Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve® review

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Chase Sapphire Reserve® Full Review

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®  has a 60k Ultimate Rewards after $4k spend in 3 months.  It comes with a bevy of benefits, travel credits, and increased earn rates. But…is it worth it?

In the past few years we have seen an onslaught of super premium card offerings from Chase, Amex, Citi, and Capital One. I still contend the Capital One Venture X is the most straight forward super premium card for most people because it’s so simple to see the value proposition.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve®

4.6
4.6/5

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the grandaddy of all Chase cards. It’s a super premium card that comes with a bevy of benefits, travel credits, increased earn rates, and points worth 1.5c in Chase Travel.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 

Annual Fee

$550

Points Earned

Transferrable Ultimate Rewards

 

  • 1.5c valuation for in Chase Travel℠  
    • Or via Pay Yourself back categories which rotate
  • $550 Annual Fee
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit
    • Each anniversary Year
  • 3x Dining
  • Earn rates via Chase Travel℠
    • Earn 5x total points on flights
    • 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠
      • Bonuses starts After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
  • Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Chase Sapphire lounge access once they are open
  • Priority Pass membership with dining access for 2 guests
  • $100 application fee credit every four years for
    • Global Entry,
    • NEXUS,
    • or TSA PreCheck(R)
  • Free Instacart+ for one year.
    • Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
  • Free DashPass (DoorDash and Caviar) for one year
    • activate by December 31, 2024.
  • No Fx fees
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and mor

When the  Chase Sapphire Reserve® first hit the market in 2016 it had a 100k offer, but the highest in recent years has been 80k after $4k spend in 3 months.

We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.

Main Cast: 

Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.

Supporting Cast:

Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has perks like a $300 annual travel credit, full Priority Pass membership with access to great lounges + restaurants all around the world for you and 2 guests, 3x points on dining and travel worldwide, and points that are worth 1.5c in the Chase Travel Center. 

If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners.

Personally, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred® may offer more value for the annual fee, and if you want the super premium benefits, take a look at the Capital One Venture X to pair with it.

What are Chase Sapphire Reserve®  benefits?

  • 1.5c valuation when redeemd in Chase Travel℠
    • Or via Pay Yourself back categories which rotate
  • $550 Annual Fee
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit
    • Each anniversary Year
  • 3x Dining
  • 3x Travel
    • hotels, car rentals, flights
    • Note this begin after the $300 travel credit has been triggered
  • Chase Travel℠ earn rates:
    • Travel:
      • 10x on Hotels and Car Rentals
      • 5x on Flights total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
      • Note this begin after the $300 travel credit has been triggered
    • Dining
      • 10x on Dining Purchases made via Ultimate Rewards portal
  • Chase Sapphire lounge access once they are open
  • Priority Pass membership with dining access for 2 guests
  • $100 application fee credit every four years for
    • Global Entry,
    • NEXUS,
    • or TSA PreCheck(R)
  • Instacart+ for one year.
    • Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
  • DashPass for 12 months
    • activate by December 31, 2024.
    • included for DoorDash and Caviar
  • 10x on Lyft Rides
    • Through March 2025
  • No Fx fees
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more

I use Chase Ultimate Rewards to transfer to Hyatt to stay at incredible places like the Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali

a pool in a house

Do you qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® ?

First things first…Chase has quite stringent sign up rules for their Sapphire Products in general which includes their flagship Chase Sapphire Reserve®  . Let’s break those down.

What kind of credit score do you need for Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

It’s our opinion that you should be good to go as long as you’re over 720 – nothing is published on this though.

What are the sign up rules for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

5/24

  • Almost all of Chase’s cards are a part of their 5/24 rule. This means that you can not sign up if you have opened more than 5 credit cards in the last 24 months.

1/48

  • Specific to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Reserve, you can not receive a welcome bonus if you have received one on either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®  .

Only one Chase Sapphire Premium product

  • If you currently hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve you cannot sign up for the card. Those who currently hold both can be grandfathered into holding both, but if you only have one, you’re restricted from another.
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Affiliate Link 

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

4.6
4.6/5

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the grandaddy of all Chase cards. It’s a super premium card that comes with a bevy of benefits, travel credits, increased earn rates, and points worth 1.5c in Chase Travel.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 

Annual Fee

$550

Points Earned

Transferrable Ultimate Rewards

 

  • 1.5c valuation for in Chase Travel℠  
    • Or via Pay Yourself back categories which rotate
  • $550 Annual Fee
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit
    • Each anniversary Year
  • 3x Dining
  • Earn rates via Chase Travel℠
    • Earn 5x total points on flights
    • 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠
      • Bonuses starts After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
  • Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Chase Sapphire lounge access once they are open
  • Priority Pass membership with dining access for 2 guests
  • $100 application fee credit every four years for
    • Global Entry,
    • NEXUS,
    • or TSA PreCheck(R)
  • Free Instacart+ for one year.
    • Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
  • Free DashPass (DoorDash and Caviar) for one year
    • activate by December 31, 2024.
  • No Fx fees
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and mor

When the  Chase Sapphire Reserve® first hit the market in 2016 it had a 100k offer, but the highest in recent years has been 80k after $4k spend in 3 months.

We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.

Main Cast: 

Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.

Supporting Cast:

Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has perks like a $300 annual travel credit, full Priority Pass membership with access to great lounges + restaurants all around the world for you and 2 guests, 3x points on dining and travel worldwide, and points that are worth 1.5c in the Chase Travel Center. 

If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners.

Personally, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred® may offer more value for the annual fee, and if you want the super premium benefits, take a look at the Capital One Venture X to pair with it.

Is this the best offer we’ve offer seen on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® ?

6 years ago we did see offers as high as 100k, and we recently saw 80k

What is the Annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

The annual fee is $550 and is not waived for the first year.

$300 Annual Travel Credit

This an annual travel credit that is issued per anniversary year is credited toward any travel purchase you make on the card. This differs from other card issuers who stipulate that purchases must be in a portal. The Chase Sapphire Reserve®  does not. Here is how Chase defines travel

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages

Rent a Tesla and use your Chase Sapphire Reserve®  …you’ll trigger your $300 travel credit

a white car with its trunk open

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Earn Rates

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®  earns 1x on every single purchase, but earns increased earn rates on select categores:

3x Travel and Dining

TheChase Sapphire Reserve®  Earns 3x on travel and dining including pickup and select delivery services with a cap.

Here’s how Chase defines travel:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages

a group of computer screens in an airplane

Chase Travel℠ earn rates

When you book travel via the Ultimate Reward travel portal you will earn at the following rates

  • 10x Hotels and Car Rentals
  • 5x Flights

a screenshot of a website

Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®  offers a couple different redemptions options when it comes to travel:

  • Use your points at 1.5c per point with Chase Travel℠
  • Transfer them to partners

Redeeming for 1.5c in Chase Travel℠

Personally, I think the best usage Is typically transferring them into partners, but every once in a while there is the opportunity ( like discount business class flights, 5 star hotels that don’t have point programs, etc ) where redeeming for 1.5c makes a lot of sense and cheaper than transferring.

  • You typically will earn elite benefits when booking flights
  • You won’t earn elite benefits when booking hotels or car rentals

Stay in 5 star boutique properties with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®  like The Soho in London by redeeming points for 1.5c

a room with a bed and chairs

Transferring points

Chase offers some of the richest points in the business with a great list of both domestic and international partners. With partners like Hyatt, United, Southwest, Marriott, and IHG I believe they have some of the easiest to redeem points.

a group of logos on a white background
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

I have used Chase Ultimate Rewards to fly in some of the world’s best first class products as well as stay in incredible 5 star hotels via transferring points like Emirates First Class

the inside of an airplane with many seats

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Learn More

Affiliate Link 

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

4.6
4.6/5

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the grandaddy of all Chase cards. It’s a super premium card that comes with a bevy of benefits, travel credits, increased earn rates, and points worth 1.5c in Chase Travel.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 

Annual Fee

$550

Points Earned

Transferrable Ultimate Rewards

 

  • 1.5c valuation for in Chase Travel℠  
    • Or via Pay Yourself back categories which rotate
  • $550 Annual Fee
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit
    • Each anniversary Year
  • 3x Dining
  • Earn rates via Chase Travel℠
    • Earn 5x total points on flights
    • 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠
      • Bonuses starts After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
  • Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Chase Sapphire lounge access once they are open
  • Priority Pass membership with dining access for 2 guests
  • $100 application fee credit every four years for
    • Global Entry,
    • NEXUS,
    • or TSA PreCheck(R)
  • Free Instacart+ for one year.
    • Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
  • Free DashPass (DoorDash and Caviar) for one year
    • activate by December 31, 2024.
  • No Fx fees
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and mor

When the  Chase Sapphire Reserve® first hit the market in 2016 it had a 100k offer, but the highest in recent years has been 80k after $4k spend in 3 months.

We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.

Main Cast: 

Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.

Supporting Cast:

Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has perks like a $300 annual travel credit, full Priority Pass membership with access to great lounges + restaurants all around the world for you and 2 guests, 3x points on dining and travel worldwide, and points that are worth 1.5c in the Chase Travel Center. 

If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners.

Personally, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred® may offer more value for the annual fee, and if you want the super premium benefits, take a look at the Capital One Venture X to pair with it.

Lounge Access

The greatest perk of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® lounge access is the priority pass with restaurant access which gives the cardmember + 2 guests access to lounges but also $28 per person

  • Priority Pass select membership (enrollment required )
    • Comes with restaurant access
  • At some point Chase lounge access but we aren’t sure when, where, policies just yet, but we are told CSR users will have access
    • New York LaGuardia (LGA)
    • Boston Logan International (BOS)
    • Hong Kong International (HKG)
    • San Diego International (SAN)
    • Phoenix ( PHX )
    • Las Vegas ( LAS )

Instacart+ Membership, DoorDash Dash Pass, Lyft, and Go Puff

  • Instacart+ for one year.
    • Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
  • DashPass for 12 months
    • activate by December 31, 2024.
    • included for DoorDash and Caviar
  • GoPuff: $10/month statement credit
    • expires 12/31/23

Instacart+

Chase Sapphire members get a free Instacart+ membership with Chase Sapphire Reserve®  members getting a full 12 months of Instacart+ featuring $15/month in credits. You need to enroll by 07/31/24

Go here to enroll

DoorDash

Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and J.P.Morgan Reserve cardmembers
In order to activate this perk you just need to login to your DoorDash app and add your card.
  • Free DashPass through 12/31/24
    • Or minimum of a 1 year
  • If DashPass is activated between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24 you’ll have one year from activation
  • Sapphire Reserve and JP Morgan Reserve cardmembers get $5k a month in DoorDash credits
    • Up to $15 can be accrued before a $5 credit expires
    • Up to 7 Authorized Users can receive the credit each month

Lyft Pink All Access + 10x

Through March of 2025, you’ll earn 10x on Lyft rides

a white background with blue textLyft Pink All Access

  • Free for 2 years, worth $199 a year
    • activate by 12/31/24
  • 50% the 3rd year
  • Other benefits
    • Free Priority Pickup upgrades to get picked up faster
    • Member-exclusive pricing including 10% off all Lux rides
    • Cancellation forgiveness, cancel up to 3 times per month for free
    • In-app roadside assistance for your own car, free up to 4 times a year
    • Free SIXT car rental upgrades
    • Free, unlimited 45-min classic bike rides
    • Free unlimited ebike and scooter unlocks
    • Discounted ebike and scooter rates
    • 3 bike or scooter guest passes per year

Go Puff $10/month statement credit – click here to enroll

a red bottle cap with white text

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Travel Protections

Primary rental car coverage, up to $75k, some exclusions
Trip Cancellation
  • Up to $10k
Trip Delay
  • $500 starts at 6 hours
Baggage delay
  • Up to $100 a day
  • 5 days max
Lost Baggage
  • Max $3k per person
    • (Capped at $500 a person for jewelry, watches, cameras/video/ electronic equipment).
Emergency Medical
  • Up to $2,500 with a $50 deductible
Purchase Protection
  • Up to $50k a year
    • Up to $10k per claim

 

Overall

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a super premium card that comes with an incredible amount of benefits and when you factor in this new increased welcome offer, I think you can justify getting it over the Chase Sapphire Preferred® for at least the first year.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card


4.8
4.8/5
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is a great starter card that earns Premium Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred into over a dozen partners many of which are US based including Hyatt, Southwest, United, IHG, and Marriott.

Welcome Offer

60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months

Annual Fee

$95

Points Earned

Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards

  • 3x on dining
    •  including eligible delivery services for takeout
  • 3x on select streaming services
  • 3x on online grocery purchases
    • (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
  • 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel Portal
  • 2x on all other travel
  • $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Chase Travel
    • The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
  • 10% Anniversary Bonus
    • Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred® continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel Portal and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including primary rental car insurance, purchase protections, etc.
  • Points are transferrable to 13 Ultimate Rewards partners
  • Redeem in the Chase Travel center for 1.25 cents per point
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
    • Primary rental car coverage is my favorite

We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.

Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.

Main Cast: 

Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.

Supporting Cast:

Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.

If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners

Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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