The Valuable Sapphire Reserve Visa – 5 Reasons it is Our Go-To Card
Credit card points can save you a lot of money on travel, but the level of value for different cards varies widely based on your personal usage, priorities, and goals. For us, putting most of our spend on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the best way to maximize our points. In late 2025, Chase completely revamped this card (and raised the price). It’s taken us a few months to get our heads around all the changes. But now that we have, it will remain our go-to card, and it may even be more valuable to us than it used to be.
Currently, the annual fee for the Sapphire Reserve is a whopping $795. Just seeing that is probably enough to cause most people to move along and look at other low-fee or no-fee cards. But it may be worthwhile to explore the many benefits available before dismissing it completely.
** Please note that some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you apply through them (at no extra cost to you). We only recommend cards we use ourselves, whether or not they offer affiliate links.
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Sapphire Reserve Benefits Overview
The Reserve card has a dizzying array of benefits, and surely very few people find every one of them useful. The trick is to figure out which ones you are likely to use and calculate their value. These are all benefits you receive in addition to the accumulation of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Here are some of the benefits:
Annual Travel Benefit
With the Sapphire Reserve card, you will receive an automatic credit for the first $300 of travel you spend on the card each year. The definition of travel is quite broad and includes hotels, Airbnbs, VRBOs, plane and train tickets, cruises, rental cars, ferries, toll roads, parking fees, cabs, and more. You don’t need to do anything to activate the credit; it automatically appears on your account within a day or so after a travel fee is processed.
If you’re reading this blog, you almost certainly spend more than $300/year on travel. If not, then this is probably not the best card for you.
Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee
You will receive a nearly instant credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee every four years. Both of these programs make time in the airport much easier by providing shorter security lines and removing requirements such as taking off your belt and jacket, removing your electronics from your luggage, and bagging your liquids separately (though you still have to comply with the 3.4 oz rule).
Additionally, Global Entry allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States, basically skipping the often crazy-long lines for customs.
The Global Entry fee is currently $120, and includes TSA PreCheck. TSA PreCheck alone is between $75 – $85. But since the Reserve reimburses your fee, Global Entry is the way to go if you ever travel internationally, even infrequently.
If you have recently applied for or renewed one of the programs, you can charge a family member or friend’s fee on your card and receive the same benefit.
Airport Lounge Access
Have you seen the signs for the lounges in airports such as the United Club, the Sky Lounge, and the Admiral’s Club in airports and wondered, wistfully, what was inside?
The Reserve card holds the key to accessing some of the lounges. (These lounges are generally only located in major airports.) Reserve cardholders receive access to the Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges (excluding restaurants) for themselves and up to two guests. These lounges provide comfortable seating, free food and drinks, and various benefits depending on the location such as showers, complimentary spa treatments, private rooms, etc. They are a pleasant oasis before a flight or during a long layover.
“Lifestyle” Credits
This is where it pays to be informed and keep track of how you make your purchases. Sapphire Reserve cardholders currently qualify for:
- A free DoorDash Subscription, waiving the delivery fees and reducing the service fees for DoorDash. It also provides up to $25 per month in credits divided between restaurants, groceries, retail orders, and such.
- Two $150 credits for dining in select restaurants booked through Open Table (generally only in large cities).
- $288 in credits for Apple TV and Apple Music
- Two $150 credits for StubHub purchases
- $10 per month credit for Lyft fares
- $10 per month credit for Peloton membership fees
These charges must be made using your Reserve card to qualify. The credits appear within 30 days, though in our experience, they appear within a couple of days. If you use several of these vendors, you could easily save more than the annual cost of the card with lifstyle credits alone.
Edit by Chase Travel
Being a Reserve cardholder entitles you to a luxury hotel benefit. For most of us, it might not be a benefit that is used frequently, but when it is used, it provides an excellent value. Edit by Chase Travel partners with a curated list of outstanding hotels.
The hotels Chase partners with are generally available in big cities or posh resort towns (world-wide).
When you book them through the Chase Travel Portal* (via cash or using points, or a combination), you generally receive market rate price, or very close to it, but also receive:
- Complementary full breakfast for two each morning
- Room upgrade (when available)
- $100 per stay property credit for the bar, dining, spa, activities, etc
- Early check-in/late check-out (when available)
*The Chase Travel Portal is an online booking platform, easily accessed from your Chase Sapphire Reserve account. It allows you to book any type of travel, sometimes even below market prices. You can pay for the travel with cash (by putting the cost on your card) or by using the points you have earned. Cash purchases earn the bonus points. If you’re uncomfortable booking online, you can call. The representatives are very helpful.
The Reserve card also provides two automatic rebates for up to $250 each with at least a 2-night booking with The Edit hotels each year. With 2 stays of at least 2 nights each year, you have more than paid for the annual fee for the card. ($500 credit, $200 property credit, 2 free full breakfasts each night.) When booking an Edit hotel and taking advantage of the rebates, be sure to pay for at least $250 of the cost, and not to use points for the whole thing. The rebate is only for cash spent.
We have only used this benefit twice so far, but both hotels have been amazing and welcoming, with every amenity imaginable, and we’ve received upgraded rooms both times. They have been truly memorable experiences!
Credit for Select Hotel Groups
In addition to the fancy Edit hotel credits listed above, Reserve cardholders also receive a $250 credit each year for at least a 2-night stay with IHG Hotel Group, Omni Hotels, Virgin Hotels, and a few other chains available internationally. The hotels must be booked through the Chase Travel Portal. (It is always a good idea to double-check the cost of booking the hotel directly, and compare it to the cost in the portal to make sure you’re getting a good deal.)
IHG Hotel Group Elite Status
Reserve cardholders are entitled to complimentary One Rewards Platinum Elite Status for IHG hotels, which include InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, and good ol’ Holiday Inn. This gives guests access to special rates, guaranteed room availability, free upgrades (as available), early check-in, and late check-out (as available)
Earning Ultimate Rewards Points
The benefits listed above are all given without the use of any points. But to unlock the most valuable features of the card, the points, you must use your card for as many purchases as possible.
The Sapphire Reserve is most beneficial for people who charge nearly everything on their card, from a cup of coffee to gas to groceries to charitable contributions to utility bills (as long as the utility company doesn’t charge extra for it). It’s not that you’re spending more money – you would buy that coffee, that gas, and those groceries anyway. Rather, you are consolidating your spending so that you pay it all off once a month, rather than incrementally. (The card is most worthwhile for users who pay off the full balance each month, avoiding interest charges.)
Sign on Bonus
When you apply for and are approved for a Sapphire Reserve card, you will be offered a huge number of points to spend a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time. The spending requirement is generally in the range of $3000 – $4000 in the first 3-4 months. This sounds like a lot, but if you put everything you spend on the card, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it adds up.
The sign-in bonus fluctuates, and it is a good idea to keep an eye out for the best deal. It is generally at a minimum of 60,000 points but rises to 75,000, 80,000, and even 100,000 or more on occasion. These sign-on points alone, when used efficiently, can be easily be worth the annual fee, and frequently even more.
Everyday Spending
Each time you use the Reserve card, you receive a point for every dollar. In addition, there are bonus categories that automatically give you additional points for every dollar. Those categories are:
- Dining in any restaurant world-wide – 3 points per dollar
- Flights & Hotels – 4 points per dollar
- All travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal, including The Edit (see below) – 8 points per dollar
Spending Your Points
Spending your Chase Reserve points is where you have to put a little effort into “playing the game” to get the best returns. There are a variety of ways to use them, and no single way is always the answer.
Your points can always be redeemed for cash, gift cards, or statement credit at 1 cent per point. For instance, if you received a 60,000-point sign-on bonus, you could use that to get $600 in cash. However, that provides the least value per point.
The other two ways to use your points are to transfer to travel partners, or to book through the Chase Travel Portal, accessible through your online Reserve account.
Transferring to Travel Partners
This method has the potential to give the most value, by far, for your points. Your Reserve points can be transferred to your existing loyalty program accounts. For example United’s Mileage Plus or Hyatt’s World of Hyatt. It is free to join these loyalty programs.
Airline travel partners include United, Southwest, Air Canada, Air France, Jet Blue, and Virgin Atlantic among others. Hotel partners include Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Transfers of some or all of your Chase Reserve points are easy to accomplish from your online account, and usually take place right away, but can take up to a couple of days before they show up in your account.
Airlines
Using the example of a 60,000-point sign-on bonus, you could transfer your points to achieve the following:
By transferring Reserve points to your United Mileage Plus Account, you could escape the winter cold and buy two round-trip tickets from Chicago to Orlando in February at 26K points each (totaling 52K points). Purchasing the same two tickets with cash would cost $926 (at the time of this writing). This is a value of 1.7 cents per point, 70% more than redeeming them for cash.
Similarly, by Transferring to your Air Canada Aeroplan account, you could purchase two round-trip tickets from Chicago to Vancouver, B.C. for 25K each (totaling 50K points) rather than paying the $816 cash price. The value here is 1.6 cents per point, a 60% increase over redeeming the points for cash.
Once you accumulate more points, you can unlock international premium economy and business class seats, making your journey more restful and comfortable. Premium Economy (not to be confused with economy plus) has blossomed in recent years and usually includes large, nicely reclining seats (but not lie-flat), extra legroom, amenity kits, and upgraded complimentary food and beverages. It can be far fewer points than full business class. With 125K points or more, you can often find such flights. With most airlines you can even book one direction of the trip in one class, and the return trip in a different class.
The challenge is that airline prices and point redemptions change constantly, as they have all changed, unfortunately, to dynamic pricing. So it does take a bit of time to make the most of your points in this way.
Hotels
For hotels, Hyatt is hands-down the best transfer partner. Hyatt offers excellent point redemptions compared to other large chains. For example, in New York City in May, you can stay in Hyatt’s moderate (but still quite nice) Hyatt Place Midtown for $525 per night. Or you can transfer 20K Chase Reserve points to your World of Hyatt account and book the room using those points. These 20,000 points have an outstanding value of 2.6 cents each.
At the upper end, you can stay at the ultra-luxurious Park Hyatt for a whopping $1669 per night or you can transfer 40K Chase Reserve points to your World of Hyatt account and book the night. Those points have an extraordinary value of 4.1 cents each. As an illustration, if you used your sign-on bonus of 60,000 points with that type of redemption value, it would make them worth $2460! (Enough to cover your annual fee for three years and then some.) That value is not the norm, but at the same time, it is not terribly unusual if you take the time to research.
Spending Points in the Chase Travel Portal
The other, (and, honestly, easier) way to spend your points is to book your flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, etc. through Chase Travel. It is easy to do through your portal, but you can also call in and get excellent assistance and guidance with the booking.
Your points are always worth a fixed 1 cent per point. But they offer lots of “Point Boost” specials where the points are worth up to 2 cents per point for flights and hotels. The airlines and hotels with the point boost change regularly, so it pays to check back if you have time.
Booking straight from the portal has a lot of advantages. First of all, it is easy. All the choices are laid out in front of you with a running tally of how many points you’ll need to book something for free. In addition, you can book packages with flights, hotels, rental cars, and even activities.
Second, you’re not limited to the Chase transfer partners. You can book almost any airline or hotel chain through the portal.
Third, it is very flexible. You don’t have to book completely with your Ultimate Rewards points; in fact, you don’t have to use any at all if you don’t want to! You can use any combination of points and cash, which is perfect for when you don’t have enough points to book a trip, but don’t want to pay for it all in cash.
Fourth, any portion you pay for in cash (by putting it on your Reserve card) gets you 8 points per dollar to spend on your next trip!
And finally, the trips you book count as a paid stay at hotels and as a paid fare on airlines, so you’re earning points and status with the individual loyalty programs as well, while still paying nothing (or at least less) for the trip.
Conclusion
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is not for everyone. But if you travel each year and spend at least $300, fly sometimes, enjoy staying in nice hotels, and are willing to put in a little effort, it just might be the card for you.
Looking for a card with a lower fee? Understandable! Here is our article on other options: An Easy Guide to Starting Your Points Journey
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