With the summer months quickly approaching, credit card issuers are scrambling to create incentives on their travel reward credit cards. It’s no secret that a good bonus attract thousands of new cardholders, and Chase has decided to go after customers with this offer of 10,000 point bonus for new holders of the Chase Sapphire® Card, which is redeemable for $100 toward travel. You can earn these bonus miles after you make $500 in purchases within the first three months of card ownership. When you take a look at what other credit cards are offering, the $100 and additional perks is about as good as you’re going to find.
Chase is not including an introductory offer such as a 0% APR for a certain amount of months with the Chase Sapphire Card. The standard purchase and balance transfer rate is a variable 15.24% APR and the rate for cash advances is a variable 19.24% APR. If you default on your payments to Chase, the bank will penalize you with a variable rate of 29.99% APR. There is no annual fee. You’ll need excellent credit for Chase to approve your application.
The rewards program on the Chase Sapphire Card is fairly straightforward, offering points on two different types of purchases. Points never expire and there is no limit to the amount of points that you can earn each year. Here is the breakdown for the points:
- Two points for every dollar spent at restaurants
- One point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
As a cardmember you will have access to a live representative to answer all customer service calls. I recently shared my experience dealing with Chase customer service related to a different card. No matter the time of call, a human being will always be available. One of the largest complaints customers have about credit cards is the inability for automated response systems to provide useful information, so this is not an issue with the Chase Sapphire Card.
When looking for an overall credit card, the important aspects for most customers include the interest rate, rewards program, annual fee and bonus offer. This card comes out on top in all four areas plus a big positive for customer service. If you’re looking at applying for the Chase Sapphire® Card and the $100 cash back bonus or would like to find more information about the card, visit the card’s secure application page.
Updated May 10, 2013 and originally published June 1, 2011. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Flexo,
Thanks for the review. I’m interested. Where can I find additional details on the Sapphire’s rewards programs? I’m looking for a new card as my current rewards program is a bit weak. Any additional info you can provide would be appreciated…
If you’re interested in more information beyond what I’ve included in the review, you can always go to the official Sapphire site.
Right. There’s no additional details on the rewards program there though. Like … how many points must be earned to earn a free flight, etc.
Ah, I see. This website has more information on the redemption of rewards. Looks also for the “redemption rules” link there.
thank you for the site.
Thanks for the update. As they continue to sweeten the pot, I become more interested in applying for the card…
This is only half as good as the 50,000 points they were offering for a Sapphire Preferred Card just a few weeks ago.
That is true. The Preferred card, though it offers a better deal, carries a $95 annual fee.
Which is waived for the first year, I believe. I wonder if they would let someone transfer their points to a fee-free regular Sapphire card after the first year?
This bonus has me wondering if my current card set is still the best for my purchases. Or is the $250 worth the hassle. Much better card than the last chase card review (slate).
I’m surprised how long Chase has kept this offer live. Their other summer offers were extremely lucrative in the travel category but only lasted for 3-4 weeks. I’ll bet it wont be available by the end of Sept.