Triangle Trip

Recently, the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, one of our highly recommend travel cards for Visa/Mastercard (see Terminal D’s post) made a change to their introductory bonus point policy. Chase increased the spend amount from US$3,000 to US$4,000 in order for you to obtain your 40,000 bonus points.

This means you’ll now need to spend $4,000 in the first three months to get the 40,000 bonus points.

Luckily, all other Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits remained the same:

• $95 annual fees (first year waived)
• 40,000 bonus points
• 5,000 additional points for authorized user
• 2x points on travel and restaurants
• No foreign transaction fees

This card must be getting popular with all the commercials you see online and TV. I recommend you get one now before it goes up again!

In response to Captain G’s post regarding which is the best Visa/Mastercard available for business travelers, here’s my take on why the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is my Visa/Mastercard credit card of choice for travelers:

1.  I find myself charging at least $1,000 a month on my existing Visa card for places that do not take American Express and only earning 1% on restaurants. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, I get 2 points per dollar spent on travel and restaurants. They also have special weekly promotions for dining out.

2.  I paid about $150 in foreign transaction fees annually since I travel abroad quite a bit. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa does not charge foreign transaction fees which justifies the $95 membership fee after the first year.

3.  Lastly, I like the feel of the card. It’s extra heavy and doesn’t feel cheap like other credit cards.

Here’s more information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred card:

• Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months – that’s $500 toward travel rewards
• Additional 5000 bonus points for additional cardholder
• 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you redeem through Ultimate Rewards
• No foreign transaction fees
• 1:1 point transfer to participating frequent travel programs (Including British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, United, Virgin, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriot, IGH, Ritz Carlton)
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95