Quick Review
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a luxury travel card aimed at the most frequent fliers. Here’s what you need to know about the card:
- It will cost you: Perhaps the most notable feature of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is its jaw-dropping annual fee of $550. There’s also a $75 annual authorized user fee if you want a partner or family member to have a card of their own. Plus, the card lacks a 0% APR offer, meaning you won’t enjoy an interest-free period upon opening your account. This is particularly unfortunate since you’ll have to spend $4,000 on the card in 3 months to unlock the welcome bonus. Be prepared to pay that back right away, or face interest.
- Rewards are complicated: While the card offers seriously appealing reward rates on travel purchases, earning rewards and making the most of them requires some attention. Certain rewards rates (like 5x points on flights and 10x points on rental cars and hotels) will only unlock once you’ve spent $300 on travel. The higher rewards rates also are contingent on booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards, so you’ll need to be willing to shop through the Chase portal to earn them. Lastly, Chase’s point program gives considerably more value to points redeemed strategically for travel purchases, so getting the most out of your rewards will take effort.
- The travel credit goes a long way: One of the most appealing features of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the $300 annual travel credit. It won’t be hard for any traveler to earn, especially as Chase defines “travel” broadly. The credit applies automatically, so you don’t need to fuss with redemption. If you’re spending on travel every year anyway, this credit acts as free money, effectively bringing your annual fee down to $250.
Pros & Cons
Who Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Best For?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is best suited for the following types of borrowers:
- Frequent travelers: This card is all about travel. From what purchases earn rewards, to the benefits, to rewards redemption—travel is the name of the game. So a frequent flier, especially one who appreciates airport lounge access, will undoubtedly get the most out of this card.
- Points chasers: There are big opportunities to earn rewards with this card, especially if you’re willing to adjust your shopping habits and cash out points strategically. Anyone who enjoys the gamification of credit card points and is eager to take on this card as a challenge will love reaping the rewards.
- Honeymooners: When used on travel booked through the Chase portal, the welcome bonus alone can cover $900 of expenses. If you have a honeymoon or another big trip coming up, the first year of rewards can be especially beneficial. However, after the first year, you’ll need to travel frequently to justify the high annual fee.
Alternative Cards
What the Crowd Says
Expert reviewers and individuals love talking about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. But be aware—many of the major sites reviewing this card have affiliate deals that you may want to consider when assessing their reviews.
Here’s how the card fares on different rating scales:
| Publication | Rating |
|---|---|
| NerdWallet | 5/5 |
| ThePointsGuy | 4.5/5 |
| Forbes Advisor | 5/5 |
| ValuePenguin | 5/5 |
| Business Insider | 4.65/5 |
| The Fool | 4.5/5 |
| Wallethub | 4.4/5 |
| Wallethub (user ratings) | 3.4/5 |
| CreditCards.com | 5/5 |
| CNN Underscored | Positive |
| Bankrate | 5/5 |
| Investopedia | 4.1/5 |
| CNBC Select | Positive |
| Credit Karma (user ratings) | 4.6/5 |
| One Mile at a Time | 5/5 |
| Finance Buzz | 5/5 |
| Next Advisor | 4.3/5 |
| Upgraded Points | 4.6/5 |
| Aggregate rating: 4.63 |
What Major Publications Say
It’s hard to say how much professional reviews may be biased because of affiliate sponsorships. However, the general sentiment towards the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is that it’s a lucrative rewards card for frequent travelers. Reviews particularly highlight the following features:
- Flexibility and easy redemption of the $300 annual travel credit
- Increased point values based on Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options
- Generous travel insurance benefits
- Welcome bonus worth up to $900 if redeemed strategically
- Airport lounge access
However, even the most positive reviews note that the high annual fee isn’t for everyone. Many reviewers caution that only the most ardent of travelers should get this card, while less avid travelers or borrowers on the fence about the annual cost should instead opt for the Chase Sapphire Preferred®.
What Cardholders Say
There’s also a lot of talk about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® among cardholders and online commenters—both good and bad. Individuals on user review sites and forums often debate whether the card is truly worth it, especially when stacked up against other luxury travel cards (like the Capital One® Venture X®) or cheaper Chase options (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®).
Here are some pros and cons that cardholders raise about the card:
There isn’t a consensus as to whether the card is truly worth it or not. But the common thread is that anyone looking at this card who isn’t a frequent luxury traveler should look elsewhere, as the card only poses value for big-spending flyers and hotel patrons.
Customer Service Difficulty
Some cardholders report problems with customer service, particularly when trying to claim benefits. We noticed the following complaints appear multiple times:
- Chase customer service has gone downhill in recent years.
- Cardholders were rejected or given the runaround when trying to dispute fraudulent charges.
- Travel-related issues must be handled through a travel specialist, which was noted as an additional hassle.
- Canceled flights were reimbursed by travel credit, which must all be used on a single purchase and expires after 12 months.
- Travel reimbursements were difficult to claim and requests were ultimately denied.
Rewards
Rewards Program
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a generous, but somewhat complicated, rewards program. Some rewards rates are only available after you’ve spent your first $300 on travel annually. Other rates are based on purchases exclusively made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Here’s how the card’s rewards work:
- 10x points on dining purchases booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on other dining purchases
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
After you meet the $300 minimum annual travel purchase threshold, you’ll also receive:
- 10x points on car rentals and hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on all other eligible travel purchases
What You Could Earn
Based on government data and other sources, we’ve estimated the average American’s spending in the card’s rewards categories. You may find the numbers too conservative or too generous compared to your spending, so make sure to adjust your reading of the table based on your own lifestyle.
Here’s an idea of what you could earn based on our findings:
| Category | Rewards Rate | Spending | Rewards Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental cars & hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards | 10x | $1,000 | $100 |
| Dining booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards | 10x | $909 | $91 |
| Airfare booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards | 5x | $1,000 | $50 |
| Travel | 3x | $3,900 | $117 |
| Dining | 3x | $2,121 | $64 |
| Everything else | 1x | $2,400 | $24 |
| Total earnings (redeemed for cash): $446 | |||
| Total earnings (redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards): $669 |
When estimating rewards earnings, we deducted the first $300 of travel spending from our calculations. While you won’t earn rewards on that amount, you will get it reimbursed through the $300 annual travel credit. So after adding your $300 travel credit to your final earnings and subtracting the $550 annual fee, you could earn $196 in cash each year on the card.
However, you can earn even more by redeeming your points strategically, such as through Chase Ultimate Rewards or by transferring them to a partner loyalty program.
How to Redeem Points
You can redeem the points you earn on a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card in the following ways:
- Statement credit
- Cash
- Gift cards
- Travel
- Transfer to loyalty programs
When redeemed for cash or cash value (e.g., as statement credit), points are worth $0.01 each.
When redeemed for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, points are worth $0.015 each, meaning they have 1.5x more value.
Welcome Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card has a generous welcome bonus of 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after opening your account. This equates to $900 if you use it to book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or $600 if you redeem it another way.
While the welcome bonus more than covers the high annual fee the first year, you’ll have to consider whether the annual travel credit and rewards rates will make up for the annual fee in years to come.
Fees
- Annual fee: $550
- Authorized user fee: $75 annually
- Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 20.74% – 27.74% (variable)
- Balance transfer APR: 20.74% – 27.74% (variable)
- Cash advance APR: 28.74% (variable)
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%
Benefits
A lot of borrowers are drawn to the card based on its benefits package—which, at this price point, should certainly be worthwhile. Here are the additional perks and protections that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Annual Travel Credit
Up to $300 worth of credit will be automatically applied to your account each year when you make eligible travel purchases. The year is based on when you open your card account rather than the calendar year.
Airport Lounge Access
After you enroll in Priority Pass, you’ll get access to over 1,300 VIP airport lounges worldwide.
This is a major perk for the luxury traveler who wants some extra comforts en route.
$100 TSA PreCheck Credit
Get a $100 statement credit towards your application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or Nexus.
My Chase Plan
Pay off purchases over $100 with a My Chase Plan, in which you’ll be charged a fixed monthly plan fee, but no interest. You can choose from different plan options, which will range from 3–18 months in length.
Partner Benefits
| Partner | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Lyft | Earn 10x points total on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (3x points for travel plus 7x bonus points). |
| Gopuff | $10 monthly statement credit from Gopuff through December 31, 2023. |
| DoorDash | Get a one-year complimentary DashPass subscription, and $5 monthly DoorDash credits. |
| Instacart | Get one year of Instacart+, and $15 monthly Instacart statement credits through July 2024. |
Travel & Purchase Protections
| Protection | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | Get up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is cut short by covered circumstances (like illness or severe weather). |
| Delayed trip reimbursement | Enjoy reimbursement for food and lodging (up to $500 per ticket) if you have to stay overnight or your trip is delayed for more than 6 hours. |
| Auto rental theft/damage reimbursement | Be reimbursed up to $75,000 in case of theft or damage when you charge the car rental to your card and decline the rental company’s insurance. |
| Lost baggage reimbursement | Get back up to $3,000 per passenger if the carrier loses your luggage |
| Emergency evacuation coverage | Get coverage up to $100,000 if you or a family member are injured far from home and must be evacuated. |
| Purchase protection | Your new purchases will be covered against damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. |
| Return protection | Get reimbursed up to $500 per item ($1,000 per year) for eligible items that the store won't take back within 90 days of purchase. |
| Extended warranty protection | Extend a manufacturer's warranty by an additional year on warranties of 3 years or less. |
FAQs
Does Chase report to the credit bureaus?
Chase reports to the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) on the last day of your billing cycle each month.
You can check your credit score at any time using their free Chase Credit Journey service.
Can I add an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®?
You can add an authorized user to your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. However, you’ll need to pay $75 annually for the additional user and their card.
Can I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for a balance transfer?
Yes, you can use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to make a balance transfer. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® isn’t the best choice for consolidating your credit card debt since you’ll start paying interest on balance transfers right away, without a 0% APR period. If you do transfer a balance to your new card, your APR for that balance will be between 20.74% – 27.74% (variable).
Can I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for a cash advance?
If necessary, you can use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card to get a cash advance. You’ll have to pay a pretty standard cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater, plus the cash advance APR of 28.74% (variable). Given how high the interest rate is, it’s not advisable to use this card to get cash or cash equivalents.
How can I contact Chase’s customer service?
If you have questions about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card, you can contact Chase’s customer service team at: (800) 935-9935
