This was the email that I sent to my Sapphire Preferred/Freedom Unlimited clients……
You are getting this email because you and/or your spouse have the combo of a Chase Sapphire PREFERRED and a Chase Freedom UNLIMITED card.
Before I start with the details, I am letting everyone know that I am going with the assumption that we will be traveling again! (Hopefully sooner than later).
As I emailed the other day, your Freedom Unlimited got a big makeover today and you should now use your cards as follows:
Dining-Freedom Unlimited at 3x per $1 (unless you are someone who uses an Amex Gold for dining-then keep using that).
Drugstores-Freedom Unlimited at 3x per $1
All of the “other stuff” you were using your Freedom Unlimited for before-keep using it at 1.5x points per $1.
TRAVEL NOT THRU THE CHASE SITE-Sapphire Preferred at 2x per $1.
It gets tricky with travel that you will book thru the Chase site…
If you are purchasing travel through the Chase site, you can use the Freedom Unlimited at the new rate of 5x per $1. BUT NOTE, you are giving up better travel insurance that you get with your Sapphire Preferred (at 2x points per $1), so decide if that extra 3 points is worth it.
For example, the Freedom Unlimited could be ok to use to book a hotel through the Chase site. However, for flights where there could be delays, cancelations, etc, or rental cars where there could be issues too, maybe stick with Preferred.
As promised in my prior email, I will tell you why I think you should keep your $95 Sapphire Preferred.
The first reason is for the travel insurance mentioned above.
But the second reason is because as we all know (hopefully), having the Sapphire gives us the ability to convert our cash back that we earn with the Freedom Unlimited into Chase points.
As cash back points, they can only be redeemed at 1 cents per point (for anything).
But as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, they can be redeemed thru Chase Travel at 1.25 cents per point AND they can be transferred to Chase airline and hotel partners.
Bottom line, IMO, I think you should keep your Sapphire Preferred.