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Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. I'm getting married next summer and thus, like all personal finance reporters are compelled to do, I've opened a credit card to help pay for my wedding expenses. My goal is to mimic the tried-and-true formula for scenarios like this: Open a travel rewards credit card, score a good welcome bonus (since we have a lot of spending in the coming months) and use all of the points we earn to help pay for our dream honeymoon to Europe. While we were in between a few different credit cards, my fiancé and I ultimately decided on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card (see rates and fees) — here are four reasons why. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card CNBC Select Rating 5.0 On Chase's site CNBC Select Rating 5.0 On Chase's site Spotlight With Points Boost, your rewards will be worth up to 1.5x on thousands of top-booked hotels and flights from select airlines through Chase Travel. Credit score Good to Excellent670–850 Regular APR 19.74% - 27.99% variable Annual fee $95 Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 bonus points See rates and fees. Terms apply. Member FDIC. Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more. You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more Long list of travel and shopping protections $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit Has an annual fee Requires a high credit score Highlights Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders. Member FDIC Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater 4 reasons why I opened the Sapphire Preferred to help pay for my wedding Wedding insurance can protect your big day from the unexpected Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. Policy highlights Markel's wedding insurance policies offer high limits for cancellation and postponement coverage and offers a discount for buying both types of coverage. The company offers online quotes and coverage for weddings in some destinations outside of the US. Policy highlights Event Helper policies can cover everything from a small affair to a 5,000-person event. Insurance documents are available instantly to download and share with your venue. LEARN MORE Information about Event Helper Wedding Insurance has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication. 1. The welcome bonus was manageable While I didn't get engaged in time for the Sapphire Preferred's massive 100,000-point welcome bonus earlier this year, I did catch the 75,000-point welcome bonus — still a great offer compared to the card's usual offer of 60,000 points. The 75,000-point bonus was earned after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This was pretty easy for us to hit; after putting down a deposit on our venue and booking our DJ, we were there. Welcome bonuses are really only ever worth it if you know you can pay off your credit card bill in full every month it's due; otherwise, the interest you pay eats into the bonus you earned. For us, we had planned to pay off our balances in full when they were due. Compare the best travel cards Make the most of your next trip with one of these top travel credit cards Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. Credit score Good to Excellent670–850 Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 bonus points LEARN MORE On Chase's site See rates and fees. Terms apply. Credit score Good to Excellent670–850 Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 miles LEARN MORE Terms apply. 2. The card's rewards categories are a good match For me, credit cards aren't only about attractive welcome bonuses, they also have to complement your lifestyle and spending. For instance, I'm a huge coffee fanatic and my Amex® Gold Card gives me a $7 monthly Dunkin' credit*, so I basically get something I would've bought anyway for free every month. What we like about the Sapphire Preferred's rewards is its 3X points on dining and online groceries since we get our groceries delivered weekly. Plus, we'd get 1X for all other purchases. These earning categories had longevity, meaning we'd continue to earn points for regular lifestyle spending even long after we're done with wedding expenses. Compare rewards cards Earn valuable welcome bonuses with a Chase card Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. Credit score Good to Excellent670–850 Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 bonus points LEARN MORE On Chase's site See rates and fees. Terms apply. Credit score Good to Excellent670–850 Welcome bonus Earn $200 cash back LEARN MORE On Chase's site See rates and fees. Terms apply. 3. The Sapphire Preferred has an affordable annual fee In a world where premium travel cards are nearing a $1,000 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred's annual fee of only $95 seemed like a steal. We'll earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel, bonus points every account anniversary equal to 10% of our total purchases made in the previous year, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver and lost luggage insurance. While there are other travel cards on the market that offer more lux perks, we don't travel enough to really take advantage and justify a higher annual fee. 4. Our preferred airline is a transfer partner Since our hometown airport is a hub for United, the fact that United Airlines is a transfer partner of the Sapphire Preferred was a huge motivator. We'd not only use this airline to fly for our honeymoon, but also any other regular travel. Using transfer partners when you book travel is the best way to maximize your credit card rewards; with the Sapphire Preferred, you get a 1:1 transfer ratio, meaning you have flexibility to move your Chase points to whichever partner without losing any value. Need travel insurance? What to consider when using credit card rewards to offset a honeymoon Just how far your credit card rewards will take you when trying to cover the cost of your honeymoon (or really any trip) depends on various factors, including: Where you plan to travel to and whether you're traveling during a peak or off-peak season Whether you're booking economy or more premium seats The type of hotel room you plan to book (premium suites are obviously more expensive) How long you plan to be away on your honeymoon The amount of points you've accumulated on your credit card Whether you're able to use a transfer partner when you book Naturally, a luxurious honeymoon with first-class flights to a popular destination is going to require a lot more credit card points to offset. And if you're hoping to use credit card points to pay for a honeymoon, there's one huge caveat I recommend you pay attention to: While putting wedding purchases (i.e., your venue, outfits and vendors) on your credit card can help you rack up points, some vendors may charge you a fee for paying with a credit card. It's a credit card surcharge fee of usually around 3% — and the rewards earned for the purchase may not always outweigh the surcharge. We always ask vendors if there will be a surcharge for paying with a credit card, so we can make the financially smarter decision on how we'll pay. My final thoughts The Sapphire Preferred offers straightforward earnings categories and perks that may not be as flashy as what other travel rewards cards have, but the offerings are sustainable for our needs and lifestyle. Wedding expenses were a strong opportunity to open the card and rack up points for spending we needed to do anyway — all with the goal of later cashing in to help pay for our honeymoon. So far, we've racked up 103,000 points, with just under a year left to continue spending and earning points for our honeymoon. Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter! Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. Why trust CNBC Select? At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. 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