Mastercard vs Sapphire Preferred: Which Is Actually Worth It?
Bilt is irreplaceable for renters; Sapphire Preferred is the better travel engine if rent isn't your biggest expense.
Mastercard
The rent card. The only one of those that exists.
Sapphire Preferred
The honest middle of the travel category - and the only middle that earns a recommendation.
Side-by-side specs
| Mastercard | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
| Signup bonus | None (no signup bonus by design) | 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months |
| APR range | 21.49-29.49% Variable | 21.49–28.49% Variable |
| Foreign tx fee | None | None |
| Credit target | good to excellent | good to excellent |
Mastercard earn rates
Sapphire Preferred earn rates
The verdict
You pay rent and want to earn points on it - no other card does this. At $0 annual fee, every rent payment is found money.
Apply at Bilt →You don't pay rent (or your landlord charges a fee), travel regularly, and want 5x on Chase-booked travel + 3x on dining.
Apply at Chase →Track what both cards actually earn you, WalletHub Premium syncs all your cards and monitors your credit daily.
Mastercard annual fee $0, APR 21.49-29.49% Variable, signup offer None (no signup bonus by design), terms as of 2026-05-03. Sapphire Preferred annual fee $95, APR 21.49–28.49% Variable, signup offer 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months, terms as of 2026-05-03. Verify current terms on the issuer's site before applying. We earn a referral fee on approved applications referred via Apply links, at no cost to you.