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Snapshot: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is best for consumers who travel frequently and want to earn bonus points on flights, hotels and car rentals. Although it has a high annual fee, it also comes with a generous welcome offer, gives you access to more than 1,300 airport lounges and includes multiple types of travel insurance.
| Pros | Cons |
| 5X points on flights | Steep annual fee |
| 10X points on hotels and rental cars booked with Chase | Focuses heavily on travel rewards |
| Includes trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance | |
| 1-to-1 point transfer to multiple hotel and airline loyalty programs |
Full Review of Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
This card is great if you want to earn bonus points based on your travel spending. As part of the Visa network, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® works at millions of merchants around the world, making it a convenient option for road warriors. Additionally, your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are even more valuable when you use them to book travel through the Chase portal.
What You’ll Like About This Card
Annual Travel Credit
Every year, Chase gives you statement credits worth up to $300 based on your travel spending. To receive the credit, you must use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card to make eligible travel purchases. Flights, car rentals, hotel bookings, bus fare and parking fees all count toward this requirement.
If you qualify for the full $300, you can earn back more than half the cost of the annual fee just by using your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card to pay your travel expenses. Note that the card resets every year around your anniversary date, not at the end of the calendar year.
Generous Welcome Offer
Chase also offers a generous welcome bonus for new cardholders. bonus_miles_fulll
Travel Insurance Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with several types of travel insurance:
- Trip cancellation: If you have to cancel a trip for a covered reason, one of Chase’s insurance partners may reimburse you for your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. For example, if your travel companion passes away before your departure date, you may be able to recoup the money you spent on flights and hotels.
- Trip interruption: Sometimes, you have to end a trip earlier than expected due to an emergency. For example, if you come down with a serious illness overseas, you may have to return to the United States right away. If this happens, one of Chase’s travel insurance partners may reimburse you for your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses.
- Baggage delays: If you’re traveling via a common carrier, such as a commercial airline or railroad, Chase may reimburse you for clothing, toiletries and other expenses associated with baggage delays. A common carrier is any company that charges members of the public for transportation services.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Your Chase Sapphire Reserve® also comes with rental car coverage. To use this benefit, you must decline the collision insurance offered by the rental company. If you’re in an accident or someone steals or vandalizes your rental, one of Chase’s insurance partners may pay to replace or repair the vehicle.
Bonus Points on Travel Categories
One of the best reasons to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is because you get extra bonus points on several types of travel expenses. If you use Chase to book a hotel or rent a vehicle, you’ll earn 10 bonus points per dollar spent. For example, a hotel stay worth $500 gives you 5,000 bonus points.
You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar spent on airfare. If you spend $1,200 on a first-class ticket to Hawaii, for example, you’ll earn 6,000 bonus points. Chase offers 3 points per dollar spent on other travel expenses.
Bonus Points on Dining Purchases
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is even more beneficial if you dine out frequently. When you make an eligible restaurant purchase, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent.
Airport Lounge Access
Chase Sapphire Reserve® members have access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world. You’re also allowed to bring up to two guests per visit.
Additional Value When Redeeming Through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
The value of your bonus points increases by 50% when you redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. This makes it easier to use your bonus points to cover your travel expenses.
The Drawbacks
High Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with an expensive annual fee. Although this is a bit steep, you can easily earn back the fee if you qualify for the $300 annual travel credit and use some of your other card benefits.
Focus on Travel
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a great credit card if you travel frequently. It may not be the best fit for your needs if you’re a homebody who prefers to earn bonus points in other categories, as non-travel categories only earn bonus points at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. For example, if you spend $300 on clothing, you’ll only earn 300 bonus points.
Is It Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is absolutely worth it if you travel or dine out often enough to earn more than the annual fee in benefits. Note that this card is reserved for consumers with scores in the good to excellent range.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® FAQ
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card hard to get?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is somewhat hard to get, as it’s reserved for consumers with good to excellent credit scores.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with more benefits than the Sapphire Preferred®, but it also has a much higher annual fee. If you’re looking for an inexpensive card with good benefits, you may want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. Otherwise, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card gives you access to better perks.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card a luxury card?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is a premium credit card, but it’s not one of the cards in the Luxury Card portfolio. Luxury Card issues the Mastercard® Titanium Card™, the Mastercard® Gold Card™ and the Mastercard® Black Card™.
Advertiser Disclosure: Credit.com has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Credit.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.