After I opened the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) a 12 months in the past, I had no concept how rapidly it will develop into my go-to instrument for incomes journey rewards — or how a lot worth I’d be capable of unlock immediately.
Since then, I’ve used it to e book worldwide flights, navigate surprising journey hiccups and learn to stretch factors way over I imagined once 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 benefit from the Chase Sapphire Most popular.
Associated: After greater than 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Most popular 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 newcomers to kick-start their factors and miles journey, and the Chase Sapphire Most popular provides new cardholders the prospect 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 resort nights and even a part of a global itinerary.
Proper now, new cardmembers can earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months — a powerful supply that averages slightly below $1,670 in spending monthly.
Should you switch these factors to one among Chase’s airline or resort companions, the bonus is price about $1,538, in keeping with TPG’s December 2025 valuations.
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After I earned my 60,000-point welcome supply in 2024 (now not out there), 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 Lodge Indigo Florence in Italy
One of the thrilling components of beginning your journey card journey with the Sapphire Most popular is watching your factors rework into flights and resort stays. Making my first journey redemptions taught me simply how highly effective a single welcome bonus may be — particularly once 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 constantly earn factors
One more reason why the Chase Sapphire Most popular works so effectively for newcomers is its easy high-value incomes construction throughout classes most individuals spend in on daily basis.
A few of its key incomes charges embody:
- 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by way of Chase Journey℠ (excluding purchases that qualify for the $50 resort credit score)
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft purchases (by way 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 way of Chase Journey
- 1 level per greenback spent on all the things else
As a brand new cardholder, the simplest technique to construct your factors stability is solely to make use of the cardboard on your on a regular basis purchases.
Throughout my first six months with the cardboard, I put practically each buy on it and watched my factors stability develop quickly — all from transactions I’d have made anyway.
It’s a very good reminder that you just don’t want an advanced technique or a pockets filled with playing cards to maximise worth. Constantly placing your common spending on one sturdy card is sufficient to develop a significant factors stability when you find out how the system works.
Associated: I believed I would hardly use my Sapphire Most popular, then it turned one among my go-to playing cards
Reap the benefits of the cardboard’s built-in journey protections
One of many Chase Sapphire Most popular‘s most underrated advantages is its suite of journey protections that may prevent tons of of {dollars} if one thing goes fallacious on a visit. These embody major rental automobile protection, journey delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance coverage — perks many newcomers 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 sort of scenario you by no means suppose will occur, however as a result of I’d paid for the rental with my Sapphire Most popular, I knew the cardboard’s major rental automobile protection was there to deal with any harm. In the long run, 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 function. In case your flight is delayed by a qualifying variety of hours or in a single day, you may be reimbursed for important bills like meals and lodging, making an unexpectedly lengthy journey day far much less worrying.
For a card with a modest $95 annual charge, these protections supply outsize worth, particularly in the event you’re touring internationally, renting automobiles or simply need added safety once you’re away from dwelling.
Associated: Chase Sapphire rental automobile insurance coverage: What it covers and methods to file a declare
Switch factors to journey companions for higher-value redemptions
One of the highly effective options of the Chase Sapphire Most popular is the flexibility to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to greater than a dozen airline and resort 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 present price 2.05 cents every, in keeping with TPG’s December 2025 valuations, these transfers are sometimes the place newcomers unlock the very 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 resort nights that will value considerably extra in the event you 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 understand how to benefit from the appropriate alternatives.
Should you’re new to the Sapphire Most popular, consider transfers as a next-step talent — one thing you don’t have to grasp instantly however one which turns into extremely rewarding as you develop extra assured together with your factors.
Associated: Easy methods to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to United MileagePlus
E-book journey by way of Chase Journey for simplicity
Should you’re not fairly able to switch factors (or simply want to not), the Chase Journey portal is among the most beginner-friendly methods to make use of your rewards. As a Chase Sapphire Most popular Card holder, you could have entry to Chase’s Factors Increase function, which will increase the worth of your factors when reserving by way of the portal.
With Factors Increase, Sapphire Most popular Card holders can redeem their Final Rewards factors on choose inns 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 be taught airline or resort switch companions.
I lately used Chase’s Factors Increase function for a three-night keep at Lodge Indigo Florence in Italy — a reserving that will have value practically $800 in money. By utilizing 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 larger worth, the Chase Journey portal stays probably the most easy technique to get dependable, predictable returns in your factors, particularly for newcomers or anybody who desires to maintain issues easy.
Associated: I am a Sapphire Most popular Card holder: This is my Chase Journey Factors Increase technique
Use further perks for on a regular basis worth
Past its well-known journey advantages, the Chase Sapphire Most popular additionally comes with on a regular basis perks that add actual worth, even in the event you’re not touring regularly.
These advantages can assist offset the annual charge and provides newcomers extra causes to maintain the cardboard on the entrance of their pockets. Key perks embody:
- DoorDash advantages
- Unique entry to Chase Provides
- Buying and eating promotions
One in all my private favourite (and most used) perks is the complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, legitimate by way 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 charge by itself.
DashPass will get you $0 supply charges and decreased 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.
While 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 popular stays among the best starter journey playing cards for newcomers.
Associated: Your full information to Chase and DoorDash
Backside line
The Chase Sapphire Most popular stands out as among the best newbie journey playing cards as a result of it’s simple to make use of from Day 1, delivers instant worth and presents the pliability to unlock much more as you be taught 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 making the most of built-in perks, and transfer into level transfers and extra superior methods once you’re prepared.
A 12 months after opening the cardboard, I’m nonetheless discovering new methods to maximise it. For newcomers, that’s precisely what makes the Chase Sapphire Most popular such a sensible and dependable place to start out.
To be taught extra, try our full assessment of the Sapphire Most popular.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular Card
