There are two versions of Chase Sapphire credit card. They’re both excellent travel credit cards but are made for slightly different types of travelers. We’re going to examine the competition between the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred. Is one of the cards better than the other? Like comparing most cards, it depends on who you’re talking to. One Chase Sapphire card may be better for you, while the other card may be better for someone else.
We’ve found that typically, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best first travel credit card to get. It has a modest annual fee with good travel benefits and a nice signup bonus. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best credit card for regular travelers. It has a higher annual fee but comes with a tremendous amount of valuable travel benefits.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred competition is more complex than just comparing the features and selecting an overall winner. Which travel credit card is best, highly depends on the customers’ preferences. Let’s begin by taking a look at the features and benefits of each credit card to find out which card is right for you.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Review
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has done the impossible. It has made a $450 annual fee for a credit card seem like a steal by having amazing travel benefits. While it may be hard to get past the thought of paying $450 up front for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the benefits are well worth the annual fee. For people who travel regularly, the lounge access, travel credit, and expedited airport security alone give enough value to cover the annual fee. That doesn’t even include the signup bonus, which adds even more value.
Chase Sapphire Reserve [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"][/earnist_link] |
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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] |
Sapphire Reserve Signup Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Reserve 50,000 point signup bonus is worth at least $750 if used toward travel. Because you’ll redeem at a higher rate of 1.5 cents per point you get more value out of your Ultimate Rewards points. By transferring Ultimate Rewards to one of Chase’s travel partners you can redeem points for well over 2 cents per point. This option can make the Sapphire Reserve signup bonus worth more than $1000.
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)
Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Access
Along with this premium credit card comes complimentary Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge access. After being approved you’ll have to activate your Priority Pass Select account to get Sapphire Reserve airport lounge access. Once activated, you’ll automatically receive your card each year you keep your Sapphire Reserve credit card. Priority Pass airport lounges range in quality, but they’re all a nice place to get away from the chaos of airport terminals.
When you enter a Priority Pass lounge you can expect to receive the following amenities:
- Digital Membership Card Option
- Free Wifi
- Drinks & Snacks
- Alcoholic Drinks
- TV’s
- Internet Data Ports
- Newspapers & Magazines
- Disabled Access
Some Priority Pass lounges also have:
- Showers
- Conference Rooms (subject to a fee)
Priority Pass also now features some restaurants. Priority Pass members are able to show the restaurant their membership card to earn a $28 credit for themselves and a guest. That means if you and your guest go to a Priority Pass restaurant, you have $56 to spend that will be waived.
Overall, the Chase Sapphire Reserve packs a powerful punch of travel benefits. With its amazing travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has been crowned the best premium travel credit card. It’s clear that the benefits will far outweigh the annual fee for people who travel often. In the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred comparison, it’s going to be hard for the Sapphire Preferred to match what the Reserve brings to the table. Let’s see how the Chase Sapphire Preferred does.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Review
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is often referred to as the best first travel credit card. This is because it has a lot of travel value while having a modest annual fee that is waived in the first year. It is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve but without many of the premium travel benefits. The main features of the Sapphire Preferred are the signup bonus, elevated Ultimate Reward redemption rates, and the ability to transfer points to travel partners.
Chase Sapphire Preferred [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"][/earnist_link] |
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INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 60,000 points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months. |
REWARDS You'll earn 2X points on travel and 3X on dining. |
BENEFITS Points are worth 25% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. 1:1 point transfer partner hotels and airlines. |
FEES $95 No foreign transaction fees. |
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS This is the best first travel credit card to get. 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. |
[earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link] |
Sapphire Preferred Signup Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred signup bonus is worth at least $750 if used toward travel. Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed at a higher rate of 1.25 cents per point through the travel portal which is more than the average card, but 25% less than the Sapphire Reserve. The Chase Sapphire Preferred also has access to the Ultimate Rewards travel transfer partners. By transferring Ultimate Rewards to one of the travel partners you can redeem points for well over 2 cents per point. Like the Sapphire Reserve, this redemption option can make the Sapphire Preferred signup bonus worth more than $1000.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: And the Winner is…
From the above reviews, you can see that both Chase Sapphire cards are very good travel credit cards. So which card comes out on top of the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred comparison? The Sapphire Reserve is a high annual fee card that comes with a huge amount of value. The Sapphire Preferred is a card with a lower annual fee that still gives a large number of Ultimate Rewards as a signup bonus.
Even though overall, the Chase Sapphire Reserve seems like the best card, it really depends on who the card is for. If you don’t travel very often, many of the benefits of the Sapphire Reserve will go wasted. If you do travel often, you’d benefit greatly from the travel benefits of the Sapphire Reserve. Below you can compare the important features of both cards side by side.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred Side by Side
Chase Sapphire Reserve [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"][/earnist_link] | Chase Sapphire Preferred [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"][/earnist_link] |
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Signup Bonus | 60,000 Points after $4000 in first 3 months | 60,000 Points after $4000 in first 3 months |
Earning Rates | 3X Travel & Dining, 10X on Lyft | 3X Dining, 2X Travel |
UR Travel Portal - Redemption Value | 1.5 Cents per Point | 1.25 Cents per Point |
Travel Credit | $300 | N/A |
Lounge Access | Priority Pass Select | N/A |
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry | Full Statement Credit for Either ($85/$100) | N/A |
Authorized User Fee | $75 | $0 |
Annual Fee | $550 | $95 |
Best for People Who... | Want a large introductory bonus Want luxury travel benefits Travel often | Want a large introductory bonus Want the annual fee waived year 1 Like to Travel |
[earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"]Learn More >>[/earnist_link] | [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"]Learn More >>[/earnist_link] |
Personally, if I had to choose between the two cards: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred, I would currently choose the Sapphire Reserve. I currently have it and get a ton of value from the signup bonus, lounge access, travel credit, and TSA PreCheck. This is because my wife and I are traveling often. Let’s take a look at two other travelers to see which card suits them best.
A Story of Two Travelers
Emilia’s Story:
Emilia’s an elementary school teacher who loves teaching her 4th-grade class during the year. She also loves taking a nice big vacation each summer during her time off. The life of a teacher is tough during the school year and is very deserving of some relaxing time away.
Because Emilia doesn’t travel a lot throughout the year and just wants at least one vacation each year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred was a great choice for her. Just half of the signup bonus alone gave her enough miles to book a round-trip flight to Hawaii last summer (by transferring 25k of her points to British Airways). The points came with a moderate annual fee as well.
With her summer flight only taking up less than her Ultimate Rewards balance, Emilia decided she’s also going to take a spring break vacation with some of her college friends this year. Two vacations with one signup bonus were more than perfect for her.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: Emilia chose the [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-preferred-card” id=”6313″]Chase Sapphire Preferred[/earnist_link] for its lower annual fee and valuable signup bonus
Dani’s Story:
Dani’s a nurse who works four days on and then has four days off from work. She also gets a substantial amount of paid time off that she wants to use for traveling. Dani figures between her regular four days off in a row and her vacation days she’ll be able to take at least 10 trips this year.
She decided to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve because she wants the comfort of having both TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass Select lounge access when she’s stuck in airports. The Ultimate Rewards points from the signup bonus will cover a few of the flights, plus she will easily use the $300 travel credit. With all these perks she’ll be able to travel in luxury with all her available time off from work.
As a bonus, Dani decided to double down on earning Chase Ultimate Rewards. Using her side business, she also applied for the [earnist_link ref=”ink-business-preferred-credit-card” id=”6240″]Ink Business Preferred[/earnist_link] card which comes with a signup bonus of 80,000 points and only an annual fee of $95. Her business is a sole proprietorship, selling some of her used things on eBay and Amazon. She also occasionally buys things at garage sales to also sell. The cool thing about her sole proprietorship is she can simply use her name and social security number instead of having to file for a business.
With both cards, she earned 130,000 Ultimate Rewards points that can likely be used for at least $2,500 of plane tickets (she plans to take advantage of airline partners)! Not too shabby for just two credit cards.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: Dani chose the [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]Chase Sapphire Reserve[/earnist_link] for its luxury travel benefits and valuable signup bonus
Which Type of Traveler are You?
Depending on which type of traveler you are, either the Sapphire Reserve or the Sapphire Preferred would be a great addition to your wallet. In the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred competition, they are both worthy travel credit cards. The [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]Sapphire Reserve[/earnist_link] is great if you travel often and want the travel luxuries it comes with. The [earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-preferred-card” id=”6313″]Sapphire Preferred[/earnist_link] is great if you travel less often and wouldn’t get much use out of the travel benefits.
Both Chase Sapphire credit cards come with excellent Ultimate Rewards point signup bonuses. If it’s an option you might even want to think about adding a business card like Dani to earn more points. All Chase Ultimate Rewards cards have the ability to transfer points between accounts to pool them together. Your significant other and you even have the ability to pool points together. Which card comes out victorious in the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred argument depends on you. Both credit cards are good choices. Depending on what you’re looking for in a travel credit card, one may suit you better.