requirements. You'll also want to add your Known Traveler Number or Redress number if either applies to you.

If you forget to do it during your booking, however, you can add your frequent flyer information to your flight later on using the airline's website.

How to book a hotel through Chase travel

Booking a hotel through Chase is similarly easy, and you'll find a lot of different types of lodging options available. For example, you'll find properties from major hotel brands, but you'll also find rental condo options and boutique hotels.

To search for a hotel,  enter the destination, dates, and the number of people you want to have in your room. Once you're presented with your options, you can filter hotels based on the hotel name you're looking for, the area or neighborhood, price point, guest rating, property type, and more. 

Once again, you'll see a price listed in points as well as a cash price per night.

These prices do not include taxes and fees, however, so your price in points or cash will be higher by the time you get to the final booking page. Also be aware that the price listed is the lowest you can get for the property, but that better or upgraded rooms and suites will cost more in points.

The major downside to booking a hotel through the Chase portal is that you won't earn hotel points or elite night credits for your stay, because it's considered a third-party booking. There's also a risk that the property won't recognize your hotel elite status or give you the perks you'd normally be entitled to, like late checkout or free breakfast . This shouldn't be an issue if you're booking an independent or boutique hotel, but if you're looking for hotel points or status, it's something to be aware of.

You'll have the option to select a hotel you want as well as a room type at the property you're considering. You can also pay with your booking with points, your Chase credit card, or a combination of the two. 

How to book a rental car through Chase travel

You can also book a rental car through Chase Travel℠ using the same set of steps. Once you log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, click on "Cars" and then select the destination and dates.

Once you are presented with your search results, you can select the types of cars you prefer, like an economy car or an SUV. You can also filter results based on a price range, the number of passengers you have, the rental car company, and the type of transmission you prefer (manual or automatic), as well as the total area you want to search in. 

Note that, once again, taxes and fees are not included on the initial search page. Instead, they are added to your total cost when you select a rental car. You can also pay for a rental car through Chase with points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book activities with the Chase Travel portal

Chase also lets you book a variety of activities through the portal, which they refer to as "Things to Do." Chase activities can include excursions like snorkeling or scuba diving, as well as tours of museums and historic sites. But you can also book more practical options through their activities tab, including airport pickups and other types of transportation.

To search for activities, enter the destination and dates for your trip. You'll be shown a price in points and in cash that does include taxes and fees. You can also filter options based on the type of activity, your interests, and more. Once again, you have the option to pay for activities with your points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book a cruise through Chase Travel

If you're a cruise enthusiast, you should know you can also book cruises through Chase Travel℠. When you select "Cruises" at the top of the Chase Ultimate Rewards search page, you'll be presented with a list of featured cruises and cruise specials.

You can also search for cruises based on the destination or the name of the cruise line. Note, however, that only cash prices are listed for each cruise on the portal, and that you'll have to call Chase to make a booking.

Either way, you can absolutely use your Chase points to pay for all or part of your cruise. Just have your credit card number handy and call their customer service line at 855-234-2542.

How to book a vacation rental through Chase

Chase also offers a selection of vacation rentals, which can include vacation condos, luxury villas, and more. To search, click on "Vacation Rentals" at the top of the main page, then enter your destination, dates, and the number of people in your party.

Once you start your search, you'll have the option to filter results based on the local neighborhood you want, star ratings, price range, guest rating, property type, and more. Like hotels through Chase, the price you are shown excludes taxes and fees, but they will be added to your total once you make a selection.

Also be aware that the price shown in your search results is for the lowest-tier option for each property, and that a larger rental or upgraded rental may cost more in points.

When you book vacation rentals through Chase, you can pay with points, your Chase card, or a combination of the two. 

Use the Chase Travel portal to book Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection properties

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can book properties within the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. This list of more than 1,000 properties can be reserved ahead of time, and you'll get extra benefits with each stay such as:

• Daily breakfast for two
• A special benefit worth up to $100
• Complimentary internet access
• Room upgrades when available
• Early check-in and late checkout

One detail to note with this program is the fact that you cannot pay with points. Instead, your online booking will reserve your room, and you'll be charged for the stay when you check out from the hotel. 

Should you transfer Chase points instead?

While you can book travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal directly, many people prefer to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners instead. Doing so could let you get more value for each point you redeem , but you'll have to run the numbers to find out for sure.

Here's a good example of how transferring points to a Chase airline or hotel partner can be a better deal, as well as the math you'll need to do to figure this out on your own. Take this one-way flight on Air France from Chicago to Paris, for example, and assume you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, so you're getting 50% more value when you redeem points through the Chase Travel℠ portal.

If you were to book this flight through Chase Travel℠, you would owe 39,607 points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, compared with the cash price of $594.10.

However, you could book an award ticket on the exact same flight through Flying Blue (Air France's loyalty program) directly if you transferred your Chase points there first. In this case, the identical flight would set you back 22,000 miles plus $109.44. This means you would transfer 22,000 miles from Chase to your Flying Blue account, and pay the taxes and fees in cash, or by redeeming points for a statement credit to your account.

When you compare, you'll find that booking with miles directly is a better deal. After you subtract the taxes and fees from the cost of booking through Flying Blue, you wind up with a value of around 2.2 cents per mile.

With the Chase Travel℠ portal, on the other hand, you're forking over 39,607 points for the same flight, and you're getting a value of 1.5 cents for each point if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. 

Accessing Chase Travel℠ is simple. If you're a Chase credit cardholder with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can log in to your Chase online account. Once logged in, navigate to the 'Travel" or "Rewards" section, where you'll find the Chase travel portal. From there, you can search and book flights, hotels, and other travel services using your earned points or card benefits. It's a convenient way to plan and manage your travel adventures.

Chase Travel℠ refers to the travel booking and rewards platform offered by Chase Bank. It's part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, allowing cardholders to use their earned points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Chase Travel℠ provides a convenient way to plan and book your trips while taking advantage of the rewards and benefits associated with Chase credit cards.

To earn 5% on Chase Travel℠, consider using a Chase credit card that offers bonus rewards on travel purchases. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve often offer 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through the Chase travel portal. Additionally, taking advantage of limited-time promotions and special offers can also help you maximize your rewards when booking travel with Chase.

Bottom Line

Keep in mind that, no matter which Chase credit card you have, there are other ways you can use your rewards points. You can redeem Chase points for statement credits or cash back, or cash them in for gift cards or merchandise. And if you have a premier Chase travel credit card, you can transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio.

However, booking travel through Chase can make your life considerably easier — especially if you don't like dealing with complicated hotel and airline programs. You may not get as much value from your points as you would if you booked a premium flight with airline miles, but the Chase travel portal does offer the flexibility to book the flight you want without any blackout dates or hoops to jump through.

The Chase travel portal offers yet another way to maximize rewards earned with a Chase credit card. Just make sure to consider all your options and the value you're getting for your points before you pull the trigger.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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How to use the chase travel portal, you can use chase points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

With the right amount of planning, it's possible to book your entire vacation, including flights , hotels , cruises , car rentals , tours and other activities, entirely on points through the Chase travel portal.

But are you getting the best deal by doing this instead of transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners and booking directly? It turns out there's a lot more to consider — everything from travel date flexibility and brand variety to the credit card you're using — if you want to get more value for your points by booking through Chase Travel SM .

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book flights, hotels, cruises, tours and vacation activities through the Chase travel portal with Ultimate Rewards® points.

How to use the Chase travel portal

• How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points

How to get started with the Chase travel portal

How to book flights through the chase travel portal, how to book rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities, bottom line, how to earn and redeem chase ultimate rewards® points.

To access Chase Travel SM , you'll need to have a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card , Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

The easiest way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by taking advantage of the lucrative welcome bonuses offered by certain rewards cards: 

• You'll earn 60,000 points by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card 's welcome bonus, you'll earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel SM.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve 's welcome bonus gives you 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The card you're using to redeem UR points will also affect your point redemption value . For instance, if you're using the Chase Sapphire Preferred to book through the Chase Travel SM portal, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point). But if you're booking through Chase Travel℠ with the Chase Sapphire Reserve , points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents per point) — the other $0 annual fee Chase cards each carry a redemption rate of 1 cent per point.

That means the bonus points you'd earn from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus is worth $750 towards travel and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's is worth $900 towards travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

To reach the Chase travel portal, log into your Chase account, then click the area near the right side of the screen where it says the amount of your Chase UR points. Depending on how many Chase credit cards you have, you may be asked to choose which one you want to proceed with.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing how many UR points you currently have, as well as any deals or bonus opportunities. On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options.

While not the best redemption in terms of overall value, you could choose to use your Chase points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cash them in for gift cards and experiences, or reimburse yourself for certain recent charges through Chase's Pay Yourself Back tool . This is also where you can transfer points directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners if you have a specific flight or hotel in mind. Otherwise, click "book travel" to enter the Chase travel portal.

From here, you'll be able to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and cruises. Simply choose your category, plug in your desired dates and details, and book with points, cash or some combination of the two.

There are a few pros and cons to consider when booking flights through the Chase travel portal. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, which makes it great if you're not flexible with dates and flight times. Just make sure you compare the number of points needed through the Chase travel portal with how many points the airline would require if you were using its own miles, especially if you're hunting for a good deal on economy seats.

The catch with using the Chase travel portal is you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air — you can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United. You'll also be able to book flights on most international carriers.

Remember that you can still earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase travel portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight since you're "paying" for them with points instead of cash. Consider the taxes and fees you might have to pay if you were to transfer the points straight to one of Chase's travel partners versus booking directly through the portal, and to calculate and compare how many points and miles you'd earn by booking with either method.

You'll be able to search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For this example, below, consider a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin with sample dates of Feb. 1–7, 2024, booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card (redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point):

Results included 107 results with an economy mix-and-match United and Delta fare for $370 or about 29,600 points being the most affordable option. For comparison's sake, the points price is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines, but Delta isn't a transfer partner of Chase. You also won't earn miles if you were to book these awards through the airlines, whereas you will earn miles when booking through Chase.

To finish booking your flight through the travel portal, select your route(s), review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

How to book hotels through the Chase travel portal

While the best redemption rates are usually realized when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partner World of Hyatt, if you're not a huge fan of chain hotels or prefer boutiques or brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, or Wyndham, it can be a good idea to book them through the travel portal. 

As with flights, you won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award night availability. However, keep in mind that hotels treat the Chase travel portal as a third-party booking agency, so you won't be able to earn hotel points on stays as you might by booking your stay directly with the hotel.

Hyatt hotels usually offer better deals when you book directly, and since it's one of Chase's hotel partners, you can transfer UR points instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott and IHG are usually more varied, so you may score a better deal by booking via the Chase travel portal instead of transferring points over. For this reason, it's a good idea to ring up how much your hotel stay would cost in points through the portal as well as the hotel's website.

Start by searching by destination so you can see a list of all the available hotels. For this example, let's try looking for hotels in Downtown Austin from Feb. 1–7, 2024. Once the results appear, you'll be able to narrow down your search with filters based on price, star ratings, guest ratings, amenities and neighborhood.

Let's go over a couple of options within the Chase travel portal, each booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. One option is the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, which is listed for $556 or about 44,500 points per night through Chase. If you book through Four Seasons, directly, you'll pay $561 per night. The hotel chain also doesn't have a rewards program but going through Chase provides a way to pay with points.

Another example is the Hyatt Place Austin Downtown for $288 or about 23,000 points per night through Chase. If you were to book this directly through Hyatt, you'd pay $279 per night as a member of its loyalty program or just 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you booked with points. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, in this case, transferring would make more sense.

As you can see, it's worth comparing points required by the travel portal and each hotel's website, as the time of year, location, and other factors may play a part in pricing. To book your stay through the travel portal, select your room type, review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

It's a pretty similar process if you want to book rental cars, tours and other travel activities through the Chase travel portal. Cruises can also be booked as well, but you'll need to call.

As far as car rentals, make sure you're booking through the travel portal with points that are connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of extra perks like primary rental car insurance — you'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when you book to activate this. You'll want to charge at least a few dollars to the card and not use points to cover the entire booking which ensures that you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card, which means you'll be entitled to the card's rental car insurance.

Beyond that, simply plug in your itinerary and search. Here's an example for a rental in Austin from February 1–7, 2024, booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

You'll be able to filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options (like air conditioning and automatic transmission). For a seven-day rental, it would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option. As with other travel portal purchases, you'll be able to enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price. It works the same way for booking tours and other travel activities, so you could potentially enjoy a free — or nearly free — vacation solely on Chase points if you were to plan it all out properly.

Booking through the Chase travel portal can be a great use of your Ultimate Rewards® points, but make sure to compare the rates against booking directly with an airline or hotel itself. Finally, consider transferring your points to one of Chase's travel partners, especially if you're looking to book a luxury hotel or flight in business class.

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Which purchases count as travel with Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Editor's Note

Thanks to its plethora of premium travel perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is well-known in the travel credit card space. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the Sapphire Reserve's mid-tier sibling that features a $95 annual fee — which is also the more affordable card considering the Reserve's annual fee is $550 — and remains a top pick, winning Best Travel Rewards Credit Card for the sixth straight year at the 2023 TPG Awards .

No matter which Sapphire card you have, Chase clearly defines what counts as travel. Both cards generously award for travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and all other travel purchases.

We'll go over the purchases that count (and don't count) toward earning bonus points in this guide.

How many points do the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards earn on travel?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve awards 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 5 points per dollar on flights booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

But suppose you're looking to book directly with the airline, hotel or another company or get awarded for other travel purchases like taxi rides and parking fees. In that case, you'll still earn 3 points per dollar on these purchases.

The Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on all travel purchases booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases.

You'll also earn a boosted rate of 10 and 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides on the Reserve and Preferred, respectively (through March 2025).

'Travel,' according to Chase

The Ultimate Rewards portal is powered by Expedia , allowing you to book various types of travel. For "all other travel purchases," here's how Chase defines it:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.

Compared to bonus categories from other credit cards, Chase's travel category is extremely generous.

While cards such as the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express offer bonus points for airfare purchases made directly with the airline (with a spending cap of $500,000 on the Amex Platinum per calendar year), the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards let you earn a bonus on virtually every trip-related charge.

The travel category encompasses a wide variety of purchases, from hotels and airfare (which doesn't have to be booked directly with the airline) to cruises, tolls and even parking fees. Uber and Airbnb purchases count as travel as well.

The following purchases do not apply toward the 2 or 3 points per dollar bonus categories on these cards, but most of them shouldn't be a huge surprise or disappointment:

Some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, educational merchants arranging travel, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, RV and boat rentals, merchants within hotels and airports, public campgrounds and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. Purchases from gift card merchants or merchants that sell points or miles will not qualify in the travel category.

A few notable travel-related charges that have not been posted as travel for the purposes of bonus points with Chase for TPG staffers in the recent past include an RV rental as well as some vacation rentals via Vrbo and similar services. Whether a vacation home rental automatically codes as travel depends on whether an individual or a conglomerate operates it. In the latter case, that charge may code as "professional services" instead of travel.

If you're ever unsure whether a given purchase counts as travel, it could be worth making a small charge and checking whether it earns any bonus points on your online Chase account.

Additionally, suppose you feel like a travel purchase should have earned bonus points but didn't. In that case, you can always try calling or secure messaging Chase and requesting consideration for that charge to be awarded points as a travel charge. Even if you don't get the outcome you're looking for, you'll at least get some clarity on how certain charges are coded and can plan future spending accordingly.

What does Chase typically count as travel purchases?

• Campgrounds
• Car rental agencies (excludes RV and boat rentals)
• Cruise lines
• Discount travel sites
• Parking lots and garages
• Passenger trains
• Toll bridges and highways
• Travel agencies
• Vacation rentals (including some VRBO rentals operated by an individual )

What does Chase typically not count as travel purchases?

• Educational merchants arranging travel
• Gift card merchants
• Inflight goods and services
• Merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling
• Merchants within hotels and airports
• Onboard cruise line goods and services
• Purchasing points or miles
• Public campgrounds
• Real estate agents
• RV and boat rentals
• Sightseeing activities
• Tourist attractions
• Vacation rentals ( some VRBO rentals operated by a conglomerate rather than an individual )

Bottom line

Cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred have plenty of opportunities to earn 3 or 2 points per dollar spent, respectively, on "other travel purchases." Based on TPG's valuations , that means you could be getting a return of up to 6.1% on these purchases, and you can put your points to use with Chase's airline and hotel partners .

On top of that, these Chase cards have some of the most generous travel and purchase protections on the market, making either card a valuable addition to your wallet.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening

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Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Two of the best travel cards for everyday rewards

They might be two of the most lucrative travel credit cards available today, but there’s a clear divide between the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

If you’re looking for great rewards on both travel and your regular spending — along with a ton of redemption value — these cards are probably already at the top of your list. Before you apply, here’s everything you need to know about both the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred, and how to decide which one is best for your travel goals .

American Express Gold Card overview

Annual fee : $250 ( see rates and fees )

Welcome offer : Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 within the first six months

4x points at restaurants worldwide

4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per year, then 1x)

3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com

1x points on all other purchases

Why we like it : We like the Amex Gold for both frequent and occasional travelers who want to maximize everyday spending to save on future travel . With the highest rewards on dining and at supermarkets, you can easily rack up rewards at home — then cash them in for your next flight or vacation.

We also like the annual savings you’ll get to offset the annual fee. These include up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) when you connect your card to your Uber account, and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits ($10 per month, with enrollment) for spending at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Though Amex Gold does have a high $250 annual fee, these credits alone can get you a potential $240 each year.

American Express Gold Card pros

Annual credits : With up to $240 back in Uber Cash and annual dining statement credits each year, you can nearly outpace the Amex Gold card ’s annual fee before even accounting for rewards. Of course, these credits only add value if they give you money back on things you would have bought anyway. If you don’t typically use Uber for ridesharing or purchase from any of the eligible dining options, you may not get the full annual potential.

Transfer partners : One of the best ways to use your Amex points is by transferring them to a transfer partner loyalty program. Amex has more than 20 travel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors.

American Express Gold Card cons

High annual fee : Though it offers a lot in return, there’s no getting around the fact that Amex Gold has a steep annual fee. At $250 per year ( see rates and fees ), you’ll absolutely want to do the math on your spending and travel before you apply to make sure you’re getting enough out of your rewards and benefits to justify the cost.

Getting the most from your redemptions : Unlike some other rewards programs, different Membership Rewards redemption options carry different values. If you want to make the most of your Amex Gold points, you’ll generally want to use them to book flights through Amex Travel or transfer to partners. While there are other ways to get the full 1 cent per point value, many other travel redemptions (including hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages through Amex Travel) typically redeem at a lower rate .

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview

Annual fee : $95

Welcome offer : Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months

5x points on travel through Chase Travel (not including hotel spending that counts toward your annual hotel credit)

3x points on dining

3x points on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart, or wholesale clubs)

3x points on select streaming services

2x points on all other travel

Why we like it : While Chase Sapphire Preferred offers solid rewards in a number of categories, we like its redemptions even more. If you choose to redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel, you can get a 25% boost on the value, making each point effectively worth 1.25 cents. If you have 100,000 points to redeem, for example, you can get up to $1,250 toward your next Chase Travel booking.

You’ll also get up to $50 in statement credits annually for hotels you book through Chase Travel and an annual points bonus on your account anniversary, totaling 10% of your total purchase value over the prior year — and it all comes at a $95 annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred pros

High-value redemptions : The Chase Sapphire Preferred ’s 25% redemption boost when you use points to book travel through Chase Travel is one of the card’s biggest benefits — and makes the rewards points among the most valuable you’ll find. If you don’t mind booking travel through the issuer’s portal, this can be a great way to get the most out of every point you earn.

Transfer partners : Like Amex, Chase has a long list of travel transfer partners you can redeem your points with. They include British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue Air France KLM, JetBlue TrueBlue, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and more.

Chase Sapphire Preferred cons

Lack of annual credits/benefits : While you will get up to $50 back in statement credits when you book hotel stays through Chase Travel, it’s tough to match Amex Gold’s high-value credits. Compare your own spending before you apply to make sure you’ll get enough rewards value to offset the annual fee.

Not the highest rewards rates : This card can help you earn big rewards if your spending falls in line with rewards categories. But it does lag a bit behind the 4x rates offered by Amex Gold, as well as the wider-reaching rewards categories you’ll find on some other travel cards . Still, there’s plenty of opportunities to earn great rewards with the Sapphire Preferred.

Should you get the Amex Gold?

The Amex Gold everyday rewards categories and high-value annual credits make it one of the most rewarding travel credit cards available today — even with a higher annual fee.

To start, the 4x rewards rate on both dining at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (up to the annual limit) is one of the highest you’ll find among any rewards card . On top of that, the Uber Cash and dining statement credits can help you earn back nearly the entire annual fee each year. Even when you’re not traveling, these can be useful for maintaining your card’s annual value.

But when you also factor in travel rewards and credits, you can potentially far exceed the cost. This includes 3x points on airfare spending through Amex Travel or the airline, and up to $100 in experience credits for eligible Hotel Collection stays you book through Amex Travel.

One thing you should think about before getting the American Express Gold Card is how you’ll redeem your rewards. You’ll get the best Membership Rewards program redemptions when you use them to book flights through Amex Travel. There are some other high-value redemptions, but hotel and rental car redemptions, for example, generally get 0.7 cents per point value compared to a full 1 cent per point for flights.

Should you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

We think nearly anyone who wants major travel value for a relatively low annual fee could benefit from Chase Sapphire Preferred .

The 25% boost on redemptions may just be the best reason to choose this card, as long as you don’t mind booking your travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Take the welcome bonus as an example. You can redeem those 60,000 bonus points for up to $750 in travel expenses.

And at just $95 per year, it’s not difficult to earn back the annual fee amount in rewards value even if you only travel a few times per year.

Depending on how much you spend, you can also get a significant boost with the 10% bonus on every account anniversary. For example, say you charge an average of $1,200 per month to your card, or $14,400 per year. That would make your 10% bonus worth 1,440 additional Ultimate Rewards points — on top of what you’ve already earned for the year. While that’s not a huge amount of points in itself, the amount adds up year after year.

Should you get both cards?

For most cardholders, there’s little reason to open both the American Express Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card . They have relatively similar reward structures, and neither offers extra benefits like lounge access, elite status, or other huge annual discounts that could justify the extra cost of owning both.

Instead, consider which of these cards makes the most sense for how you spend. Take groceries, for example — for many Americans, it’s one of the most consistently high monthly expenses. If you don’t already have a grocery rewards card but you do spend a lot of money at your local supermarket, the Amex Gold offers one of the highest rates among any rewards credit card today. But maybe you already have a card for grocery rewards, or you prefer your groceries through an online service. Then, you’ll probably get much more value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

How you travel can also be a big deciding factor between these cards — including which travel brands you prefer. If you always fly with Delta and you’re a Hilton Honors member, you’ll probably benefit more from Amex’s travel partners. But if, instead, you live near a United Airlines hub and World of Hyatt is your choice loyalty program, you’ll want access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

With either of these cards — or any other travel rewards credit card — it’s most important to keep track of your spending and make sure you don’t overspend only to earn rewards or take advantage of benefits. These cards carry very high APRs that can lead to lasting debt balances if you can’t pay in full.

Other cards to consider

Depending on what exactly you’re looking for in a new travel card , here are a few more we like:

If you want to simplify travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why we like it : Capital One Venture is another travel credit card with great rewards potential. It has a $99 annual fee, and you can earn a 75,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months. Ongoing rewards are simple: Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases.

Capital One Venture card redemptions are easy, too. You can use your miles to book future travel through Capital One Travel or put them toward any travel purchases charged to your card. Capital One also has a list of 18 airline and hotel partners you can transfer your miles to, often at a 1:1 ratio.

If you want premium travel perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Why we like it : If the above cards lack the added benefits you want for a premium experience every time you travel, the Platinum Card from Amex may be more your speed. After you’re approved, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. Rewards include 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 spent per year), 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, and 1x points on all other purchases.

The Platinum Card does carry a whopping $695 annual fee ( see rates and fees ), though frequent travelers may earn that back with the long list of benefits and credits. Here are just a few: up to $200 back in annual statement credits for eligible prepaid Amex Travel hotel bookings, up to $200 in statement credits for airline fee charges each calendar year with your chosen airline, up to $200 Uber Cash annually ($15 each month plus a bonus $20 in December), up to $189 in statement credits for CLEAR Plus membership, and many more.

If you want to combine cash back and travel: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Why we like it : Chase Freedom Unlimited is a cash-back credit card , but it earns rewards that you can redeem for travel through Chase Travel (in addition to cash back). There’s no annual fee with this card, and it has an introductory 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

These are all the Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards categories: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining, 3% cash back at drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. But for the first year, you’ll get even more. This card’s welcome offer increases your rewards earned by 1.5% across all categories, up to $20,000 spent in the first year. Instead of 3% on dining, for example, you can get 4.5% back during this period. If you’re able to max out the $20,000 cap, that’s up to $300 in extra rewards.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. 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.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Travel Insurance – 10 Frequently Asked Questions [2024]

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

Recap of chase sapphire preferred card travel insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, 2. does chase sapphire preferred card travel insurance cover cruises, 3. what does the chase sapphire preferred card baggage insurance cover, 4. what does the chase sapphire preferred card medical insurance cover, 5. does the chase sapphire preferred card cover hotel cancellations, 6. does the chase sapphire preferred card cover airbnb cancellations, 7. does chase sapphire preferred card travel insurance cover rental cars in other countries, 8. does the chase sapphire preferred card cover turo or zipcar rentals, 9. how do i file a chase sapphire preferred card travel insurance claim, 10. do i need travel insurance if i have the chase sapphire preferred card, final thoughts.

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card remains one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards for numerous reasons. Alongside excellent earning rates and a fair amount of benefits that justify the $95 annual fee, the card also offers numerous shopping and travel insurance benefits.

If you’re like most people, you hear the word “insurance,” and your eyelids start feeling heavy. Let’s be honest: Insurance isn’t thrilling. The terminology can feel confusing, leaving you with many questions about what exactly the travel insurance on your Chase Sapphire Preferred card does and doesn’t cover.

You have questions, and we have answers. Here’s a simple look at your most common questions about travel insurance on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance . With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
• 6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
• Excellent travel and car rental insurance
• 10% annual bonus points
• No foreign transaction fees
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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• The Chase Sapphire Preferred 80k or 100k Bonus Offer
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• Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Reserve
• Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred

Before moving any further, let’s ensure you’re familiar with the long list of travel protections built into the Chase Sapphire Preferred card :

• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Travel accident insurance
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement

You’ll also enjoy several other cardholder benefits and protections beyond travel insurance :

• Extended warranty protection
• No foreign transaction fees
• Purchase protection
• Roadside dispatch
• Travel and emergency assistance

Some of the benefits seem more obvious than others. And, as with all insurance, there are always specific terms to understand, exclusions to mind, and coverage limits . Let’s clear some of those up.

1. What Flight Insurance Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Have?

When flying, you’ll have 2 types of insurance: travel accident insurance and trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Both types are in effect for trips for which you paid at least a portion of the cost with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Let’s look at each benefit.

Travel accident insurance applies to you and your immediate family members if one of you becomes permanently injured or dies while traveling. The cardholder benefit guide lists specific dollar amounts that you can be paid for specific injury types. The coverage is further divided into 2 categories: traveling on a common carrier and 24-hour coverage .

Coverage related to a common carrier covers both injuries and death resulting from your travel on a licensed air, land, or sea transport that regularly carries paying passengers . Think planes and ferries, for example. You’ll also be covered while at an airport, terminal, or station immediately before or after a trip, including courtesy transport to or from these places if provided as part of your trip. If your flight booking includes the airline picking you up from the hotel, this could be covered if all other conditions are met.

The 24-hour coverage applies around the clock and is valid on trips of up to 30 days. If you take a trip longer than this, coverage will end 1 minute after midnight on the 31st day, though it would come back into effect when you are in transportation to the airport for your flight home. If you drive yourself to the airport, coverage should resume once you are inside the airport .

This benefit reimburses you for the money you lose when a trip paid for (in whole or part) with your card is interrupted or canceled. Trip interruption is when you’ve started the trip and must end it early for a covered reason; trip cancellation applies to canceling a trip before it begins. The maximum benefit payout here is $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip. Both the cardholder and immediate family members are covered.

Trip cancellation coverage begins when you make your first deposit toward the trip and ends when you depart on your scheduled departure date. Trip interruption starts on your scheduled departure date and ends on your scheduled return date. However, if these dates or times are adjusted for reasons beyond your or the carrier’s control, the benefit will adjust automatically .

What expenses are reimbursable? They include nonrefundable, prepaid travel expenses by a licensed supplier, such as a travel agency, hotel, shore excursion agency, etc. When canceling for a covered reason, you’re also covered for redeposit fees to get your airline miles back. Unfortunately, this benefit doesn’t cover lost money you paid for tickets to shows or theme parks, tee times at golf courses, museums, or other entrance fees unless they’re part of a tour package.

You’ll be covered for a few more situations with trip interruption coverage only . These include fees for returning a rental car early or to the nearest facility and up to $250 of expenses to transport you for necessary medical treatment. However, that doesn’t include medical transport (such as ambulances or medevac).

What if you paid with Chase Ultimate Rewards points and are due a refund under these benefits? You’ll be reimbursed according to the value on your travel supplier’s confirmation receipt, assuming that’s listed. If there’s no trip value listed on the receipt after you paid with points, you’ll be reimbursed at a value of 1 cent per point.

Covered Reasons

Not every reason for canceling a trip or ending it early is covered under these benefits. Covered reasons include accidental death or injury, a sickness requiring hospitalization, severe weather, a named storm warning, a change in military orders, a subpoena or call to jury duty, your home being burglarized or becoming uninhabitable, your hotel becoming uninhabitable, a public transportation strike that makes you miss 20% of a trip or a scheduled tour departure, and more. Consult the Chase Sapphire Preferred card benefits guide to see if your specific cancellation or interruption reason is covered.

Trip cancellation insurance doesn’t cover everything. For example, changing your mind about a trip is not covered. If your plans are subject to change, you may want to purchase Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance .

This part is a bit confusing, but yes. Chase’s benefits guide for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card states explicitly that cruise lines aren’t included in the definition of a “common carrier.” However, cruise lines are included in the definition of a “travel supplier.”

Why does this matter? Many of the trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits only apply to travel with a common carrier, which doesn’t include cruise lines. However, some benefits do apply to cruises . These include stolen luggage benefits or even canceling a trip if delays mean you’ll miss at least 20% of the trip or that you’ll miss the departure of your cruise ship.

The travel accident and injury benefits also apply while you’re cruising, but it’s worth noting that returning late to your cruise ship, only to find it’s left for the next island without you, isn’t a covered expense. You’ll be on your own for the costs of catching up to your ship.

There are 2 types of baggage protection here: coverage for delayed bags and coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage. Baggage delay insurance covers up to $100 per day for up to 5 days when your bags are delayed by at least 6 hours, covering each additional 24 hours past that until the maximum of 5 days is reached. This benefit applies to you and your immediate family members when you pay for at least part of your trip with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. You don’t need to be traveling with your immediate family members for them to be covered , as long as at least part of their trip was paid for with your card, which can be a nice perk if you book travel for relatives.

Coverage begins on the scheduled departure date and ends on the scheduled return date, though coverage adjusts automatically if there are changes outside your or the travel provider’s control. There’s also a list of non-covered items, such as medical devices, losses due to war/conflict, electronics, and cash equivalents. In case of baggage delay, you must report it to the travel provid er as soon as possible and keep receipts for necessary expenses you incur ; you’ll submit these for reimbursement afterward.

Lost luggage reimbursement is different; it covers lost, stolen, or damaged luggage during your trip. Both checked and carry-on bags are covered up to a maximum of $3,000 per person per trip. However, there’s a limit of $500 for jewelry, watches, and electronics.

There are some specifics to understand about this coverage, however. First, it doesn’t cover items you leave behind by accident . Second, coverage applies to you and immediate family members (even if you aren’t traveling with them) so long as you paid for at least part of the trip with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Coverage is available from the scheduled start to the scheduled end of your trip, but it is automatically adjusted if there are uncontrollable delays to either date.

Coverage applies to common carriers and cruise lines, and you must report the loss, theft, or damage within the timeframe specified by your travel provider. Then, the coverage on your Chase Sapphire Preferred card will cover any difference in the value of your monetary loss (after depreciation of the items) and the payment you receive from the travel provider . Thus, this is secondary coverage. It’s worth noting that documents, furs, tickets, and cash-like items aren’t covered.

Accidents can happen on any trip, from accidentally slipping on the wet deck of a cruise ship to spending nights in a hospital at a far-flung destination. Does your health insurance at home cover you when you head to Florida? What about South America? These are questions worth asking. If your medical coverage won’t be in effect, it’s worth considering medical travel insurance .

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card includes travel accident insurance for you and your immediate family members . It’s in effect if you pay at least part of the airfare for your trip with this card. You’ll receive varying maximum payouts depending on the type of injury (or death) encountered during your trip, and the maximum limit also depends on whether the accident occurs while traveling on a common carrier or at some other point during your trip . The 24-hour benefit provides maximum coverage of $100,000, increasing to $500,000 when traveling on a common carrier.

But how does this work in practice?

If more than 1 person is injured , the benefits administrator will pay no more than 2 times the maximum limit for each type of injury. That sum will be divided among all covered persons eligible for benefits payments.

In case of death , the benefits administrator will give the money to your named beneficiary. If you haven’t named a beneficiary, the order of preference goes from a spouse or domestic partner to children, then parents, siblings, and finally, your estate. If you go missing and haven’t been found after a year, then this will trigger the “loss of life” benefit.

Coverage begins either when you reach the airport, station, or terminal for travel on a common carrier or when you enter courtesy transportation provided to take you to the point at which your trip begins, such as a train station or airport. If you didn’t buy your tickets in advance but are purchasing them when you arrive at the station, coverage begins once you make the payment for travel. Coverage ends after you leave the transportation vessel or exit the courtesy transportation provided afterward.

The 24-hour coverage functions a bit differently. It’s in effect around the clock for up to 30 days, starting from your scheduled departure for air travel. If your trip is longer than 30 days, coverage will pause 1 minute after midnight on the 31st day and resume when you reach the airport for a flight home or are in courtesy transportation to the airport for the flight home.

Obviously, there are exclusions. You aren’t covered if you’re a pilot or crew member on a flight, you get injured while committing a crime, you get injured while skydiving, your injury is self-inflicted, or you’re injured in a war.

Lastly, you may wonder how COVID-19 factors in . The benefits guide says this under covered losses: “Quarantine of you or your traveling companion imposed by a physician or a competent governmental authority having jurisdiction, due to health reasons.”

Thus, your illness could be covered if a doctor or government requires quarantine related to COVID-19. COVID-19 is generally covered under most travel insurance policies in the same way sicknesses are covered. However, not traveling to avoid COVID-19 risks isn’t covered. As the benefits guide says, “Your disinclination to travel, a country closing its borders, or a travel supplier canceling or changing travel arrangements due to an epidemic or pandemic.”

Hotels aren’t treated separately under the Chase Sapphire Preferred card travel insurance terms. If you must cancel or interrupt a trip for a covered reason, then your hotel cancellation fees can be covered. This would include situations like forfeiting a first night’s room cost for canceling your hotel booking at the last minute, assuming you couldn’t arrive for a covered reason, such as a travel delay or a last-minute injury that made you unable to travel.

While you won’t find the word “Airbnb” or even “vacation home” in the benefits guide, you will find a description that covers these types of rentals :

“Provider of Lodging – a hotel, inn, motel, bed and breakfast, or hostel; a Provider of Lodging includes non–commercial time shares, condominiums, or rentals of a private residence; such rental shall require a written contract between You and the property owner or management company, executed in advance of the commencement of the rental period …” Chase Sapphire Preferred card benefits guide.

So long as you’ve reserved your rental in advance and have a written contract — which Airbnb provides at the time of booking, courtesy of your confirmation details — your vacation home rental should count as a type of lodging. The contract must state the cancellation provisions, must not include a rental of more than 60 days, and your booking must be made directly with a licensed website or agent — not with the homeowner directly (unless that person is a licensed agent).

Airbnb is a covered lodging type, meaning your booking should qualify for trip interruption, trip cancellation, and trip delay coverage .

In short, yes. However, there are some exclusions. Since your personal auto insurance policy may not cover you abroad, it’s great to know that paying with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card and declining the rental company’s collision damage waiver can provide protection on your next rental .

You can be covered up to the actual cash value of most rental cars against theft or collision damage. Coverage can include administrative fees, loss-of-use charges, and even towing charges. Coverage applies to rentals up to 31 days and covers you plus any additional drivers listed on the rental contract .

You’ll need to use your card (or your points) to pay for the entire cost of the rental , and most vehicle types are covered by this primary insurance. However, coverage doesn’t apply to exotic or antique cars, high-value vehicles, cargo vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, or vans with seating for more than 9 people (including the driver). Note that Teslas qualify as high-value vehicles, so these aren’t covered .

The benefits guide doesn’t spell out any specific excluded countries . However, Visa typically excludes coverage in Israel, Jamaica, and Northern Ireland, plus you may not be able to use your card to pay for a rental (and thus coverage won’t be in effect) with U.S. Treasury Department monetary embargoes . These destinations include places where your credit cards won’t work, such as Cuba, Sudan, Syria, and North Korea.

Unfortunately, no. Because Turo and Zipcar rentals aren’t considered rentals from a rental car agency, most credit card rental car insurance doesn’t cover them .

To file a claim, you should first gather all of the documents related to your claim . These can include receipts, accident reports, police reports, photos, hospital records, or anything else pertinent to the type of claim you’re making.

Next, you can call the benefits administrator at 866-390-9735 or visit eclaimsline.com to submit online . Different claims have different required timelines. For example, auto claims must be filed within 100 days of the incident. However, you need to file within 90 days for baggage delays or losses, but you’re supposed to contact the benefits administrator within 20 days of these incidents to at least provide notice, even though you have 90 days to finish submitting the claim.

This question will be subjective, and different people will arrive at different conclusions. Travel insurance can be useful for the unexpected, but no 2 trips are equal. The best way to decide whether you need additional insurance beyond what the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers is to look at what it doesn’t cover.

Will you be skydiving? Do you have significant trip expenses related to Turo rentals or short connections that could cause domino effects if you miss a departure time? Are you renting an RV or going camping — types of travel not covered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

If you have prepaid, nonrefundable expenses that wouldn’t be reimbursed by your credit card’s travel insurance in the event of delays or cancellations, getting a travel insurance policy that covers these could be a good idea and could provide peace of mind. That said, not every travel activity is covered by every travel insurance policy, so you want to make sure you choose a policy that covers your expenses for your particular trip .

If you look at your trip and decide that your flights, hotel plans, and simple plan of just relaxing at the beach will be covered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, then purchasing an extra policy probably isn’t necessary.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers numerous protections for purchases and trips. Insurance terms can feel confusing, but hopefully, the explanations of these policies should clarify what is and isn’t covered, as well as policy limits, in a way that helps you know whether the coverages are sufficient for your upcoming travels.

Want to learn more about what else this card offers beyond travel insurance? Consult our full Chase Sapphire Preferred card review .

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the chase sapphire preferred card have trip insurance.

Yes, it has several types of travel protections. Cardholders get rental car insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost and damaged luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and trip delay reimbursement.

How to file a claim with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card travel insurance?

You can call the benefits administrator at 866-390-9735 or visit eclaimsline.com to submit online. Each claim type has different required documents and a different required submission timeline, so check your benefits guide for your specific claim type.

Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card reimburse for travel cancellation?

Yes, you can be reimbursed for monetary losses of up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip if you cancel for a covered reason. You’ll need to pay for at least part of your trip with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and the cancellation must be for a covered reason, such as death, injury, or being called to active military duty.

What insurance does Chase Sapphire Preferred card cover?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has several types of travel protections. Cardholders get rental car insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost and damaged luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and trip delay reimbursement. Cardholders also get shopping insurance benefits, such as purchase protection and extended warranty protection, plus other benefits like roadside dispatch and travel and emergency assistance services (though these are pay-per-use benefits).

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About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.

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Should You Use Chase Points for Flights — Or Cash?

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

One question that we often get is, when should you use your miles or pay cash for flights?

In the case of airline miles, the decision depends on your valuation of those miles , and then it comes down to a bit of math. However, the answer is a lot more complicated when considering transferrable point currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

That's because Chase points are very flexible. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards® points to 11 airline and three hotel partners, or you can redeem points for travel through the Chase's travel portal. Alternatively, you can redeem points at an elevated rate for gift cards. Worst case, you can redeem points for cash back at 1 cent per point.

Whether you took advantage of an excellent sign-up bonus or have built your point balance over time, you'll want to use those points wisely. So, should Chase cardholders use points or cash to book flights? Let's review some aspects to consider when making that decision.

» Learn more: How to earn and use Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Factors to consider

Your travel goals.

When deciding between booking travel through Chase's travel portal or paying out-of-pocket, consider what you want to get out of your points and miles.

In short, what is your main motivator for collecting travel rewards in the first place?

If your goal is to save money on travel, default to using your points whenever you can. If redeeming the points as airline miles via a transfer doesn't provide much value, book through the Ultimate Rewards® portal instead.

If your motivation is to travel in ways that you wouldn't pay cash for, consider saving your points to use for that next incredible experience.

Say that flying Singapore Airlines first class is on your travel bucket list. This isn't an experience that you want to book with cash. For example, a Singapore first-class flight from New York to Frankfurt costs $6,563. That same flight can be booked on points for just 86,000 KrisFlyer miles (an Ultimate Rewards® transfer partner ) plus $5.60 in taxes and fees. That's a redemption rate of over 7.6 cents per mile.

For Chase Sapphire Reserve® holders, those 86,000 points are worth $1,290 when redeemed in the travel portal .

That's still more than many may want to pay for a single flight.

So, make sure that you value the experience of sipping champagne in a private suite on Singapore Airlines at more than $1,290 before giving up the opportunity to use those points to book a lot of other travel.

» Learn more: AmEx points vs. Chase points

How often you travel

If you jet off to a new destination each month, you'll want to be more strategic about when you use points versus paying out-of-pocket for flights. After all, you may be able to use your points at a higher redemption rate on your next trip. You may even build an upcoming trip to take advantage of a redemption sweet spot.

Use the NerdWallet travel calculator to quickly see if you should book an award with cash or miles.

However, for travelers who travel once or twice a year, there's less of an incentive to save your points for the next trip. Rather than sitting on a points balance, it's better to redeem them and save now .

Just make sure to weigh the best use of your points. Perhaps it's best to pay cash for your flights so you can maximize your Chase points through a hotel redemption.

» Learn more: The secret to booking 5,000-point hotels in major cities

Your points earnings

Another factor to consider is how many points and miles you earn through credit card spending and travel.

Are you a high spender or small-business owner who's able to earn a ton of points and miles? If so, you may have more points than you know what to do with. If that’s the case, you don't need to worry about saving your points for a better redemption. Instead, just focus on the best way of using your points for each booking — whether that's via the travel portal or by transferring to travel partners.

If your earning rate is low, you may want to be a lot more strategic about using your existing points and miles balance. Rather than redeeming points for a fixed redemption rate through the Ultimate Rewards® portal, consider waiting until you can redeem points for an outsized value.

» Learn more: What's the (actual) value of Chase points?

Elite status benefits and goals (or lack thereof)

For frequent travelers, another consideration is elite status earnings and benefits. When booking a flight using airline miles, you won't earn credits toward elite status. And you may not even be able to enjoy all of your elite status perks.

For example, you can book American Airlines awards through British Airways for as few as 7,500 Avios each way. However, American's terms and conditions restrict AAdvantage members from utilizing their elite benefits when booking awards through partner airlines. By booking an award through British Airways, AAdvantage elites won't get elite perks like upgrades, priority boarding and extra-legroom seats.

This aspect may tilt the scales on how you book your flights. Thankfully, you still have a couple of options. You can either use Ultimate Rewards® points to book a flight through the travel portal or use your credit card to earn more points. You'll earn elite status credits either way.

» Learn more: How to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Whether it might be better to earn points instead

In the past, Chase travel purchases were pretty straightforward. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders earned 2x points and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earned 3x on travel purchases.

That's not the case anymore. Chase recently improved the earning rates for Sapphire cardholders when booking travel with cash through the Chase Travel ℠ portal.

Now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 5x points on travel purchases through the Chase Travel ℠ portal — excluding hotel purchases where you use the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit.

Those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will earn 5x points on flights — after using the $300 annual travel credit — and a whopping 10x points on hotel purchases on travel purchases in the Chase Travel ℠ portal.

These improved earning rates may change your math on when to use points or cash. If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® , you may want to redeem points for your flights but book your hotel through the Chase Travel ℠ portal to earn 10x points. Just remember that you won't be able to earn elite status credits or enjoy elite perks when booking through the portal.

» Learn more: The full list of Chase transfer partners

How to use Chase points for flights smartly

There are many factors to consider before you redeem Chase points for travel. For many travelers, the default should be to use your points for a trip — whether that's by transferring points to travel partners or redeeming through the Chase Travel ℠ portal.

However, you may want to book cash rates:

To save your points for an incredible redemption.

If you travel often and can use points for a higher redemption rate soon.

If you don't see yourself earning many points going forward.

If you want to earn elite status credits or enjoy elite status perks.

If you want to earn bonus points by booking travel through the Chase Travel ℠ portal.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

10 ways to use points to book vacation home rentals

W hen traveling with your family or a large group of friends, vacationing "together" and not in separate hotel rooms using your points and miles can get a bit complicated. Luckily, there are vacation rental platforms aside from Airbnb and Vrbo that will let you use your hard-earned points and miles to book entire homes instead of paying cash.

Vacation home rentals have always been a great tool to have in your travel toolbox. At TPG, we've been curious about the best ways to use your points to book a vacation home rental because plunking down cash gets old in a hurry.

And just like choosing the best home rental for you takes some skill, figuring out the best way to redeem your points for a home rental isn't as simple as reading an award chart and hitting "book now" — but it absolutely can be done. Keep reading to find out the best ways to use your points to book vacation home rentals.

Redeem fixed-value points for vacation rentals

If you have a credit card that earns fixed-value points in your wallet, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , those are some of the best types of points to use to pay for vacation home rentals.

For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and allows you to redeem those points at 1 cent each toward travel. However, it may not be the best use of Capital One miles, as TPG values them at 1.85 cents apiece ; nevertheless, you can redeem those miles for travel . But be aware that while vrbo.com sometimes codes as travel, it doesn't always code as travel, depending on who owns and manages the property, so proceed with caution in that regard.

Related: 12 tips for choosing the perfect beach house rental

Another card that is great for stacking points for home rentals? The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card . For TPG Director of Content Summer Hull , this card turned out to be a points powerhouse for home rentals and any other charge that didn't fall under any one particular umbrella.

It earns 1.5 points per dollar on non-bonus charges and 2 points per dollar on travel and dining. But it gets better if you bank with Bank of America, as your deposits with the bank can earn you up to a 75% bonus on points earned with this card via the bank's Preferred Rewards program .

Since I'm in that top tier for banking with Bank of America, it bumps up my earnings on everyday charges to about 2.63 points per dollar and on travel or dining to 3.5 points per dollar. This is now one of my go-to cards for everyday spending, and I'll be able to just cash the points out at 1 cent each to offset what I spend on a home or cabin rental — or anything else.

Use Marriott points with Homes & Villas

If you have Marriott Bonvoy points or a credit card that allows you to transfer your points to Marriott (as with American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards ), another avenue for redeeming points to book a vacation home rental lies with the Homes & Villas by Marriott program .

Related: Best Marriott credit cards

Your per-point redemption value may not be as great as some other uses, so do the math before redeeming. However, if you have Marriott points you aren't sure what to do with, it can be an easy way to lock in a fabulous home rental using your hotel points.

Just know that while you are booking via Marriott's program, your individual bookings will be turned over to property management companies that handle it from that point on.

Related: Best credit cards for home rentals

Use Wyndham points with Vacasa

At the beginning of 2021, Wyndham announced a partnership with Vacasa , a vacation rental management company. This partnership allows you to use your Wyndham Rewards points to book over 15,000 vacation rentals around North and Central America.

With Wyndham's fixed award chart — even on home rentals — it'll cost 15,000 Wyndham points per bedroom per night. That means a studio or one-bedroom costs 15,000 points per night, a two-bedroom costs 30,000 points per night, a three-bedroom costs 45,000 points per night and so on. This can actually be a much better value than using your points on a traditional hotel room, as some properties cost as much as 30,000 points per night — for just a studio hotel room.

Redeem: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards

The process, however, to book a vacation rental with your points is quite cumbersome. While you can search for homes and availability directly on the Vacasa website , you cannot confirm a reservation immediately, like you normally can with a regular hotel room. Instead, you need to call Wyndham at 800-441-1034, and the representative will ask you a bunch of questions, including your Wyndham Rewards number and your desired location.

If you already know the home rental you want to book, you can also give them the listing number straight from the Vacasa site. Having a home rental already in mind will definitely speed up the process.

Related: Redeeming Wyndham points with Vacasa is a great deal — with a catch

Unfortunately, due to blackout dates, there's no way to know whether or not a property is available to book with points in the reservation calendar, and you'll need to wait for the Wyndham representative to look up your specific dates.

TPG contributor Jennifer Yellin has booked different vacation homes at ski resorts in New England and is about 50-50 with properties being able to be booked with points (even though they are all available for a paid reservation).

Once you confirm a vacation rental and date that works, the representative will lock in your reservation with points and explain the cancellation policy. When using Wyndham Rewards points for a vacation rental, you'll typically have to cancel at least 30 days in advance. As long as you cancel within the window, all points will go straight back to the account they came from and there are no additional fees. However, if you cancel within the 30-day window, you'll forfeit all points redeemed.

Truthfully, if you are looking to redeem your hotel points for a vacation rental, this has the potential to be one of the best programs out there. Especially since you can easily earn Wyndham points from Wyndham Rewards credit cards or transfer your Capital One miles to your Wyndham account at a 1:1 ratio.

Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for vacation rentals

Just as you can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for as much as 1.5 cents each when booking flights and hotels via the Chase travel portal, you can do the same for home rentals. Though Chase no longer has a designated "vacation rental" tab on its travel portal dashboard, if you search under "Hotels," type in the area, dates and number of guests, you will see a list of hotels as well as a few vacation home rentals.

Unfortunately, there is no filter to search for vacation homes so you will have to scroll, but the option is available on the Chase travel portal.

For example, I searched for a "hotel" in Park City, Utah, for Jan. 8 to Jan. 10, 2025, for six guests and found a vacation rental available for $454 per night (not including taxes and fees).

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , you can redeem your points at a fixed value of 1.5 cents each, which means one night at this vacation property (before taxes and fees) will cost you about 30,266 Ultimate Rewards points.

Use Hyatt points with Hyatt Homes & Hideaways

Hyatt launched its own collection of rental homes in late 2023, branded Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt. At the moment, Hyatt appears to only offer popular locations within the U.S. (think Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, etc.). Hyatt will eventually expand the program to international destinations.

Booking a stay at one of these properties confers many of the same perks as staying at a Hyatt hotel, such as 5 base points per dollar (plus any elite status bonuses), elite night credits and the ability to earn American Airlines miles when linking your account. You can redeem Hyatt points for award nights at any of these properties — though, after experimenting with some dummy bookings, the value proposition doesn't seem to be as high as with traditional Hyatt hotels.

Because you can transfer both Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, it's not difficult to accrue the points you need for a free night.

Homes & Hideaways gives customers a fixed purchase rate of 1.2 points per dollar. For example, if you book a three-night stay at a villa for $5,000, expect to pay about 416,667 points. TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece; therefore, if you redeem your Hyatt points for a Homes & Hideaways vacation rental, you are not maximizing their value.

Related: How to earn points with the World of Hyatt program

Use Choice points with Bluegreen Vacations

Choice Privileges partners with a vacation rental company called Bluegreen Vacations through its Ascend Hotel Collection . It operates primarily within the U.S., though there's one property in Aruba (you can see the map of all locations on Bluegreen's website ).

Bluegreen Vacations offers cheap award prices for surprisingly large accommodations. Take a look at the above example of a three-bedroom suite for just 25,000 points at the Bluegreen Vacations Christmas Mountain Village in June 2025.

You can earn Choice points with Choice credit cards , or you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Choice at a 1:1 ratio (though we don't usually recommend this; Amex points can be worth considerably more than Choice points, depending on how you use them).

Use Amex points via Amex Travel

American Express Select Homes + Retreats is a fancy collection of homes that are available exclusively to those who hold The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express . You can either purchase your stay with your eligible Platinum card to earn 5 points per dollar (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), or you can use Amex points to book your stay.

Click on "Vacation Rentals" on your Amex travel dashboard to see the select locations and properties available.

At present, American Express Select Homes + Retreats are only found in 12 areas around the U.S. You'll find them in the Panhandle area of Alabama and Florida; Maui, Hawaii; Charleston, South Carolina; and other popular vacation spots. As is the case with many programs on this list, Amex's offering isn't even in the same galaxy as Airbnb in terms of volume — but it provides properties you may not be able to find elsewhere.

Here's the issue: You'll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point for your booking. TPG considers American Express Membership Rewards points to be worth an average of 2 cents each — meaning this is a horrendous use of points in most cases.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Capital One vacation rentals

Capital One recently unveiled two collections of vacation rentals: Premier and Lifestyle . The collection(s) you can access depends on which Capital One credit card you hold.

If you've got either the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Spark Miles for Business , you can access the Lifestyle collection. If you've got either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture X Business , you can access both the Lifestyle and the (more fancy) Premier collections.

When you book a stay through Capital One, you'll receive bonus perks such as experience credits ($100 for Premier Collection stays, $50 for Lifestyle Collection stays), early check-in and late checkout when available, and destination experts to help you round out your trip. You'll also earn 5 miles per dollar when paying for your stay — or you can redeem Capital One miles to offset your bill at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

Again, using rewards to pay for your reservation isn't ideal, as TPG estimates Capital One miles to be worth 1.85 cents each toward travel when transferring to airline and hotel partners.

Related: Redeeming Capital One miles for maximum value

Redeem points for Airbnb gift cards

Another way to redeem points for a home rental is to cash in your points for a home rental gift card. Airbnb gift cards, for example, are available via several points programs.

Be careful when redeeming points for gift cards, as it isn't always the best return per point, but it is an option. With Chase Ultimate Rewards , you can redeem points for Airbnb gift cards at 1 cent each. While that is not a great use of points if you're looking to maximize your points, which TPG values at 2.05 cents apiece, it is an option if you want to save on your next vacation rental.

This story talks a bit more about redeeming points for gift cards and similar cash-out options.

Related: Maximizing points and miles to beat inflation and save money

Don't forget multibedroom hotel residence options

While not a home rental in the true sense, don't forget that multiple hotel loyalty programs have redemption options for multibedroom residences. You probably won't have a backyard and a pool with these, but the odds are good for a kitchen.

Many hotel chains, such as Hyatt and Marriott, offer multibedroom residence-style redemptions, though availability is more limited than when booking a standard hotel room. Keep in mind that Hyatt allows you to book suites online with points , too.

Bottom line

Your points can get you more than just flights and traditional hotel rooms — you can use them to book vacation home rentals.

If you know for sure you want to go that route, now may be the time to take stock of your wallet and see if you have the best card for this goal. The perfect program for you may vary as there are many different credit cards and loyalty programs that will allow you to use rewards toward that next vacation home rental.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Better Together: How to combine Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for maximum travel rewards

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If credit cards were food, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card cards would definitely be peanut butter and jelly, respectively.

That’s because both cards start out perfectly solid on their own. Even if you never knew how to combine their powers, you’d be very happy using both on a daily basis. But once you discover how to make a PB & J sandwich, there’s no going back. You’ve discovered a treat that’s sweet, protein-rich and gives you an excellent excuse to eat Wonder Bread. 

It’s the same thing with the Sapphire and the Freedom Flex–combine them, and you’re in for a tasty treat that you wish you’d discovered sooner.

But what exactly is the “PB & J” of Chase rewards? Well, get your favorite white bread ready and let’s find out.

First, a little explanation of benefits…

Before I share the “recipe” to Chase’s PB & J, here’s a quick overview of both cards to provide some context.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Intro bonus.

Rewards Rates

• 5% 5% cash back on activated bonus category purchases each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%)
• 5% 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3% 3% cash back on dining (including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services)
• 3% 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
• 1% 1% cash back on all other purchases
• 5% 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
• No annual fee
• Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
• Earns up to 5% cash back
• Foreign transaction fee
• Must active bonus categories every quarter
• 5% categories are capped
• Additional perks: Purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, cell phone protection, complimentary Doordash and Instacart+ membership
• Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Chase Freedom Flex – 5X rotating rewards

Here are the key highlights of Chase’s peanut butter, the Freedom Flex card. 

• 5% cash back on activated bonus category purchases each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%) , with the categories for Q2 2024 including Amazon.com, hotels and restaurants. 
• 0% intro balance transfer APR for 15 months (intro balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days) on both purchases and balance transfers. 
• $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within your first three months . 
• $0 annual fee

For more detail, check out our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex .

Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card

• 5x 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit)
• 3x 3x points on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 2x 2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase
• 1x 1x points on other purchases
• 5x 5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (that's 3x points in addition to the 2x points you already earn on travel)
• Valuable welcome bonus
• Extensive list of transfer partners
• Extra value on travel redemptions
• No premium travel perks
• Has an annual fee
• Additional perks: $50 annual hotel credit, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, complimentary Doordash and Instacart+ membership along with quarterly Instacart+ credits
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Chase Sapphire Preferred – a grab bag of travel perks 

In a similar vein, here’s a quick breakdown of Chase’s homemade grape jam, the ever-popular Sapphire Preferred card: 

• 2x points on travel purchases , plus 3x points on dining, 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 1x points on other purchases. 
• 25% travel redemption bonus when you redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points through Chase Travel (e.g. redeem 10,000 points, get $125 in value). 
• 60,000-point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 within three months. 
• $50 annual statement credit good towards a hotel booked through Chase Travel. 
• $95 annual fee

To learn more, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred . 

Circling back to our “recipe,” notice how Chase is quick to point out that your 60,000-point welcome bonus is worth $750 in travel redemption–all thanks to that handy 25% redemption bonus. And if you think about it, that means the points you earn with the card are worth 1.25X towards travel, too. 

So in reality, as long as you’re redeeming points through Chase Travel, your rewards chart really looks like this: 

• 5X > 6.25X on travel booked through Chase Travel
• 3X > 3.75X on dining/online groceries/streaming
• 2X > 2.5X on general travel
• 1X > 1.25X on everything else

Those are some mighty impressive earnings rates, lending even more value to the CSP as a travel companion. 

But here’s the crazy thing: that 25% bonus multiplier applies to every Chase Ultimate Rewards point you earn, regardless of which card you earn it with . 

Here’s how it all works. 

Here’s how your Chase Sapphire Preferred account lets you earn 6.25X with your Freedom Flex card

In our Chase Ultimate Rewards guide we outline all of the dozen-ish ways you can redeem your hard-earned Chase points. From trips to back massages to cash back, there’s hardly a bad option. 

But perhaps the most underrated option is the Combine points feature. 

Combine points allows you to move Chase Ultimate Rewards points from one Chase card to another–meaning you can earn points with one card–and spend them with another. Another that has, say a 25% points multiplier on points redeemed for travel…

As you can see, the option only applies to Chase rewards cards that generate Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So the Prime Visa and the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card cards, for example, won’t appear here–but your Freedom and Sapphire cards will. 

Unlike a bank transfer, combining Chase Ultimate Rewards points is free and instantaneous. Plus, you can always move the points back if you wish (although I’ve never found a reason to move points from a Sapphire card back to a Freedom card).

Then, as soon as you’ve combined all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points into your Sapphire account, you can go spend them at Chase Travel where you’ll get an extra 25% in value: 

This trick also works with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card where you’ll get 50% extra value (provided you’re cool with the card’s $550 annual fee). 

Now, while I heartily recommend this trick to most travelers I meet–especially if they already have both cards–you should know that it still comes with three big caveats. 

PB & Js aren’t perfect, and neither is this trick

Though delicious, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren’t perfect. They’re high in fat, sugar and carbohydrates, and unlike the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, they don’t travel especially well. 

In a similar vein, here are the caveats to the “PB & J of Chase cards”: 

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred card charges a $95 annual fee and requires a 670+ FICO score to apply. 
• With the Chase Freedom Flex, you can only earn 5% cash back on activated bonus category purchases each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%) (generating 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth $93.75). 
• Hotel rooms booked using points typically don’t generate any additional rewards or allow you to utilize your status benefits. 

But if you’re OK with these caveats, I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for tastier travel rewards.  And for more tips to help you get off the ground–quite literally–check out our Beginner’s guide to travel rewards .

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE : The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends ™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.