For a limited time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has increased its sign-up bonus, its biggest offer since June 2021. If the card has been on your wish list, now may be an opportune time to apply.
Starting Oct. 3, 2024, new Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders can earn the following two-part welcome offer:
A one-time $300 credit that can be used to book travel through Chase’s travel portal. The credit expires 12 months after account opening.
60,000 bonus points worth $750 in travel after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.
If you hit the $4,000 spending requirement for the bonus, the total value of the welcome offer is $1,050 in travel. That’s because one Chase Ultimate Rewards® point is worth 1.25 cents when redeemed through Chase’s travel portal.
Note that you’re ineligible for this offer if you already have a Sapphire credit card or have received a sign-up bonus on a Sapphire credit card within the past 48 months.
Full list of Chase transfer partners
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Iberia (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
Singapore (1:1 ratio).
Southwest (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hyatt (1:1 ratio).
InterContinental Hotels Group (1:1 ratio).
Marriott (1:1 ratio).
Chase is also offering a temporary promotion through January 2025 that can add even more points to your Ultimate Rewards® stash. You can get:
20,000 points for hotel bookings of at least $500 made in Chase’s travel portal, or 10,000 points for non-hotel bookings of at least $500. This promotion is only available to cardholders who haven’t used the travel portal since Aug. 15, 2022.
10,000 points or a $100 statement credit for hotel bookings of at least $400 made in Chase’s travel portal. This promotion is only available to cardholders who are repeat bookers in the portal.
Cardholders must activate this offer online or in the Chase app to receive the bonus points. Points will be credited to the account after the travel has been completed.
No direct link to offer, showing via referrals only currently. Find and share referrals in this linked offer.
Chase is offering a new sign up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year
Card Details
$95 annual fee, not waived
No foreign transaction fees
Primary car rental insurance
$50 Annual Hotel Credit. (This is per cardmember year, rather than calendar year. Must be booked through the Chase Travel Portal.)
Card earns at the following rates:
5x on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal.
3x on Dining/Streaming Services/online grocery (excludes: excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
2x on travel
1x on all other purchases
10% Anniversary point bonus. When you renew your card Chase will offer a 10% bonus spend. For example if you spend $25,000 you’d earn 2,500 bonus points. This is award after the annual fee is paid. This doesn’t apply to the sign up bonus.
Transferable points
Redeem points on Chase’s travel portal at a value of 1.25¢ due to the 25% travel redemption bonus
Not eligible if you’ve received a sign up bonus on the Sapphire Preferred/Reserve in the last 48 months (standard is now 48 months)
Chase 5/24 rule applies to this card
Our Verdict
Previous recent best was 85,000 points but that required going in branch. That offer was better as you get more Chase UR points, but most recent online offer was 75,000 points. Nice bit of this offer is that it’s available via referral, so great for people referring P2 or a friend/family member. We will add this to our best credit card bonuses page. Do not share your referrals in the comments below, you can use this linked thread instead. Looks like you can get an additional 10,000 points in branch.
Some Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders have received an e-mail from Chase informing them that the timing of their travel credit will be changing. For example:
Like in years past your $300 annual travel credit will reset in December and you will start to receive statement credits for travel purchases.
On December 30, 2024, any unused portion of your $300 credit will be applied to your account as a statement credit.
Starting in 2025, your $300 travel credit will then reset annually on <card anniversary date> and you will start receiving statement credits up to $300 for your travel purchases.
All other rewards program terms continue to apply.
If you’ve applied since May 21, 2017 this will not affect you at all as you already receive the credit based on your cardmember year rather than calendar year. People who applied before that date had a grandfathered credit and will be in line with all other cardholders.
This change is only for grandfathered CSR members who get the travel credit based on the calendar year. Those who signed up since May 21, 2017, get the credit based on the cardmember year. For them, there are no changes at all.
Chase is offering a bonus of five free night certificates, good on category 1-4 properties when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening on the Chase World of Hyatt card.
Card Basics
This product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months
Annual fee of $95
Card earns at the following rates:
4x points per $1 spent on Hyatt hotels (they advertise this as 9x, but it’s 4x plus the 5x you normally get anyway)
2x points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting (including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share serivces)
2x points per $1 spent on restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
2x points per $1 spent on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines
2x points per $1 spent on fitness clubs and gym memberships
1x points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Receive up to two free nights annually:
One free night at any category 1-4 Hyatt property every year after your card member anniversary
An additional free night at any category 1-4 Hyatt property if you spend $15,000 during your card member anniversary year
Status:
World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as the card is open
5 qualifying night credits towards your next tier status every year
An additional 2 qualifying night credits towards your next tier every time you spend $5,000 on the card (no limit)
Our Verdict
Previous best offer was 65,000 points. If you redeemed all five nights on a category four property that would come out to 90,000 points so this bonus is significantly better but you obviously lose the ability to stay at properties category 5 or above. This offer also requires a lot less spend. I think this offer is worth doing if you have a 5/24 spot and will be added to the best credit card bonuses.
Here is the new list of the Pay Yourself Back categories on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, valid through January 31, 2025:
Utilities 1.25 cents per point
Insurance 1.25 cents per point
Fitness Clubs and Gym Memberships 1.25 cents per point
Also available, as before: Gas Stations 1.25 cents per point
Also available, as before: Annual Fee 1.25 cents per point
(They’ve removed Wholesale Clubs and Pet Stores as options)
(I’m not seeing anything above 1% on the INK cards, other than the select charities with 25% bump.)
A lot of people won’t be happy given the removal of Wholesale Clubs. On the other hand, I think utilities and insurance are actually easy categories to use and find these more easily useful.
Chase Aeroplan PYB is 1.25 cents per point on Travel purchases through 12/31/24.
If anyone can verify the Chase Southwest PYB 1 cent per point toward cover the annual fee and .8 cents per points to cover Grocery or Gas (up to $300 in statement credits), please let us know. Same for the Chase United PYB for the Annual Fee (between 1.5 and 1.75 cents per point, depending on the card version), please let us know.
In late 2017, San Francisco couple Riley Adams and his wife stumbled upon the Halley’s comet of airline credit card welcome offers. For a limited time, the card was advertising a companion pass on top of a large sign-up bonus.
“We knew we had a lot of spending in one specific area coming up, and we wanted to try to shop around to get the best value for those needs,” says Adams, a certified public accountant, financial adviser and owner of the blog Young and the Invested. “If you plan for it, you can really offset those costs [with a sign-up bonus].”
If you’re considering a new credit card, the bonus-friendly season from October through December is an ideal time. Your expenses on Black Friday, holiday travel and meals, end-of-the-year charitable donations and more may easily meet a large spending requirement for a juicy sign-up bonus.
Here’s what to know about such offers.
Timing a credit card bonus
A sign-up bonus is a one-time incentive offered by rewards credit cards on top of any ongoing cash back, points or miles on purchases. Snagging a bonus typically requires spending between $500 and several thousand dollars within a certain time — often three months — after you’re approved for the card.
That level of spending may not be difficult during the holiday season. In 2023, consumers planned to spend $875, on average, on gifts, decorations, food and other key seasonal items, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey.
Even if your expenses aren’t entirely holiday-related, a little planning can still help you reap a windfall that you can use the following holiday season. You can earn a sign-up bonus toward travel or use it toward other expenses.
The Adamses, for example, mapped out a budget before applying for that airline credit card with the generous bonus. They met its spending requirement primarily by paying for Riley’s wife’s work-related expenses in 2017; they then put what they earned toward holiday travel the next year.
“We used it all of 2018 to visit family for holidays — Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas — plus two domestic trips for [our] own purposes, and then flying to a major hub for an international flight on our one-year anniversary,” Adams says.
Have the money on hand
It’s not worth spending money you don’t have just to chase a large bonus. If you can’t pay your credit card bill in full each month, interest charges will eat away at any rewards you accrue.
But if you’ve saved up a holiday fund, you can gift yourself a rich introductory credit card offer while you’re at it.
Other factors to keep in mind
As you size up a rewards credit card and its sign-up bonus, ask yourself these questions:
Can you meet the card’s credit requirements? You’ll generally need good credit (a FICO score of 690 or higher) to qualify for a rewards card with a big bonus.
Are you willing to pay an annual fee? The top cards — those with the highest bonuses, richest rewards and best perks — charge annual fees. If you don’t think you’ll earn enough in rewards and benefits to outweigh that fee, consider a no-annual-fee rewards card. Many of them also offer bonuses.
Do the card’s rewards categories match your expenses? A sign-up bonus can offer a chunk of upfront value, but the card won’t be useful long term if its ongoing rewards and perks don’t fit your habits.
Can you meet the spending requirement for the bonus with your current budget? If you know you can’t spend $4,000 in three months without going into debt, look for a bonus with a lower spending threshold.
Will you pay your bill in full every month to avoid interest? Rewards cards tend to have high ongoing APRs, meaning you don’t want to carry a balance month to month. If you’re already struggling with debt, a rewards credit card may not be ideal for you.
Kakish’s top advice for brokers: “Number one, don’t chase commissions,” he told Mortgage Professional America. “Build systems. Everyone wants more production, but if you chase production you won’t get it and, even if you do, it’s a seedless watermelon. Yeah, you ate. But where does it go from there? “I think most brokers will waste … [Read more…]
Global Entry membership offers low-risk travelers expedited entry through customs when they re-enter the U.S. and access to the TSA PreCheck line. The approval process has two steps: Submit an application and receive conditional approval, then schedule an in-person interview with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for final approval.
The whole process can take up to 24 months if your application requires a manual review, according to the CBP website. You can’t do anything about the wait period for conditional approval, but a service called Global Entry Spotter wants to streamline the in-person scheduling part of the process.
“We know exactly when most enrollment centers will release their appointments,” says Dylan Neff, co-founder of Global Entry Spotter. Once the spotter identifies an open interview slot at your chosen enrollment centers, you’ll receive an immediate notification via email or text message. Then log onto the CBP website and schedule the interview without the hassle of constantly checking for appointment availability.
The service costs $25 for unlimited text notifications for appointment availability at up to three enrollment centers.
I tested out Global Entry Spotter and was pleased with the simple user interface and how quickly I started receiving text notifications for appointment availability. The price point is lower than similar services like TTP Tracker ($30) and Appointment Scanner ($27.99), and you get unlimited notifications for a one-time fee, whereas those services charge you monthly for a limited number of daily notifications.
Features
Global Entry Spotter allows you to receive appointment notifications from up to three of over 170 enrollment centers across the country. You can search for appointment availability on certain days of the week and within a range of future dates that work with your schedule.
The company says that 3 out of 4 users will receive their first alert within 24 hours of registering. In my experience, I registered for notifications from three enrollment centers in Florida and received my first notification within minutes.
In addition to Global Entry, you can also schedule interview appointments for other Trusted Traveler Programs offered by the CBP, including NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST.
Pros of Global Entry Spotter
Unlimited notifications
Unlike similar services that cap the number of notifications you can receive, you’ll get unlimited email or text notifications with Global Entry Spotter. This could be especially valuable if you’re using a broad range of dates for your search, or if you include enrollment centers that have more availability.
Within an hour of registering, I received notifications for appointment availability at each of the enrollment centers I selected.
🤓Nerdy Tip
If you are struggling to find an appointment and have plans to fly through an airport with a Global Entry enrollment center in the next few months, add that airport to your alerts list to increase your odds of snagging an interview time slot.
One-time fee
Global Entry Finder charges a one-time $25 fee for their service. Other similar services charge a monthly fee that you’ll have to pay multiple times if you don’t find an appointment in that first month. Even with alerts, finding an appointment can be a chore in high-demand areas like Charlotte, where there is only one enrollment center. With the one-time fee, you can take your time to find an appointment that works for you.
“If you don’t in the end find an appointment, we’ll give you your money back, no questions asked,” says Neff.
Real-time data
Global Entry Finder offers a real-time look at wait times for individual enrollment centers across the country and converts that into the probability that you’ll find an appointment at different locations. Green dots represent a higher probability, whereas red and orange dots indicate lower probability.
If you’re in one of those tough-to-schedule locations like Charlotte or Chicago, speed will be the key in scheduling an appointment once you receive the alert.
Neff says you might only have 30 seconds to a minute after receiving an alert to secure an appointment slot in one of those low-probability locations.
“It’s hard to do with our service, but it’s impossible to do without our service,” Neff says.
(Screenshot: Global Entry Spotter. Green dots represent a higher probability of getting an appointment, whereas red and orange dots indicate lower probability.)
Drawbacks of Global Entry Spotter
Once you receive an alert, you’ll still need to find and book that appointment on the CBP website. If you’re in a high-demand area and don’t immediately see the alert, you may be shut out from that appointment slot as other people try to reserve it before you. Additionally, the more people that use a service like Global Entry Spotter, the harder it will be for any one person to find an appointment, since more people will be vying for those in-demand slots as soon as they are released.
Should you sign up for Global Entry Spotter?
You should sign up for Global Entry Spotter if you live in or near a high-demand city and are struggling to find an in-person appointment. The cost is reasonable and using the service could dramatically decrease the time you wait for final Global Entry approval.
How to get Global Entry for free
Several popular travel credit cards reimburse you for the application fee for TSA Trusted Traveler Programs like Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. This is usually in the form of a statement credit, where you pay for the fee on your card and get reimbursed automatically.
Here are some of our favorite cards that offer a statement credit for Global Entry:
Cards with TSA benefits
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
on Bank of America’s website
United℠ Explorer Card
on Chase’s website
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
on Chase’s website
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95.
Benefit
Statement credit of up to $100 as reimbursement when you charge the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to the card. Available once every 4 years.
Statement credit of up to $100 as reimbursement when you charge the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS to the card. Available once every 4 years.
Statement credit of up to $100 as reimbursement when you charge the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS to the card. Available once every 4 years.
Statement credit of up to $120 as reimbursement when you charge the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to the card. Available once every 4 years.
Update 9/26/24: Those who have this card are getting an email that it will be changed to a Freedom Unlimited card on October 7, 2024 as the Freedom Student is being discontinued. (ht avsterbone) Presumably this card is being discontinued in favor of their newer Freedom Rise card.
Update 4/2/20: Card is now available online.
Update 6/10/19: Card is now available, but only in branch.
Chase will launch a new Freedom Student card on June 9th. (All this information comes from an anonymous source.)
Bonus Information
Card comes with a $50 signup bonus after making your first purchase within 3 months
Card has a special Good Standing reward of $20 (2,000 Ultimate Rewards points) for 5 years at the account anniversary date, as long as the card is open in good standing (no other requirement for this bonus)
Card Details
Card has no annual fee (like the ordinary Freedom card)
Card earns 1% cashback on all purchases (like the ordinary Freedom card)
Card apparently does NOT have the 5% rotating categories that the ordinary Freedom card has (it’s not mentioned anywhere in the literature)
Card is not a secured card, it’s a regular credit card
Other Details
Card is only be available for students
Must be 18 or older to apply
If you graduate or stop going to school, you’ll continue receiving all the same benefits as before
When inputting their income, students should use income from things like seasonal jobs, internships, public assistance benefits, investments, etc.
Special focus on credit education information
Automatic credit limit increase after 5 on-time payments within the first 10 months
Final Thoughts
Chase currently does not have any student card, and it’s interesting to see them break into that market. The $20 annual bonus for 5 years + $50 initial bonus makes the signup bonus basically the equivalent of a 15,000 bonus with no spend requirement which isn’t bad for a no-fee student card.
I’m a bit surprised the card won’t have the 5% rotating categories; from what I can tell, even after graduation all card details will remain the same (other than the $20 annual bonus which ends after 5 years) with no 5% categories. For comparison, Discover’s IT Student card does have the same 5% rotating benefit as the regular Discover IT card.
Overall, a solid new option for students to get started with. Other good options for students include the Discover IT card (student version) or the Citi Rewards+ Student card.