AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
If you're in the hobby of earning and burning points and miles, you're always on the lookout for a new credit card. A major factor in deciding whether to apply for a new card is the card's current welcome bonus and your eligibility to earn it. If you're interested in two of the most popular cards out there, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), eligibility is about to get a lot simpler.
According to a memo sent to bankers and first reported by Doctor of Credit, Chase will simplify the welcome bonus language on its Sapphire cards beginning January 25, 2026. Here's what you need to know.
Coming Soon: New Chase Sapphire Welcome Bonus Language
The current language for earning a bonus on the Sapphire Reserve or the Sapphire Preferred is as follows:
“The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you currently have any other personal Sapphire cards open, previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card. We may also consider the number of cards you have opened and closed, as well as other factors in determining your bonus eligibility.”
In other words, if you are a current cardholder of the Sapphire Preferred, you couldn't earn a welcome bonus on the Sapphire Reserve, even if you had never held that card before. You'd need to downgrade to a card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ before applying for the Sapphire Reserve.
Keep in mind that the language for the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees) is different:
“The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card. We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.”
You can earn a welcome bonus on both the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve Business at the same time.
New eligibility language appeared via memo to Chase bankers
Here's the memo sent out to Chase bankers:
“Beginning January 25, we are clarifying our disclosures to make Sapphire new cardmember bonus eligibility rules easier to understand. Clients can earn a bonus on each card, one time per card, regardless of whether they currently have an active card.
For example: If a client has a Preferred card, they can apply for Reserve and receive the new account bonus.
Some exclusions will still apply in branch, such as if the client has had the product in the past and wants to reopen the same card.”
So, it seems Chase is implementing once-per-lifetime language, similar to American Express cards. And even if you're currently a cardholder of a Sapphire card, you can earn a welcome bonus on the other Sapphire card. Ideally, it won't be an actual “lifetime” policy, but would reset a certain number of years after earning a welcome bonus on the card. However, only time will tell.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Bottom Line
It's always nice to have simplified language regarding earning a welcome offer. The last thing you want is to apply for a new card and be ineligible to earn a lucrative offer, especially on a card like the Sapphire Reserve, which offers new cardholders 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. However, introducing a once-per-lifetime policy isn't great news.
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.