Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee worth it? - Cardratings.com

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee worth it?

Geoff Williams
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Geoff Williams
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Chase has refreshed its highly popular card_name card with new benefits and rewards and has raised the card’s annual fee to annual_fees. There’s no doubt that this is an eye-popping amount, even considering the card’s elite benefits. This higher fee means you really need to dive into the new benefits and their value proposition before you can decide if the card_name is worth it in the end.

Fortunately, you should be able to get an idea of whether you’re going to save and earn back more than annual_fees a year in a relatively short amount of time. The card’s benefits include a Priority Pass Select membership that’s worth $469 on its own, plus brand new dining and hotel stay credits worth an additional $800. The card’s $300 annual travel credit is also still in place despite this refresh.

If it doesn’t seem like the juice will be worth the squeeze, then you can always consider a lower annual fee Chase card like the CardName. Before you decide, let’s dive into all the brand-new benefits of the card_name card and break down how much they’re worth.

Top card_name benefits – enhanced rewards and features

The card_name card is currently offering an exceptional welcome bonus that includes 100,000 bonus points and a $500 Chase Travel promotional credit. To qualify for both components of this offer, new cardmembers must spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Cardholders will also continue to receive the $300 annual travel credit with this card, which can apply to any travel expenses charged. This is an ongoing perk that has come with the card since it was launched, and it puts a large dent in the annual fee on its own.

Other benefits of the refreshed card_name include:

  • $500 annual credit for The Edit– a Chase Travel℠ collection of over 1,100 hand-picked hotels and resorts (split into two $250 biannual credits)
  • $300 annual dining credit and primetime reservations at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables (split into two $150 biannual credits)
  • Points Boost redemption program, which lets users redeem points for 2X for select flights and hotel stays
  • Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status
  • $120 Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus credit every four years
  • Access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network of airport lounges
  • Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership
  • Complimentary access to Reserve Travel Designers for help with travel planning
  • $250 in credits annually for subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music
  • $300 annual StubHub credit (split into two $150 biannual credits; activation required)
  • $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits, up to $10 monthly, plus 5x total points on eligible Lyft rides
  • $300 annually in monthly DoorDash promos and complimentary DashPass membership
  • Up to $120 in annual statement credits toward Peloton memberships
  • Comprehensive travel insurance benefits

Several other cardholder benefits can be unlocked with $75,000 in annual spending on the card, including:

  • IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status
  • Southwest Airlines® A-List Status
  • $500 Southwest Airlines credit when booked through Chase Travel
  • $250 credit to The Shops at Chase

New card_name earning rates

Also know that reward rates are changing, and it’s possible that not everyone will like what they see.

For example, the card will now earn 8x points on all Chase Travel purchases (replacing 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Travel) and 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly (replacing 3x points on all travel). However, other types of travel with the card will now earn just 1X point, whereas the old version of the card offered 3X points on other travel like cruises and vacation rental bookings.

The chart below shows the new card_name earning rates, and how they compare to the old rates.

Current Offer

New Offer

(effective 6/23/25)

Flights booked through Chase Travel

5X points per dollar spent

8X points per dollar spent

Hotels booked through Chase Travel

10X points per dollar spent

8X points per dollar spent

Car rentals booked through Chase Travel

10X points per dollar spent

8X points per dollar spent

Flights booked directly with airlines

3X points per dollar spent

4X points per dollar spent

Hotels booked directly

3X points per dollar spent

4X points per dollar spent

All other travel (cruises, travel booked through OTAs and travel agents, etc.)

3X points per dollar spent

1X point per dollar spent

Dining

3X points per dollar spent

3X points per dollar spent

Is the card_name card still worth it?

At first glance, it’s easy to see how users can get more than annual_fees in value out of the updated card_name card. After all, you can easily spot $1,000 in value if you add up the Priority Pass membership ($469), the annual travel credit ($300), the new credit for The Edit hotels ($500) and the new annual dining credit ($300).

However, there are some fine print details that take the shine off some of the new programs and benefits currently touted. For example, several of the new credits offered are split in half and doled out twice per year. This includes the $500 hotel credit for The Edit, which is broken up into two $250 credits. Other “split” credits include the $300 annual dining credit for Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables and the $300 annual credit for StubHub.

With credits broken in half and only given out every six months, you’re left with more cardholder benefits to track and maximize and you have to spend more mental energy on your credit card rewards.

Also note that the new Points Boost program from the card_name card will replace the card’s previous offer for travel booked through Chase. Where the old version of the card automatically offered 50% more value for points when redeeming for travel through Chase, Points Boost will offer 2X value for rewards when redeeming for “top booked hotels and flights with select airlines and hotels through Chase Travel.”

All other travel booked through Chase with points (activities, car rentals and flights and hotels not part of the promotion) will get a standard redemption value of one cent per point. This is a huge downgrade for existing cardholders who have loved getting 1.5 cents per point in value for all travel booked through Chase over the years.

At the end of the day, only you can decide if paying annual_fees per year for a travel credit card is a smart idea. You have to determine whether or not you’ll take advantage of the card’s numerous perks and do the math on whether or not you can offset the annual fee. For example, if you need to renew your Global Entry membership, regularly will use the $300 travel credit, think you can utilize the card’s new $300 annual dining credit and The Edit $500 hotel credit and pay for airport lounge access when you travel, you’ll likely find that the cost of carrying the card_name card in your wallet is worth it. If you consider yourself a homebody, on the other hand, the annual fee likely won’t be worth it for you.

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What happens to existing cardholders?

Current card_name customers are likely wondering what happens with their card and benefits, especially if they just renewed their annual membership. Chase has laid out a pretty clear plan for current users.

For starters, Chase’s press release says that current cardholders won’t see their annual fee adjusted to annual_fees until their next anniversary date following October 26, 2025. This means individuals who already paid to renew their card this year or will do so before October 26, 2025 will get access to the card’s enhanced benefits prematurely without having to pay the higher annual fee until their next card renewal date.

On the flipside, those who have renewal dates after October 26, 2025 will have to pay the higher annual fee to renew their card in a shorter amount of time.

Also note that current cardmembers who applied for the card_name before June 23, 2025 will experience the new cardholder benefits and statement credits starting on October 26, 2025. This gives existing members the chance to extract more value from the card before they decide whether to renew on their next anniversary date.

The big exception to that timeline is the new Points Boost program, which will be activated when the new card is released to the public. According to Chase, Points earned prior to October 26, 2025 by Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who applied prior to June 23, 2025 can be redeemed at 1.5x on Chase Travel until October 26, 2027.

Chase also says the following:

“For points earned prior to October 26, 2025, cardmembers will automatically receive the best offer available, whether it’s Points Boost or 1.5x on Chase Travel, maximizing rewards value for two years.”

How to get Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee waived

There’s no guarantee, but it’s worth asking Chase to waive the annual fee for your card_name card. You can reach Chase customer service at 1-800-432-3117.

If you’re a high-spending, responsible customer—meaning you use your card_name or card_name frequently and always pay on time—you might have success. Chase may offer to waive the fee for a year or provide an incentive, such as a points bonus for meeting a spending target. Of course, they might not offer anything, in which case you can consider if a product change is a better option. It never hurts to ask!

If you’re considering applying for the card_name, you could try applying in-branch. There’s anecdotal evidence that some applicants have had the annual fee waived for the first year when applying in person at a Chase branch, as opposed to online. Just be sure to confirm that the in-branch bonus offer is competitive with online offers.

Keep in mind that credit cards with annual fees often come with generous rewards, like cash back, points, or travel miles. If the annual fee bothers you, it might be a sign you’re not maximizing your card’s benefits. Consider using your rewards more actively to get better value, or explore Chase credit cards that don’t have an annual fee.

How do I get a Chase Sapphire Reserve® retention offer?

Some customers may find that if they call the customer service phone number (1-800-432-3117) and mention they’re thinking of canceling or downgrading their credit card, Chase might offer a retention credit of $150 to $250 to keep you as a customer.

That said, you could also be informed that there is no such thing, or that you aren’t eligible.

You’re most likely to get a retention offer if you’ve used the card quite a bit during the previous year and kept the account paid up, always paying your bill by the due date. That said, the anecdotal evidence for card_name retention offers isn’t good. That doesn’t mean they don’t happen; it just means they don’t seem to be common.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card’s annual fee worth it?

The CardName has an annual fee of annual_fees, which is much easier to offset. This is especially true when you compare it to other cards under $100.

The card_name welcomes eligible cardholders with signup_reward bonus points after you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Additionally, it offers bonus rewards when you spend in popular everyday categories, in addition to travel, so it’s an easy card to rack up rewards with. Especially if you travel a lot, the annual fee is easy to offset.

Like any other credit card, however, it’s only worth paying the annual fee if you use the card a lot – and in the right categories. If you only use the card_name at the supermarket and rarely eat out or grab carryout, and you never travel, another credit card may be a better bet, maybe one without an annual fee or one that offers bonus cash back in other categories.

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Is Chase worth keeping in your wallet?

Chase is a top-tier brand that offers a lot of excellent credit cards. Chase has a wide array of credit cards, some that are especially focused on travel rewards (like the card_name and the card_name), some that are generous with rewards for general everyday spending (CardName) and others that are excellent for business owners (i.e., CardName).

So, yes, one can make a great case for why Chase is worth keeping in your wallet.

author
Geoff Williams
CardRatings Contributor

Geoff is a freelance journalist and has been since the 1990s. He specializes in personal finance and small business issues and has seen his work published with numerous news outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNNMoney.com, Reuters, The Washington Post and Consumer Reports. He also...Read more

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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.

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