Chase finally fixed the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
It now earns 3 points per dollar at gas stations. And EV chargers.
Before? I didn’t care much about maximizing pump spending. I used a catch-all rewards card for everything. Lazy, maybe, but effective. That was until I saw the rates change.
Now? I’m pulling the Sapphire Preferred every time.
Here is the deal: I live in Northern California. It means I drive a lot. Mountain towns. National Parks. Places with no Wi-Fi and terrible cell service.
I probably hit the gas pump two or three times a month. Every weekend is a road trip. Lake Tahoe. Yosemite. Just getting out of town.
Until last week, my wallet contained a Capital One Venture X. It gives 2 miles on everything. Sure, 2 miles on gas is okay. It’s fine. It wasn’t exciting. I didn’t want to apply for a niche card just for fuel. I preferred a simple setup.
Chase made me change my mind.
The math on the tank
Three points.
That is what you get now.
It sounds minor. One point per gallon here or there? Whatever.
But do the math.
I drive to Tahoe this summer. Gas here? $5.50 a gallon. In the mountains? Higher. I burn $130 in fuel for the trip. In-and-out.
At the old rate, that trip cost me $130. Got me nothing special in points.
At 3x? That is 390 Ultimate Rewards points.
Small? Sure.
Do it ten times? A year?
If I spend $250 a month on gas (errands, commuting, weekend drives), I’m looking at roughly 9,000 points a year.
9,000.
Think about what that buys.
– One-way flight to London with Virgin Atlantic (often 6,000 points).
– You’re halfway to Hawaii on United.
– You’re paying less for your next Hyatt stay.
These points are transferable. That matters. You aren’t locked into airline miles from one carrier. You move them. United. Air France. Hyatt.
It’s not just one fill-up. It’s the accumulation. The drip-feed.
I used to think gas rewards were a trap. A reason to buy a card you didn’t need. A higher fee for negligible gain.
Now? The Sapphire Preferred already exists in my wallet. The fee is the same. The travel protections are still there.
I just tap it instead of my old card.
Is it worth the effort?
If you drive? Yes.
If you live your life between your apartment and an office five miles away? Maybe not.
But for those of us chasing horizon lines and empty highways, those 9,000 extra points every year pay for the tickets to see them.
And that feels like a win.
Even if the tank light comes back on too soon.
