Chase Sapphire Reserve® review

This card offers luxury perks that make its annual fee worthwhile, like airport lounge access and concierge services. Plus, points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel.
author Jennifer Doss

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Our Rating:   
Excellent
on Chase's secure website

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • The introductory offer of 60,000 points is worth $900 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
  • Cardholders can receive a reimbursement of up to $300 in statement credit each account anniversary to cover a variety of travel expenses including airfare and hotel charges.
  • Cardholders receive complimentary access to more than 1,000 VIP airport lounges in over 500 cities worldwide after a one-time enrollment in Priority Pass Select.
  • The annual fee is quite high at AnnualFees ($75 for each additional authorized user). If you want similar rewards opportunities and some travel perks, you might consider the CardName, discontinued which has a much lower annual fee.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

At CardRatings.com we discuss the most up-to-date news and trends within the credit card space. Since we first pioneered the concept of online credit card reviews in 1998, our team of financial experts has provided comprehensive and unbiased credit card reviews for more than 175 cards, plus hundreds of additional resource articles to help educate everyday cardholders so they can feel more confident about their card choices. All our content is written and reviewed by industry experts. Though our content may occasionally contain references to products from our partners, we maintain strict editorial integrity and advertiser relationships and compensation never influences ratings, reviews or featured products. The difference between editorial content and advertising must always be clearly stated. Learn more.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® BONUS

What if we told you that there’s a credit card out there that is offering the rewards equivalent of $900 in travel dollars as an introductory offer?

Well, start dreaming about your next vacation. With CardName that introductory offer isn’t a dream. New cardholders earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on their card in the first three months; those points, when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, are worth $900.

That's not all though. For anyone who loves to travel, this card is certainly worth consideration. From solid ongoing rewards to excellent travel benefits, there's much that this card offers that easily offsets its annual fee.

Top Features

 Rewards
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ 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.
 Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
 Annual Fee
$550

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® BENEFITS

CardName rewards are plentiful, including generous points earned on everyday purchases, excellent point redemption opportunities and a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to the card each account anniversary year.

Cardholders can look forward to 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining through Ultimate Rewards, 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Ultimate Rewards(after earning your travel reimbursement), five points per $1 on air travel through Ultimate Rewards (after earning the annual reimbursement), three points on other travel (after earning the $300 travel credit), three points at restaurants worldwide, and one point per $1 for all other purchases.

Points are only as good as their redemption options and luckily those options are numerous with this card. Points earned can be redeemed for travel through the Chase travel portal for a 50% bonus making every point worth 1.5 cents, transferred to a leading airline or hotel loyalty program at a 1:1 rate, redeemed for a wide selection of gift cards, or redeemed for statement credits for purchases. With a variety of high value options, the Sapphire Reserve® card offers excellent flexibility when it comes to making most out your rewards.

Annual statement credits for travel purchases aren’t unheard of in the luxury travel card market, but having those credits extend beyond just airline fees is unique. CardName offers cardholders up to $300 in automatic statement credit each year to cover everything from airline tickets to hotel stays. Additionally, card members can sign up for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and receive up to $100 for the application fee every four years when using the Sapphire Reserve® card.

But the money-saving perks don't end there. Cardholders receive one complimentary year of Lyft Pink (a value of at least $199), the ridershare service's membership program that offers members discounts on each ride as well as additional comfort perks.

Take full advantage of just the travel fee credit ($300) and the complimentary Lyft Pink membership (at least $199) and you will have almost completely offset your annual fee; and we haven't even talk about the airport lounge access, rewards opportunities and so much more.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® PAY YOURSELF BACK OPTIONS

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chase announced a number of perks and updates to the Sapphire Reserve® card rewards structure and benefits. Among those still around is the Pay Yourself Back feature.

Sapphire Reserve® cardholders are able to redeem points to "erase" donations to eligible charities via the Chase Pay Yourself Back program at a rate of 1.5 cents per $1 spent (the same as the redemption rate for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal) through Dec. 31, 2023. For more on these redemption options, see our Guide to Chase Pay Yourself Back. Note that the categories are rotating and have changed several times since the program's introduction.

The Pay Yourself Back option is certainly a viable way to use your Ultimate Rewards points since they can be worth 1.5 cents each, which means you won't be losing any value redeeming this way over what you would have redeeming for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal. (Though, you could still realize far more value by transferring your points to one of the Ultimate Rewards travel partners.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® TRAVEL BENEFITS

As one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market today, the CardName offers world class perks including travel insurance, car rental insurance and lounge access.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® TRAVEL INSURANCE

No one wants to be caught off guard while they are traveling. Should things go wrong, it is good to have travel insurance in place to make sure that you are protected from unforeseen events. The travel insurance coverage provided by the CardName is extensive and it comes automatically with owning the card. The Sapphire Reserve® card’s travel insurance coverages can provide peace of mind and incredible value in the event that your trip doesn’t go according to plan. Some of these top benefits include:

  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses.
  • Trip delay reimbursement up to $500 per ticket if you're delayed more than six hours or require an overnight stay.
  • Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage up to $100,000.
  • Emergency medical and dental reimbursement up to $2,500 for medical expenses if you or your immediate family member becomes sick or injured more than 100 miles away from your home.
  • Baggage delay insurance up to $100 a day for five days for baggage delays over six hours.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement up to $3,000 per passenger.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® CAR RENTAL INSURANCE

One of the specific insurance coverages provided by the CardName is car rental insurance coverage. The auto rental collision damage coverage included with the Sapphire Reserve® provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad when booked using the Sapphire Reserve®. This is one of the highest and most extensive coverages offered in the industry and it comes included with the card.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® PRIORITY PASS

Another excellent benefit of the card is the CardName lounge access. Cardholders receive complimentary access to more than 1,000 VIP airport lounges in over 500 cities worldwide after a one-time enrollment in Priority Pass Select.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE

Not only does the CardName reward you for travel and dining purchases worldwide, but it doesn't charge you any foreign transaction fees while doing so. Think about it this way: If you take an international trip and spend $4,000 with your Sapphire Reserve® card, you'll save yourself $120 in fees over using a card that charges a typical 3% foreign transaction fee on each purchase. That's $120 that you could spend on another meal out (and earn yourself a few more rewards points), for one last tour or excursion, on souvenirs, etc. This card is really designed with the traveler in mind– including the international travel.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® CREDIT SCORE

The CardName requires good to excellent credit to get approval but other factors are certainly considered in the application process including payment history of revolving credit, your total open cards, and the average age of accounts open. If you have limited credit history or are currently building your credit, it may be difficult to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® ANNUAL FEE

With a sizable AnnualFees annual fee, the CardName card isn’t for everyone. If you are someone who does not frequently travel or eat out often, it may be a lot harder to justify the cost of having this card in your wallet. However, for those that can take full advantage of the $300 annual travel credit, the statement credit offered for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® lounge access provided through Priority Pass, the Lyft Pink membership and more, the Sapphire Reserve® card provides a tremendous amount of value for the cost.

CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 75.6 83.2
Features Satisfaction 7.5 8.2
Customer Service 7.6 8.3
Website/App Usability 7.7 8.3
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 8.1 8.7
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 7.3 8.4

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred®

discontinued

With a lower annual fee, excellent Chase Ultimate Rewards earning potential, and varied redemption options, the CardName is a great alternative to the CardName card. The Sapphire Preferred® card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Because the Sapphire Preferred® card allows you to redeem points for 1.25 cents per point through the Chase Travel portal, this bonus is worth $750 when redeemed for travel. The 60,000-point bonus offered by the Sapphire Reserve® card is worth $900 when redeemed through the travel portal, as the points are valued at 1.5 cents.

Because of the ability to earn five points on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards; three points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); two points on travel; one one point on other purchases, Chase Sapphire Preferred® definitely justifies its AnnualFees annual fee, especially when compared to the AnnualFees charged by the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. The Sapphire Preferred® card doesn’t have the $300 annual travel credit though, or the $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. To learn more about how these cards line up side-by-side, see our full Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® comparison.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

discontinued

CardName is another strong contender in the luxury card market. It comes with a higher annual fee of AnnualFees vs. the AnnualFees fee for the CardName. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser

The Amex Platinum Card® earns five points for flights booked directly with airlines or through the Amex travel portal (on up to $500,000 spent on these purchases per calendar year) as well as five points for hotels bookings made through the portal. Otherwise, its perks are similar to the Reserve® card and include airport lounge access, airline fee reimbursement up to $200 in statement credit annually for fees charged by a pre-selected airline, and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement. That said, the Platinum Card® does offer a plethora of additional credit opportunities – a value of more than $1,400 during your first year as a cardholder. Additionally, new cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Enrollment required for select benefits.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Capital One Venture

discontinued

With straightforward travel rewards earned on every purchase and a lower annual fee, the CardName is an excellent alternative to the CardName card. The Venture card earns two miles per $1 spent on every purchase. The earnings rate is not limited to travel purchases; you earn two miles regardless of what you are using the card for. Compared to the tiered rewards earned by the Sapphire Reserve® card, the Venture card’s flat earnings rate gets the edge in simplicity.

The Venture’s $95 annual fee is also attractive in comparison to the AnnualFees annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve® card. However, the Sapphire Reserve® card offers many features common to the best premium travel credit cards, including a $300 annual travel credit and lounge access, that the Venture card does not have.

IS CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® WORTH IT?

The CardName card is raising the bar in the luxury credit card world with its stellar introductory offer and top-of-the-line rewards-earning and redemption possibilities. If you are a frequent traveler and can take advantage of the numerous travel perks, rewards earning potential, and travel credits offered by the card then the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is absolutely worth it.

That being said, with a AnnualFees annual fee as well as additional fees for adding on authorized users, the Sapphire Reserve® card is not for everyone. If you are more of a casual traveler or want a simpler cash back earning card, the Sapphire Reserve® may not be the best fit for you.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.


To see the rates and fee for CardName, please visit the following link: See Rates and Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Compared to Other Travel rewards Cards

Apply online for Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Apply online for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply online for Citi Premier<sup>®</sup> Card
Citi Premier® Card
Apply online for The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ 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. 
Rewards
Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values. 
Rewards
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 
Rewards
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 
Bonus Rewards
N/A  
Bonus Rewards
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.  
Annual Fee
$550 
Annual Fee
$195 
Annual Fee
$95 
Annual Fee
$95 
Annual Fee
$695 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.