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How is my Chase Sapphire Preferred changing? (June 2026)
NC
nextcard teamPublished Jun 21, 2025
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is getting one of its biggest updates in years, with new bonus categories, larger credits, and additional travel perks coming in June 2026.
The annual fee is staying at $95, but Chase is also removing two valuable features: the 10% anniversary points bonus and 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt for Sapphire Preferred cardholders.
For anyone considering the card right now, a key question is whether to apply for the card before June 15, 2026 to temporarily lock in the outgoing benefits while still gaining access to the new ones.
Here is the simplest way to understand the 2026 Sapphire Preferred refresh. Just to be clear, if you applied for your Preferred before June 15, 2026, these benefits won't appear until June 15.
| Feature | Current Chase Sapphire Preferred | Updated Chase Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Chase Travel hotel credit | Up to $50 per account anniversary year | (Expanded) Up to $100 per account anniversary year |
| Gas purchases | 1x points | 3x points |
| EV charging | 1x points | 3x points |
| Airbnb, Vrbo, and vacation rentals | 2x points (if it codes as travel) | 3x points |
| Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit | N/A | (New) Up to $120 every four years |
| Travel protections | Included | (New) Expanded with Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage |
| Apple TV+ | N/A | (New) Complimentary one-year subscription |
The headline is that the Sapphire Preferred is becoming more useful for everyday spending and casual travel, but less powerful for Hyatt-focused points redemptions. Some people feel like the new credits are a distraction from the 4:3 Hyatt transfer nerf.
The refreshed Sapphire Preferred adds several practical benefits without increasing the annual fee. That makes this update unusual: many card refreshes add credits but also raise the price. Chase is leaving the annual fee at $95 while adding new earning categories and credits.
Just to be clear: all the new benefits will be granted to new and existing Sapphire Preferred cardmembers starting June 15, 2026.
The Sapphire Preferred is adding 3x points on gas and EV charging purchases, making the card more useful for drivers who want to consolidate everyday spending on one travel rewards card.
This is a meaningful improvement because gas has historically been a weak spot for the entire Chase suite & is especially timely given rising gas prices.
Chase is also adding 3x points on vacation homes at top brands, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and more.
This is also one of the strongest new earning categories because an increasing number of travelers now use vacation rentals instead of hotels, especially for family trips, group travel, ski trips, beach houses, and longer stays. Notably, there are not many other cards left that earn 3x on Airbnb purchases, except maybe like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which gives the new Sapphire Preferred a unique advantage.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently includes up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. Starting June 15, that credit is increasing to up to $100 per account anniversary year.
That is a straightforward $50 increase in potential annual value.
For a card with a $95 annual fee, a $100 hotel credit can be especially attractive. I think the credit is now much more usable than beforehand, especially since a large majority of hotels in the US cost more than $100/night.
If you already used the current $50 hotel credit, you should not expect a brand-new separate $100 credit.
Based on the update guidance, Chase is increasing the maximum hotel credit to $100. That means cardholders who already used $50 may have an additional $50 available, rather than a full extra $100.
If you elected to snooze, you actually win this time around.
The refreshed Sapphire Preferred adds a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
This is a strong addition for a $95 annual fee travel card. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits are common on premium cards, but they are less common on mid-tier travel cards with sub-$100 annual fees.
The value depends on whether you already have another card that reimburses these application fees. If you do not, this benefit can make the Sapphire Preferred more useful for occasional travelers who want a smoother airport experience.
The updated Sapphire Preferred includes a complimentary one-year Apple TV+ subscription when activated by December 31, 2026. Terms apply.
This is not the core reason to get the card, but it adds real value for cardholders who would otherwise pay for Apple TV+. If you already pay to watch Severance or Ted Lasso, then let your Sapphire Preferred do the heavy lifting.
The biggest downside of the Sapphire Preferred refresh is the change to World of Hyatt transfers.
Sapphire Preferred cardholders currently transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. Under the new structure, Sapphire Preferred cardmembers will transfer Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio.
That is a 25% reduction in transfer value.
| Chase Ultimate Rewards Points | Current Hyatt Points at 1:1 | New Hyatt Points at 4:3 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 10,000 | 7,500 |
| 20,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 |
| 40,000 | 40,000 | 30,000 |
| 60,000 | 60,000 | 45,000 |
| 100,000 | 100,000 | 75,000 |
For Hyatt loyalists, this is a major nerf. World of Hyatt has long been one of the best Chase transfer partners because Hyatt award nights can offer strong value compared with many hotel loyalty programs.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® will retain 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt.
That creates a much clearer divide between the Preferred and Reserve. If Hyatt transfers are the main reason you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the Sapphire Reserve may become more important in your long-term Chase setup.
However, it is definitely scary that we’re starting to see annual fees play a role in the transfer ratios.
For Sapphire Preferred cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026, the 4:3 Hyatt transfer ratio applies immediately.
For cardmembers who applied before June 15, 2026, you’ll keep the 1:1 transfer ratio through October 01, 2026. Afterwards, you’ll get the new 4:3 ratio.
If you don’t have the Sapphire Preferred yet and want to hold the 1:1 ratio for a few months, then you might want to consider applying for it before June 15. You’ll get all the new benefits anyways on June 15, 2026 and you’ll keep the 1:1 transfer ratio through October 01, 2026.
The other major negative change is the end of the 10% anniversary points bonus. We’ve known about this previously, but there’s an official end date to retain this feature.
Under the current benefit, each account anniversary year, cardholders earn bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made during the previous account anniversary year. For example, $20,000 in annual purchases would earn a 2,000-point anniversary bonus.
That benefit is being discontinued for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026.
For cardmembers who applied before June 15, 2026, eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026 will continue to earn the 10% bonus, with the bonus expected to be awarded by January 31, 2027.
This is not as flashy as the Hyatt transfer change, but it matters for heavy spenders who used the Sapphire Preferred as a primary everyday card. But, I think most people will prefer the new credits to this minor feature (I certainly do).
The most interesting part of this update is the transition period, especially if you don’t currently have the Preferred.
Anyone who applies or got the card before June 15, 2026 will be able to access all the new card benefits beginning June 15, 2026 while also retaining 1:1 Hyatt transfers and continuing to earn the 10% anniversary bonus on purchases made through October 1, 2026.
That could create a temporary “best of both worlds” version of the Sapphire Preferred.
If you currently have the Preferred or add it before the June 15 cutoff, you’ll have a “super” version of the Preferred between June 15 – October 01, 2026:
All alongside the other standard Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card benefits.
This refresh is not simply good or bad. It depends on how you use the card.
The update is likely strongest for everyday cardholders who want simple, useful benefits without paying a premium annual fee.
You likely benefit from the refresh if you:
For this type of cardholder, the Sapphire Preferred may become a stronger all-around travel card.
The update is worse for cardholders who care most about maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to World of Hyatt.
You may lose value if you:
For Hyatt-focused cardholders, the move from 1:1 to 4:3 is a significant devaluation. I think this change is designed to push more value into the average cardholder rather than points optimizers.
Despite the major refresh, several important Sapphire Preferred benefits are staying the same.
The annual fee remains $95, and the card continues to earn 5x points on Chase Travel purchases, 3x points on dining, 3x points on select streaming services, 3x points on online grocery purchases, 2x points on other travel, and 1x points on other purchases.
The card also continues to offer no foreign transaction fees, primary auto rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost luggage coverage, baggage delay coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and other travel and purchase protections.
The complimentary DashPass benefit is also staying, including the existing DoorDash benefits for eligible cardholders.
You should consider adding the card before June 15, 2026 if you were already planning to get the Sapphire Preferred and you value Hyatt transfers or the 10% anniversary bonus.
The strongest case for applying before June 15 is that eligible cardholders may be able to temporarily keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers and anniversary bonus eligibility through October 1, 2026 while also getting access to the new benefits.
You may be better off waiting or skipping the card if you do not care about Hyatt, already have Global Entry through another card, rarely book through Chase Travel, and do not spend much on gas, EV charging, or vacation rentals.
For many travelers, the Sapphire Preferred is becoming more practical. For points maximizers, it is becoming less powerful.
Cardmembers who apply on or after June 15 will not get the 10% anniversary bonus and 1:1 Hyatt transfers, while cardmembers who applied before June 15 will keep those legacy benefits through October 01, 2026.
That is to say, if you currently have the Sapphire Preferred, you will get access to the new benefits starting June 15, 2026 and you will lose 1:1 Hyatt transfers and the 10% anniversary bonus on October 01, 2026.
No, the Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee is staying at $95.
That is one of the most important parts of this refresh because Chase is adding 3x gas, 3x EV charging, 3x vacation rentals, a larger $100 hotel credit, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit, and Apple TV+ without raising the annual fee.
The new Chase Sapphire Preferred hotel credit is now up to $100 per account anniversary year for eligible hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. This replaces the current up to $50 annual hotel credit, effectively doubling the potential value for cardholders who book at least one qualifying hotel stay through Chase Travel each year.
Yes, Sapphire Preferred transfers to World of Hyatt are changing from 1:1 to 4:3.
That means 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points would become 30,000 Hyatt points instead of 40,000 Hyatt points. Existing eligible cardholders who got the card prior to June 15, 2026 will keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers through October 1, 2026.
Yes, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders keep 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt. This creates a bigger difference between the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve for travelers who heavily value Hyatt redemptions.
Yes, the 10% anniversary points bonus is being discontinued for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026.
Cardmembers who have the Preferred prior to June 15, 2026 will still earn the 10% bonus on eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026, with the bonus expected to be awarded by January 31, 2027.
Apply for the Preferred before June 15, 2026 if you value Hyatt transfers and/or the 10% anniversary bonus + were already planning to get the card. The potential advantage is that you’ll get all the new benefits starting June 15, 2026 while temporarily keeping the old Hyatt transfer ratio and anniversary bonus eligibility through October 1, 2026.
For example, if you apply for the Preferred on June 11, 2026, you’ll keep the 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio and 10% anniversary bonus through October 01, 2026. You’ll then get all the new benefits on June 15, 2026 (eg updated $100 Chase Travel hotel credit, trusted traveler credit, etc).
| World of Hyatt transfer ratio |
| 1:1 |
| 4:3 (for new cardmembers who apply starting June 15, 2026; cardmembers who applied before June 15 keep 1:1 transfers until October 1, 2026) |
| 10% anniversary points bonus | Included | Discontinued (for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026; cardmembers who applied before June 15 continue earning on eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026) |
| Chase Travel purchases | 5x points | 5x points |
| Dining | 3x points | 3x points |
| Online groceries | 3x points | 3x points |
| Select streaming services | 3x points | 3x points |
| Other travel | 2x points | 2x points |
| DashPass | Included | No change, included |
