The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the top premium travel cards offering up to 10 points per dollar on travel and dining through the Chase portal, a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, and a ton of other travel and purchase protections.
This card earns valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to hotel and airline partners or redeemed directly for flights at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.
We have a lot to cover with this card, so let’s dive right in.
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, or even more when you transfer to airline or hotel partners.
Earning Points
The Sapphire Reserve earns points at the following rates:
10x points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards.
5x points per dollar on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
3x points per dollar on other travel worldwide, and dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out.
1 Point per Dollar on all other purchases.
However, the first $300 in travel purchases annually does not earn points because it is covered entirely by the Reserve’s easy-to-use $300 travel credit.
Sapphire Reserve Benefits
$300 Travel Credit
This travel credit is super easy to use and covers anything travel-related including airfare, hotels, Airbnbs, ride-sharing, etc.
Priority Pass Membership
Priority Pass is an airport lounge membership with 1,400+ locations all around the world. The Sapphire Reserve’s version of Priority Pass, unlike the American Express version, also gets you access to Priority Pass Restaurants, which can be a great deal considering you typically get a $28 credit plus $28 for each guest (up to 2 guests).
Trip Delay Insurance
You should always buy flights with a credit card that offers trip delay insurance, which reimburses you for things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use card that offers free trip delay insurance. Plus, airlines frequently blame delays on weather or an external factor to get out of paying compensation to passengers.
This benefit can really come in handy during a delay. While other passengers are worried about where to sleep and eat, you can book a nice hotel of your choice and enjoy some nice meals, without worrying about the cost.
Trip Cancellation Insurance
When you’re planning a trip, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your travel plans will be covered if something goes wrong. That’s where credit card trip cancellation and interruption insurance comes in.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburse you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury.
To be eligible for trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you’ll need to pay for your travel expenses using this card.
Travel is crazy enough without having to worry about being out of pocket if something goes wrong, so I always suggest booking all travel with a card that offers travel protections.
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Credit
This card offers a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit of up to $100 every four years.
If you already have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you could use the card to purchase it for a family or friend, or use it when your membership needs to be renewed.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
With TSA PreCheck, you do not need to remove your shoes, laptop, small liquids, belts, or light jackets.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
NEXUS is a three-in-one membership that gets you TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and also expedited processing when entering Canada by air, land, or sea.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry require an interview and background check, but TSA PreCheck is typically faster and easier to obtain.
Roadside Assistance
If you have a roadside emergency, you can call for a tow, jumpstart, tire change, locksmith or gas. You’re covered up to $50 per incident 4 times a year. AAA charges between $50-90 annually for a similar service.
Primary Rental Car Insuance
Primary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car when you pay for the rental using this card.
But you still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Coverage is also secondary to any reimbursement from the airline or common carrier. For example, if your bag and its contents were worth $1,000 and the airline gave you $200, you could file a claim for $800.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Return Protection
You can be reimbursed for eligible items that the store won’t take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per year.
Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardholder.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, then this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
But if the TV comes with a four or five-year warranty, you should consider using an American Express or Citi credit card, which covers warranties up to 5 years.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
Coverage for this benefit is limited to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Medical Evacuation Insurance
If you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip far from home that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
You can get free room upgrades, meals, early/late check-in, and extra amenities by booking via Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
Benefits at Relias & Chateaux Hotels
Cardholders get a room upgrade, VIP welcome, and free breakfast at the 500+ Relias & Chateaux Hotels worldwide.
Emergency Medical and Dental Coverage
If you’re 100 miles or more from home on a trip, you can be reimbursed up to $2,500 for medical expenses if you or your immediate family member become sick or injured.
Pros and Cons of the Sapphire Reserve
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
- Very easy to use $300 travel credit
- Ability to cash out Ultimate Rewards at 1.5 cents per point
- Priority Pass airport lounge access
- Great trip and purchase protections
Cons
- Effectively a $250 annual fee after $300 travel credit
- Lack of additional credits like the Platinum Card from American Express
Alternatives to the Sapphire Reserve
Now that you know about the pros and cons of this card and its benefits, it’s time to review the alternatives.
Or, if you are like me, who loves to maximize my rewards, here are other cards you should add to your wallet:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by an easy-to-use travel credit of up to $300 back annually as statement credits for Bookings via Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Bonus Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 3x Points on Select Streaming and Online Grocery (excluding Walmart, Target, and Wholesale Clubs)
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription, and a $50- anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $200 Airline Fee Credit (after you select a qualifying airline and incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®)
- $200 Hotel Credit (on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay)
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit (up to $20 each month: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times)
- $200 Uber Cash Credit ($15 per month with $35 in December when you add your Platinum Card to Uber or UberEats account)
- $155 Walmart+ Credit (covers the cost of a $12.95 monthly membership)
- CLEAR Credit (up to $189 towards an annual Clear membership for expedited airport security)
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
Is the Sapphire Reserve Worth It?
Yes, the Sapphire Reserve is worth it if take advantage of the Priority Pass membership, 3x points on dining and travel, travel protections, and the ability to cash out points at 1.5 cents per point.
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You will be auto denied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards in the past 24 months due to Chase's 5/24 Rule.
The following purchases generally qualify as dining:
- Bars
- Cafes
- Coffee shops
- Fast food restaurants
- Restaurant delivery services (e.g. UberEats or DoorDash)
- Restaurants
- Vending machines.
However, the following purchases do not generally qualify as dining: Amazon Restaurants, Bakeries, Grocery stores, and Meal kit subscriptions.
Authorized users of the Sapphire Reserve get all of the benefits with the exception of the $300 travel credit and Global Entry credit.
The annual fee for authorized users is $75.
Yes. Chase will generally let you upgrade a Sapphire Preferred to a Sapphire Reserve after 12 months. Other Ultimate Rewards cards may be able to be upgraded after 12 months by calling Chase.
The $300 annual travel credit for the Sapphire Reserve resets every account anniversary rather than per calendar year. So if you were approved on May 15th, your travel credit will reset on or around May 15th.
When you login to the Ultimate Rewards website, you should see the travel credit.
Yes. If you have another Ultimate Rewards card such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you can pool the points. This can be a valuable perk because the Freedom Unlimited can only redeem via the Chase Travel Portal for 1.0 cent per point, whereas the Sapphire Reserve can redeem at 1.5 cents per point.
The Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Freedom Unlimited are a good combo since the Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases, whereas the Sapphire Reserve only earns 1 point per dollar on non-travel or restaurant purchases. (So you would use the Reserve on travel and dining purchases and Freedom Unlimited on your other spending).
