Did you hear about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k signup bonus that they offered when the card was announced? Yep, it really was that high! For the first few months after inception, the Chase Sapphire Reserve had a 100k Ultimate Rewards point signup bonus. That was back in the second half of 2016.
Supposedly, Chase ran this limited time offer at a loss to the tune of a whopping $300 million. They’ll likely make up that loss in their cardmembers’ life cycle though. In fact, the promotion was so “successful” that Chase reached their 12-month acquisition goal in just two weeks. At Travel Freedom, we see it as the best premium credit card in the travel industry.
[earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]Chase Sapphire Reserve[/earnist_link]: 100k 50k Signup Bonus
As mentioned, even with a signup bonus half as big as it was originally, we still think that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best premium credit card in all of the travel credit card market. How is that possible? It’s possible because the Chase Sapphire Reserve has the best travel benefits ever seen in a credit card offer.
Let’s first talk about the signup bonus. The official value of the signup bonus given by Chase is $750, but that is not using the optimal redemption value. The points from the 50k Ultimate Rewards signup bonus can simply be worth at least $1000 simply by redeeming with Chase travel partners.
Chase Sapphire Reserve [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"] |
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| INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 60,000 points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months. |
| REWARDS You'll earn 3X points on travel and dining. Also Earn a total of 10X points on Lyft rides. |
| BENEFITS $300 annual travel credit. Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Points are worth 50% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. 1:1 point transfers to partner hotels and airlines. 1 year of Lyft Pink. |
| FEES $550 No foreign transaction fees. |
| TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS This is one of the best premium travel credit cards if you want some luxury. It has a valuable signup bonus with easy to redeem points. You also get a boost to your points value in the Chase travel portal. The biggest key to this card is the airport lounge access. If you travel a lot, it's extremely valuable. |
| [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link] |
Our thoughts about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k Offer:
The 50k signup bonus is one of the best of any credit cards in the market and it’s just the icing on top of this cards benefits. The benefits of this card are nothing short of great. A $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck, and more. Like I said, the benefits are worth more than the annual fee and the signup bonus is the icing on top. The signup bonus alone for this card got us 2 round-trip flights to Hawaii. 3X points on travel and dining can be useful as well. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a must have credit card for people who travel often and can take advantage of its perks. It also makes for a perfect credit card combination with a few of the other Ultimate Rewards cards, as you can combine your point balances between card accounts.
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k offer and find out how to apply [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]HERE[/earnist_link].
Redeeming Ultimate Rewards through Chase Transfer Partners
Although Ultimate Rewards are given a value of 1.25 cents each by Chase, you can make your points from the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k bonus worth more than that. There are 13 Ultimate Rewards travel partners consisting of airlines and hotels. You can transfer your points to any of these programs at a 1:1 ratio. We often transfer our Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Airlines, British Airways, and Hyatt hotels to earn redemptions well above 2 cents per point. That’s nearly double what Chase advertises as the value.
Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Executive Club
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Ultimate Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners
- Hyatt Gold Passport
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Rewards
- The Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Earn Spending Bonuses on Travel and Dining
This card will give you more than just the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k signup bonus. It has a couple of valuable spending bonus categories. You’ll earn 3X points on all travel and dining purchases. I’m sure you spend money on these two quite a bit.
- Travel: The travel bonus counts for flights, trains, taxi’s, other transportation, hotels, and much more.
- Dining: Dining is considered anything purchased from restaurants, bars, cafes, fast food restaurants, restaurant delivery services like (Caviar, Eat24, GrubHub, Postmates, Seamless), and even from vending machines.
I’m going to guess that you spend some money on both travel and dining occasionally. Spending bonuses are a great way to earn some extra Ultimate Rewards without really doing anything. By earning 3X points on these purchases and then redeeming Ultimate Rewards at a value of 2 cents each, you’re essentially earning 6% back on those purchases. 6% value back on a credit card is unheard of!
Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 Travel Credit
If you spend at least $300 on travel yearly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit essentially erases 2/3 of the annual fee. By taking advantage of the Sapphire Reserve 300 travel credit, the annual fee gets knocked down to $150 (only $55 more than the Sapphire Preferred). That means that you’re paying just $55 for all the other benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
The Sapphire Reserve travel credit is very simple to use. Every time you spend money on a travel-related expense, you will automatically receive a statement credit for it. Things that count towards the travel credit are:
- Airlines
- Hotels
- Motels
- Timeshares
- Campgrounds
- Car Rental Agencies
- Cruise Lines
- Travel Agencies
- Discount Travel Sites
- Passenger Trains
- Buses
- Taxis
- Limousines
- Ferries
- Toll Bridges and Highways
- Parking Lots and Garages (parking tickets also – ugh)
Lounge Access is the Best Benefit of the Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. After being approved for your credit card, you’ll have to activate your Priority Pass Select account. Then you’ll automatically receive a new membership card each year you keep your Sapphire Reserve credit card. Priority Pass airport lounges range in quality, but they’re all a nice relaxing place to get away while you wait at the airport. We like to grab a snack and a drink, charge our phones, and hang out in the comfort of lounge chairs.
Below, are the amenities you can expect in a Priority Pass lounge.
- Digital Membership Card Option
- Free Wifi
- Drinks & Snacks
- Alcoholic Drinks
- TV’s
- Internet Data Ports
- Newspapers & Magazines
- Disabled Access
Some lounges also have a few extra perks.
- Showers
- Conference Rooms (subject to a fee)
Priority Pass now features a few restaurants as well as lounges. At Priority Pass restaurants, members can use their membership card to earn a $28 credit for both themselves and one guest. So, if you and your guest go to a Priority Pass restaurant, you’ll have $56 to spend that will be covered by Priority Pass.
Don’t Forget About the Chase 5/24 Rule
Chase has an unwritten rule, known as the “Chase 5/24 Rule”, that only allows you to be approved for a Chase-branded credit card if you have less than five new credit cards opened within the last 24 months. The five credit cards opened don’t just include Chase credit cards, it includes nearly all credit cards. Small business credit cards don’t count toward the five card limit, but the Chase 5/24 rule does come into effect when applying for a business card.
Chase 5/24 Rule FAQ’s
Can I apply for 2 Chase credit cards on the same day when I’m 4/24 and get approved for both?
- Data suggests you can, however, we recommend not pushing the line and only apply for one Chase card at a time. People have reported having their account shut down for applying for too much credit.
Can I apply the day my 5/24 limit drops off?
- Preferably wait until the first day of the next month to apply.
I’m over the 5/24 rule limit, can I be approved for a card from another bank?
- Yes. Approvals for credit cards from other banks besides Chase are not impacted by your 5/24 score. Each bank has their own set of rules for approval.
Do Chase business cards count toward my 5/24 score?
- No. Being approved for a Chase business card will not add to your 5/24 limit. However, to get approved for a Chase business card you must be below the 5/24 limit.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k Signup Bonus is Still a Great Offer
While the Chase Reserve 100k signup bonus only lasted a few months, 50k points is still a great offer. At a value of at least $750, it’s still one of the premier bonuses of all cards. What makes it such a great offer is the amazing travel benefits the card comes with. Yes, the annual fee is $450, but it’s worth every penny and more. The signup bonus can be worth over $1000 if you redeem your points efficiently and the other travel benefits are worth even more than that if you use them regularly.
Back in 2016, I was lucky enough to get in on the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k point offer. With such a high annual fee I planned to downgrade the card before the second year to lose the annual fee. I was wrong. I continue paying the annual fee to keep the card active because the benefits are just so good.
If you’re someone who travels often, this will be a great credit card for you. It sure has been valuable to me. The [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]Chase Sapphire Reserve[/earnist_link] 100k 50k offer is still well worth the application. It’s the best premium travel credit card in the industry.
