Chase Sapphire Reserve has made the announcement that the elevated offer will be ending effective November 30th, 2022, at 6:00 PM. This is one of the highest offers we’ve seen since it first launched in 2016, initially coming in at 100,000 Ultimate Reward Points.
Now with a timestamp end date, we wanted to review some of the details of why this card has continually kept a spot in our wallet for 6 years. Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Chase Sapphire Reserve
While the Chase Sapphire Reserve has one of the higher annual fees in the premium credit card space, the benefits in return often off-set this fee. Being in the premium card category, this card does have a $550 annual fee. However, we think the benefits of the card far outweigh the annual fee.
Top Features
- $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 Ultimate Rewards® 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 Ultimate Rewards(R). For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,200 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(TM) Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance, and more
Annual Travel Credit
An annual $300 travel credit can be used towards travel purchases on the member’s anniversary year. This travel credit is automatic, and the only requirement is to book travel with your credit card. The credit does not have to be used all at once. Also note that you cannot double dip, meaning the first $300 in travel credits does not earn Chase Ultimate Reward Points.
Luckily, Chase is super flexible on what counts for travel purchases. Eligible purchases include:
- Airlines
- Campgrounds
- Car rental agencies
- Cruise lines
- Discount travel sites
- Hotels and motels
- Operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines and ferries
- Parking lots and garages
- Timeshares
- Toll bridges and highways
- Travel agencies
Points Earning
When you book and pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card through the Ultimate Rewards portal, you can earn 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals. This means you can earn points faster simply from booking through their portal on those flights, hotels, or car rentals that you were going to have to pay cash for anyway.
Points Redemption
When utilizing the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal, you can actually get 50% more value on points redemptions. This means that 100,000 Ultimate Rewards Points would actually be worth about $1,500 in value instead of $1,000 in value. This can be super useful when you are able to find cheaper hotel or flight options versus using point transfers.
Transfer to Travel Partners
One of the best things about the Ultimate Rewards Points is that they are super versatile and not tied down to one airline or hotel. This gives you extreme flexibility when using your points, and you typically can find better value by transferring points. Chase currently has 11 airline transfer partners and 3 hotel transfer partners. The airline transfer partners include:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
The three hotel transfer partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards Points are:
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
My favorite transfer partners with Chase are definitely World of Hyatt and Southwest Airlines. The reason being is both programs have low redemption rates, which start at 3,500 points per night on off-peak redemptions for Hyatt. Southwest Rapid Rewards Redemptions, if you are lucky, you can find for 3,000-5,000 one way.
Lounge Access
Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you access to Priority Pass Select Membership for Airport Lounges Worldwide. Priority Pass Select includes 1,300+ airport lounges. Not only does this include the normal lounges such as The Club in Buffalo, but also restaurant options. Restaurant Priority Pass options are great for grab-and-go lounge “access” which includes $26 per person (up to 2 additional guests). You can review our Basic Guide to Priority Pass Restaurants to learn more about the different options in the United States.
TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry, or Nexus Credit
Every 4 years you can utilize the $100 credit for either TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry, or Nexus. TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry are part of the Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler Program. Having TSA PreCheck® enables you to go through faster screening at most U.S. airports for departing flights as you have expedited security screening benefits. The cost is $85 which would be reimbursed when you book using your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.
Global Entry on the other hand gives you expedited screening benefits for international air travel when returning to the United States. If you select this option, you will also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership, so you would only need to apply for Global Entry and receive both benefits. The cost for Global Entry is $100, and also reimbursed.
NEXUS is the most comprehensive background check of the 3 options. However, it is the cheapest, and, provides all 3 benefits if you choose to go this route. NEXUS is most beneficial for those who travel often between the U.S. and Canada, including expedited crossings at land, marine, and air borders. Typically there are special lanes for NEXUS members at border crossings and will often be much faster. The cost for NEXUS is $50, which is also reimbursable from your card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Traveling internationally can sometimes incur foreign transaction fees which range from 1 to 3% of your purchase price. With Chase Sapphire Reserve, you don’t have to worry about incurring any extra foreign transaction fees. We always make sure to have this card in our wallet for any purchases to not only earn points but to not add any additional fees that might come up along our travels.
Car Rental Protection
One of my favorite premium card protections is car rental protection. To utilize it, you must waive the car rental company’s collision insurance and pay for the car rental using your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. This coverage provides primary insurance for your rental. It will provide reimbursement up to the actual cash value for theft and collision damage. I will note that this is on most rental cars in the U.S. and while traveling internationally. Be sure to check the terms & conditions if you are traveling in another country if you are covered. Cardholders as well as any additional drivers that have been added to the rental agreement are covered up to $75,000 for up to 31 days for car rentals.
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
Now, more than ever, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance come into play more often than before. If you have to cancel or it is interrupted because of sickness, severe weather, or other covered situations (and you booked your trip on your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card), Chase has your back. The Trip Interruption insurance will reimburse you for airfares, tours, and hotels up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.
Trip Delay Reimbursement
Another great trave protection is the trip delay reimbursement. If your trip is delayed by 6 hours or overnight, you and your family will be covered. This includes coverage for unreimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging for up to $500 per person. Like Trip Interruption Insurance, you do need to pay for your ticket with your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. It will also include if you booked award redemption points & miles trips and paid for taxes with the card.
This benefit has saved us thousands of dollars over the last few years with trip delays, or flight cancellations. We were able to comfortably get a new hotel without waiting for the airline, find food, and have it all reimbursed.
Basic Overview
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has been one that has stayed in our wallets over the last 5+ years. This card has given us a lot of flexibility, benefits, as well as reassurance that if anything went wrong we would be covered.
