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Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Quickly Can You Earn Chase's 100k Welcome Bonus? Faster Than You'd Think!
There's a huge bonus for new cardholders available on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. If you've been considering applying, Chase announced that Thursday, May 15, at 9 a.m. EST, is the last day to apply for the 100,000-point welcome offer on the Sapphire Preferred via the application link on our website. Are you looking for an award right away? If so, you'll need those points to post as quickly as possible. How long will it take you to access your Sapphire Preferred bonus? Get the timeline, tips to speed it up and strategies to maximize this massive travel rewards offer. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account ... More opening. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - See Rates & Fees To earn the current Sapphire Preferred offer, you'll be time-bound to meet the minimum spending requirements. Specifically, you'll need to complete your total spending in the first three months after being approved for the card. That includes an important distinction: The clock starts ticking the day you're approved, even though you won't receive the actual card in the mail for another week. One other thing to keep in mind is that transactions don't always post to your credit card account the day you make them—there can be a lag of a few days. This is especially true with online shopping. Many retailers won't charge your card until the order is fully processed and the item is shipped, regardless of when you placed the order. Because of this, it's best to finish your spending a week or two in advance, just in case something gets held up. Bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards® are issued in a lump sum once you've hit the full spending amount—there's no way to get some of the points in advance, even if you've completed 99% of the spending. Officially, Chase Bank states that customers will receive their welcome bonus points six to eight weeks after completing their qualifying spending. Unofficially, though, it could be faster. Chase typically deposits all pending Ultimate Rewards points into your rewards account on the date your credit card statement closes. So, once you've completed your minimum spending requirement, you could see your bonus as early as your next statement closing date, which should be within the next 30 days. If eight weeks have passed and you haven't yet received your bonus, you can follow up with Chase to see if there was a reason for the delay. However, most bonuses post automatically. Once the bonus points are credited to your account, you are free to redeem them however you wish. The speed at which you receive your credit card bonus is impacted by a number of factors, including: If you have a redemption in mind for your expected bonus, you might be motivated to earn those points as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, you can't speed up Chase's standard backend operations to access your bonus points sooner, but there are a few things you can do to hit your spending requirement quickly and get the process started. Pro Tip: Although meeting the full spending requirement in a short amount of time is a fast way to earn your credit card bonus, be sure not to charge more than you can pay off by your bill date. There's no introductory APR on the Sapphire Preferred, so standard interest rates will apply immediately. The promise of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards could be burning a hole in your pocket, but the Sapphire Preferred's bonus won't be available immediately. You'll need to meet the minimum spending first and then wait for Chase to credit the points to your account, which is a process that could take several months even in a best-case scenario, though there are a few steps you can take to help this happen as quickly as possible. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author's alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
100k Chase Points Can Do More Than You Think—Here's How The Savviest Travelers Use Every Last One
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a 100,000-point welcome bonus, which is currently one of the most valuable offers on the market. For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. With a minimum redemption value of $1,250 through Chase Travel℠ and potentially much more through transfer partners, there are multiple ways to stretch your rewards for maximum value. But which route delivers the best bang for your buck, transferring points or using Chase Travel? The answer depends on how you travel, where you're going and whether you value simplicity or strategy. Below, we compare the two options head-to-head in several categories. Up to 5x Reward Rate Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on allRead More 100,000 bonus points $95 19.99% - 28.24% Variable Excellent, Good (670 - 739) Offering a rare mix of high rewards rates and redemption flexibility, this card is a dream for frequent spenders on travel & dining – while charging a modest annual fee. Winner: Transfers to travel partners Chase has over a dozen airline and hotel transfer partners. Those partners include: Airline Partners Hotel Partners Thanks to the 25% bonus offered to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card owners, Chase Travel bookings yield a fixed redemption value of 1.25 cents per point. However, your Ultimate Reward points can be worth significantly more when redeemed for bookings through the loyalty programs of Chase's travel partners. I personally love transferring my points to Hyatt as I frequently get a value of more than 2 cents per point on my stays. As an example, I ran a sample rate search for the Hyatt Regency Dallas. On Hyatt's own site, cash prices start at $358 a night for nonmembers with a total of around $420 after taxes and fees. Chase shows the same base price and cost after adding taxes and fees, for a total of $420. Booking with rewards in Chase Travel would cost 33,594 Ultimate Rewards points, reflecting the 25% points bonus. That's a better deal than paying cash, however, you can book this hotel on the same night for just 9,000 World of Hyatt points transferred from Chase to your World of Hyatt account. By leveraging the points transfer option, you could save 24,594 Ultimate Rewards points and receive an incredible redemption value of 4.7 cents per point! This is an excellent example of how points transfers can be such a powerful weapon in a traveler's arsenal. It's also worth mentioning that Hyatt waives resort fees on award stays. This is an often-overlooked benefit that can save you a decent chunk of change. Not every property charges resort fees. But you're still on the hook for these fees when booking through Chase's portal, and they can't be paid with Ultimate Rewards points. Rather, these charges must be paid directly to the hotel at check-in, adding an extra out-of-pocket cost to your stay. Moving beyond Hyatt stays, transferring your points to airline partners and then redeeming them for long-haul international flights in premium cabins can also provide outsized value. In the example below, a one-way business class seat for an Air France flight from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) would cost $3,458 or just 60,000 Air France Flying Blue miles + $237.60. That's another superb value of 5.4 cents per point. We could go on with many more examples, but the bottom line is this: If you enjoy strategizing to get the most potential value from your points, transferring them to partners is the way to go. Winner: Chase Travel Unlike redemptions with partners, Chase Travel redemptions have a minimum redemption value, and it's a solid one. As we've already mentioned, Ultimate Rewards points are worth a fixed 1.25 cents on the Chase Travel portal for Sapphire Preferred cardholders. Depending on the booking you're considering, this could outperform the value you'd receive by booking through the transfer partner's own program. And 1.25 cents per point is often better than the per-point value of IHG One Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy points. For a sample booking at the Courtyard Miami Beach South Beach, the total price on Chase Travel comes to $233, or 16,324 Ultimate Rewards points + $29. If you booked directly through Marriott Bonvoy, you'd need to pay 30,000 Bonvoy points + $33.06 for the same reservation. So by using Chase Travel instead of transferring your points to Marriott, you'd save over 13,000 of your Ultimate Rewards points. Plus, keep in mind that Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders get a $50 annual hotel credit for hotels purchased through Chase Travel. So that's additional value that can only be realized through the platform. While it's true that with international flights you're likely to get more value for your points by transferring them to partners, it's not as much of a sure thing with domestic flights. And it's worth noting that while you typically lose benefits by booking hotels through Chase (more on that next), the opposite is true with flights, as you could gain the ability to earn frequent flier miles. If you book a Southwest flight with Rapid Rewards points, for instance, you can't earn Rapid Rewards points for that flight. But if you book that same flight through Chase and add your Rapid Rewards number to the reservation, you'll earn points from Southwest because it will be viewed as a revenue fare (even if you paid with Ultimate Rewards points). Those additional rewards simply add more value to the 1.25 cpp you're guaranteed to receive. Winner: Transfers to travel partners If you've earned elite status with Hyatt, IHG or Marriott, you're entitled to exclusive benefits. While those benefits will vary by hotel and the status level you've achieved, common examples include: Some of these benefits could add significant value to your stay. But you won't be eligible to receive them on a Chase Travel booking, as hotels don't provide status benefits to members who book through third-party platforms. Winner: Chase Travel You don't have to worry about award inventory when using Chase Travel. If there's an empty seat on the plane or a vacant room at the hotel, you can book it since it's just like a cash reservation. This is a major advantage over award bookings made with the airline's or hotel's own points or miles, as they often limit the number of seats or rooms that are made available for award bookings. Take, for example, this sample booking for the Hyatt Place across from Universal Orlando Resort. I can see that it has rooms available when I'm trying to book with cash. But when I switch to using World of Hyatt points, it shows no availability. On Chase Travel, I can book this hotel on the same date with no issue using my Ultimate Rewards points. Even when you can find award availability with hotels, there may not be as many options as with a paid stay. Going back to our sample Hyatt Regency Dallas booking, I was given several room types to choose from for a cash booking. But when I toggled the 'Points' switch, my options suddenly dropped to just a two Queen Beds room. That's not exactly ideal if you're trying to book a romantic getaway. But the full menu of room types are available on the Chase Travel portal to book with Ultimate Rewards points. Winner: Transfer to partners Generally, hotels and airlines provide generous cancellation policies on award bookings. But since Chase Travel bookings are viewed as cash purchases, they may not have the same refundability, or may charge extra for it. For example, all United award flights are refundable with no fee provided you cancel before departure ('no shows' are charged a $125 fee). But if you try to book a United flight with Chase, you'll see that you have to pay $45 more for the privilege of refundability. You'll typically see something similar with hotel bookings. The lowest-price option is often nonrefundable, and then there will be a refundable option that has a bit of an upcharge. If you're using the hotel's points system, however, it won't typically charge you extra for a cancellation period. Going back to our earlier example of the sample booking of the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, you automatically get the right to cancel up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival, included in your award booking price of 9,000 World of Hyatt points. While airline and hotel programs are generally more cancellation-friendly, there is a downside to keep in mind. Even if you're allowed to get a refund of your points or miles, you won't be able to transfer them back to Chase Ultimate Rewards, as points transfers from Chase are one-way. This means there's a higher potential for refunded points or miles to become 'orphaned,' with no way to use them until you're ready to book another reservation with the specific provider. Whereas if you receive a refund from Chase Travel, those points can be used in a variety of ways, including toward future Chase Travel bookings, transfers to partners or even for cash-back redemptions. Winner: Chase Travel With Chase Travel, you'll have access to a broader range of hotel options. Rather than being limited to Hyatt, IHG or Marriott hotels, you can book with other popular brands like Hilton or Choice Hotels, or even with independent, boutique hotels. The same goes for flights. You'll have no problem booking a flight with Delta or American Airlines, for example, even though neither is a Chase transfer partner. Winner: Transfers to partners If you need to make changes to a reservation made through Chase Travel, you'll have to go through the Chase Ultimate Rewards customer service team. This can sometimes add an extra layer of friction, especially if you're facing a time-sensitive issue or need quick assistance. By contrast, booking directly through an airline or hotel's loyalty program allows you to manage changes with the provider directly. This can result in faster resolutions and more flexible options. Winner: Chase Travel Navigating loyalty programs and tracking down award space can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. For travelers who aren't interested in diving deep into the world of points and miles, the sheer complexity can be a barrier. Chase Travel provides a much simpler alternative. You don't need to be an expert who's fluent in airline award charts to get solid value for your points—you just search and book your flight or hotel like you would on Tripadvisor (which powers Chase Travel). It's an intuitive, user-friendly option. Consider a hybrid approach when deciding how to redeem your points. To identify high-value transfer redemptions from partners, consider using an award search tool like PointsYeah or AwardTool. These platforms can help you uncover premium flight and hotel options that maximize the value of your Ultimate Rewards points. Just remember: Once you transfer points to a travel partner, that transfer is final. Always confirm availability and pricing before moving your Ultimate Rewards points. Find the best travel credit card for your travel needs. The Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000 bonus offers an abundance of reward riches, and understanding the pros and cons of its two travel redemption paths can help you make the most of every point. Match your strategy to your travel goals and you'll be well on your way to an unforgettable trip at an incredible value.
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Dreamy Hotels You Can Book With 100k Chase Points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a best-ever 100k welcome bonus for new cardholders. For a limited time, you can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Thanks to Chase's airline transfer partners, there are many great ways to use your points toward flights. But what about lodging after you've reached your destination? Your Chase Ultimate Rewards points can help there, too! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account ... More opening. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - See Rates & Fees Chase has three hotel partners: Hyatt, Marriott and IHG. While it can be more difficult to find high-value hotel redemptions compared to award flights, there are plenty of attractive deals to be found. I asked members of our editorial team to share their favorite hotels that are bookable with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and their recommendations did not disappoint. Here are five standout picks. Picture of Alila Ubud hotel surrounded by the Bali jungles. Cost: Starting at 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night This recommendation came from Caroline Lupini, Managing Editor of Forbes Advisor's Credit Cards and Travel Rewards team. Caroline called this one of her favorite Hyatt redemptions ever—high praise coming from a digital nomad who travels year-round! Alila Ubud is nestled in the central foothills of Bali and provides an immersive jungle escape. The stilted rooms overlook the Ayung River and guests can participate in a variety of 'Alila Journeys' such as a Rainforest Spa Experience, Organic Mixology Class, Rice Paddy Walk and more. After a day of adventure, dine at the Plantation Restaurant or Cabana Lounge. Now a Hyatt Category 4 property, a standard award night at Alila Ubud costs 15,000 points. Off-peak nights are just 12,000 points, while stays during peak season will set you back 18,000 points per night. Picture of the pool at the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa. Cost: Starting at 16,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night If you've been dreaming of visiting Thailand after watching the latest season of 'The White Lotus,' your 100,000 Chase points can help with that. Located on the white sands of Bangsak Beach, Le Meridien Khao Lak was suggested by Forbes Advisor's Senior Writer, Becky Pokora. She highlighted the property's lovely pools and nearby activities, including jungle night tours, Khao Sok National Park day trips and affordable beach massages ($8 to $10). Some rooms include private terraces with plunge pools, and Becky was lucky enough to receive a complimentary upgrade to one. The resort also features three signature lagoon pools, a luxury spa and seven hotel restaurants and bars. Award nights can go for as low as 16,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Picture of candlelit tables and seating at the Zielo Rooftop. Cost: Starting at 6,500 World of Hyatt points per night This property came highly recommended by Forbes Advisor's Lead Editor Toni Perkins-Southam, who called it 'stunning.' Located in the heart of Guatemala City, it offers convenient access to the Zona 10 district and features a rooftop pool with panoramic views. Guests can unwind with a cocktail at Zielo Rooftop or sip freshly brewed Guatemalan coffee from Ezprezzo Corner. As a Category 2 Hyatt property, award nights start at just 6,500 points for off-peak dates. The standard night rate is 8,000 points, while you'll pay 9,500 during peak season. With 100,000 points, you can enjoy a full week here and still have points left over! Outdoor picture of the Swan and Dolphin Resort and the adjacent river. Cost: Starting at 44,000 Marriott points per night Both Jerod Morales, Deputy Editor at Forbes Advisor, and I have stayed at this property. It's rare to find a Disney-affiliated hotel you can book with points, but the Swan and Dolphin Resort delivers. It's located just steps from the Disney Boardwalk, and visitors can walk or take a water taxi to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The newer Swan Reserve, added in 2021, is also bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points. Guests enjoy shared amenities across all three properties, including 23 restaurants and lounges, five pools, a white sand beach, a spa and two fitness centers. Award pricing varies, but we found nights at the Swan and Dolphin for as low as 44,000 Bonvoy points and the Swan Reserve for 54,000. Picture of a Big Sur suite at Alila Ventana. Cost: Starting at 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night This all-inclusive property was recommended by Jerod Morales, who enjoyed a couples' getaway here. Guests can soak up Big Sur's natural beauty through daily hikes and signature experiences like beekeeping, falconry, yoga, meditation and Tai Chi. Alila Ventana is a Category 8 property, which is the most expensive redemption category within Hyatt's brand portfolio. Technically, Category 8 prices start at 35,000 points for off-peak dates, but we were only able to find peak pricing, which starts at 45,000 points for a standard room or 66,000 points per night for a suite. Despite the high cost, it can be a phenomenal value—suites often retail for $2,500 or more. Plus, it's all-inclusive, so your meals are covered. Unlike some other hotel chains, Hyatt always waives its resort fees on award nights. So by using points, you can reap additional savings that wouldn't normally be possible if you booked with cash. Our family has taken advantage of this benefit many times, including during a recent visit to the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort. Our kids had a blast enjoying all that the resort had to offer, and I appreciated that I was able to avoid the $50 daily resort fee! Marriott offers its 'Stay for 5, Pay for 4' benefit to all Bonvoy members. This means you'll use 20% fewer points on a five-night stay. IHG has a similar, and potentially more valuable, benefit that allows you to get the fourth night free on award stays. However, it's only available to IHG credit card holders. If you do happen to already have an IHG card, though, it could make getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card an even better choice since they pair so well together. You can earn the 100,000-point bonus with the Sapphire Preferred, and thanks to your IHG credit card, you can transfer fewer of those points to IHG when booking a four-night stay. Hyatt, Marriott and IHG each have price calendars that allow you to check a property's award prices for every night in a given month. IHG's award calendar showing dates available for different points prices. Using these calendars allows you to quickly scan through the year to find the specific nights that offer the best rates. This makes it easier to plan a trip around the best-value redemption opportunities, helping you stretch your Chase Ultimate Rewards points further. There are several benefits to booking hotel stays through Chase Travel. For starters, your points are worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Travel—or 1.25 cents per point. Additionally, you'll have access to a wider selection of hotels (not just those from Chase's transfer partners), and you can take advantage of the Sapphire Preferred's $50 annual Chase hotel credit. There's a trade-off: You won't receive any elite status benefits or perks. However, if you don't have elite status with a hotel chain, this won't be a concern. Whether you're planning an extended retreat or a quick getaway, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can help make your dream trip a reality. With strategic redemptions, your 100,000-point welcome bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred can stretch a long way toward unforgettable hotel stays. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author's alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
