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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

Apply Now

on Chase's secure site

Edited by
Julie Sherrier

Reviewed by
Tracy Brackman

Updated: June 24, 2021

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Rewards Rate

5X total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately 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

Extra Perks

$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year

Edited by
Julie Sherrier

Reviewed by
Tracy Brackman

Updated: June 24, 2021

Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

Who is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® best for?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card could easily be considered one of the best premium travel cards currently available. That’s because – in addition to an elevated rewards rate in popular spending categories, such as travel and dining – the card offers generous travel benefits and a lucrative sign-up bonus that’s worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Just know, the benefits, sign-up bonus and rewards rate come with a hefty annual fee of
$550. But considering all the benefits, discounts, memberships and statement credits that come with the card, and provided you’ll take advantage of them, then the annual fee becomes a moot point.

We break down the pros and cons of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, as well as show how it compares to another premium travel card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® overview

Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Through December 31, 2021, gas station & grocery store purchases will also count towards earning your Travel Credit
Earn 5X total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately 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
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more

Credit needed:

750 850

Excellent

Get my free score

$0 foreign transaction fees.
Free Priority Pass Select membership. Upon activation, the primary cardholder and authorized users receive complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges for themselves and up to two guests.
$300 annual travel credit. Receive up to $300 in statement credits as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card. From June 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, gas station and grocery store purchases will also count toward earning your travel credit.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short due to sickness, severe weather or other covered circumstances, you can receive reimbursement for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.
Lost luggage reimbursement. Receive coverage of up to $3,000 per passenger if your luggage is damaged or lost by the carrier.
Trip delay reimbursement. If your travel is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
Emergency evacuation & transportation. If you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
Auto rental collision damage waiver. Receive reimbursement of up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.
Purchase protection. Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 a year.
Return protection. Receive reimbursement 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 protection. Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Earn up to $120 back on a Peloton membership
10x points on Lyft membership and complimentary Lyft Pink membership
Complimentary Dashpass subscription from DoorDash and statement credit
$100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit

Intro Purchase APR

N/A

Regular Purchase APR

16.99%-23.99% Variable

Intro BT APR

N/A

Regular BT APR

16.99%-23.99% Variable

Annual Fee

$550

Cash Advance Fee

Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.

Foreign Transaction Fee

Balance Transfer Fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater

Pros and cons

Pros

Generous signup bonus worth $900 when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Premium travel benefits and protections
$300 annual travel credit
Complimentary Priority Pass membership
1:1 point transfers to multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs
VIP access to events and experiences
No blackout dates or travel restrictions

Cons

High annual fee
Low rewards value on purchases outside of dining, grocery purchases and travel

What we like about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Sign-up bonus

Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Chase Sapphire Reserve® points are generally valued at 1 cent each – making the sign-up bonus worth $500, unless you redeem those points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.5 cents each, which boosts the value of the signup bonus to $750.
Rewards rate

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders earn 5X total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately 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.

The Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards category includes prepaid travel purchases made on UltimateRewards.com or by booking through the Chase Travel center using the number on the back of your card.

The other travel category includes airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, campgrounds, taxis, ferries, toll bridges and more.

Dining rewards categories consist of merchants whose primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants and fine dining establishments. Note, merchants that sell food and drinks inside of sports stadiums, hotels, casinos and other facilities don’t qualify for the higher rewards rate.
$300 annual travel credit

This credit will be applied as a reimbursement for travel purchases (or gas station and grocery store purchases from June 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021). Know that purchases that qualify for the travel credit will not accrue points or miles until after the credit has been satisfied.
Redemption options and travel transfer partners

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for travel, cash, gift cards, statement credits and products and services. You can also transfer points to 11 airlines and three hotel partners at a rate of 1:1. Chase transfer partners include: Air Canada Aeroplan, Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Flying Blue Air France KLM, Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
Pay Yourself Back Limited Time Offer

Cardholders can also get 50% more value from their points when redeemed for statement credits to cover purchases in select, rotating categories.

To receive your statement credit, select an eligible purchase made within the past 90 days and apply your points to all or part of the purchase.

What to watch out for with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Annual fee

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card charges a high annual fee of $550, as well as a $75 fee for each authorized user per year. However, the value you can get from the card’s annual travel credit, Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee credit, complimentary airport lounge access and other benefits can substantially offset that amount each year.
No intro APR

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card does not offer an intro APR on purchases or balance transfers, it’s not ideal if you plan to carry a balance on your card. If you don’t pay your balance in full each month, you will be subject to interest charges at a rate of 16.99%-23.99% variable APR.

Alternate travel card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Compare it to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

If you want a premium travel rewards card and your travel is often booked on American Airlines, you may want to look at the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which has a slightly lower annual fee of $450.

Similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with a number of valuable benefits, including a complimentary Admirals Club membership – valued at up to $650, a Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit and the first checked bag free for you and up to eight travel companions.

Additionally, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers the following sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

AAdvantage® miles can be redeemed for flights on American Airlines, American Eagle or any oneworld airline or partner airline, as well as flight upgrades on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia flights. Miles can also be redeemed for car rentals, hotel stays, activities and tours.

While these cards share similar sign-up bonuses, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® requires cardholders to spend $1,000 more in the first three months to earn the bonus. Also, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® lets you earn an elevated rewards rate in a broader range of spending categories for a limited time.

The information related to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.

Compare the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to similar cards

Comparison of four different credit cards
Chase Sapphire Reserve^®	Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®	Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card	The Platinum Card^® from American Express

15 Reviews	0 Reviews	49 Reviews	4 Reviews
Apply Now on Chase's secure site	Read Review	Apply Now on Chase's secure site	Apply Now on American Express's secure site Rates & Fees Terms Apply
Annual Fee
$550	$450	$95	$695
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.	100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
5X total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately 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	Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases & 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3X points on dining and 2X points on all other travel purchases	5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply.
Regular APR
16.99%-23.99% Variable	15.99% - 24.99% (Variable)	15.99% - 22.99% Variable	See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit
Excellent	Excellent/Good	Excellent	Excellent/Good
Card Details
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	The Platinum Card® from American Express

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® right for you?

If you’re an avid traveler who will take advantage of all the benefits the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has to offer, then this is a great choice. The high annual fee can be offset with annual travel credit, as well as the Priority Pass Select lounge membership.

Plus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers some of most generous travel protections among its competitors, including primary car rental insurance, lost luggage insurance, trip delay, cancellation and interruption insurance, and more.

If the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is a little too steep for your liking, you can get access to some of the card’s same benefits with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – which charges an annual fee of $95.

Apply Now

on Chase's secure site