If you’ll be spending at least $300 on travel in a year anyway, it could be worth paying more for the Reserve. Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. When considering any travel rewards credit card, though, it pays to look past the initial bonus to how you might be able to maximize a card’s perks over the course of several years. It earns one point per dollar everywhere else. Also, make sure you don’t bump up against Chase’s infamous 5/24 rule. Redemption values: Points earned with the Chase Sapphire Reserve transfer to the Ultimate Rewards program’s partners the same way they do with the Preferred. But if you can take advantage of the Reserve’s many value-added perks, you might still want to get it instead. Chase Sapphire Reserve Card vs. Amex Gold Card [Detailed Comparison] BY . Related reading: The best credit cards for everyday spending. That’s still a big difference, but there’s more to think about. >>Next: These Countries Just Made It Easier for Americans to Move and Work Abroad, All Travelers to U.S. Will Need Negative COVID Test, Americans Have Traveled to Mexico Throughout COVID, California’s Lockdown: What Travelers Need to Know, Sign up for the Daily Wander newsletter for expert travel inspiration and tips, Economy Just Got Some Major Upgrades on JetBlue’s Newest Plane, How to Win at Travel With Chase Ultimate Rewards, How to Earn, Redeem, and Maximize Marriott Bonvoy Points. The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently wins out over the Chase Sapphire Reserve by offering a higher sign-up bonus. With the Preferred, you’ll get 1.25 cents in value per point, while with the Reserve you’ll get a higher value of 1.5 cents per point. Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 annual travel credit, which effectively lowers the cost to just $250 per year — a $155 premium over the Sapphire Preferred. Through Sept. 30, this 50% redemption bonus also extends to grocery stores, home improvement stores and dining establishment purchases that can be erased through Chase’s new Pay Yourself Back feature. If you’re looking at applying for one or the other right now, it’s important to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred‘s elevated sign-up bonus. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Here are the main factors you need to consider. Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. AFAR partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. That's worth $750 when you redeem for travel on Ultimate Rewards. Other benefits: Cardholders can enjoy $300 in annual credit as reimbursement for travel purchases each account year. It also offers some of the best travel protections available with any credit card, including primary rental car insurance so you don’t have to pay for the agency’s expensive policy or go through your own insurance if you hit bumps in the road, and trip cancellation and interruption insurance that can cover nonrefundable expenses up to $10,000 per person or $20,000 per trip. Both the Preferred and the Reserve offer a great selection of travel insurance benefits but you get better coverage with the Reserve — almost double the coverage amount on some benefits like travel accident insurance and purchase protection. If you’re looking for premium perks, the Reserve is the way to go. If that fee doesn’t seem manageable, the Sapphire Preferred Card is a very worthwhile alternative. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the ability to earn 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. With the Reserve card, on the other hand, it costs $75 per year for each authorized user (most likely because each gets his or her own Priority Pass Select membership for airport lounge access). Christine Krzyszton - UPDATED: January 5, 2021. Credit Cards / Strategies & Guides. Update: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offer mentioned below is no longer available. Preferred vs Reserve: How the Chase Sapphire credit cards stack up David Slotnick. Related reading: The best credit cards for travel insurance. Before we get into the benefits of these two cards, note that you can’t hold the CSP and the CSR at the same time, and you need to wait at least 48 months between earning the sign-up bonus on one card before you can earn it on the other. A $600 plane ticket will cost you 48,000 points with the Preferred but only 40,000 points with the Reserve. These Countries Just Made It Easier for Americans to Move and Work Abroad. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee and the foremost choice of most travelers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. The Reserve also offers statement credits worth up to $100 toward either a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application once every four years. Here’s a quick comparison of the two cards. Reserve vs. The additional $600 in value you’ll get with the Preferred’s sign-up bonus is a compelling reason to apply for it over the Reserve. Preferred: Interest Rates Cardmembers can enroll for complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, and bring two guests with them for free. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). It comes with a generous signup bonus and offers big bonus rewards for both travel and dining purchases. The Chase Sapphire Reserve ® is Chase's premier premium travel rewards card. TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, meaning this bonus is worth up to $1,200. If you plan to apply those statement credits on a regular basis and use airport lounges frequently, the Reserve might be a better choice. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the AFAR editorial team. Although they offer some identical benefits, there are a few differences: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is obviously the more premium of the two cards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred can’t compete with the Reserve when it comes to perks such as the annual travel credit and the return on bonus-category spending, but this card still could make more sense for you. The Sapphire Reserve has more bells and whistles and a higher annual fee while the Preferred is more affordable and has great value. Redemption values: Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed directly for travel reservations—such as flights, hotels, and cruises—booked directly through the Chase travel portal. Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. The Chase Sapphire Reserve allows you to redeem each point at 1.5 cents each, compared to 1.25 cents each with the Preferred. Want more credit card news and advice from TPG? Here's why the Chase Sapphire Preferred might be a better choice than the more premium Chase Sapphire Reserve. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Let’s say you spend $2,000 a month on travel and dining and the same $50 on Lyft. Its luxury sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $450 annual fee, but it also provides more rewards and bonuses. AFAR does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. However, those redeemed for travel reservations directly through the Chase portal, and other eligible purchases through the “Pay Yourself Back” feature, are worth 1.5 cents apiece compared to 1.25 cents with the Preferred. Military Money Manual … Chase introduced this powerhouse way back in 2009—a lifetime ago in terms of travel rewards cards. Comparing it to the Chase Sapphire Reserve feels a little unfair, though, because they’re not really in the same league. For most, the choice between these two particular cards usually comes down to their annual fees—the Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $550 per year while the Chase Sapphire Preferred requires a relatively modest $95. Opinions and product recommendations on this site are ours alone, and have … Chase’s airline partners give you access to all three of the top alliances (Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam), so you’ll have a strong variety of options for putting your points to use. How to decide between the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s sign-up bonus and the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s valuable perks. It’s worth hundreds of dollars more without the Reserve’s $550 annual fee. To look at it another way, though, points earned with the Preferred are only worth 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase, or 1.5 cents with the Reserve. (It’s unlikely you’d need more reimbursement from either card, since most rental cars are worth far less.) The Preferred card offers a sign-up bonus offer of 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. A RED VENTURES COMPANY. For example, if you know you’ll spend $50 per month on Lyft and $1,000 a month on travel and dining, here’s what your yearly earnings would look like with each card: You can see that there is potentially a huge difference in earnings over the course of a year. When it comes to choosing between the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred, the good news is that they are both great credit cards. On its own, this may not be a reason to choose the Reserve over the Preferred, but when combined with the other additional benefits the Reserve offers, it could be a deciding factor. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred are two excellent cards, but it can be hard to justify keeping both travel-centric cards when you may not be flying to far-flung destinations anytime soon. You could be looking to help someone build up his or her credit history; you might want to provide employees with cards for a business account or maybe you’re looking to earn bonus rewards for adding additional users. Chase recently introduced a new “Pay Yourself Back” feature through its portal where cardmembers can redeem their points in a variety of other categories at the same rate. It offers a 25% boost to point value and some pretty good travel and purchase coverage. Long before Chase introduced the Sapphire Reserve, award travelers sang the praises of the Sapphire Preferred card’s auto collision damage waiver (CDW) benefit. Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100), $60 annual DoorDash credit (through Dec. 31, 2021), Related reading: TPG’s reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve. When the Reserve launched, however, it quickly became a go-to for luxury perks such as a Priority Pass Select membership and the annual $300 travel credit. If you’re a frequent traveler, the Reserve will likely give you more long-term value. Protections: In terms of travel protections, the differences between these two cards probably won’t affect most travelers. The Prerferred also offers purchase protection against damage or theft of up to $500 per claim and $50,00 per account, while the Reserve will cover you up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. Many credit cards now offer Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee statement credits, including the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, which is offering a historically high bonus of its own, at 100,000 miles (50,000 after spending $3,000 in 3 months, and another 50,000 after spending $20,000 within 12 months). Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. If you decide that you would get more value with the Reserve card’s features, you can always request an upgrade later down the line. While both cards can access the Ultimate Rewards portal and can be used in any one of the above categories, the Reserve offers more redemption power when used for travel. The two cards do, however, differ when it comes to redeeming points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. In terms of Roadside Assistance, the Reserve shines, too: Whereas the Preferred charges a fee for each service call, the Reserve covers up to $50 per incident, up to four times per year. Both cards come with no foreign transaction fees. This is a … Crunching the numbers: The Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve both require new cardholders to spend $4,000 within three months to earn their bonuses. Figuring out whether to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve usually comes down to which card’s annual fee is more within your budget, and whether you’ll get enough value from the Reserve’s extra benefits to justify paying for it year after year. Full Disclosure: We may receive financial compensation when you click on links and are approved for credit card products from our advertising partners. You can redeem your reward points for a variety of awards including cash back, merchandise and travel reservations. So the … By comparison, the Reserve is offering 50,000 points after you hit $4,000 in spend within the first three months, which is worth only $1,000. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months, 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months, Primary; “expensive and exotic cars” are excluded, Primary; provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision, Up to $50 per incident, up to four times a year, Up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12 or more hours (or requiring an overnight stay), Up to $500 per ticket for delays of 6 or more hours (or requiring an overnight stay), Up to $3,000 per person (up to $500 per person for jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders and other electronic equipment), $500,000 for common carrier loss of life benefit; $100,000 for 24-hour loss of life benefit, $1,000,000 for common carrier loss of life benefit; $100,000 for 24-hour loss of life benefit, Up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per year, Up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per year, Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 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