What it is, how to use it, what changed in 2025, and what to watch in 2026.

Last updated: December 24, 2025

If you’ve been using Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel, you probably got used to the old rhythm: book through Chase Travel and your points automatically go further. That’s not the default anymore.

Points Boost is the new system. It can be awesome on the right booking — but it’s also easy to misread. The big shift is that most portal redemptions now price at 1¢ per point unless the option is specifically tagged as a Points Boost deal. So the “secret sauce” is no longer owning the card. The secret sauce is learning how to spot a real boost and ignore the fake ones.

Cards covered here:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

What you’ll find in this guide

• What Chase Points Boost is (and what it isn’t)
• Points Boost values by card (one simple table)
• The key 2025 dates that changed everything
• A practical “do this every time” checklist before you book
• The Edit by Chase Travel: why it mattered and what changed in December 2025
• Card‑by‑card strategy (Reserve vs Preferred vs Ink Preferred)
• 2026 watchlist (confirmed vs likely)
• FAQ

What is Chase Points Boost?

Points Boost is a redemption promo inside Chase Travel. When Chase tags a flight or hotel as “Points Boost,” your points can be worth more than the usual 1¢ each — which means you redeem fewer points for that same cash price.

Two clarifications (because Chase uses the word “boost” in more than one way):

• Points Boost = a redemption discount in the Chase Travel portal.
• “10% Anniversary Points Boost” on Sapphire Preferred = an earning bonus that posts after your account anniversary.

Points Boost values by card

Here’s the clean cheat‑sheet. These are the maximum values you may see when an option is tagged as Points Boost in Chase Travel.

Card	Max on select hotels	Max on select flights	If it’s not tagged Points Boost
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Get started	Up to 2.0¢ / point	Up to 2.0¢ / point	1.0¢ / point*
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Get started	Up to 2.0¢ / point	Up to 2.0¢ / point	1.0¢ / point*
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Get started	Up to 1.5¢ / point	Up to 1.75¢ / point	1.0¢ / point*
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Get started	Up to 1.5¢ / point	Up to 1.75¢ / point	1.0¢ / point*

Note: If you opened your card before June 23, 2025, points earned through October 25, 2025 keep the old fixed Chase Travel rates (1.5¢ with Reserve; 1.25¢ with Preferred/Ink Preferred) until October 26, 2027. When you redeem those older points in Chase Travel, Chase applies whichever option gives you the better value — the legacy fixed rate or a Points Boost offer.

What changed in 2025 (and why it matters)

The easiest way to understand Points Boost is to see it as a replacement for the old “automatic portal bonus.” Here are the dates that explain the whole story:

• June 23, 2025: Points Boost launched (first highlighted on the Sapphire Reserve refresh and the launch of Sapphire Reserve for Business).
• October 26, 2025: The fixed portal uplift stopped applying to newly‑earned points. From here on, the portal baseline is 1¢ per point unless you hit a Points Boost offer.
• December 2025: The Edit pricing became less predictable. You can’t assume you’ll always get the top‑value redemption on every Edit property anymore.
• October 26, 2027: The legacy fixed‑rate window ends for eligible older points earned through October 25, 2025.

How to use Points Boost the smart way

If you only take one thing from this article, make it this: never redeem points in the portal without doing the cents‑per‑point math and a quick price check.

The routine that works (every single time):

1. Search the exact trip you want in Chase Travel (dates first).
2. If there’s a Points Boost filter, turn it on. If you don’t see the filter, there may not be boosted inventory for that search.
3. Do the math: (portal cash price ÷ points required) × 100 = cents per point.
4. Open a second tab and price the same flight/hotel directly. If Chase Travel is higher, factor that in — a “boost” can still be a bad deal.
5. Before you book, read the rules (cancellation, changes, baggage). Portal bookings can have different handling than booking direct.

Quick example: $1,000 flight ÷ 50,000 points = 2.0¢ per point (strong).

Portal‑price trap example: if the airline sells a ticket for $350 but Chase Travel lists it for $450, then 45,000 points isn’t really “1¢ value” compared to the market — you’re still overpaying.

Where Points Boost usually shows up

Points Boost doesn’t show up evenly across everything. In most cases, the best boosts cluster in a couple of areas:

• Premium cabins on select airlines (premium economy, business, first).
• Higher‑end hotels — especially the types of properties Chase likes to feature as “top booked.”

That doesn’t mean you’ll never see a boosted economy flight or a mid‑range hotel. It just means you shouldn’t plan a trip assuming the boost will appear. Treat it as a bonus when it shows up.

The Edit by Chase Travel (Reserve): what changed in December 2025

The Edit is Chase Travel’s curated collection of higher‑end hotels and resorts. Early on, a lot of Points Boost excitement came from The Edit because it often produced standout value for Reserve cardmembers.

In December 2025, it became less consistent. The practical takeaway is simple: stop assuming “Edit = top value.” Treat it like any other booking — check the points price, do the math, and compare the cash rate.

How to think about Points Boost on each card

Sapphire Reserve (personal + business)

Reserve is where Points Boost matters most, because it has the highest ceiling (up to 2¢ per point). That can be a very legit use of points on the right premium flight or hotel.

A clean rule of thumb:

• If it’s tagged Points Boost and the portal cash price is competitive, it’s worth a serious look.
• If it’s not tagged (or the portal price is inflated), don’t force it. Pay cash or use transfer partners if you know the play.

Sapphire Preferred + Ink Business Preferred

Preferred and Ink Preferred can still win with Points Boost — just with a lower ceiling. Use it when it’s clearly strong, and ignore it when it’s not.

The disciplined approach:

• Hotels: I’m looking for the 1.5¢ pricing (or close).
• Flights: the best case is 1.75¢, and it tends to be narrower (select airlines; often premium cabins).
• Anything around 1¢ is basically a cash‑out. Only do it when it’s truly the simplest option and the price matches booking direct.

if you hold both a Reserve and a Preferred/Ink Preferred, it’s worth checking the same trip while redeeming from the Reserve side. Points Boost promotions can differ by card, and Reserve can surface better boosted pricing.

2026 watchlist: what’s coming next

Chase hasn’t posted a public calendar for 2026, so here’s the practical way to think about it — what’s basically set, and what I’d watch.

What’s basically set

• Points Boost keeps rotating — offers refresh periodically.
• The portal baseline stays 1¢ per point when there’s no Points Boost tag (especially for points earned after October 25, 2025).
• If you’re eligible for the legacy fixed portal rates, that window runs through October 26, 2027 for points earned through October 25, 2025.

What I’d watch (likely trends)

• More variable pricing on hotel collections (including The Edit) as Chase tweaks offers.
• More card‑specific targeting (Reserve seeing more and/or stronger boosts than Preferred).
• Flights remaining the hardest category to rely on for top boosts, because boosted airline inventory is limited and can disappear quickly.

FAQ

Does Sapphire Preferred have Points Boost?

Yes. You can see Points Boost pricing in Chase Travel on select hotels and select flights (with higher premium‑cabin boosts sometimes available on select airlines).

Does Ink Business Preferred have Points Boost?

Yes. Ink Business Preferred follows the same general Points Boost ceilings as Sapphire Preferred in Chase Travel.

Do Sapphire Reserve cards still get 1.5¢ per point in Chase Travel?

It depends on when you earned the points. Older points earned through October 25, 2025 by cardmembers who applied before June 23, 2025 can still redeem at the legacy 1.5¢ rate through October 26, 2027. Newer points generally price at 1¢ unless a Points Boost offer applies.

Are Points Boost deals always a win?

No. A boosted booking can still be weak if the portal cash price is inflated, the routing is worse, or the fare rules are restrictive. Do the math and compare the real cash price.

Points Boost vs transfer partners — which is better?

If you can find good award space and you’re comfortable transferring, transfers can beat the portal. If you want simplicity (or there’s no award space), a strong Points Boost deal can be the easy win.

Official Chase pages (for current terms)

If you want to double‑check current terms or compare card benefits directly, these are the official pages:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Chase press release (June 23, 2025) introducing Points Boost for Sapphire Reserve
• The Edit by Chase Travel

Bottom line: Points Boost is useful when it’s real — and expensive when it’s not. If you treat it like a rotating promo and run the numbers before you book, it can stretch your points. If you don’t, it’s basically a 1¢ cash‑out dressed up with a rocket icon.