TLDR: Chase is replacing its guaranteed 25-50% point bonus for Sapphire cards with a new, variable "Points Boost" program. This means your points' value is no longer fixed and may be harder to maximize.
Before June 23, 2025, points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® could be redeemed at fixed rates of 1.25 cents per point and 1.5 cents per point, respectively.
This feature boosted the value of your points by letting you redeem them for travel at a higher rate than the standard 1 cent per point, effectively saving you money when booking through Chase’s travel portal.
You could guarantee the value of your introductory offers with this redemption model. For example, in the past, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has offered a welcome bonus of 100,000 points (this offer is no longer available). The 25% bonus rate meant that you could get at least $1,250 in value from your 100,000 points. Likewise, you could guarantee that a 60,000-point welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® would be worth at least $900 in value with the 50% bonus rate.
With the new Points Boost program that Chase is rolling out, it is no longer possible to guarantee that you will be able to get more value out of your points than the standard 1:1 redemption rate.
For the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, points can be worth up to 1.5x when redeemed on top hotels and select flights, and up to 1.75x when redeemed on premium cabin tickets with select airlines through Chase Travel. For the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, points can be worth up to 2x when redeemed on select flight and hotel bookings.
The key thing to note here is the phrase “up to”.
With the new Points Boost model, you can redeem your points up to a certain value. The rates are no longer guaranteed or fixed, which means that it can be difficult to redeem your points for a higher value. For all we know, Chase could restrict the Points Boost rate to a certain number of itineraries, and the max rate could be difficult to obtain.
There is no guarantee that redeeming your points through Points Boost will attain a higher value than the old, fixed rates. Points Boost might not even be available in certain situations, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the value of your points.
Since Chase is just beginning to roll out the Points Boost program, cardholders who got the card prior to June 23, 2025 can still take advantage of the fixed rates for a certain amount of time.
This actually makes for a pretty strong argument to at least keep the cards until October 26, 2027 since you’d be getting a “special” version of the card. Notably, in both cases, for points earned starting October 26, 2025, you’ll only have 1-2x variable ‘Points Boost’ redemption rate.
The introduction of Chase’s Points Boost program marks a major shift in how Sapphire cardholders can redeem points for travel. While the potential for higher redemption values exists, the key difference is uncertainty, since point values are no longer guaranteed. This means that those who previously relied on fixed rates to stretch the value of their welcome bonuses and travel redemptions will need to be more vigilant and flexible when booking through Chase Travel.
If you’re a current Sapphire Preferred or Reserve cardholder who opened your account before June 23, 2025, the good news is that you can still access the old fixed rates, at least for now. But if you're applying for a new card after that date, it's important to be aware that the value of your points may vary based on availability, booking category, and timing.
Ultimately, the new Points Boost system may benefit frequent travelers who know how to spot high-value redemptions. But for those who preferred the predictability of fixed rates, it’s a step away from simplicity and toward a more complex and variable rewards experience.
