Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026 Changes: New 3X Categories, Bigger Credits, and One Major Drawback
The popular travel card just got a major refresh—and the annual fee is staying at $95.
Before June 15, there’s some big news for anyone who has (or is considering) the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. Chase just announced a major refresh to one of my favorite beginner travel rewards cards, and surprisingly, the annual fee is staying at just $95 per year.
As someone who loves turning everyday spending into nearly free travel, I wanted to break down the biggest changes and what they mean for travelers like us.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Just Got a Major Upgrade (Without Raising the Annual Fee)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® has long been one of my favorite travel credit cards, especially for beginners looking to earn points and travel for nearly free. That’s why I was excited to see Chase announce several new benefits and bonus categories coming to the card starting June 15, 2026—and the annual fee is staying at just $95.
If you’re already a cardholder, these new perks will automatically be added to your account. If you’ve been considering applying, there are some significant improvements worth knowing about.
New Ways to Earn More Points
One of the biggest updates is the addition of two new 3x earning categories:
3x points on vacation home rentals through platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Vacasa, Plum Guide, HomeAway, and Homestay.com
For many families, these are expenses that weren’t previously earning bonus points, making it even easier to rack up rewards for future travel.
The card will continue earning:
| Category | Points per $1 |
|---|---|
| Purchases through Chase Travel | 5x |
| Gas and EV charging | 3x NEW |
| Vacation home rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.) | 3x NEW |
| Dining worldwide | 3x |
| Online grocery purchases | 3x |
| Eligible streaming services | 3x |
| Other travel purchases | 2x |
| Everything else | 1x |
New Credits & Perks
Hotel Credit Just Doubled
The Chase Travel Hotel Credit is increasing from $50 to $100 every account anniversary year. Book a prepaid hotel through Chase Travel and get up to $100 back—enough to offset the annual fee on its own.
TSA PreCheck & Global Entry Credit
A new statement credit covers TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS. If you’ve been putting off applying for a trusted traveler program, this benefit makes it much easier to justify.
Free Apple TV+ for One Year
Cardholders can receive a complimentary one-year Apple TV+ subscription when activated by December 31, 2026. It’s not a travel benefit, but it’s a nice extra perk for anyone who already uses Apple’s streaming service.
Stronger Travel Protections
Travel insurance is one of the reasons I love premium travel cards, and Chase is expanding the Sapphire Preferred’s coverage even further.
The card will now include Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage, with up to $100,000 in protection if a covered traveler becomes seriously ill or injured while traveling more than 100 miles from home.
Combined with existing benefits like trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation coverage, and rental car protection, Chase says the Sapphire Preferred now offers its most comprehensive travel protection package yet.
One Important Negative Change
Not every update is positive.
Chase is eliminating the 10% Anniversary Bonus benefit for new cardholders who apply on or after June 15, 2026.
Current cardholders will continue earning the bonus on eligible purchases through October 1, 2026, with final bonus points being awarded by January 31, 2027.
Hyatt Transfers Are Changing
Another important update for points enthusiasts is that Ultimate Rewards points will soon transfer to World of Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio instead of the current 1:1 ratio.
For example: 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points will become 750 Hyatt points.
This change takes effect immediately for new Sapphire Preferred applicants after June 15, 2026, and October 1, 2026, for existing cardholders.
Since Hyatt has historically been one of the most valuable Chase transfer partners, this is probably the biggest downside of the announcement.
My Take
Overall, I think Chase is making the Sapphire Preferred even more appealing for everyday travelers, however, I will not hide my disappointment about the Hyatt changes. Hyatt has been a long standing favorite hotel when booking on points.
Key take away—if you currently have Chase points, and are thinking about using them to book a Hyatt stay, DO NOT wait! Book them now, before the devaluation happens. I know I plan to do the same thing.
If you’re looking for a travel rewards card that helps turn everyday spending into future vacations, the Chase Sapphire Preferred remains one of the strongest options available.
What do you think about these changes?
Please reach out with any questions or comments!