Chase Sapphire Reserve Review (2026): Is the Premium Fee Still Worth It?

credit card review

Jan 2

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $795
Best for: Frequent travelers, premium hotel stays, flexible points users
Not ideal for: Infrequent travelers or anyone who won’t use credits

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has long been considered one of the most powerful premium travel credit cards on the market. After its refresh and benefit expansion in 2025, the card now carries a much higher annual fee and a much larger set of credits designed to offset that cost.

Whether the card is “worth it” today depends less on the headline perks and more on how you actually travel, book hotels, and redeem points.

This review walks through how the Sapphire Reserve works in real life, what changed with the refresh, and who this card still makes sense for in 2026.

Since Chase welcome offers can change, it’s best to check the current terms before applying.

👉 Chase Sapphire Reserve Offer

Core Value Proposition

The Sapphire Reserve is built around four pillars:

Flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
Large travel and hotel statement credits
Premium travel protections and lounge access
Lifestyle and entertainment perks

The value of the card depends almost entirely on how many of these you’ll realistically use.

Annual Credits & Statement Benefits (Complete List)

$300 Annual Travel Credit

Each cardmember year, you receive up to $300 in automatic statement credits for eligible travel purchases. This applies broadly to expenses like flights, hotels, rental cars, parking, tolls, and rideshares.

This credit is applied automatically as you spend and is typically the easiest benefit to use.

$500 The Edit by Chase Travel Hotel Credit

Cardmembers receive up to $500 per year in statement credits for qualifying prepaid hotel stays booked through The Edit by Chase Travel.

Key details:

Minimum two-night stay
Applies to curated luxury and premium hotels
Typically this credit is broken down into bi-annual $250 credits.
In 2026, the full $500 can be used at any point during the year
Stays often include additional perks like breakfast, room upgrades (when available), and late checkout

This credit can represent significant real-world value if you already book higher-end hotels. If you look hard enough, you can find several hotels that won’t break the bank after applying the credit. I personally have found some excellent deals for the Edit stays in Las Vegas, San Antonio, and New Orleans.

$250 Select Hotel Credit (2026)

For 2026, Sapphire Reserve cardmembers receive an additional one-time $250 statement credit for select prepaid hotel bookings made through the Chase Travel portal (two-night minimum).

This credit is separate from the Edit credit and can stack with it, making the Reserve particularly attractive for travelers planning at least one multi-night hotel stay through Chase.

$300 Annual Dining Credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes up to $300 per year in dining credits, structured as $150 from January–June and $150 from July–December, for eligible dining purchases at participating Chase Dining restaurants.

You do not need to book through OpenTable to earn the credit. However, OpenTable is the easiest way to identify which restaurants qualify by filtering for Chase Exclusive Tables. This lets you see participating restaurants in advance and plan accordingly.

Once activated, the credit posts automatically as a statement credit after an eligible dining purchase. Participating restaurants vary by location and can change over time, so availability will depend on where you live or travel.

$300 Annual Stubhub/Viagogo Credit

You can receive up to $300 per year in statement credits for eligible ticket purchases made through StubHub or viagogo. The credit is structured as $150 from January–June and $150 from July–December, and activation is required before use.

This credit can be useful if you regularly attend concerts, sporting events, or live entertainment, but it’s best treated as optional value rather than a guaranteed offset unless you already buy tickets through these platforms.

TSA PreCheck / Global Entry Credit

You receive a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees once every four years when charged to the card.

This is a standard premium card benefit but still useful, especially for families managing multiple travelers.

Lifestyle & Subscription Benefits

The Sapphire Reserve includes several additional credits and perks that can add value depending on your habits:

DoorDash

The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes:

Complimentary DashPass membership
DashPass provides $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders (minimum subtotal required).
Up to $25 per month in DoorDash promos
These are typically structured as:
- One monthly $5 restaurant DoorDash credit
- Two monthly $10 non-restaurant DoorDash credits

Credits do not roll over and must be used each month to receive full value.

Lyft

Sapphire Reserve cardmembers receive:

Up to $10 per month in Lyft in-app credits
Issued monthly and expires if unused.
5x total points on eligible Lyft rides
This includes the base earning rate plus a Sapphire Reserve bonus when the card is selected as the payment method.

Peloton

The Sapphire Reserve includes Peloton benefits that consist of:

Up to $120 per year in statement credits toward Peloton memberships
10x total points on eligible Peloton equipment, accessories, and subscription purchases

If this sounds like the right type of card for your spending, this is where you can see the current offer and apply.

👉 Chase Sapphire Reserve Application

Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

The Sapphire Reserve earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are among the most flexible transferable points currencies available.

Current earning structure includes:

8x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal (after the $300 travel credit is used)
4x points on flights booked directly with airlines
4x points on hotels booked directly
3x points on dining worldwide
1x point on all other purchases

This makes the card especially strong for travelers who book both directly and through the Chase portal, and for people who spend heavily on dining.

Redeeming Points: Portal & Transfer Partners

Chase Travel Portal & Points Boost

Chase has replaced the old flat 1.5¢ per point redemption with a Points Boost system. When available, Points Boost can provide elevated redemption value on select flights, hotels, and curated travel experiences.

Value varies by booking, so it’s not guaranteed, but it can still produce strong redemptions in premium scenarios.

Transfer Partners

Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a wide range of airline and hotel partners. This remains one of the biggest strengths of the Chase ecosystem and is where advanced users often extract the most value.

Airport Lounge Access

The Sapphire Reserve includes Priority Pass Select membership with access to participating airport lounges worldwide.

Guest access is included (subject to lounge policies), making this useful for couples and families traveling together.

Chase is also expanding its own Sapphire Lounge network, which offers a more premium lounge experience at select airports.

Travel Protections & Insurance (Full Coverage)

The Sapphire Reserve includes one of the strongest travel protection packages available on a consumer credit card:

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Trip delay reimbursement
Baggage delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Primary rental car collision damage waiver
Travel accident insurance
Emergency evacuation and medical coverage (terms apply)
No foreign transaction fees

Who the Sapphire Reserve Makes Sense For

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is best suited for travelers who:

Travel several times per year
Book hotels where the Edit or select hotel credits can be used
Dine out frequently
Value flexible points and strong protections
Want premium perks without locking into a single airline or hotel brand

If you won’t use the hotel and lifestyle credits, the annual fee may outweigh the benefits.

If you think the Chase Sapphire Reserve might be a good fit, you can view the current welcome offer and apply here.

👉 Chase Sapphire Reserve Offer

Additional Benefits After $75,000 in Annual Spend

The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes enhanced benefits for cardmembers who spend $75,000 or more on the card in a calendar year. These perks are designed to reward high spenders and frequent travelers and are applied after crossing the annual spend threshold.

What Unlocks at $75,000 in Spend

If you put $75,000 or more in eligible purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve in a calendar year, Chase unlocks a separate set of high-value travel and status benefits. These perks are automatic once the threshold is met and are intended for high-spend cardmembers.

IHG Diamond Elite Status

After reaching the $75,000 spend threshold, you receive IHG Diamond Elite status, IHG’s top-tier elite level, typically valid through the end of the following calendar year.

Diamond Elite benefits may include:

Bonus points on paid IHG stays
Complimentary breakfast or welcome amenity (brand-dependent)
Priority upgrades when available
Enhanced late checkout flexibility

Southwest A-List Status

You also receive Southwest A-List status, which provides:

Priority boarding
Priority check-in and security lane access (where available)
Faster earning toward higher Southwest elite tiers

For travelers who fly Southwest regularly, A-List can meaningfully improve the airport experience.

$500 Southwest Airlines Flight Credit

Once the $75,000 spend requirement is met, cardmembers receive a $500 statement credit toward Southwest Airlines flights booked through Chase Travel.

Key details:

Must be booked through the Chase Travel portal
Applies only to Southwest flights
One-time credit tied to crossing the spend threshold

This credit is particularly valuable for Southwest flyers who already book flights through Chase.

$250 Shops at Chase Luxury Retail Credit

High-spend cardmembers also receive a $250 credit for eligible purchases through Shops at Chase, focused on select luxury retail brands.

Availability and participating merchants can change, but this credit is designed for cardmembers who already shop within Chase’s luxury retail ecosystem rather than casual retail spending.

World of Hyatt Explorist Status

Finally, crossing the $75,000 spend threshold unlocks World of Hyatt Explorist status, which includes benefits such as:

Bonus points on paid Hyatt stays
Room upgrades when available
Late checkout (when available)

Explorist sits above Discoverist status and below Globalist, making it a solid mid-tier benefit for Hyatt loyalists.

Who the $75,000 Spend Threshold Makes Sense For

These benefits are most valuable if you:

Naturally put high spend on personal cards
Fly Southwest regularly
Stay at IHG and Hyatt properties
Can use Chase Travel for flight bookings
Already engage with luxury retail or premium travel

If you’re not organically spending at this level, it generally does not make sense to chase the $75,000 threshold solely for these perks.

Important Note on Spend-Based Benefits

Spend-based benefits are tied to calendar-year spending and are subject to Chase’s current terms. If you’re close to the threshold, it’s worth confirming benefit availability and timing inside your Chase account before planning around them.

Sapphire Reserve vs. Sapphire Preferred

For many people, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® remains the better option.

The Preferred offers:

A much lower annual fee
Access to Chase transfer partners
Simpler benefits without heavy credit tracking

If you don’t want to manage multiple credits, the Preferred is often the more practical choice.

Bottom Line

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is no longer a casual premium card. With its higher annual fee, it rewards travelers who are intentional about using credits and booking travel strategically. For those who can take advantage of the hotel, travel, and lifestyle benefits, the card can still deliver strong overall value. For others, a lower-fee option may make more sense.

You can view the current Chase Sapphire Reserve offer here.