One of our favorite travel cards here at TPG, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), is offering new cardholders a can’t-miss bonus. New cardholders can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s July 2026 valuations place this offer at $2,050, which is stellar value given the Sapphire Preferred’s modest $95 annual fee.
Unfortunately, some applicants may encounter a disappointing pop-up message when they choose the Sapphire Preferred: You may be eligible to add the card, but you won’t receive that sweet bonus.
If you’ve found yourself in this situation, here’s what you should know.
What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus eligibility pop-up?
To put it frankly, the Sapphire Preferred‘s bonus eligibility pop-up is exactly what you’d expect. If you apply for the Sapphire Preferred and won’t be eligible to earn the welcome bonus, Chase will alert you with a pop-up message before proceeding.
Limited-time offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
As you submit your card application, you may see a message similar to the one Emily Thompson, TPG’s partnerships and newsletter editor, encountered.
Emily had the Sapphire Preferred until 2024, when she decided to upgrade it to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
She could have been eligible to add the Sapphire Preferred to her wallet this time, but she wouldn’t receive the bonus. That’s because she was a previous Sapphire Preferred Card holder who had earned a previous bonus.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
This could be the case if you’ve ever had the Sapphire Preferred and earned its bonus — even if you’ve downgraded or canceled the card. Former Sapphire Preferred Card holders may also be ineligible for the current bonus, even if they haven’t earned a previous offer.
What to do if you get a pop-up saying you’re not eligible for the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome bonus
The good news here is that you aren’t stuck applying for a card without a welcome bonus. Chase allows you to cancel your application with no impact on your credit score if you see the eligibility pop-up and realize you won’t qualify for the bonus.
You don’t have to cancel at this point. If you want the card anyway (and are comfortable forgoing the valuable bonus), you can push your application forward. However, this may not be worth it for most award travelers since a large chunk of a card’s value is in its welcome offer.
Related: Am I eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 100,000-point bonus?
Who is eligible for the Sapphire Preferred bonus?
Curious if you can secure the current 100,000-point offer on the Sapphire Preferred? Here are the basic eligibility rules:
- You must be under Chase’s infamous 5/24 rule, which means you haven’t opened five or more new credit cards in the past 24 months. (Note that Chase typically leaves out business cards in this 5/24 equation.)
- You can’t currently have a Sapphire Preferred Card open.
- If you previously earned a bonus on the Sapphire Preferred, you more than likely will not be eligible to earn this one.
- If you previously had a Sapphire Preferred, you may not be eligible for this offer, even if you didn’t earn a bonus on that Sapphire Preferred.
- You’re unlikely to be approved if you have a poor credit score or a negative relationship with Chase.
Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Bottom line
If you ran into this pop-up unexpectedly, it could be a surprise. Think critically about the history of your wallet to help you determine whether you actually had previously held the Chase Sapphire Preferred at any point in your cardholder history.
You can’t get the bonus twice, so this is important to remember. It’s good that Chase won’t force you to submit the application, but you’ll have to decide whether you want the card without its valuable bonus.
If you haven’t added the Sapphire Preferred to your wallet yet, now is a great time to do so. The 100,000 points on this bonus are highly valuable, and as long as you’re eligible, you can earn them after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months.
To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
Limited-time offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thepointsguy.com
