For our coverage of credit card goods, Fortune RecommendsTM has partnered with CardRatings. Card issuers may pay Fortune RecommendsTM and CardRatings a commission.
Our opinion: With a list of perks and features longer than an encore performance of “Freebird,” lounge privileges, and a great rewards value, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® outperforms the competition.
Initial Bonus for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
60,000 bonus points following a $4,000 purchase threshold within the first three months of the account’s creation.
An annual cost of $550
Variable Regular APR of 22.49%–29.49%
Rates of Rewards
When you book a trip with Chase TravelTM, you’ll receive 10x 10x points on hotels and rental cars as soon as your yearly $300 in travel expenditures are made.
5x 5x points on flights booked through Chase TravelTM as soon as the first $300 of yearly travel expenditures are made.
3x 3x points are awarded for additional travel and eating expenses as soon as the first $300 of the year’s trip purchases are made.
1 point for every additional purchase
Advantages and disadvantages
Summary
Card type: Hotel, Airline, Travel Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is the travel card that keeps things “premium” without sacrificing any quality. Yes, there is an eye-popping annual charge that you just cannot ignore, but the benefits are so extensive that any semi-regular traveler should find that they outweigh the carrying cost. Let’s dissect it.
The card comes with an annual travel credit of up to $300 that may be used for almost any type of travel, from friendly skies flights to parking lots and toll roads. The credit is automatically refunded to you each time you use the card for an eligible purchase. The ownership cost can be successfully lowered to a more manageable $250 with just this credit.
The fact that points earned on the Sapphire Reserve are 50% more valuable when redeemed for travel reserved through the Ultimate Rewards website and more seasoned points-and-miles redeemers will find this to be of interest to those new to rewards redemption. The card has 11 airline and 3 hotel reward program transfer partners, which enthusiasts can take use of. It is frequently exceedingly valuable to transfer your Chase rewards to your favorite hotel or airline partner.