The Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026 refresh announced June 10 is the most significant overhaul of the card since its original launch, and it tells two different stories depending on which type of cardholder you are. For everyday travelers and beginners to the points game, the card got meaningfully better: new 3x categories on gas and vacation rentals, a doubled hotel credit, a new Global Entry credit, emergency evacuation coverage, and a free year of Apple TV, all for the same $95 annual fee. For Hyatt loyalists who built their travel strategy around the Sapphire Preferred’s 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio, the news is significantly worse: the ratio drops to 4:3 effective June 15 for new cardmembers and October 1 for existing ones. All changes take effect June 15, 2026.
Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026: When Do Changes Take Effect?
New and existing cardmembers will have access to all new benefits on June 15, 2026. Existing cardmembers will receive an email on June 15 with details of their new benefits.
The annual fee remains $95. No enrollment or spending threshold is required for most new benefits. The only new benefit requiring activation is the complimentary one-year Apple TV subscription, which must be activated by December 31, 2026.
The Hyatt transfer ratio change timeline has two tracks. New cardmembers who apply on or after June 15 will see the 4:3 ratio immediately. Existing cardmembers who applied before June 15 will continue to transfer at 1:1 through September 30, 2026, with the 4:3 ratio taking effect October 1, 2026.
NEW: 3x Points on Gas and EV Charging
The addition of 3x points on gas and EV charging is among the most practically impactful changes for everyday users.
Gas is one of the largest monthly recurring expenses for most American households, and it has been notable for its absence from the Sapphire Preferred’s accelerated earn categories until now. At 3 points per dollar at the pump, a household spending $200 per month on gas earns 600 points monthly, or 7,200 points annually, from this category alone.
The EV charging inclusion acknowledges the growing share of American drivers operating electric vehicles, ensuring the card remains relevant as the transportation landscape evolves. Both gas and EV charging are included from June 15 at no additional cost.
NEW: 3x Points on Vacation Homes at Airbnb, Vrbo, and More
The second new 3x category covers vacation home purchases made directly through specific platforms: Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa.
The addition of Airbnb and Vrbo specifically reflects how the travel industry has shifted. A substantial portion of leisure travel spending now flows through short-term rental platforms rather than hotels. Before this change, Sapphire Preferred cardmembers booking vacation rentals on Airbnb earned only 1 point per dollar on most purchases.
Cardmembers who book a vacation home through the Chase Travel portal can earn 5x points instead of 3x, giving an additional incentive to book through Chase’s own platform.
UPDATED: $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit (Doubled from $50)
The annual hotel credit has been doubled from $50 to $100, effective for each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel.
A $100 annual travel credit that offsets the $95 annual fee means the Sapphire Preferred effectively costs nothing net for cardmembers who make one qualifying hotel booking through Chase Travel per year. This simple math makes the card easier to justify for light travelers who were previously on the fence.
The credit does not require activation but does require a prepaid hotel booking through Chase Travel. It resets each account anniversary year.
NEW: $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Credit
The Sapphire Preferred gains a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
This brings the card in line with many premium travel cards that have offered this benefit for years. The credit is automatic: simply pay the application fee with your Sapphire Preferred card, and the $120 statement credit is applied. No enrollment required.
Global Entry costs $100 and includes TSA PreCheck, making it the most efficient choice for domestic and international travelers. NEXUS costs $50 and covers U.S.-Canada travel. Both applications can now be fully covered by the credit every four years.
NEW: Emergency Evacuation Coverage Up to $100,000
Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage is the most significant new travel protection added to the card.
If a covered traveler is injured or becomes sick during a trip 100 miles or more from home and that results in emergency evacuation, they can be covered for eligible medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
A medical evacuation from a remote location or a foreign country can cost between $50,000 and $200,000 without coverage. Adding $100,000 of Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage to a $95 annual fee card is an extraordinary value addition for any cardholder who travels internationally or to remote domestic destinations. Chase describes the updated protection suite as the most comprehensive in its class.
NEW: Free Apple TV for One Year
Cardmembers will receive one year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026, an approximately $99 annual value. Cardmembers must activate through the Benefits and Rewards section on Chase.com or the mobile app to link their Apple ID.
The Sapphire Preferred already earns 3x points on Apple TV subscriptions as part of its streaming category. The complimentary subscription adds direct dollar value on top of that earning rate, making it a genuine no-cost perk for iPhone and Apple ecosystem users.
The Hyatt Catch: Transfer Ratio Drops From 1:1 to 4:3
The single most consequential negative change in this update is the reduction of the Hyatt transfer ratio from 1:1 to 4:3.
Previously, Sapphire Preferred cardholders could transfer their Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1,000 Chase points became 1,000 Hyatt points. The new ratio is 4:3, meaning 1,000 Chase points become 750 Hyatt points.
In practical terms: transferring 40,000 Chase points to Hyatt will yield just 30,000 Hyatt points instead of 40,000. That’s a significant devaluation for travelers who regularly transfer the points from their Sapphire Preferred to Hyatt. If you booked a hotel night that cost 20,000 Hyatt points and transferred at 1:1, it cost you 20,000 Chase points. Under the new ratio, that same booking requires 27,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to generate 20,250 Hyatt points — 35% more Chase points for the same redemption.
NerdWallet values Hyatt points at 1.8 cents each, making them among the most valuable in the hotel loyalty ecosystem. The 4:3 ratio effectively reduces the ceiling value of Chase points when used via Hyatt transfers. One strategic response: cardmembers who hold both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve can combine points across accounts and transfer to Hyatt from the Reserve account, which maintains the 1:1 ratio. Hyatt points do not transfer back to Ultimate Rewards once moved, so speculative transfers before October 1 are inadvisable.
The 10% Anniversary Bonus Is Gone: What You’re Losing
The 10% Anniversary Bonus Benefit is being discontinued for cardmembers who apply on or after June 15, 2026.
Under the discontinued benefit, cardmembers received 10% of the total points earned during their cardmember anniversary year. For a heavy spender earning 100,000 points per year, the anniversary bonus was worth 10,000 additional points — approximately $100 in travel value.
For existing cardmembers who applied before June 15, eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026, will continue to earn the 10% bonus, which will be awarded by January 31, 2027. The benefit was arguably a perk that rewarded heavy spenders disproportionately, but its removal is a concrete loss for long-standing cardholders who had built their points strategies around it.
Is Chase Sapphire Preferred Still Worth It in 2026?
The honest assessment: for most cardmembers, yes. For Hyatt loyalists, it depends.
The new benefits package easily justifies the $95 fee for any traveler who does two things: books at least one hotel per year through Chase Travel, unlocking the $100 credit that effectively makes the card free, and has a use case for at least one of the new 3x categories such as gas, vacation rentals, or the expanded streaming list.
The $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit alone offsets the fee. The $120 Global Entry credit offsets the fee over a four-year cycle. Emergency evacuation coverage adds hundreds of dollars in protection value that most travelers would otherwise need to pay separately for.
The card is losing some of its edge for Hyatt loyalists. Current cardholders still have until October 1 to transfer points at 1:1. If you have a specific Hyatt redemption planned, complete it before October 1. If you do not have a specific redemption in mind, do not transfer speculatively, as Hyatt points cannot be moved back to Ultimate Rewards. The Sapphire Reserve remains the right card for cardmembers whose primary points strategy is built around Hyatt transfers.
Latest Updates
The Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026 refresh was officially announced on June 10, 2026, with all changes taking effect June 15, 2026. Chase’s official press release confirmed the full list of new and updated benefits including 3x on gas and EV charging, 3x on vacation homes at Airbnb and Vrbo, the doubled $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit, the new $120 Global Entry credit, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage up to $100,000, and complimentary Apple TV for one year. Travel and Leisure confirmed the card’s major updates and called it a significant refresh for everyday travelers. CNN Underscored confirmed the Hyatt transfer ratio change from 1:1 to 4:3, noting that existing cardmembers will need 33% more Chase points to book the same Hyatt night from October 1, 2026.
Full sources: Chase Media Center | Travel + Leisure | CNN Underscored
Broader Implications
The Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026 refresh illustrates the ongoing tension in the premium travel card space: issuers must add value to justify or maintain annual fees while simultaneously managing the cost of the benefits ecosystem. The $95 annual fee has not moved in years while the benefits package has been enhanced on one side and reduced on the other.
The Hyatt transfer ratio change is the clearest signal of the economic pressure on points-based card programs. Hyatt points have been consistently rated among the most valuable in the hotel loyalty universe, which made the 1:1 Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt transfer one of the most powerful single-card features in consumer credit. Moving that to 4:3 captures some of that value back for Chase while still offering cardmembers better access to Hyatt than most competitors provide.
For the industry, the pattern is clear: premium travel cards will continue to add visible, easy-to-market benefits, like Apple TV and hotel credits, while quietly reducing the ceiling value of loyalty point redemptions. The consumer who reads the announcement but skips the fine print will likely feel positive about this update. The points and miles community, which will calculate the precise Hyatt impact in cents-per-point, will correctly identify it as a net negative for its highest-value use cases.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the biggest new benefits added to Chase Sapphire Preferred in 2026? The six new or updated benefits effective June 15, 2026 are: 3x points on gas and EV charging (new), 3x points on vacation homes at Airbnb, Vrbo, and others (new), the Chase Travel Hotel Credit doubled to $100 annually (updated), a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit every four years (new), Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage up to $100,000 (new), and a complimentary one-year Apple TV subscription (new). The annual fee remains $95.
2. What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Hyatt transfer change? The World of Hyatt transfer ratio changes from 1:1 to 4:3 effective immediately for new cardmembers applying on or after June 15, 2026, and effective October 1, 2026 for existing cardmembers. This means 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points will become 750 Hyatt points, requiring 33% more Chase points to book the same hotel night. The Sapphire Reserve maintains the 1:1 ratio.
3. Is the annual fee changing on Chase Sapphire Preferred? No. The annual fee remains $95 with the June 15, 2026 refresh. Chase General Manager Laura Picciano confirmed no annual fee increase as part of the announcement.
4. When does the 10% Anniversary Bonus end for Chase Sapphire Preferred? The 10% Anniversary Bonus is discontinued for new cardmembers applying on or after June 15, 2026. Existing cardmembers who applied before June 15 will continue to earn the 10% bonus on eligible purchases made through October 1, 2026, with the final bonus awarded by January 31, 2027.
5. Should existing Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders transfer points to Hyatt before October 1, 2026? Existing cardmembers retain the 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio through September 30, 2026. If you have a specific Hyatt redemption planned, transferring before October 1 is advisable to preserve the 1:1 rate. However, points experts caution against speculative transfers because Hyatt points cannot be moved back to Ultimate Rewards once transferred. An alternative strategy is to combine Ultimate Rewards points from a Sapphire Preferred onto a Sapphire Reserve account, which maintains the 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio indefinitely.
Sources and References
- Chase Media Center: Meet the New Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn More Than Ever, Same $95 Annual Fee
- Travel + Leisure: Chase Just Made Major Changes to Its Most Popular Travel Credit Card
- CNN Underscored: Chase Sapphire Preferred Adds New Perks, But There’s a Catch for Hyatt Loyalists
