Course→Lesson 5

Your First Travel Card (And Why CSP)

Lesson 5 of 19•10 min•By Austin Nguyen•Updated Oct 16, 2026

Chase Sapphire Preferred (75,000 bonus points, 1:1 transfers to United/Southwest/Hyatt, $95 annual fee waived first year) is the best first card for most people. Only apply when you can naturally spend $4,000 in 3 months without buying things you don't need.

Key Takeaways

  • ✓ Chase Sapphire Preferred is best first card for beginners
  • ✓ 75,000 bonus points after $4,000 spend in 3 months (verified Oct 2026)
  • ✓ 1:1 transfers to United, Southwest, Hyatt, and 10+ other partners
  • ✓ $95 annual fee (waived first year), no foreign transaction fees
  • ✓ Need 700+ credit score and under 5/24 to apply
  • ✓ Only apply when you can naturally meet minimum spend

Why Chase Sapphire Preferred Is the Best First Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) is the best first travel card for most beginners. Here's why it wins over other options:

Large welcome bonus: 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. According to Chase, these points are worth $950 when redeemed through their travel portal at 1.25 cents per point. But you can get much more value by transferring to airline and hotel partners.

Flexible 1:1 transfers: Transfer Chase points to United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, World of Hyatt, Air France/Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, and 10+ other airline and hotel partners. This flexibility is crucial — if one airline doesn't have award availability, you can transfer to another.

Easy earning: 2x points on all travel and dining purchases, 1x on everything else. Simple to understand and use daily.

Reasonable annual fee: $95 per year, waived the first year. Much more affordable than premium cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550) or Amex Platinum ($695).

No foreign transaction fees: Use the card abroad without paying 3% extra on every purchase.

What About Other First Cards?

Capital One Venture: Also a solid choice with 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend and transfers to 15+ partners including Air Canada Aeroplan and Turkish Miles&Smiles. Choose Venture if you prefer those transfer partners over Chase's. Otherwise, Chase has the stronger partner lineup (United, Southwest, Hyatt).

Capital One Venture X: Better benefits ($300 travel credit, lounge access) but $395 annual fee. Wait until you're more experienced before paying premium fees.

Cards to avoid for your first card:

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve: $550 annual fee, requires higher credit score (typically 750+), better as a second or third card
  • Amex Platinum: $695 annual fee, complex benefits that beginners often can't maximize (lounge access, hotel status, airline credits)
  • Airline co-brand cards (United, Southwest, Delta): Points locked to one airline with no transfer flexibility. Get these later for specific redemptions.
  • Hotel co-brand cards (Hyatt, Marriott): Same issue — points locked to one hotel chain

When Should You Apply?

Only apply when you can naturally spend $4,000 in 3 months. This is the most important rule. Do not buy things you don't need just to hit the minimum spend.

Examples of natural spend:

  • Rent (if you can pay via credit card, some services charge 2-3% fee)
  • Utilities, internet, phone bills
  • Groceries and dining out
  • Gas and car insurance
  • Upcoming large purchase you were planning anyway (flight, laptop, appliance)

Do NOT:

  • Buy things you don't need
  • Carry a balance month-to-month (interest negates all rewards)
  • Use Venmo or PayPal to "pay" friends to manufacture spending (Chase can claw back bonuses)
  • Buy gift cards in bulk to flip (risky, can trigger fraud alerts)

Wait 3-6 months if: You don't have $4,000 in natural spend coming up. Credit card welcome bonuses are a one-time opportunity per card. Don't waste it by applying before you're ready.

What Credit Score Do You Need?

Chase Sapphire Preferred typically requires a credit score of 700 or higher. Check your score for free via your bank's app, Credit Karma, or AnnualCreditReport.com.

If your score is below 700, spend 6-12 months building credit history first. See Lesson 4 for details on building credit.

What Is 5/24 and Why Does It Matter?

Chase has a rule called 5/24: they automatically deny your application if you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months.

This rule applies to all Chase personal cards. If you've opened multiple cards recently (Capital One, Amex, store cards, etc.), you might be over 5/24 and ineligible.

Check your 5/24 status: Count all personal credit cards you've opened in the past 2 years. Include cards from all banks. Authorized user cards may count (but can sometimes be removed).

If you're under 5/24, apply for Chase cards first before other issuers. Chase has the most valuable transfer partners (United, Southwest, Hyatt), so preserve your 5/24 slots.

See Lesson 6 for full details on 5/24 and other issuer rules.

How to Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred

  1. Check your credit score (need 700+)
  2. Verify you're under 5/24 (fewer than 5 cards in past 24 months)
  3. Confirm you can spend $4,000 naturally in 3 months
  4. Apply via referral link: Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred
  5. Fill out the application (takes 5 minutes: income, housing info, SSN)
  6. Wait for decision: Instant approval, or "7-10 days" message (check status line)

Most people get instant approval or approval within a few days. If denied, you can call Chase's reconsideration line to request manual review (covered in Lesson 6).

What to Do After Approval

  1. Set up autopay in the Chase app to pay the full statement balance every month. Never carry a balance.
  2. Use the card for all purchases to hit the $4,000 minimum spend faster.
  3. Track your spending toward the $4,000 requirement. The Chase app shows progress, or use a spreadsheet.
  4. Wait for the bonus to post. It usually appears 5-10 days after you meet the minimum spend and the statement closes.
  5. Plan your first redemption. Review your travel goal from Lesson 3 and start searching for award availability.

How Much Are 75,000 Chase Points Worth?

Value depends on how you redeem:

  • Cash back: 1 cent per point = $750
  • Chase travel portal: 1.25 cents per point = $937.50
  • Transfer to partners: Typically 1.5-2+ cents per point

Example redemptions:

  • Transfer 50,000 points to United → Book round-trip domestic flight (normally $500+)
  • Transfer 40,000 points to Hyatt → Book 3-4 nights at a nice hotel (normally $600+)
  • Transfer 25,000 points to Southwest → Fly round-trip anywhere in the U.S.

We cover point valuations in detail in Lesson 12. Use our CPP calculator to estimate value for your specific redemptions.

Should You Keep or Cancel After Year One?

After the first year (when the $95 fee is no longer waived), decide whether to keep the card:

Keep it if:

  • You spend enough on dining/travel to earn $95+ in rewards annually
  • You're planning future transfers to Chase partners
  • You want to upgrade to Chase Sapphire Reserve later (can't upgrade if you cancel)

Downgrade to Chase Freedom if:

  • You're not using it enough to justify $95
  • You've earned another flexible points currency (Amex, Capital One)
  • You want to free up your 5/24 slot for another Chase card

Most people keep it for at least 2-3 years. The transfer flexibility is valuable even if you're not earning heavily.

Next Steps

Before you apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred (or any credit card), you must understand issuer rules like Chase 5/24, application velocity limits, and what to do if you're denied.

Move to Lesson 6: Approval Rules, 5/24, Velocity & Recon Calls to learn how to maximize your approval odds and avoid common mistakes.

← Lesson 4Next: Lesson 6 →