This Perk of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Is Worth $1,080 per Year
KEY POINTS
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns bonus points on travel and dining purchases.
- With this card's bonus categories, you could earn 72,000 points per year on $15,000 in combined travel and dining spending.
- Points are worth $0.015 toward travel bookings, so redeeming that many points could save you $1,080 on travel.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) was arguably the first credit card to go viral. When it launched in 2016, so many people applied that Chase briefly ran out of the metal it used to make the card. It's not all hype, either. While this card is expensive, with a $550 annual fee, it has a long list of features.
It's easy to put a value on some of those benefits. One of the highlights is a $300 annual travel credit that covers any type of travel purchase. If you know you're going to spend at least that much on travel every year, then you're getting $300 in savings.
The travel credit is nice, but for my money, it's not the best feature this Chase card offers. Because there's one other perk that could end up saving you over $1,000 per year.
>> Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. <<
Big bonuses on travel and dining purchases
What I love about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the bonuses it offers. It earns:
- 5x total points per $1 on air travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
- 10x total points per $1 on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
- 3x points per $1 on other travel and dining
- 1x points per $1 on all other purchases
With its bonus rates, this card is great for frequent travelers. If you travel often, then a lot of your spending is probably in the travel and dining categories. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers very high rates on purchases made through Chase's travel and dining portals. Even when you don't use those, you'll earn 3 points per $1 on all your other travel and dining purchases, too.
We can use some hypothetical travel and dining spending for an idea of how many points you can earn.
| Spending category | Annual spending | Points earned |
|---|---|---|
| Flights booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (5 points per $1) | $3,000 | 15,000 |
| Hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (10 points per $1) | $3,000 | 30,000 |
| Other travel (3 points per $1) | $4,000 | 12,000 |
| Dining (3 points per $1) | $5,000 | 15,000 |
Chase Dining purchases aren't included, and that's because using the dining portal can be hit or miss. Restaurant options are limited in some areas, and I've never had much luck using this benefit. If you can, then you'll earn some hefty rewards. But I left it out because not everyone will spend much, if any, money on Chase Dining.
The total is 72,000 points on just $15,000 in spending. That's $10,000 in annual travel spending and $5,000 in annual dining spending. Those numbers are on the high side, but the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most expensive travel credit cards. It's designed for people who spend more than average in those categories.
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= Fair = PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.24% - 28.74% Variable
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.
5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠.
Annual Fee
$550
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points
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All the perks we've come to expect from a top travel card, including a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and big bonuses on travel and dining. Points are transferable to airline and hotel partners or worth 50% more if you book through Chase Travel. The annual fee is hefty, but if you can use all its features, this card could be well worth the cost.
Read Full Review -
- Travel credits
- Airport lounge access
- Travel and dining rewards
- Welcome offer
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited-time benefits
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- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- 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
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
How to get $1,080 in value from your Chase points
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most valuable travel rewards, and there are several ways you can use them. If you redeem them for cash back, they're worth $0.01 per point. At that value, 72,000 points saves you $720.
But the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a travel card, which means you're better off using points for travel. One option is to make travel bookings through the Chase Travel portal. If you pay using points, you get a value of $0.015 per point. At that value, 72,000 points saves you $1,080 on travel.
You can also transfer your points to Chase's travel partners. Chase is partnered with over a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs, including:
- Air Canada
- Emirates
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Hyatt
- United Airlines
It's possible to get even more value by transferring your points and booking travel that way. For example, I've transferred points to Air France and KLM's Flying Blue program. By turning my Chase points into Flying Blue miles, I was able to book business-class airfare on Air France. I got about $0.04 per point this way.
A high-value travel card
The exact value you get from the Chase Sapphire Reserve® depends on how much you spend and how you use your points. If you spend even more in its bonus categories, you'll earn more points and save more money.
This Chase card isn't right for everyone. If you travel once per year, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you travel several times per year and spend a lot on dining, it's one of the best credit cards you can get.
>> Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. <<
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