Is a Chase Sapphire card a Visa or Mastercard?

The Chase Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve credit cards belong to the Visa network, which means they can be used wherever Visa is accepted. That includes millions of merchants in more than 200 countries and territories. In other words, Chase Sapphire cards give you purchasing power pretty much anywhere in the world that takes plastic (or metal, as the case may be).… read full answer

Sure, you may find the occasional merchant that has an exclusive deal with one of the other card networks. But it’s very rare. Sam’s Club used to only accept Discover cards, for example. But now they accept cards from all four major networks.

If you’re wondering about where Chase Sapphire rewards points are accepted, the Chase Ultimate Rewards website is the best answer. You should be able to book almost any hotel or flight you want through Chase.

You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio (in 1,000-point increments) to the rewards programs of any of Chase’s 11 travel partners. Depending on the partner, your points might even be worth more if you take this route.

And if you don’t want to use your reward points on travel expenses, you can redeem them directly with Chase for gift cards or a statement credit. You can do this through the Chase website or through their mobile banking app, available for both Apple and Android devices.

Finally, Chase has a deal with Amazon.com that allows you to “Shop with Points” on the popular online retailer. In other words, you can pay with your Sapphire Preferred points rather than charging the transaction to your card. All you have to do is add your Sapphire Preferred Card to your Amazon.com account, and your available points balance will automatically appear.

Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit card networks. Visa credit cards can be used at 44 million merchant locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Mastercard credit cards are accepted at 37 million merchant locations in more than 210 countries and territories.

Mastercard is accepted in more countries than Visa, yet roughly 7 million more merchants worldwide take Visa. Both have a claim to the title of most widely accepted credit card as a result. Visa also is the most widely used type of credit card.… read full answer

There isn’t a single credit card that’s most widely accepted, however, because there are hundreds of Mastercard and Visa credit card offers available.

Most Widely Accepted Credit Cards:

• Most Widely Accepted Internationally: Mastercard (210+ countries and territories); Visa (200+).
• Most Widely Accepted in the U.S.: Visa and Mastercard are both accepted at a little less than 11 million U.S. merchant locations.
• Least Widely Accepted Internationally: American Express (160+ countries and territories); Discover (185+).
• Least Widely Accepted in the U.S.: American Express (8.5 million locations). This includes the 1.6 million U.S. merchants American Express added in 2017.
• Most Widely Used: Visa has the most credit cards in circulation (about 838 million). American Express has the highest purchase volume, at $14,480 per cardholder annually.
• Best Worldwide Credit Cards: Visa or Mastercard credit cards with no foreign transaction fee.

The difference between Visa and Mastercard acceptance is slight. Either should suit your needs almost anywhere in the world. But if you plan on traveling internationally, be sure your Mastercard or Visa credit card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. That will save you up to 3% on every purchase you make abroad.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that store cards are the least widely accepted credit cards. They don’t belong to any of the four major card networks. So, they can only be used at their affiliated retailers.

Chase’s grace period for credit card payments is at least 21 days, from the end of the monthly billing cycle until your payment due date. If you always pay your balance in full during the Chase credit card grace period, you will not owe any interest. Your monthly statement will clearly show when the due date is.… read full answer

For example, let’s say your credit card statement closes on January 15. Your due date won’t be until at least February 5, 21 days later. If you pay your bill in full on or before February 5, you will not owe any interest.

If you do not pay your entire balance in full one month, you will lose your Chase credit card grace period. Interest will accrue daily on the unpaid balance as well as any new purchases you make and any interest you haven’t paid yet. That will continue until you pay your bill in full two months in a row.

Chase’s grace period covers credit card purchases but not cash advances or balance transfers. Cash advances always start accruing interest the day you do them. And interest applies to balance transfers either right away or as soon as any low intro APR period ends.

Here is more information on the Chase credit card grace period:

• The Chase credit card grace period is a minimum of 21 days, during which you can pay your balance in full and avoid interest charges. It lasts from the end of each monthly billing cycle until the due date. Only the Chase Business credit cards have a slightly shorter grace period of at least 20 days.
• You will lose your Chase grace period if you don’t pay your full monthly statement balance by the due date.
• Interest on an unpaid balance compounds daily, meaning interest is charged on both the principal balance and previous days’ interest charges.
• Chase will reinstate a grace period if you pay your balance in full for 2 months in a row.
• Chase’s grace period applies to new purchases, not cash advances or balance transfers.
• If you make your minimum payment by the due date, you will be considered “on time.” But you’ll still owe interest on the remaining balance and lose your grace period. Only paying in full will let you keep the grace period and avoid interest.

At the end of the day, knowing how Chase’s grace period for credit cards works can help you better manage your credit card balance and avoid paying unnecessary interest.