Chase Sapphire Preferred Just Became a Great Dining Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Just Became a Great Dining Card

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has earned our pick as the best travel rewards card with an annual fee under $100, thanks to its solid earning rates and current sky-high 100,000-point welcome offer.

With the introduction of new benefits and earning rates, for the same annual fee, the Preferred is now also one of the top credit cards for dining.

As of August 16, new and existing cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card will earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining, eligible delivery services and takeout — categories that previously earned 2 points per dollar.

Pro Tip

Enroll your Chase Sapphire Preferred with DoorDash’s Dash Pass to get a complimentary 12-month membership by December 31.

Sapphire Preferred cardholders also will receive a 12-month complimentary DoorDash Dash Pass membership (otherwise $9.99 per month) when they activate by December 31, 2021. It includes free deliveries on eligible orders, as well as lower service fees.

All of this for a $95 annual fee card — which means it gives the American Express® Gold Card a run for its money as the top card for people who put the bulk of their credit card spend on dining.

This is in addition to the 5 points per dollar it earns on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, 3 points per dollar on select streaming services and groceries (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), $50 statement credit on hotel stays purchased through the portal, and a 10% anniversary points bonus. You can later redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for free or discounted travel.

The Amex Gold card (See rates & fees) earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, but carries a $250 annual fee — more than double that of the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It also comes with a $120 annual dining credit, spread out over the course of a calendar year. This credit applies to popular restaurants and services such as The Cheesecake Factory, participating Shake Shack locations, and GrubHub/Seamless.

Both are great cards for dining. In fact, how to choose between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold card is one of our most frequently-asked questions. 

But with that said, the Chase Sapphire Preferred just became a much better card for dining. If you spend a good portion of your budget on eating at restaurants or ordering takeout/delivery, you’ll be able to see your Ultimate Rewards points add up quickly with these new additions.

  • Intro bonus:
  • Annual fee:

    $95

  • Regular APR:

    15.99% – 22.99% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon at our partner’s secure site.
  • Intro bonus:
  • Annual fee:

    $550

  • Regular APR:

    16.99%-23.99% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    740-850 (Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon at our partner’s secure site.

Other Great Cards for Dining

American Express Gold Card

As mentioned earlier, the Amex Gold earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar on spending at U.S. restaurants, as well as at U.S. supermarkets (the latter on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). You can later redeem these points for free or discounted travel by transferring to partners such as Delta Air Lines or by redeeming them through the Amex Travel portal.

The $120 annual statement credit towards dining purchases is another notable benefit, and if you dine at the eligible restaurants or use services like GrubHub frequently, there’s no doubt you’ll get a lot of use out of it. While it comes with a $250 annual fee, perks like this can help to offset it.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you’d rather earn cash back on all of your dining purchases, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is certainly worth a look. It carries a $95 annual fee and earns 4% cash back on dining, as well as entertainment and popular streaming services. It also earns 3% cash back on grocery store spending (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart).

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve, the more premium of the Sapphire cards, is another great pick for dining, but because of its high annual fee it will only appeal to frequent travelers who want top-tier benefits like airport lounge access. Like the Preferred, it earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining purchases. In addition, as part of the new slate of Sapphire upgrades introduced in August, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders will earn 10 points per dollar on Chase Dining purchases.

While it comes with a high $550 annual fee, it also offers perks like a $300 annual travel credit and up to a $100 application fee credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here

*All information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by NextAdvisor and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

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