If you are at all serious about getting the most rewards out of your credit card, Chase’s new Sapphire Card should definitely be on your radar. For starters, there’s no annual fee, points never expire and after you make your first purchase with the Sapphire you earn 10,000 points. That’s quite a friendly welcome gift that translates to about $100 in points.
On regular offline purchases the Sapphire card offers a decent point per dollar spent. However, to really cash in you will want to take your card and points over to the Chase Ultimate Rewards online mall. This is where the fun really starts. In the Ultimate Rewards mall, cardholders can earn up to 10 points per dollar spent. You almost need not shop anywhere else. In the Ultimate Rewards mall you can book flights, cruises, hotel rooms, make restaurant reservations, purchase gift cards and buy literally millions of different everyday products from around 300 merchants. Offerings include items from the best brands in electronics, outdoor equipment, and household items including HP, Philips, Kodak, Le Creuset and Schwin among many others. Gift cards can be purchased from many major stores including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Pottery Barn, Best Buy and Target.
With the Sapphire card, Chase has made a real effort to minimize the fine print and significantly ease the restrictions many consumers discover when they come to redeem standard credit card points. For example, your points will be accepted for travel on most major airlines, there are no blackout dates or restrictions, and you may choose seats in any class. When booking using Chase’s in-house travel booking tool you get the same price as the open market, you also earn 2 points for every dollar spent and can pay using points, card or a combination of both. Chase also includes a variety of different types of travel insurance when you purchase airfares using your Sapphire card.
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One of the most unique perks of the Sapphire card is the Pay Yourself Back feature. If you find a hotel, flight or merchandise other than in the Ultimate Rewards mall you can pay yourself a reward using your points. Up to 60 days after making a purchase use your accumulated points to earn a credit on your statement. Credits start at 2,500 points for $25. There’s even a “secret” phone number on the Sapphire card that puts cardholders in touch with live customer service 24/7.
There are many other features of Chase Sapphire that make it appealing. Identity theft reimbursement up to $3000, zero liability on unauthorized purchases, extended warranty protection on a variety of household products, free additional cards for other users, choice of payment due date and lots of flexibility in other administrative options.
And for those with good credit this card has a 10.24% APR; which is a fair rate for a regular credit card that doesn’t have all the perks the Sapphire offers. Adding that cherry to the top makes the Sapphire a card worth close consideration.
