As part of our Chase credit cards review, we gave Chase Sapphire a cursory look. But here’s a more in depth review of this great rewards card.
When it comes to choosing a credit card I always focus on more than just the credit limit. This is why the Chase Sapphire card caught my eye. If you always make sure you pay off everything on the card on a monthly basis and you don’t want to pay an annual fee, then you should find out more about the Chase Sapphire card.
Chase Sapphire Credit Card Review
Bonus Points When You First Get Your Card
There is a nice bonus available the first time you use Chase Sapphire. An impressive 10,000 points will be added, which equates to $100 worth of rewards. This is part of the Ultimate Rewards program, and we’ll explore other ways to earn points below.
Take Advantage of The Chase Travel Booking Tool
If you need to book flight tickets, you can do so with the Travel Booking Tool on the Chase Ultimate Rewards website. You will get double points for every dollar you spend on airfare booked through the tool. You can see that the points will soon start racking up, and with no expiry date by which you need to use them, your cumulative rewards can grow quite a bit. You can really reap a lot of savings by using this card, particularly if you pay your balance off each and every month to keep your card costs low.
You can also book other forms of travel and accommodation with the Travel Booking Tool, including great meals out. Travel accident insurance is also available, and you can also make use of their Global Lifeline feature. This is in place to provide you with advice and assistance should you find yourself in need of it while abroad.
Go Shopping At The Ultimate Rewards Mall
There are more points to be earned if you shop at the Ultimate Rewards Mall (Chase’s Online Shopping Site) as well. Every dollar you spend earns you a set amount of points which varies depending on where you shop and what you purchase. There are hundreds of outlets to shop at via the mall, and with each dollar earning up to ten points, you can see how quickly they can add up. Amazon and JCPenney are among the names you will recognize.
You can earn an indefinite number of points. There are plenty of offers to take advantage of and no limits on when and where you can book flights. If you find that you don’t have quite enough points to pay for the whole price of the trip, you can cover the rest of the payment by using your own funds. You won’t have to wait to gather those last few points you need.
What’s more, you’ll get full purchase protection on all your purchases bought with the Chase Sapphire credit card.
Chase Sapphire: Interest Rates and Credit Card Management
Make sure you sign up for the free online credit card management tool called Chase Blueprint once you have your card. It can help you to manage your credit more easily and allow you to pay off your debt faster as well.
Before you apply for the Chase Sapphire credit card, be sure you are happy with the terms it presents you with. While this is not a 0% balance transfer credit card, it’s still known as a solid rewards credit card. Even if you’re able to pay off your balance every month, you should still be aware of the charges.
Here are some of the terms you’ll face with this card:
- Balance transfer fees are $5 or 3% of the amount you transfer, whichever is the higher amount.
- 12.24% APR for balance transfers and purchases on the card.
- Check the current rate for cash advances (higher than that for balance transfers and regular purchases).
- 29.99% penalty APR payable on late payments. As you can see, it pays to make sure you are always early with your monthly payments.