Chase Sapphire Reserve card review: One of the best premium travel cards now offers an 80,000-point bonus (worth at least $1,200 in travel), plus top-notch benefits like airport lounge access

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If you’re new to rewards credit cards you may want to start elsewhere, but if you know you want to earn Chase points and you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most rewarding options. And right now, it’s offering the highest bonus we’ve seen since it first launched in 2016.

Review: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve the best credit card for you?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus of Chase Sapphire Reserve®. That’s worth $1,200 in travel booked through Chase, and potentially Chase Sapphire Reserve® when you transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners, based on Insider’s valuations. This is 30,000 points higher than the standard offer, and the highest bonus we’ve seen since the card first launched six years ago — so if the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been on your radar, now is the time to apply.

You’ve also got options to use points at a higher rate (1.5 cents each) for everyday purchases through the Chase Pay Yourself Back program. But if you prefer cash back, you can always redeem your rewards for a statement credit at a rate of 1 cent per point.

The card charges a Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee, so it’s only worth it if you can maximize its many benefits. These include up to $300 per year in statement credits toward eligible travel booked with your card, Priority Pass airport lounge and Chase Sapphire Lounge access, up to $100 credit toward the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee, and top-notch travel and purchase coverage.

Newer perks that can help offset the annual fee include $5 per month in DoorDash in-app credit (through December 2024) and up to $15 per month in Instacart credits (through July 2024). These two benefits combined can offset the annual fee by up to $240 per year.

If you don’t want to pay the Chase Sapphire Reserve®‘s high annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a good alternative, at $95 a year. It earns bonus points in some of the same categories as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and it offers most of the same travel protections. Plus, it’s offering a welcome bonus of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Here’s our comparison of the Sapphire Reserve and Preferred to learn more.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

How to earn points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has one of the most rewarding earning structures of any premium travel card.  Cardholders earn:

• 10x points on Lyft rides through March 2025
• 10x points on Chase Dining purchases through Ultimate Rewards
• 10x points on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Ultimate Rewards
• 5x points on air travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards
• 3x points on other travel (after earning the $300 travel credit) and dining
• 1 point per dollar on everything else

If you’re not sure if a purchase qualifies to earn bonus points, read our guide to what counts toward each of the Chase Sapphire categories to learn more about any restrictions.

How to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits, with each point worth 1 cent.

You can also use them to purchase travel through the Chase Travel Portal, which works just like any other online travel agency. When you use points that way, you get a 50% bonus — in other words, each point will be worth 1.5 cents instead.

Chase also offers an easy option for redeeming points on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s called Pay Yourself Back, and it lets you cash in Ultimate Rewards points to cover eligible category purchases at an improved rate.

You get a 50% bonus in value with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — so, 1.5 cents per point — and a 25% bonus if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Pay Yourself Back can be a great way to save money during periods where you’re not doing much traveling.

Finally, you can also transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners to book award travel — transferring points is generally the most valuable way to use them. 

It’s also worth noting if you have other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, you can transfer points from those cards into your Chase Sapphire Reserve® account — then all of your points will be worth 1.5 cents toward travel booked through Chase and Pay Yourself Back. This includes the aInk Business Preferred® Credit Card , aInk Business Unlimited® Credit Card,  Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, aChase Freedom Unlimited®, and  Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Plus, you’ll unlock the ability to transfer those points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners — an option that’s not available if you only have a no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards card.

Benefits and features

Up to $300 travel credit

Each cardmember year (meaning every 12 months starting the month you open the card), the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers up to $300 in credit toward travel purchases. The credit will be applied to the first $300 worth of purchases you make that year in the travel category, including things like subways, taxis, ridesharing, and parking, as well as hotels, airfare, and cruises.

When you subtract the travel credit, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee is effectively $250.

DoorDash food delivery

Chase was clearly feeling the pressure from updates to American Express cards like aThe Platinum Card® from American Express , American Express® Gold Card, and American Express® Green Card — which have all added benefits including statement credits over the last few years.

Chase has added DoorDash benefits for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders. Cardholders receive a complimentary DashPass membership (for waived delivery fees on qualifying orders) through December 31, 2024. Enrollment is required to receive the benefit, and in addition, you’ll also get a $5 monthly DoorDash in-app credit. These credits expire every three months, so you can accumulate up to $15 in credit before you redeem.

Instacart benefits

If you’re an Instacart customer, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® can save you money. Until July 31, 2024, cardholders can enroll for a complimentary year of Instacart+ membership, which comes with free delivery on orders of $35+ and reduced service fees. Be sure to set a calendar reminder to cancel if you don’t intend to keep the membership beyond a year, because it will automatically renew for another year (currently $99) once your free year is up.

In addition, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders now receive up to $15 per month in statement credits toward Instacart purchases (activation required). If you maximize this benefit each month, it’s worth up to $180 per year — which goes a long way to offset the annual fee.

Airport lounge access including new Chase Sapphire lounges

Having access to airport lounges is one of my favorite perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Lounges are comfortable, relaxing, and exclusive areas where you can enjoy comfortable seats, an internet connection, food and drinks — often complimentary — and sometimes other amenities.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass is a network of more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world, any of which you and two travel companions can access for free when you have your membership card.

With the Priority Pass membership provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can bring in two guests. So whether you’re traveling alone or with your family, you can enjoy free snacks, drinks, newspapers and magazines, showers, and more, all separate from the hustle and bustle of the main terminal.

Chase is also starting to unveil its own Chase Sapphire Lounges, the first of which opened on October 25, 2022, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). It boasts comfortable areas for relaxing and working, locally curated menus and art, signature cocktails, and other premium amenities.

Additionally, Chase will open new Chase Sapphire Lounges at New York-LaGuardia (LGA) Terminal B, Boston (BOS) Terminal B to C connector, San Diego (SAN), Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), Washington Dulles (IAD) Terminal A, and two other unknown airports. Specific information about opening dates isn’t available yet, but these lounges are slated to begin opening in 2023.

Chase Sapphire Lounges will be available to Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders and all Priority Pass members. 

Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry (which comes with PreCheck) are absolute musts for just about any traveler. Once you enroll, you can use special lanes to breeze through airport security — you won’t have to remove shoes and light coats, and you can leave your laptop in your bag.

With Global Entry, you can use a fast lane when you return to the US from abroad, which makes clearing immigration and customs easy and quick. And with NEXUS, you get the privileges from both of these programs, plus expedited entry into Canada. The programs cost $85 (TSA PreCheck), $100 (Global Entry), or $50 (NEXUS), and Chase will provide a credit for that fee every four years (memberships are valid for five years).

Primary car rental insurance and rental elite status

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a primary auto rental collision damage waiver, or free loss and damage coverage when you use the card to pay for a rental car. Just decline the collision/damage/loss coverage offered by the rental agency and use the card to pay for the rental. Keep in mind you may still want to opt for the rental company’s liability insurance.

When you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can also get complimentary elite status with Avis, National, and Silvercar rental agencies. The benefits vary a bit between the companies but generally include a car class upgrade, easy pick-up/drop-off, and more.

Discounts and perks with Avis, National, and Silvercar car rental agencies

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders receive special privileges with Avis, National, and Silvercar car rentals. These include discounts, upgrades, savings on luxury and premium cars, and special promotions. To access these deals, visit the card benefits section of your online account and navigate to the “Special Car Rental Privileges” section to enroll.

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance

If you’ve paid for an eligible trip with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and it’s cut short or canceled for a covered reason like illness or severe weather, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses.

Trip delay insurance

When you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® to pay for your fare, you can get reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for hotel rooms, food, toiletries, clothes, or other reasonable expenses when your flight is delayed overnight or by six hours or more.

Baggage delay insurance

If you paid for your trip with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and your bags are delayed for six hours or more, you could be reimbursed for essential purchases (like clothing and toiletries) up to $100 per day for up to five days.

Lost luggage reimbursement

If the airline damages or loses your bags, you and your immediate family members could be covered for up to $3,000 per passenger as long as you’ve paid for your tickets with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Extended warranty

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® extends the time period of a US manufacturer’s warranty on eligible items by an additional year, on warranties of three years or less when you pay with your card.

Purchase protection

If an eligible item you’ve bought with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, you could be eligible for up to $10,000 in reimbursement per claim, and up to $50,000 per account.

Travel and emergency assistance services

If you’re traveling away from home and run into problems, you can get help with medical and legal referrals or other emergency assistance. This service is free, but any third-party costs are your responsibility.

Travel accident insurance

When you pay for your air, bus, cruise, or train transportation with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’re eligible for accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $1,000,000.

Roadside assistance

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can contact the roadside assistance hotline for help with a tow, jumpstart, tire change, locksmith, or gas. Coverage is for up to $50 per incident, up to four times per year.

Emergency evacuation and transportation

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders and their immediate family members can access an emergency evacuation and transportation benefit, which can be a lifesaver if things go very wrong while traveling.

It offers up to $100,000 in coverage if you’re injured or become critically ill during a covered trip of between five and 60 days, as long as you’ve charged a portion of the cost, or the entire cost of a covered trip to your account. The evacuation also has to be approved by Chase’s benefits administrator in consultation with a licensed physician.

If you’re hospitalized for more than eight days, this benefit will even pay the cost of an economy-class ticket to bring a friend or relative to your bedside.

Emergency medical and dental benefit

Another unique benefit of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an emergency medical and dental benefit, which supplements any existing medical coverage you have if you are injured or become ill during a trip of five to 60 days. There’s a maximum benefit of $2,500 with a $50 deductible.

If you need to recover in a hotel, you can be covered for costs up to $75 per day, for up to five days. 

Reserved by Sapphire restaurant benefit

Later this year, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders will have access to Reserved by Sapphire, a new opportunity to book hard-to-get reservations at some of the country’s top restaurants.

These include Canlis in Seattle, Redbird in Los Angeles, SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg, California, Reverence in New York City, and One Off Hospitality in Chicago.

Gopuff credits

Chase has partnered with Gopuff to provide $10 per month in credits on select cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. When you add your card as the default payment method of your Gopuff app and make a qualifying purchase, you’ll receive the credit on your statement a few days after the transaction.

Gopuff is a rapid delivery service that provides essentials like snacks, drinks, cleaning supplies, and personal care items. To trigger the Gopuff credit, there’s a minimum order of $10 and a $2.95 fee per delivery. You can take advantage of the monthly credit through December 31, 2023.

Fees and costs

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium credit card, and the $550 annual fee reflects that. It’s worth it if you can take advantage of the $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass lounge access, and other benefits like Gopuff, Instacart, and DoorDash credits. Like virtually every other premium travel card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. 

You’ll want to make sure you can pay your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges (currently a Chase Sapphire Reserve® APR on purchases). As with most other cards, there are fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late or returned payments.

Comparison: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs other Chase credit cards

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an extremely valuable card for travel, thanks to the flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points it earns and benefits like Priority Pass airport lounge access and up to a $300 annual travel credit. It does charge a $550 annual fee, but if you can put its benefits to use, it could be the best premium credit card for you.

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs other premium cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Which is better, the Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the top premium cards on the market for most travelers. Its benefits are straightforward and easy to use, unlike competitor cards such as The Platinum Card® from American Express which offers many niche or obscure credits that most cardholders may not be interested in.

However, if you can use all the features of the The Platinum Card® from American Express, there’s hundreds more in potential annual value via statement credits. Here’s our comparison of the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve to help you decide which is better for your situation.

What credit score do you need to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

You’ll generally need a credit score above 700 to open most travel credit cards. Most people who are approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® have a credit score in the good to excellent range, meaning a FICO score of at least 670.

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card worth it?

With just a few card benefits, a frequent traveler can easily save $1,000 per year with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. As long as you’ll use benefits like the $300 travel credit, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, statement credits for DoorDash and Instacart, and primary rental car insurance, the card’s annual fee is definitely worth paying each year.

In fact, between the annual travel credit (up to $300 per year), DoorDash credits (up to $60 per year), and Instacart credits (up to $180 per year), you can offset the annual fee almost entirely — and the rest of the benefits are just gravy.

However, if you don’t think you’ll be able to maximize these benefits, you’ll likely do better with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card instead.

Am I eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve? 

If you’ve opened five or more cards in the past 24 months from any bank (excluding most small-business credit cards) you aren’t eligible to open the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This is known as the Chase 5/24 rule.

However, if you have a Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and it’s been open for at least a year, you can contact Chase to request a “product change” and upgrade your card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Also, note that you cannot open a Chase Sapphire Reserve® if you currently hold any flavor of Chase Sapphire card. And you won’t be eligible for its bonus if you’ve received a Sapphire bonus within the past 48 months.

How do I add an authorized user to my Chase Sapphire Reserve?

You can add an authorized user to your Chase Sapphire Reserve® by signing into your Chase account online and navigating to the “Account Services” tab. Select “Add an authorized user” to begin the process; you’ll need to provide their name, date of birth, and mailing address to add them as an additional cardholder.

There’s a $75 fee for each authorized user, but they’ll get their own Priority Pass Select membership and get access to travel insurance and other benefits when they use their card.