After I opened the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs) a 12 months in the past, I had no concept how rapidly it might turn out to be my go-to instrument for incomes journey rewards — or how a lot worth I’d have the ability to unlock immediately.
Since then, I’ve used it to e book worldwide flights, navigate surprising journey hiccups and discover ways to stretch factors way over I imagined after I first utilized.
Whether or not you’re new to incomes journey rewards or lately picked up the cardboard your self, listed below are six beginner-friendly methods to take advantage of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked.
Associated: After greater than 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked ought to nonetheless be your first rewards card
Use the welcome bonus to assist cowl your subsequent journey
Incomes a welcome bonus is among the best methods for rookies to kick-start their factors and miles journey, and the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked provides new cardholders the possibility to earn a significant quantity of Chase Final Rewards factors after assembly the minimal spending requirement.
As a result of Chase Final Rewards factors maintain sturdy worth and supply versatile redemption choices, that welcome bonus can stretch surprisingly far. A considerable stash of factors can simply cowl a home round-trip, a number of lodge nights and even a part of a world itinerary.
Proper now, new cardmembers can earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months — a robust supply that averages just below $1,670 in spending monthly.
When you switch these factors to certainly one of Chase’s airline or lodge companions, the bonus is value about $1,538, in accordance with TPG’s December 2025 valuations.
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After I earned my 60,000-point welcome supply in 2024 (now not obtainable), I rapidly constructed on it with on a regular basis spending and ended up with 100,000 factors in a couple of months, which was sufficient to cowl a big portion of a three-week journey to Europe. A few of my redemptions included:
- 15,000 factors for a nonstop flight on Air France from Washington, D.C., to Paris
- 8,000 factors for a nonstop flight on Swiss from Zurich to Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 49,500 factors for a three-night keep at IHG’s Resort Indigo Florence in Italy
Probably the most thrilling components of beginning your journey card journey with the Sapphire Most well-liked is watching your factors remodel into flights and lodge stays. Making my first journey redemptions taught me simply how highly effective a single welcome bonus will be — particularly if you’re starting your factors and miles journey.
Associated: How I turned 100,000 Chase factors right into a multicountry European journey
Use the cardboard for on a regular basis spending to persistently earn factors
One more reason why the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked works so properly for rookies is its easy high-value incomes construction throughout classes most individuals spend in each day.
A few of its key incomes charges embody:
- 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by means of Chase Journey℠ (excluding purchases that qualify for the $50 lodge credit score)
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft purchases (by means of September 2027)
- 3 factors per greenback spent on eating, choose streaming providers and on-line grocery purchases
- 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey not booked by means of Chase Journey
- 1 level per greenback spent on every thing else
As a brand new cardholder, the best technique to construct your factors steadiness is just to make use of the cardboard in your on a regular basis purchases.
Throughout my first six months with the cardboard, I put almost each buy on it and watched my factors steadiness develop quickly — all from transactions I might have made anyway.
It’s an excellent reminder that you simply don’t want an advanced technique or a pockets stuffed with playing cards to maximise worth. Persistently placing your common spending on one sturdy card is sufficient to develop a significant factors steadiness whilst you learn the way the system works.
Associated: I believed I might hardly use my Sapphire Most well-liked, then it grew to become certainly one of my go-to playing cards
Reap the benefits of the cardboard’s built-in journey protections
One of many Chase Sapphire Most well-liked‘s most underrated advantages is its suite of journey protections that may prevent lots of of {dollars} if one thing goes unsuitable on a visit. These embody major rental automobile protection, journey delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance coverage — perks many rookies don’t understand they’ve.
I discovered the worth of those protections firsthand after getting right into a minor accident in a rental automobile.
It’s the form of scenario you by no means assume will occur, however as a result of I’d paid for the rental with my Sapphire Most well-liked, I knew the cardboard’s major rental automobile protection was there to deal with any injury. Ultimately, I didn’t want to make use of the profit since I wasn’t at fault, however having that peace of thoughts within the second was a profit all its personal.
The cardboard’s journey delay reimbursement is one other standout characteristic. In case your flight is delayed by a qualifying variety of hours or in a single day, you will be reimbursed for important bills like meals and lodging, making an unexpectedly lengthy journey day far much less tense.
For a card with a modest $95 annual payment, these protections supply outsize worth, particularly if you happen to’re touring internationally, renting vehicles or simply need added safety if you’re away from house.
Associated: Chase Sapphire rental automobile insurance coverage: What it covers and find out how to file a declare
Switch factors to journey companions for higher-value redemptions
Probably the most highly effective options of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked is the power to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to greater than a dozen airline and lodge companions, together with United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and British Airways Membership, at a 1:1 ratio.
Since Final Rewards factors are at the moment value 2.05 cents every, in accordance with TPG’s December 2025 valuations, these transfers are sometimes the place rookies unlock the best worth.
Transferring factors can really feel intimidating at first — I hovered over the “verify” button longer than I care to confess on my first switch — however the course of is surprisingly easy. And when you do it, the door opens to flights and lodge nights that will price considerably extra if you happen to paid money.
Switch bonuses make this perk even higher. For instance, I lately took benefit of a 25% Chase to Air France-KLM Flying Blue bonus, which meant I solely wanted to switch 15,000 Final Rewards factors for an abroad flight that required 18,750 Flying Blue miles.
Moments like that spotlight simply how far your factors can go when you know the way to reap the benefits of the proper alternatives.
When you’re new to the Sapphire Most well-liked, consider transfers as a next-step ability — one thing you don’t must grasp instantly however one which turns into extremely rewarding as you develop extra assured along with your factors.
Associated: The way to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to United MileagePlus
Ebook journey by means of Chase Journey for simplicity
When you’re not fairly able to switch factors (or simply choose to not), the Chase Journey portal is among the most beginner-friendly methods to make use of your rewards. As a Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card holder, you’ve got entry to Chase’s Factors Enhance characteristic, which will increase the worth of your factors when reserving by means of the portal.
With Factors Enhance, Sapphire Most well-liked Card holders can redeem their Final Rewards factors on choose resorts and flights at as much as 1.5 cents apiece and premium cabin flights on choose airways at as much as 1.75 cents apiece, all while not having to study airline or lodge switch companions.
I lately used Chase’s Factors Enhance characteristic for a three-night keep at Resort Indigo Florence in Italy — a reserving that will have price almost $800 in money. Through the use of Chase Journey, I used to be in a position to e book the keep for simply over 49,000 factors plus charges, getting stable worth with out the effort of transferring factors.
Whereas transferring factors can generally unlock even increased worth, the Chase Journey portal stays probably the most simple technique to get dependable, predictable returns in your factors, particularly for rookies or anybody who desires to maintain issues easy.
Associated: I am a Sapphire Most well-liked Card holder: Here is my Chase Journey Factors Enhance technique
Use extra perks for on a regular basis worth
Past its well-known journey advantages, the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked additionally comes with on a regular basis perks that add actual worth, even if you happen to’re not touring continuously.
These advantages may help offset the annual payment and provides rookies extra causes to maintain the cardboard on the entrance of their pockets. Key perks embody:
- DoorDash advantages
- Unique entry to Chase Presents
- Buying and eating promotions
One among my private favourite (and most used) perks is the complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, legitimate by means of Chase’s partnership till Dec. 31, 2027 (relying in your activation date). Since DashPass usually prices $9.99 monthly (or $96 yearly), this profit covers the cardboard’s $95 annual payment by itself.
DashPass will get you $0 supply charges and diminished service charges on eligible orders over $12, plus 5% again in DoorDash credit on eligible pickup orders. Pair that with the cardboard’s 3 factors per greenback spent on eating, and also you’re stacking on a regular basis worth: You save on charges whereas incomes factors you may later redeem for journey.
Once you mix these perks with the cardboard’s sturdy incomes charges and dependable journey protections, it’s simple to see why the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked stays among the finest starter journey playing cards for rookies.
Associated: Your full information to Chase and DoorDash
Backside line
The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked stands out as among the finest newbie journey playing cards as a result of it’s simple to make use of from Day 1, delivers instant worth and gives the flexibleness to unlock much more as you study the world of factors and miles.
Begin with the fundamentals through the use of it for on a regular basis spending, exploring the Chase Journey portal and profiting from built-in perks, and transfer into level transfers and extra superior methods if you’re prepared.
A 12 months after opening the cardboard, I’m nonetheless discovering new methods to maximise it. For rookies, that’s precisely what makes the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked such a sensible and dependable place to start out.
To study extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Sapphire Most well-liked.
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