The core travel benefits: what you get and what they cost
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card includes travel protections and rewards that reduce what you pay out of pocket for flights, hotels, and rental cars — but only if you book through Chase's travel portal or pay with the card directly. You do not get these benefits if you book through a third-party site like Kayak or Expedia, even if you use the card to pay. The card costs $95 per year, which you pay whether you use the benefits or not.
The main travel benefit is a rewards rate: you earn 2 points per dollar on flights, hotels, rental cars, and restaurants, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Those points are worth more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase portal — typically 1.5 cents per point instead of 1 cent — which means a $500 flight could cost you 33,000 points instead of 50,000. That math only works if you actually book through Chase, not through the airline or hotel website directly.
The card also includes trip cancellation insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and emergency medical and dental coverage while traveling outside the United States. These protections pay you directly if something goes wrong, but they have caps and conditions that matter.
Key Takeaways
- You earn 2 points per dollar on travel and dining, redeemable through Chase's travel portal at a higher value than cash back, but only if you book travel through Chase rather than directly with airlines or hotels.
- Trip cancellation insurance reimburses prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you cancel for a covered reason, up to $10,000 per person, but does not cover cancellations due to pre-existing medical conditions unless you buy the card within 14 days of your initial trip deposit.
- Trip delay reimbursement covers meals and lodging if your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, up to $500 per person, but only if you booked the flight with the card.
- Emergency medical and dental coverage abroad covers up to $250,000 in medical costs and $500 in dental costs if you become ill or injured while traveling outside your home country for more than 100 miles.
- The $95 annual fee applies regardless of whether you use any of these benefits, so the card makes financial sense only if you travel regularly or spend enough on dining to offset the cost through rewards.
How trip cancellation insurance actually works
Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you cancel for a reason the card's policy covers. Covered reasons include illness or injury to you or a family member, death of a family member, involuntary job loss, and a few others — but the policy does not cover cancellations because you changed your mind, because your travel companion cancelled, or because of bad weather or airline strikes.
The reimbursement caps at $10,000 per person and covers costs you paid in advance: airfare, hotel deposits, tour packages, and similar charges. It does not cover travel insurance you bought separately, visa fees, or cancellation fees you already paid to the airline or hotel. You must cancel for a covered reason before your trip begins, and you must submit a claim within 90 days of the cancellation with documentation of the reason and proof of what you paid.
One critical limitation: if you have a pre-existing medical condition, the insurance does not cover a cancellation related to that condition unless you bought the card within 14 days of making your initial trip deposit. This means if you have diabetes, heart disease, or any other ongoing condition and you book a trip three months in advance, you cannot use trip cancellation insurance if that condition worsens and forces you to cancel. You can only use it if you buy the card when ready after booking.
Trip delay and lost luggage coverage explained
If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, the card reimburses you up to $500 per person for meals and lodging while you wait. The flight must have been booked with the Sapphire card, and you must submit receipts and proof of the delay. This covers a hotel room and food if you get stuck overnight, but not entertainment, phone calls, or other incidental costs.
Lost luggage coverage reimburses you up to $2,500 per person if an airline loses your checked baggage for more than 12 hours during a trip booked with the card. The reimbursement covers essential items you had to buy while waiting for your luggage — toiletries, a change of clothes, medications — not the value of items inside the bag. You must file a claim with the airline first and provide their report, then submit that to Chase with receipts for what you bought.
Both of these protections require that you booked the trip with the Sapphire card. If you paid for the flight with a different card or paid cash, these benefits do not explore, even if you are a cardholder.
Emergency medical coverage while traveling abroad
The card covers up to $250,000 in emergency medical costs if you become ill or injured while traveling outside your home country, as long as you are more than 100 miles from home. This includes hospital stays, emergency surgery, and doctor visits. Dental coverage is limited to $500 and covers only emergency treatment for pain relief, not routine work or cosmetic procedures.
This coverage is secondary, meaning it pays only after your primary health insurance pays. If you have travel medical insurance through your employer or a separate policy, that pays first. The Sapphire coverage fills in gaps or covers costs your primary insurance does not. You must pay the provider upfront and then submit receipts and proof of payment to Chase for reimbursement.
The coverage applies only to trips outside your home country. A trip to another state does not may have access to. You also must be traveling for fewer than 90 consecutive days for the coverage to explore — if you are abroad for three months or longer, you are not covered.
Rental car damage coverage and other protections
The card includes rental car damage coverage if you decline the rental company's insurance and pay for the rental with the Sapphire card. The coverage reimburses you for collision damage, theft, or vandalism up to the actual cash value of the car. It does not cover liability — damage you cause to other vehicles or property — and it does not cover personal belongings left in the car.
The coverage is secondary to your personal auto insurance, so your own policy pays first. If your auto insurance does not cover rental cars (many do not), the Sapphire coverage fills that gap. You must report damage to the rental company and file a claim with Chase within 90 days with the rental agreement and damage report.
The card also includes purchase protection, which reimburses you for items you buy with the card if they are damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase. This applies to any purchase, not just travel-related ones, and covers up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. You must file a claim with proof of purchase and proof of the damage or theft.
How to actually use the travel portal and maximize points
The Chase travel portal is a website where you log in with your card account and book flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities. You access it through the Chase website or mobile app. When you book through the portal, you earn 2 points per dollar and those points are worth 1.5 cents each when you redeem them for travel — meaning a $500 hotel stay costs 33,000 points instead of 50,000.
The portal shows prices from multiple airlines and hotels, similar to a travel search engine, but the prices are sometimes higher than what you would pay booking directly with the airline or hotel. Before you book through the portal, search the airline or hotel website directly to compare. If the direct price is lower, book there instead and accept the 1 point per dollar rate — you still earn points, just at the lower rate.
Points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. You can redeem them for travel, transfer them to airline and hotel partners at a 1-to-1 rate, or use them for cash back at 1 cent per point. The travel redemption is the highest value, so if you travel regularly, that is the best use of your points.
When the $95 annual fee makes sense
The card's annual fee is $95, charged every year on your account anniversary. There is no way to waive it or earn it back through a bonus or credit. You pay it whether you use the card or not, so the card only makes financial sense if you travel or spend enough on dining to earn back more than $95 in value each year.
If you spend $5,700 per year on travel and dining, you earn 11,400 points, which is worth $171 when redeemed through the travel portal. That $171 value minus the $95 fee leaves you $76 ahead. If you spend less than $5,700 per year on travel and dining combined, the card costs you money. If you spend $10,000 per year on travel and dining, you earn 20,000 points worth $300, netting you $205 after the fee.
The card also comes with a sign-up bonus — typically 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months — which is worth $900 through the travel portal. That bonus alone covers nine years of annual fees, so if you can meet the spending requirement, the card pays for itself in the first year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I earn the 2x points rate if I book directly with the airline instead of through Chase's portal?
No. You earn 2 points per dollar only if you book through Chase's travel portal or pay for travel booked directly with the airline or hotel. If you book directly with the airline and pay with the card, you earn 2 points per dollar, but you do not get the 1.5-cent redemption value — your points are worth only 1 cent each when redeemed for travel.
Does trip cancellation insurance cover me if I cancel because of bad weather?
No. Trip cancellation insurance covers illness, injury, death of a family member, and involuntary job loss, but not weather, airline strikes, or other external events. If a hurricane forces your trip to cancel, the airline or hotel may refund you, but the card's insurance does not pay.
What happens if I have a pre-existing condition and book a trip months in advance?
The trip cancellation insurance does not cover cancellations related to pre-existing conditions unless you bought the card within 14 days of making your initial trip deposit. If you book a trip in January and buy the card in March, you are not covered if your condition worsens and forces you to cancel. You must buy the card when ready after booking to get coverage.
Can I use the emergency medical coverage if I travel within the United States?
No. The emergency medical and dental coverage applies only to travel outside your home country and more than 100 miles from home. Travel to another state does not may have access to.
Do I have to use the card to book my rental car to get damage coverage?
Yes. You must pay for the rental car with the Sapphire card and decline the rental company's insurance to get the card's damage coverage. If you pay with a different card or pay cash, the coverage does not explore.