The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most well-known premium travel cards out there, and for good reason. It comes with a high annual fee, but the travel credits, lounge access, and transfer partners can make it well worth it for the right person.

Here’s everything you need to know to decide if it belongs in your wallet.

Also looking for info on the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ ? I have a full review of that card too.

<All information about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ has been collected independently by The Traveling Hansens. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.>

Sapphire Reserve card details

Check out my interactive value calculator that helps you decide if the big fee on the Sapphire Reserve is worth it.

Want to learn more about how to decide if annual fees are worth it overall? Check out this post.

The Sapphire Reserve is a personal card that will count against Chase’s 5/24 rule.

Card benefits

Sapphire Reserve benefits:

• $300 annual travel credit: This credit applies broadly to any travel purchases. This easily makes up for almost half of the annual fee!
• $500 annual statement credit for The Edit: Split into two $250 credits for stays at Chase’s curated collection of luxury hotels and resorts.
• 300 additional hotel credit: One-time statement credit for eligible prepaid hotel stays at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Minor Hotels, Montage Hotels & Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Pendry Hotels & Resorts, or Virgin Hotels booked through Chase Travel.
• $300 annual statement credit for StubHub or Viagogo purchases: Split into two $150 biannual credits for concert and event tickets (activation required).
• $300 annual dining credit and exclusive OpenTable reservations: Split into two $150 biannual credits automatically applied within the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program.
• $250 annual statement credit for Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions: A one-time activation is required in your Chase account online or through the mobile app.
• $120 in annual statement credits toward Peloton memberships: $10 per month through Dec. 31, 2027.
• $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits: Up to $10 monthly through Sept. 30, 2027.
• Up to $120 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus: Available once every four years.
• Airport lounge access: Includes Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club, Priority Pass Select, and 20+ Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Cafés when flying Star Alliance. Two guests are included in this benefit.
• Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status through Dec. 31, 2027
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance, and more.
• No foreign transaction fees.

As you can see, there are a ton of benefits that can help offset the annual fee. The thing is, it’s important that you actually use them.

My general philosophy is that benefits don’t truly make up for the fee if they consist of things you wouldn’t be spending money on anyway. If you don’t use Lyft, OpenTable, or StubHub, those credits won’t help you. That said, the $300 travel credit and $500 Edit credit alone can make this card pay for itself for the right person.

The flip side is that the huge welcome offer may make the fee worth it for the first year! It’s important to decide what works best for you and your own specific situation.

Earning Rates

The earning rates for the Sapphire Reserve has been shaken up. Here’s the new breakdown:

• 10x points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases
• 8x points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
• 5x points on Lyft rides
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
• 3x points on all dining purchases worldwide
• 1x points on all other purchases

Note: Redeeming points for 1.5x through Chase Travel has been replaced by Points Boost, which allows up to 2x on certain flight and hotel bookings through Chase Travel.

Eligibility

Previously, you could earn the bonus on each Sapphire card once every 48 months. Now you can only earn the bonus once per card. You are eligible to earn the bonus on both personal Sapphire cards — this one and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — and can hold both at the same time.

Chase also says that people applying through most channels will be notified during the application process if they are not eligible for a bonus offer and given the choice to continue or cancel with no impact to their credit score.

These cards are also subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule, so you must be under 5/24 to qualify.

Transfer partners

Chase has 11 airline partners and 3 hotel partners. If you’re unfamiliar with transferring your Chase points, here’s a breakdown. With this card, all points transfer at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000.

The transfer partners are:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways
• Emirates
• Iberia
• JetBlue
• Singapore
• Southwest
• United
• Virgin Atlantic
• Hyatt
• IHG
• Marriott

How to transfer your points

Here are the steps for transferring your points from Chase to one of its transfer partners.

First, log on to your Chase account, choose your Sapphire card, then click on your Ultimate Rewards® and hit “redeem”.

Next, hover over “travel” at the top of the page and select “transfer points to partners”.

All of Chase’s travel partners will pop up, with any current transfer bonuses listed at the top. Choose the one you’d like to transfer to. In this case, we’ll choose Hyatt (of course).

After that, you’ll go through three steps. First, you’ll confirm your name and loyalty account information. If you haven’t set up a free loyalty account with the hotel or airline, make sure you do that first!

Next, enter how many points you’d like to transfer in increments of 1,000.

Finally, confirm the details and hit submit.

Generally, transfers are instant, although there can be unexpected delays. You may need to log out and log back into your hotel or airline account to see the points available.

One important note- do not transfer points until you have found the available flights or hotel nights! Once you’ve transferred your points, they’re stuck in that program. You wouldn’t want your points to be stuck with no way to use them as you intended.

Other ways to use your points

Transferring to travel partners is the best way to maximize value, but there are a few other options:

• Book flights, hotels, and more through Chase Travel™️
• Cash out your points to cover expenses
• Combine your points with one other family member in your household. Call Chase first to link your accounts, then you can combine them online anytime.

Wrapping it up

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium card with a premium price tag, but for frequent travelers, the benefits can more than cover the annual fee. If you travel multiple times a year, use airport lounges, and want access to the best transfer partners including Hyatt, this card is worth a serious look.

Also considering the business version? Check out my full review of the Sapphire Reserve for Business.