Chase Sapphire Preferred's 2026 Refresh: Credits and Hyatt Transfers blog header
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Chase Sapphire Preferred's 2026 Refresh: Credits and Hyatt Transfers

Chase refreshed the Sapphire Preferred in June 2026 with a bigger hotel credit, a Global Entry credit, and new 3x categories on gas and vacation rentals, but the Hyatt transfer ratio quietly got worse.

July 3, 2026 4 min read

On June 15, 2026, Chase gave the Sapphire Preferred its biggest update in years. The annual fee stayed at $95, several benefits got noticeably better, and Chase paired the refresh with a welcome offer that matches the largest the card has ever had.

Key takeaways

  1. 1

    The annual Chase Travel hotel credit doubled from $50 to $100, and the annual fee is still $95.

  2. 2

    New benefits include a TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $120 every four years and a complimentary one-year Apple TV subscription.

  3. 3

    Two new 3x categories arrived: gas stations and EV charging, plus vacation rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo. They join the existing 3x on dining, select streaming, and online groceries.

  4. 4

    The 10 percent anniversary points bonus is going away. For existing cardholders, purchases through October 1, 2026 still count toward a final bonus.

  5. 5

    The Hyatt transfer ratio worsened from 1:1 to 4:3 on the Sapphire Preferred. It applies immediately to new cardholders and starts October 1, 2026 for existing ones. Sapphire Reserve keeps 1:1.

  6. 6

    Transfers completed before October 1 preserve the old 1:1 ratio for existing cardholders.

What changed on June 15, 2026

  • The annual hotel credit for bookings through Chase Travel doubled from $50 to $100 per account anniversary year.

  • A new statement credit of up to $120 every four years covers the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS.

  • Cardholders can activate a complimentary one-year Apple TV subscription by linking their Apple ID through the Benefits and Rewards section of their account. Activation is available through December 31, 2026.

  • Two new 3x categories: gas stations and EV charging, plus vacation rentals booked with brands like Airbnb and Vrbo. These join the card's existing 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries (Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs are excluded) and 2 points per dollar on travel booked outside the Chase portal.

One benefit is going away: the 10 percent anniversary points bonus. If you applied before June 15, 2026, purchases through October 1, 2026 still count toward a final anniversary bonus, which Chase deposits by January 2027.

None of the improvements came with a fee increase. On paper, a $95 card now carries a $100 annual credit plus a recurring airport security credit, which is unusual at this price point.

Hyatt transfers change from 1:1 to 4:3

Alongside the improvements, Chase changed the Sapphire Preferred's Ultimate Rewards transfer ratio to World of Hyatt from 1:1 to 4:3 (the Ink Business Preferred got the same cut). A hotel that costs 15,000 Hyatt points now requires 20,000 Chase points to book by transfer. Sapphire Reserve cardholders keep the 1:1 ratio.

The timing depends on when you got the card. New cardholders who applied on or after June 15, 2026 are on the 4:3 ratio immediately. Existing cardholders keep 1:1 until October 1, 2026.

This lands on top of a separate hit. In May 2026, Hyatt expanded its own award chart from three pricing tiers to five, which pushed its most expensive standard-room awards from 45,000 to 75,000 points per night. Hyatt says only a limited number of nights will price in the new top tiers in 2026, but the ceiling is now much higher. Hyatt transfers were widely considered the single most valuable use of Chase points, so the two changes together meaningfully lower the ceiling on what a Chase point can be worth.

The 100,000-point launch offer

Chase launched the refresh with a limited-time offer of 100,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in the first three months, matching the biggest headline number the card has ever carried (the 2021 version of the offer required less spending).

Even at conservative valuations, a six-figure point haul on a $95 card is strong. Booked through the Chase portal at a fixed rate, 100,000 points cover roughly $1,250 in travel. Transfers to airline partners can beat that, and the 4:3 Hyatt ratio mostly matters for people who were squeezing top value out of Hyatt specifically.

1
Chase Sapphire Preferred card art

Personal Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred

BONUS

75,000 Points

ANNUAL FEE

$95

To Qualify

$5,000 Spend within 3 months

CASH BACK

5x 5x 3x 3x 3x

PERKS

$100 annual Chase Travel…DashPass$120 Global Entry/TSA…3x points on gas, EV…

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The 3x categories cover dining, select streaming, online groceries, and now gas and vacation rentals, and the $100 hotel credit alone can offset the $95 fee if you book a hotel through Chase Travel at least once a year.

At 4:3, a Hyatt transfer gives up a quarter of the points compared with the 1:1 ratio retained by Sapphire Reserve.

Annual credits and earning rates at a $95 fee

Benefit Face value Realistic value
$100 Chase Travel hotel credit $100 per year High if you book one hotel a year through the portal, zero if you never will.
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit Up to $120 every 4 years About $30 per year if you actually renew through the card.
One-year Apple TV subscription Roughly $130 Only counts if you would have paid for it.
3x on gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals Varies New this year. Meaningful if you drive regularly or book Airbnb or Vrbo.
3x dining, streaming, online groceries Varies The steady engine, unchanged by the refresh. $500 per month across these categories earns 18,000 points a year.

A cardholder who books one hotel through Chase Travel each year effectively wipes out the fee before counting any points. That was not true before the refresh.

Existing cardholders: October 1 and December 31 deadlines

Existing cardholders got the new benefits without doing anything, but two dates matter:

  • October 1, 2026: two changes land at once. The Hyatt transfer ratio drops to 4:3, and purchases stop counting toward the 10 percent anniversary points bonus (any final bonus is deposited by January 2027). Transfers completed before that date preserve the 1:1 ratio. Transfers to Hyatt are one way.

  • December 31, 2026: the deadline to activate the one-year Apple TV subscription.

The new 3x categories and the doubled hotel credit apply automatically, so there is nothing to opt into beyond those two items.

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