Sapphire Preferred MasterCard Going Away, Last Chance to Switch Over

The Chase Sapphire Preferred MasterCard is going away. The Chase Sapphire Preferred generally comes only as a Visa version, with a 40,000 point bonus. But there was also a less known Sapphire Preferred World MasterCard version, which some folks got for a few reasons:

• Some stores, such as Sam's Club, do not accept Visa

• Worldwide CDW insurance for car rentals, including in Israel, which is notoriously difficult to get collision damage waiver insurance for via your credit card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred World MasterCard covers Israel and other countries, such as Australia, Ireland, Italy and others that are commonly excluded by other credit cards. It's a good idea to have MasterRental, which provides the insurance, email you the coverage letter so you can bring it with you when you rent a car in Israel (or any other country) as proof that you do *not* need to purchase the rental agency's insurance, which often comes with a high deductible ($250 or so) that they then try to make you pay over trumped up scratches and “damage” that were in all likelihood there when you rented the vehicle.

• MasterCard gets you access to MasterCard's “Priceless” experiences. At least in NYC, there are some cool events for families and kids that are sponsored by MasterCard, and you need to use a MasterCard to pay for them.

• Same benefits in terms of 2X points for all travel and dining, 7% annual points dividend and no foreign transaction fees

• By converting the Sapphire Preferred Visa to a Sapphire Preferred World MasterCard, some folks have been able to apply later for the Sapphire Preferred Visa and receive another 40,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points.