The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and its ultra-premium sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, are two of the most popular rewards credit cards on the market. But did you know there is also a no-annual-fee version of these cards?
The no-annual-fee Chase Sapphire Credit Card is no longer open to new applications, but you can request a product change to this card by calling Chase.
Here is a look at what it can offer.
The information for the Chase Sapphire Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The cards details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Card details for the no-annual-fee Sapphire card
The Chase Sapphire is a watered-down version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred (with no earning on travel spending, although the Sapphire Preferred card offers 3 points per dollar on dining).
Earning rates
- 5 points per dollar on Lyft (until Mar 2025)
- 2 points per dollar on dining
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Benefits
Insurances and Protections
Is it worth it to downgrade to the plain Sapphire card?
A common strategy for Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders who are eligible for a new bonus after 48 months is to downgrade to a no-annual-fee Chase card before re-applying to earn the bonus again.
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However, remember that Chase only lets you have one Sapphire card at a time. If you downgrade to the Chase Sapphire, you likely won’t be eligible to apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve. In this case, it doesn’t make sense to downgrade to this card.
If you currently have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve that you just can’t justify the annual fee for anymore, it may be tempting to downgrade your card to the no-annual-fee Chase Sapphire Card to get the bare minimum of benefits. However, there are also other Chase no-annual-fee credit cards that could make more sense.
Better downgrade options
Chase offers three rewards-earning, no-annual-fee credit cards you can downgrade to from the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve:
and one card that doesn’t offer rewards:
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5% back on purchases, making it a great option for everyday spending.
The Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex are rotating-category cards that offer 5% on quarterly categories ($1,500 cap on bonus spending each quarter you enroll). The Chase Freedom Flex also offers 5% cash back on Chase Travel, 3% on dining, including (eligible takeout and delivery) and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
If you are looking to downgrade your card as an alternative to canceling but don’t plan on using the card often, the Chase Slate is another option. It doesn’t earn rewards and doesn’t come with a sign-up bonus, so you wouldn’t be sacrificing a potential bonus by downgrading. Ensure you use any Ultimate Rewards points left in your account, or you could lose them.
The information for the Chase Freedom and Chase Slate has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
Yes, there is a no-annual-fee Chase Sapphire card out there. But 99% of the time, you’ll be better off sticking with one of the Chase Sapphire cards that charge an annual fee or one of the Chase Freedom cards due to the enhanced benefits and higher earnings rates.
Related: Quick Points: Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points before downgrading your card
