Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

One of the best travel cards for beginners to start with thanks to its benefits, the versatility of its points, and low annual fee.

It earns Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed in different ways including cash and gift cards, but the best way to redeem them is for travel, either through Chase Travel℠ since when booking with this card the points are worth 25% more, or by transferring them to airline and hotel loyalty programs. Chase is a partner with 11 airlines and 3 hotel chains for point transfers.

This card does not charge foreign transaction fees and offers the following rewards structure: 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3x on restaurants and online grocery purchases, 2x on all other travel purchases, and 1x on all other purchases.

Points earned from other cards such as the Chase Freedom Flex® and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can be combined with this one and get greater flexibility, making the Chase Sapphire Preferred® even more versatile and valuable.

It also has other benefits such as an annual credit of $50 on hotel bookings made through Chase Travel℠, an annual points bonus of 10% on the expenses with the card (if you spend $10,000 during the year, you get a bonus of 1,000 points), as well as travel and rental car insurance.

Rewards never expire as long as the account remains open. With an annual fee of just $95, it is easy to justify keeping it year after year thanks to all the benefits it offers.