Chase Sapphire Preferred 2026 Benefits Refresh: Bigger Hotel Credit, New 3x Categories, and the End of the Anniversary Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred just got its biggest benefits overhaul in years, and most of it is good news. At $95 a year, the card now carries a hotel credit that more than covers the annual fee on its own, two brand-new 3x categories, a Global Entry credit that used to be premium-card territory, and a free year of Apple TV.

There is a catch or two. The well-loved 10% anniversary bonus is going away for new applicants, and the World of Hyatt transfer ratio is getting worse on this card. Here is the full breakdown of what changed, who it helps, and who should pay attention to the fine print.

TL;DR

• New: 3x on gas and EV charging, 3x on vacation homes (Airbnb, Vrbo, and more), a $120 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS credit every 4 years, and a free year of Apple TV (activate by Dec 31, 2026)
• Upgraded: the annual Chase Travel hotel credit doubles from $50 to $100, and Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage is added to the protection suite
• Going away: the 10% anniversary bonus (for applications on or after June 15, 2026) and the 1:1 World of Hyatt transfer ratio, which moves to 4:3 on the Preferred
• Annual fee stays at $95; welcome offer stays at 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months
• Net takeaway: for anyone applying today, this is a better card than it was last month

What Changed

Here is the full rundown.

New benefits:

• 3x points on gas and EV charging
• 3x points on vacation homes at top brands including Airbnb, Vrbo, and more
• $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years
• Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when activated by December 31, 2026 (terms apply)

Upgraded benefits:

• The annual Chase Travel hotel credit doubles from $50 to $100 per account anniversary year
• Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage is added to the travel protection suite

Going away:

• The 10% anniversary points bonus is discontinued, effective immediately for anyone who applies on or after June 15, 2026. If you applied before that date, eligible purchases through October 1, 2026 still earn the bonus, which will be paid out by January 31, 2027.
• The World of Hyatt transfer ratio drops from 1:1 to 4:3 on some Chase cards, including the Sapphire Preferred. For cardmembers who applied before June 15, the change takes effect October 1, 2026.

The $100 Hotel Credit Now Beats the Fee

The headline change is the simplest one. Each account anniversary year you now get up to $100 in statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel, doubled from the old $50.

Do that math for a second. The credit alone now exceeds the $95 annual fee. Book one hotel you were already planning to book through Chase Travel and the card effectively pays for itself before you count a single point. You still earn 5x on the remaining balance after the credit applies.

The practical approach has not changed: use it on a mainstream chain hotel you would have booked anyway, where Chase Travel pricing is generally competitive, and do not let it expire.

Two New 3x Categories

The earning structure picks up two categories the Sapphire lineup never bonused before:

• Gas and EV charging at 3x. A genuinely useful everyday category that the card simply did not reward until now.
• Vacation homes at 3x. Airbnb, Vrbo, and similar bookings jump from 2x to 3x.

Everything else stays strong: 5x on Chase Travel, 3x on dining worldwide, 3x on online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 3x on streaming, and 2x on all other travel. For families and everyday travelers, this is a meaningfully better earn sheet than it was.

A Global Entry Credit on a $95 Card

The Preferred now includes a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years. That perk used to live on premium cards with much larger fees. At $95 a year, the Preferred is now one of the cheapest ways to keep your trusted-traveler status funded.

A Free Year of Apple TV

New cardmembers get a complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when they activate by December 31, 2026 (terms apply). At Apple TV’s current $12.99 a month, that is roughly $150 in value for clicking a button. Like the existing DashPass membership and $10 monthly DoorDash promo, this is a promotional benefit with an expiration date, not a permanent card feature, so use it while it is live.

Better Travel Protection

Chase added Emergency Evacuation and Transportation coverage to the protection suite, which Chase positions as the most comprehensive set of built-in travel protections in the card’s class. That sits alongside the benefits that already made the Preferred punch above its weight:

• Primary rental car coverage for theft and collision damage (decline the rental counter’s waiver and you are covered first, not after your personal auto policy)
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip
• Trip delay reimbursement after a covered delay
• Baggage delay and lost luggage coverage
• Purchase protection and extended warranty
• No foreign transaction fees

Primary rental coverage remains the standout. On an international rental where the daily collision waiver can cost more than the car, this benefit alone can save you hundreds.

What You Lose

Two changes land on the other side of the ledger.

The 10% anniversary bonus is ending. Each anniversary, the card used to deposit a 10% points bonus based on your prior year’s spend. It is discontinued for anyone applying on or after June 15, 2026. If you already hold the card, you keep earning it on eligible purchases through October 1, 2026, with the bonus paid by January 31, 2027. It was never the reason to carry the card, but if it factored into your math, it is worth re-checking the numbers.

World of Hyatt transfers get worse. The Preferred’s transfer ratio to World of Hyatt drops from 1:1 to 4:3, meaning 4 Ultimate Rewards points become 3 Hyatt points. For cardmembers who applied before June 15, the change takes effect October 1, 2026. Hyatt has long been the crown jewel of the Chase transfer lineup, so this is the change most likely to sting points enthusiasts. The 1:1 ratio survives on the Sapphire Reserve, which is worth noting if Hyatt is central to your strategy.

Is the $95 Fee Still Worth It?

More than ever, for the right person. The doubled $100 hotel credit covers the fee by itself. Stack the DashPass membership, the monthly DoorDash promo, the amortized Global Entry credit, the Apple TV year, and one rental where you lean on primary coverage, and the everyday value clears the fee several times over without touching the welcome bonus.

Where it still does not make sense: if you rarely travel, do not eat out or order delivery, and prefer flat-rate cash back, a no-annual-fee card is the better fit. The Preferred rewards people who actually use it.

For most people getting into points, this remains the card I recommend first. The fee is low, the earn sheet is now broader, the protections are real, and the transfer-partner access (even with the Hyatt downgrade) is worth the $95 several times over if you use it well. I went deeper on the full card in my Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

Tracking the New Benefits

The downside of a richer benefits package is more to remember. A $100 hotel credit that resets on your account anniversary, a Global Entry credit on a four-year clock, an Apple TV activation deadline, and promotional DoorDash and Apple perks with their own expiration dates add up fast.

That is exactly what CardStack is built for. It tracks which credits you have used, what is still available, and what is about to expire across every card in your wallet, and it tells you which card to use at each merchant so the new 3x categories actually get used. A card with this many moving parts is hard to fully optimize without a system. You can try CardStack free and see your whole wallet in one place.