Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card Review

Sapphire Reserve® from Chase — all information about the credit card.

By Hanna Volkava
Updated December 21, 2023

Good Choose for Travel, Restaurants, Daily use

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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Our Rating:
3.86 out of 5
scorer
Recommended credit score
Excellent (740-799)
  • Rewards Rate:
    • 10x Points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 10x Total points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards®.
    • 5x Total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 3x Points on other travel worldwide after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 3x Points on other dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
    • 1x Point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
  • Intro Offer:
    • 60,000x 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 Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Annual Fee:
    $550 annually ($75 for each authorized user)
  • Purchase Intro APR:
    None
  • Regular APR:
    22.49% - 29.49% Variable
  • Balance Transfer APR:
    22.49% - 29.49% Variable
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Chase Sapphire Reserve® Rewards Calculator

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All benefits

  • Points
    • 10x On hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 10x On Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards®.
    • 5x On flights when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 3x On other travel worldwide after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
    • 3x On other dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
    • 1x On all other purchases.
  • Travel
    • $300 Annual Travel Credit Automatically receive up to $300 in statement credits as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
    • Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit:
    • Receive a statement credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
    • Complimentary Airport Lounge Access:
    • Rest and revive before your flight at one of the 1,000+ VIP lounges in over 500 cities worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select.
    • The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection:
    • Enjoy special benefits at a variety of hand-selected top hotels and resorts worldwide such as complimentary room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out.
    • 24/7 access to Customer Service Specialists:
    • Count on 24/7 direct access to a dedicated customer service specialist from anywhere in the world.
    • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance:
    • If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
    • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver:
    • Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.
    • Lost Luggage Reimbursement:
    • If you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you're covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
    • Trip Delay Reimbursement:
    • If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
    • Emergency Evacuation & Transportation:
    • If you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip far from home that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.

Rate and fee information

  • Purchase Intro APR
    • None
  • Purchase APR
    • 22.49% - 29.49% Variable
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR
    • None
  • Balance Transfers APR
    • 22.49% - 29.49% Variable
  • APR for Cash Advances
    • 29.99% Variable
  • How to Avoid Paying Interest
    • Your due date will be a minimum of 21 days after the close of each billing cycle. You will not be charged interest on new purchases if you pay your entire balance or Interest Saving Balance by the due date each month. You will be charged interest on balance transfers and cash advances on the transaction date.

Fees

  • Annual Fee
    • $550 annually ($75 for each authorized user)
  • Fees for Balance Transfer
    • Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
  • Fees for Cash Advances
    • Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater
  • Penalty Fees
    • 29.99%
  • Return Payment
    • Up to $40
  • Late Payment
    • Up to $40
  • Return Check
    • None
View all Rates & Fees

Pros & Cons

Pros:
  • Generous signup offer
  • Annual $300 travel credit
  • High travel and dining rewards
  • Transfer points to loyalty programs
  • Increase point value by 50%
Cons:
  • Typically requires excellent credit
  • High annual fee

Features

Infinite
Visa
Contactless
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Payment Flexibility
  • Fraud Protection
  • Rewards
  • Bonus points
  • Purchase Protection
  • Extended Warranty Protection
  • Travel
  • Airline
  • Lost Luggage Reimbursement
  • Trip Cancellation
  • Auto Rental Insurance
  • 24/7 Travel Assistant
  • Airport Lounge Access
  • Excellent Credit

About the issuer

Chase has several card types depending on your needs.
Manage your Account & Pay your Bill
You can usually pay your bill online on your

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Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card Review

This article reviews the Chase Sapphire® credit card, which ups the ante in perks for frequent travelers.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an ideal credit card for frequent travelers, offering 5x points on flights, 10x on hotels and car rentals, and 3x on all other travel purchases. The credit card has flexible redemption options, which can be stretched further by transferring points to partner loyalty programs. Even though the credit card has a high annual fee of $550, the list of excellent benefits, such as the 60,000-point sign-up bonus (after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, valued at $750), $300 annual travel credit, up to $100 reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees, airport lounge access, and Lyft membership, make it worth considering.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®: pros and cons

Pros: Cons:
Generous signup offer. Receive 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 within three months of opening an account. When redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, the points are worth $900. Typically requires excellent credit. Chase is more likely to approve applicants with excellent credit.
Annual $300 travel credit. You'll receive up to $300 statement credit each year as reimbursement for travel purchases. High annual fee. The credit card has an annual fee of $550 (plus $75 for each authorized user).
High travel and dining rewards. Earn 5x points on flights, 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and Chase Dining, when purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Additionally, you will earn 3x points on other travel and dining.
Transfer points to loyalty programs. You can transfer your bonus points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs at a rate of 1:1.
Increase point value by 50%. Redeeming points through Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel increases their redemption value by 50%.

Rewards system in a nutshell

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers ways to rack up massive points. The card allows you to earn 5x points on flights and 10x on hotel bookings and car rentals purchased via Chase Ultimate Rewards. You won't get points on the first $300 spent in the travel category, since it will be reimbursed entirely as a statement credit. You'll be rewarded 3x points for all other travel purchases.

Chase Dining purchases earn you 10x points. And spending on other dining, whether at a restaurant or any eligible delivery service or takeout, rewards you with 3x points. All other purchases earn you one point per $1 spent.

Each point is valued at 1 cent and can be redeemed at this rate as a cashback reward or statement credit. The points can also be used to purchase gift cards. The beauty of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is that your points automatically increase in value by 50% when you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This means that the 60,000 points you earned as a sign-up bonus will go from being valued at $750 to $900.

If you have an additional card that is part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer points between that card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This will increase the value of the points if redeemed for travel.

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Chase has partnered with many airlines and hotel chains, including United Airlines, British Airways, IHG Hotels and Resorts, and Singapore Airlines, allowing you to transfer points to their loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio. Depending on partner program terms, rates and availability this can further increase the value of your points.

Who can benefit from getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card?

Once all travel perks have been considered, frequent travelers stand to benefit the most from the Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card. The points earned for dining and travel purchases and the welcome offer provide an incentive to use the card more to unlock travel perks through Chase and partner loyalty programs. The $300 statement credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Fee Credit, Lyft membership, Airport Lounge Access, and travel protection benefits will likely offset a high annual fee of $550.

Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has rich benefits, a good alternative for travelers looking to avoid the $550 annual fee is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Are there any other benefits?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card offers other premium benefits. Here are some of them:

  • Pay Yourself Back: When points are redeemed for statement credit against existing purchases in select, rotating categories, each point will be valued at 1.5 cents (50% increase) during the current offer.
  • Airport Lounge Access: You can get into over 1,300 lounges around the world when you activate Priority Pass Select membership.
  • TSA Precheck or Global Entry reimbursement: Get reimbursed up to $100 for TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fees every four years.
  • Trip cancellation/interruption coverage: With this travel insurance, you can receive reimbursement up to $10,000 per person if your trip is canceled or interrupted by a covered situation (e.g., bad weather or sickness). The maximum you can be reimbursed is $20,000 per trip.
  • DoorDash perks: Activate your one-year DoorDash membership by March 31st, 2022 and enjoy unlimited deliveries with no delivery fee. This is on any DoorDash order of $12 or more.
  • Lyft perks: Earn 10 points (through March 2022) on all Lyft rides. You also get up to 15% off car rides, among other benefits, when you activate the complimentary one-year Lyft Pink membership ($199 retail value) by March 2022.
  • Peloton perks: Get 10x points on Peloton Bike and Tread purchases through March 2022 up to 50,000 total points.
  • Purchase protection: Any new purchases that have been damaged or stolen within 120 days will be reimbursed up to $10,000 per claim. You have a $50,000 limit each year. Additionally, Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers return and extended warranty protection.
  • No foreign transaction fees: You won’t be charged any foreign transaction fees when you use your card abroad.
  • 24/7 customer service: Chase’s customer care specialists are available around the clock to assist.

Conclusion

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an excellent credit card for those who travel a lot. The rewards system is generous, allowing the cardholder to quickly rack up points when they spend on preferred and bonus categories, whether they're dining or traveling. And since the points increase value (+50%) when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, this credit card is a great travel companion. Furthermore, the ability to transfer points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs means the cardholder can upgrade their travel experience in style.

While paying the $550 annual fee might seem extra, the $300 travel credit received on the account’s anniversary can be used to offset the annual fee. In addition, other Chase and partner benefits, like TSA Precheck and Global Entry reimbursement and perks from Lyft, DoorDash, and Peloton, help further decrease the annual fee.

FAQ

What is the customer service phone number for Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card?

Chase’s customer service representatives are available 24/7 and can be reached by dialing 1-800-935-9935.

How to check my application status for Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card?

You can call 1-888-338-2586 to check the status of your application anytime.

How to get Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

You can apply by phone or online. From the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card page, sign in to your Chase account, and click the apply button. If you don’t have an account with Chase, you can create one or apply for the credit card as a guest. Next, enter your personal, contact, and financial information, accept the terms and conditions and click on «Submit.»

How much are Chase Sapphire Reserve® points worth?

Each point is worth 1 cent. However, the point value increases to 1.5 cents when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

How long does it take to get Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

If your application is approved, it can take up to 10 business days for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card to arrive in the mail.

What credit score do you need for Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

You will need to have excellent credit to be eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

How long does Chase Sapphire Reserve® approval take?

Chase's approval time is usually within 7 to 10 business days. Some people have been lucky enough to hear from them instantly, and others have had to wait up to 30 days.

Should I apply for Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

If you're a frequent traveler who will take advantage of the credit card's many premium travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worth it.
Hanna VolkavaHanna Volkava

Financial and product expert

hv@myfin.us
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