Adventurers who dabble in travel rewards face quite a selection of mid-range credit cards, and the process of choosing one can be overwhelming.

As of Aug. 16, 2021, you’re going to see some new benefits added to both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit cards. These benefits include increases in earning rates, hotel credits and point bonuses. Here is a breakdown of the changes that are now live.

Oh, and the Sapphire Preferred is also sporting a new look.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Changes

The previous earning rates for the Chase Sapphire Preferred were 2X on dining (including takeout and delivery) and travel and 1X on all other purchases made with the card.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of our favorite flexible rewards currencies, and today’s news adds a much needed boost for Ultimate Rewards.

Two of Chase’s best earning cards have no annual fees. The old Chase Freedom (no longer available to new applicants) and the new Chase Freedom Flex℠ offer 5% on rotating bonus quarterly categories. Cardmembers need to first activate the cash back each quarter to receive 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories. 

Registration has just opened up for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Chase Freedom 5X bonus categories for Q3 of 2021.

New Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card announced as well as updates to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

Four years after Chase introduced their new premium card Chase Sapphire Reserve®, our word is again abuzz with exciting news.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Luxury Card, which will be the latest addition to the Marriott family credit card portfolio, is actually scheduled to launch August 23, 2018.

Despite the fact that Marriott and the Starwood Preferred Guest programs are merging into one unified loyalty program on August 18, both Marriott and SPG credit cards will continue to be issued for the time being, by Chase and Amex respectively. Both banks have published new terms for all current (and future) Marriott-family credit cards that define who is and isn't eligible for sign up bonuses, as of August 26.
Why These New Rules are Different
Sign up bonus rules are not new to the miles and points community.

We have been watching the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott unfold for a long time now.

If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, you should have already gotten a notice in the mail about a few changes to your benefits effective August 26, 2018. But let's get real. I'm sure many of you throw that mail away without even looking at it. Here are the changes it went over.
1.

Chase has come out with new sign up bonus eligibility rules that make earning a  Southwest Companion Pass more complicated.

As of April 5, if you already have a personal Southwest credit card open (the Personal Plus or the Premier Plus), you are no longer eligible for the other personal Southwest credit card.