Primary pick
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Ultimate
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $95
after $5,000 spend in 3 months
Central America · Family trip points
Best credit card for a family trip to Costa Rica
Family-friendly nature-tourism destination. Hyatt's Andaz Papagayo is the best family-luxury redemption in Central America at Cat 7.
Advertiser disclosure: PointsCraft may earn a commission when you apply for cards through links on this site. We only feature cards we believe are useful, and editorial decisions are made independently. See our methodology for how we evaluate cards.
The honest math (family of 4, 5 nights)
220,000
points total · cash equivalent $4,725 · 2.15¢ per point realized
Flights
70,000 pts
American AAdvantage · 17,500/traveler RT
Hotel
150,000 pts
World of Hyatt · Andaz Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (Cat 7)
The two cards to earn for this trip
Sapphire Preferred → Hyatt unlocks the Andaz Papagayo at 30K/night (vs. $700+ cash). Venture X adds broad transfer flexibility plus comprehensive travel insurance for international travel with kids.
Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred
Pair with it
Capital One Venture X
Capital One
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $395
after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Verified 2026-05-29
FAQ
How many points does a family of 4 actually need for Costa Rica?
220,000 points total covers a family of 4 with 5 hotel nights at saver / off-peak pricing — 70,000 for flights (American AAdvantage at 17,500/traveler round-trip) and 150,000 for the hotel (World of Hyatt at 30,000/night). Cash equivalent ≈ $4,725, which works out to about 2.15¢ per point.
Why these two cards specifically?
Sapphire Preferred → Hyatt unlocks the Andaz Papagayo at 30K/night (vs. $700+ cash). Venture X adds broad transfer flexibility plus comprehensive travel insurance for international travel with kids.
What if I already have one of these cards?
If you already have one, look at whether you've actually earned that card's welcome bonus and the second-card pick still makes sense on its own. If both are already in your wallet, run the Costa Rica math in the Family Trip Calculator with your actual scenario — you may already be close to the point total without a new application.
Should I apply for both at once?
Generally no — space applications 60–90 days apart so each welcome bonus has a clean spend window and neither pulls double-counts against Chase's 5/24. The Family Trip Calculator's earning math assumes one welcome bonus at a time.