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The Sapphire cards from Chase are already some of the most beloved rewards-earning cards on the market. Now they are getting several enhancements to make them better than ever.
From August 16, 2021, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are undergoing big changes. And shockingly—in a time of sugar-coated “enhancements”—these Chase Sapphire changes are all positive news. In fact, even the annual fee is remaining the same on both cards.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
Need a refresher on these cards? Check out more on the Sapphire Preferred here and the Sapphire Reserve here.
Key Changes for the Sapphire Preferred
- 5x Ultimate Rewards points on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out
- 3x points on select streaming services
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
- 10% anniversary bonus points on purchases
- Sleek new card design, as pictured below
Key Changes for the Sapphire Reserve
- 10x Ultimate Rewards points on Chase Dining purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 10x points on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel
- 5x points on air travel purchased through Chase Travel
- New “Reserved by Sapphire” feature, coming later this year.
Breakdown of Sapphire Preferred Changes
The changes to the Sapphire Preferred are fantastic and make this already valuable card that much better. Let's take a deeper look into these enhancements.
The first few improvements are on the earning side. Cardholders will soon be able to earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points when booking through the Chase Travel portal. You can see more on how to book through the Chase Travel portal below.
Additionally, Sapphire Preferred cardholders receive a $50 hotel credit each year when you purchase a room through the Chase Travel portal. New cardmembers will begin earning the credit immediately. Existing cardmembers will eligible to use the credit after their next account anniversary.
Improvements for dining are included, as well. The standard earning rate on dining will increase from 2x points to 3x points — including delivery and takeout services.
Select streaming services now earn 3x UR, but Chase has yet to say which services are included. We will update you as we get more information. Hopefully the streaming services are much better than the very limited The Platinum Card® from American Express streaming credits recently introduced.
Lastly, you can earn 3x points on online groceries — excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs (Sam's Club, Costco, etc.). This one could be interesting and open some opportunities to really stack your Ultimate Rewards earnings. Not sure if something will code as grocery? Check out AwardWallet's merchant lookup tool.
Perhaps the best enhancement is the new 10% bonus back in points each account anniversary on total purchases you made the previous year. And so far, the amount you can earn back is uncapped! A quick example would be if you spent $25,000 in the prior year, you will earn an additional 2,500 bonus points. This effectively adds an additional 0.1% earning to all spending put on the card.
Breakdown of the Sapphire Reserve changes
The new enhancements on the Sapphire Reserve are much less exciting.
Similar to the Sapphire Preferred, the first few enhancements are on the earning side, specifically when booking through the Chase travel portal and Chase dining. You'll earn 10x on dining, 10x on hotel and car rentals and 5x on airfare when booked and paid for through Chase's respective portals. You'll need to make sure to pay with your Sapphire Reserve to earn the multiplier.
Lastly, Chase is introducing a new feature called “Reserved by Sapphire.” Apparently, this will come around sometime later this year and will include exclusive opportunities to make reservations at some of the most exclusive and sought-after restaurants throughout the United States, including:
- Canlis in Seattle, WA
- Redbird in Los Angeles, CA
- SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg, CA
- Reverence in New York, NY
- One Off Hospitality in Chicago, Illinois
Using the Chase Travel℠ Portal
Chase has its own travel portal where you can both earn and redeem points when booking through it. And now you can earn more Ultimate Rewards than ever thanks to the new enhancements on both the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve cards.
This specific flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) costs $138.85 when you search through the Chase Travel portal. When paid with either the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, you'll soon earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points. That's 694 points for this booking.
As great as it is to earn extra points when booking through this portal, make sure to shop around a bit first and see make sure you are getting the best value. Sometimes the Chase portal can price things out a bit higher than other booking options.
Related: All About The Chase Travel Portal
Chase Dining
Chase is offering elevated earning rates when you reserve and pay through the Chase dining website. Unfortunately, the list is somewhat limited. However, if you can find a restaurant that appeals to you or already have it on your list, make sure to utilize this option and earn 10x on your Sapphire Reserve.
Recently, Chase ran an offer for Sapphire cardholders to earn 10x points on dining purchases through Chase Dining. Although that promotion has now ended, the process to earn 10x points on dining with the Sapphire Reserve will be the same.
What if I Can't Get a Sapphire Card?
If you aren't eligible to get a Sapphire card because you already have one or you've opened too many cards to qualify under Chase's 5/24 rule, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a strong alternative.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related Posts:
- A Guide to Citi ThankYou® Card Application Rules
- Comparing the Sapphire Preferred and Citi Strata Premier
Final Thoughts
Step aside, Sapphire Reserve. The Sapphire Preferred is the new reigning champ of the Chase credit card lineup. With improved earning rates, 10% anniversary bonus, and a $50 hotel credit, the improvements to the Sapphire Preferred just got a lot more valuable. Throw in the 60,000 point bonus, and the Sapphire Preferred is hands-down the card to beat.
While it's nice that the Sapphire Reserve has also enhanced its benefits and earning rates, the Sapphire Preferred‘s new enhancements are far more impressive.
Which card do you think is more valuable following the news of these enhancements?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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