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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best premium travel cards that also works for everyday life expenses. There is a $795 annual fee, but it offers over $2,700 in cardholder value and other perks that help offset this cost.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a strong premium card if you care about earning points or benefits when you travel. Despite the $795 annual fee, the $300 travel credit, Priority Pass membership, and over $2,700 in annual cardmember value make the card worth considering.
Point Multipliers
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (CSR) earns Ultimate Reward (UR) points and has many competitive categories, including:
- 8x points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on other purchases
Reward rates for travel take place once the $300 annual travel credit is used.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Calculator
Cardonomics calculates the expected value of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® based on the information you provide. The expected value is calculated based on the dollar value you input into the calculator.
The default figures in the calculator are just an example, so you should enter your own information for more accurate results. The methodology for this calculator is explained at the bottom of the post.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Intro Offer
Are you eligible for the intro offer? You are not eligible if you have or have had the card (even without getting the bonus).
Are you able to complete $5,000 of spend in the first 3 months?
The public intro bonus is 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ credit. What offer are you considering?
points earned from intro offer:
0Credits: How Do You Value Them?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card annual fee is $795.
Total value of credits: $2,810
Other Perks and Benefits: How do you value them?
Value of other perks and benefits:
Point Multipliers: Category Spend
Yearly points earned from spend breakdown:
How do you plan on redeeming points?
Chase gives you many ways to redeem your points. Here are some common examples:
- Points are denoted as CPP = "cents per point"
Given how you value points...
Expected Value of Points
(Intro offer + credits + spend + benefits - annual fee)
Calculation Methodology
The calculator's results are determined by several factors, including your ability to meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the welcome offer, spending habits in different categories, point redemption strategy, and how much relative value you place on other benefits.
The "Years" in the calculator refer to the cardmember year, which begins when you are approved for the card. The first year of membership is the first 12 months after approval, and the second year is the 12 months following that.
Optimal Strategy
The CSR is a great card to earn points and also get travel protections and other benefits.
The $795 annual fee is offset by over $2,700 in cardholder value, which includes a $300 annual travel credit that’s reimbursed each account anniversary year. Not everyone will get over $2.700 in value, which is why we built the calculator to help crunch the numbers for your lifestyle.
The card also comes with a Priority Pass, allowing you and two guests to visit partner airport lounges for free. Unlike other issuers, Chase's Priority Pass membership works for airport lounges and restaurants.
Redeeming Points
The CSR earns Ultimate Reward (UR) points, which provide a ton of flexibility whether you’re focused on cash back, travel, or aspirational travel.
Cash Back
At a minimum, points can be redeemed for 1 cent per point (1 CPP) as a statement credit. 3x = 3%.
Points Boost, a new way to stretch your rewards further:
- Redeem points at up to 2x value on select flights and hotels via Chase Travel℠.
- If you had the card before June 23, 2025, you’ll get the better of Points Boost or 1.5x redemptions on pre-October 26, 2025 points—through October 26, 2027.
Aspirational Travel
Points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners – generally more useful for aspirational travel (i.e., first or business class flights).
Chase Trifecta
The CSR is often combined with the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® to create the Chase Trifecta. This means the cashback (points) you earn via the Freedom cards can be redeemed for more value.
Alternatives
If you value airport lounge access and want even more options, The Platinum Card® from American Express might be a better fit.
If you don’t care about airport lounges and want a lower annual fee (while elevating the value of your other Chase points), then the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (CSP) might be better.
If you’re focused on earning points and want additional categories, the American Express® Gold Card is worth considering.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Terms apply | Rates & Fees
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best travel cards, especially if you can use the many credits. For many, this becomes a highly subsidized lounge access and travel perks card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is ideal for those optimizing for cash back or travel. Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for cash back at 1.25x on select categories through Pay Yourself Back or travel via Chase Travel℠. The card is also a basic travel card with good spend multipliers and benefits like no foreign transaction fees and primary collision damage waiver (terms apply).
Main Takeaway
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a strong premium card if you care about earning points or benefits when you travel. Despite the hefty annual fee, the new addition of lifestyle credits, Priority Pass membership, and travel insurances makes the card worth considering.
All information about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been collected independently by cardonomics.com. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is no longer available through cardonomics.com.