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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) is the crown jewel of Chase's Sapphire credit card family. The Sapphire Reserve is an exceptional rewards card if you can get approved for it. Unfortunately, even if you have an excellent credit score, a perfect credit history, and a high income, you may not be approved for the Sapphire Reserve if you've added several new credit card accounts to your wallet in the past couple of years.
However, there are a few steps you can take to maximize your chances of getting approved for what many consider to be the best credit card around.
Restrictions on Getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Before considering applying for the Sapphire Reserve, you'll want to be aware of the credit card application rules and restrictions that might be in place. In addition to needing to be under 5/24 with Chase, another restriction is in place if you currently have or previously had a credit card in the Sapphire family.
One thing you'll want to do before considering applying for the Sapphire Reserve is count the number of credit card accounts you have added to your credit report within the previous two years. Fortunately, there's a free way to check your Chase 5/24 status for free. If you will be under the five-card threshold soon, you should probably wait until that happens to apply for the Sapphire Reserve.
It's also worth noting that Chase doesn't tend to approve anyone for more than two cards in a 30-day period.
What To Do if You're Rejected
If you aren't instantly approved for the Sapphire Reserve, you have a few different options. First, make sure that you are aware of and in compliance with the restrictions mentioned above. If you are over Chase 5/24 or if you currently have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), for example, you are very unlikely to be approved for the Sapphire Reserve. You'll also want to make sure that you have sufficient income and an Excellent credit score (700 or higher) to increase your odds of being approved.
If you fit all those criteria and your application still went pending, you might consider calling the credit card reconsideration line to see if you can get approved by talking to a human. If you are an authorized user on someone else's card, Chase's automated system may count that as an account in your name (and thus may reject you for 5/24 limits). But if you call the reconsideration line and explain that you are only an authorized user on the card, that may help you get approved.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Worth It?
There's no denying that Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the most valuable forms of flexible rewards currencies. One of the biggest benefits of Ultimate Rewards points is the ability to transfer to Chase's hotel and airline transfer partners, which include:
But to be able to transfer points, you need to have one of the premium Chase credit cards, like the Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees). So if you don't have a premium Chase card already, it may make sense to apply for the Sapphire Reserve to unlock this benefit.
On top of the ability to transfer points to hotel and airline partners, the Sapphire Reserve comes with a whole slew of premium travel and other benefits. This includes a $300 annual travel credit, access to Priority Pass airport lounges, outstanding insurance benefits, and more. There's a reason that many people consider it to be the ultimate family travel card. If you are wondering if the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth it, take a look at the benefits and how much they are worth to you. Then, compare that to the card's annual fee to see if it is worth it for you.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve full review
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $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 Travel℠ 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 Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 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™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
Bottom Line
There's no denying that the Sapphire Reserve is a card that comes with a significant amount of benefits, but it also comes with a hefty annual fee. If you are looking to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, make sure that you are following the application terms and restrictions, such as being under 5/24 and not having earned a bonus on a Sapphire family card in the past 48 months. If you are not automatically approved, you might consider calling Chase's application status line and talking to a human to see if you can get approved over the phone.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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