Why I Got the Chase Sapphire Preferred Before June 15, 2026

Earlier this month, I finally decided to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, specifically before June 15, 2026.

Why? There was an interesting transitional period after Chase announced the new features being added to the card, along with the benefits being removed. This transitionary period ended on June 15, 2026.

The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is remaining the same at $95, new benefits are now active, and people who applied before the June 15, 2026, deadline can keep two discontinued benefits until October 1, 2026.

I’ll walk through my detailed analysis below.

TL;DR

• Chase announced that it’s making huge changes to the Sapphire Preferred card, which includes new bonus categories like 3x on gas/EV charging
• I got the Sapphire Preferred before June 15, 2026, to keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers and the 10% anniversary points bonus through October 1, 2026
• All the new benefits (including the upgraded hotel credit, the new TSA PreCheck/Global Entry/NEXUS credit, and Apple TV+) that were announced with the Sapphire Preferred refresh are now live for all cardholders

Why June 15, 2026 Matters for the Sapphire Preferred

June 15, 2026, was the key date because that’s when the updated Sapphire Preferred structure took effect for new applicants.

The following benefits went live on June 15, 2026:

• 3x points on gas and EV charging,
• 3x points on vacation rentals,
• an increased up to $100 Chase Travel hotel credit,
• a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years,
• a complimentary one-year Apple TV+ subscription when activated by December 31, 2026,
• and expanded travel protections (Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage)

When you applied for the Sapphire Preferred determines whether you’ll keep the benefits being removed for a little longer, or whether they’ll be unavailable from your first day as a cardholder. If you had the Sapphire Preferred before June 15, 2026, you’ll retain the following benefits through October 1, 2026:

1. 10% Anniversary Bonus Benefit
2. 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio

That means for anyone who applied after June 15, 2026, the Sapphire Preferred transfers to World of Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio immediately and you don’t get the 10% anniversary points bonus. Ouch.

That’s the main reason I applied for the card before the cutoff date.

The Hyatt Change Was the Biggest Push

The biggest negative change to the Preferred is the Hyatt transfer nerf.

Sapphire Preferred transfers to World of Hyatt are changing from 1:1 to 4:3… that is a 25% reduction in the number of Hyatt points you receive.* As someone who stays at Hyatt often, this was the biggest reason to care about the June 15th cutoff deadline.

*The 4:3 transfer ratio is in effect for cardholders who applied after the June 15th deadline.

The Temporary “Best of Both Worlds” Setup

Cardholders who applied before June 15, 2026, received the new Sapphire Preferred benefits while temporarily retaining the old Hyatt transfer ratio.

Here’s a summary of what to expect based on whether you applied before or after June 15, 2026.

This is my Sapphire Preferred plan:

• I applied for the card on June 10, 2026, to lock in the Hyatt transfers (1:1) and 10% anniversary bonus through October 1, 2026
• I’ll spend $5,000 in the first 3 months to qualify for the (now expired) 75,000 point welcome bonus, while earning at least another 5,000 points from my spend
• I’ll then transfer, let’s say, 80,000 points to Hyatt in September 2026 at the 1:1 ratio
• The 10% anniversary bonus of at least 500 points should come in by January 31, 2027

If I elected to wait to get the card after June 15, 2026, the numbers would not have looked as great:

• Getting the card after June 15, 2026 means I only get 4:3 for Hyatt transfers
• I’ll spend $5,000 in the first 3 months to qualify from the welcome bonus, while earning at least another 5,000 points from my spend
• Hypothetically, if I transfer the same 80,000 points from Chase to Hyatt, I’ll only get 60,000 points (effectively 20,000 points less than before)

Anyways, as you can probably tell, the Hyatt changes will become very material for Sapphire Preferred cardholders who are Hyatt loyalists. Since I have planned Hyatt stays, keeping the points at their 1:1 transfer ratio is important to me.

How I Value the New Credits

The card’s $95 annual fee is much easier to justify if you use even a few of the credits.

Since I plan on using the Chase Travel hotel credit (now that it’s a meaningful $100 credit), that should be an easy way for me to get the annual fee back.

I already have Global Entry, so the trusted travel credit isn’t that valuable to me. Likewise, I don’t use Apple TV+, so that’s also not really anything worthwhile for me.

But, I’d probably get some value out of the free DashPass membership. So that's nice to have in my book.

Bottom Line

I got the Chase Sapphire Preferred before June 15, 2026 because the timing created a rare overlap: new benefits, the same $95 annual fee, and temporary access to 1:1 Hyatt transfers.

The card is becoming more useful for everyday travelers who spend on gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals. The expanded Chase Travel hotel credit and travel protections are also notable additions. But for points maximizers, the card is becoming significantly less compelling.

For my situation, applying for the card before the June 15th cutoff made sense. I wanted the new version of the card, but I also wanted the last few months of the old Hyatt transfer ratio. Will reevaluate the card after I move all of my points to Hyatt.

FAQ

Why did you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred before June 15, 2026?

I got Sapphire Preferred before the June 15th deadline because cardmembers who applied before that date keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers through October 1, 2026 while still getting the new benefits starting June 15.

That also means if you currently have the card and you got it in, say 2018, you also keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers through October 1, 2026.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee increasing?

No, the annual fee is staying at $95. That makes the refresh more interesting because Chase is adding new credits, categories, and protections without raising the annual fee (at the expense of Hyatt).

How much are the DoorDash benefits worth?

The DoorDash benefits include DashPass, listed as a $120/year value, plus up to $10 per month on nonrestaurant DoorDash orders. That is up to $240 in annual DoorDash-related face value if you use both pieces fully.

What happens to Hyatt transfers after June 15, 2026?

Sapphire Preferred cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026 get the 4:3 Hyatt transfer ratio immediately. Cardmembers who applied before June 15 keep 1:1 Hyatt transfers through October 1, 2026.

Is the current welcome bonus the reason to apply before June 15?

The welcome bonus helps, but it is not the main reason for the June 15 timing. The timing matters because applying before June 15 preserves temporary access to 1:1 Hyatt transfers and the outgoing 10% anniversary bonus window.