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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) comes packed with high-value benefits and features for the avid traveler. Cardholders get a fantastic return on Chase Sapphire Reserve travel benefits and dining, receive an easy-to-use $300 travel credit, access to Chase Sapphire lounges, and a growing list of other credits. And that's before factoring in the sign-up bonus — which is massive right now:

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Welcome Bonus Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Welcome Bonus Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee:$795
Show moreWhy We Like ItHighlightsEarning Rates
Chase's flagship Ultimate Rewards card. You get a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access courtesy of a Priority Pass membership and industry-leading travel insurance benefits. New cardholders earn 100,000 bonus points bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
  • Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
  • $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
  • Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
  • Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
  • Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
  • Member FDIC
  • 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

Some of the Sapphire Reserve‘s best features, however, are the least visible. Buried in the Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits is a suite of Chase Sapphire travel insurance and purchase protections that can add thousands of dollars to the value proposition of holding the card long-term.

After reviewing your coverage options, you may realize you’ve been paying for protection you already had.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Benefits

Chase Sapphire Reserve phone number

First things first: For questions about the following benefits — or to file or follow up on a claim — call the Chase benefits administrator at 888-675-1461.

Chase Sapphire Reserve trip cancellation and trip interruption

As one of the best credit cards for travel insurance, the Sapphire Reserve includes trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance for the cardholder, the cardholder's spouse or partner, and immediate family members for trips of less than 60 days. The two policies are similar, but trip cancellation covers you before the trip, while trip interruption covers you from the moment you start traveling.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits Guide
Credit: Chase

Coverage kicks in when an eligible loss interrupts or prevents travel. The coverage will reimburse you up to:

  • $10,000 per covered traveler
  • $20,000 per trip
  • $40,000 per 12-month period

Tip: Immediate family members are covered if travel is charged to the Sapphire Reserve, even if the primary account holder is not present.

You can catch the extensive list of definitions and exclusions in the Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits, or head over to our post on Chase Sapphire's trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance.

Trip delay reimbursement

One of the most valuable benefits on the Sapphire Reserve, trip delay reimbursement covers what Chase deems “reasonable” expenses:

“The Trip Delay Reimbursement benefit will reimburse Your reasonable additional expenses incurred during a Covered Trip delay, including meals, lodging, toiletries and medication.

Coverage kicks in after a delay of six hours (or a forced overnight stay), and you can claim up to $500 for each ticket purchased with your Sapphire Reserve. To qualify, the delay cannot have been publicly announced or otherwise communicated to you before departure.

A list of flights saying they're canceled
Credit: AdobeStock

Baggage delay insurance

If you arrived to your destination but your luggage didn't, you might be eligible to claim for baggage delay. The benefit covers the cardholder and immediate family members for up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days when bags are delayed for six hours or longer. The list of excluded purchases is extensive (including items like false teeth and event tickets), so be sure to read page six of the guide to benefits for more details.

Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve Full Review

Chase Sapphire Reserve auto rental collision damage waiver

We rate the primary rental insurance offered on the Sapphire Reserve among the best available to U.S. cardholders. Cardholders receive primary coverage in the U.S. and most foreign countries for rental periods of up to 31 consecutive days. Coverage is limited to $75,000 for theft or collision damage to the rental vehicle.

To activate coverage, you need to pay for the entire rental using your Sapphire Reserve and decline the rental company's collision insurance. If you accept the rental company's additional auto insurance, you won't be covered by the Sapphire Reserve. You can read all the details in our review of Chase's auto rental CDW.

Note: If you use Ultimate Rewards to pay for your rental, you'll also receive coverage under the auto rental CDW benefit.

friends drive a car together
Credit: Zac Harris/Unsplash

Be aware that the auto rental CDW isn't liability insurance. You are only covered for damage or theft of the rental vehicle, not for damage to other people's property or injuries to others.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Rental Car Insurance

Lost luggage benefits

The Sapphire Reserve‘s lost luggage benefit covers the cardholder and immediate family members for up to $3,000 per person for a covered trip. Coverage includes up to $500 for valuable items like jewelry, watches, cameras, and other electronics.

The benefit reimburses the cost of repairing or replacing checked and carry-on baggage, as well as the personal property contained therein, due to loss or damage. Liability is limited to the cash value of the items (replacement value less depreciation) at the time of loss. To qualify, you must report the loss or damage to the carrier as soon as you exit the aircraft.

a lone passenger waits near a baggage claim conveyor belt
Credit: Asad Photo Maldives/Pexels

Travel accident insurance

While it’s one of the more sobering benefits on the Sapphire Reserve, travel accident insurance can provide valuable protection during covered trips. The policy includes coverage for accidental death or dismemberment, as well as the loss of speech, sight, or hearing, while traveling on a licensed air, land, or water carrier when at least part of the fare is charged to the Sapphire Reserve.

Coverage applies for up to 30 days from departure and includes two separate benefit structures:

  • Up to $100,000 in 24-hour accidental death and dismemberment coverage
  • Up to $1,000,000 in common carrier accidental death and dismemberment coverage

As with many insurance policies, coverage definitions and exclusions are extensive, so it’s worth reviewing the Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits carefully before relying on the protection.

Emergency evacuation and transportation

The Sapphire Reserve also includes emergency evacuation and transportation coverage for the cardholder and immediate family members. The benefit provides up to $100,000 in covered emergency medical evacuation and transportation expenses when you become seriously ill or injured during an eligible trip.

Coverage applies on trips between five and 60 days long when traveling at least 100 miles from home.

Because this is a tightly managed benefit, all evacuation arrangements must be coordinated and preapproved by the benefits administrator in consultation with a licensed physician who determines that emergency evacuation is medically necessary. In other words, don’t arrange your own helicopter rescue and expect Chase to pick up the bill afterward.

Emergency medical and dental

You're covered for up to $2,500 in emergency medical and dental expenses that your travel or health insurance would not otherwise cover. Claims are subject to a $50 deductible, and treatment must be received in the course of a trip a minimum of 100 miles from home when paid for with your Sapphire Reserve or points earned with the card.

If the treatment requires hospitalization, you may also be eligible for a daily benefit of $75 per day for up to five days.

Travel and emergency assistance services

If you need help and you're not sure who to turn to, Chase Travel and Emergency Assistance services can help connect you with support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's essentially a hotline that lets you call (888-675-1461) for advice, assistance, or referrals when you are in an unfamiliar place.

a person looks at their smart phone
Credit: John Tuesday/ Unsplash

Services include:

  • Emergency message service
  • Medical referral assistance
  • Legal referral assistance
  • Emergency transportation assistance
  • Emergency ticket replacement
  • Lost luggage locator service
  • Emergency translation service
  • Prescription assistance and valuable document delivery arrangements
  • Pretrip assistance

Roadside assistance

Sapphire Reserve cardholders are covered for up to $50 per service callout, up to four times per year. Roadside emergencies can include jump-starting, tire changing, lockouts, fuel delivery, or standard winching.

To use this service, call 866-860-7978 (Cross Country Motor Club).

Chase Sapphire Reserve Purchase Insurance Benefits

Chase Sapphire Reserve purchase protection

Purchase protection covers eligible items purchased with the Sapphire Reserve or Ultimate Rewards points earned on the card.

Coverage applies for 120 days from the purchase date against theft, damage or involuntary and accidental parting.

Eligible claims can be reimbursed for the cost to repair or replace the item, up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account per year. Purchases made outside the U.S. are covered as long as you purchased them with your Sapphire Reserve card and the purchase meets the terms and conditions. There is a long list of items not covered, so refer to pages 25–26 of the guide to benefits.

You need to contact the benefits administrator within 90 days of the loss, damage, or theft, and you have 120 days to complete the claim.

Cracked Screen Dropped Phone

Yes, a cracked screen is covered. Or, if you accidentally lose your phone in a taxi, that'd be covered as well!

Extended warranty protection

Extended warranty protection extends the manufacturer's U.S. repair warranty for an additional year on items purchased with your card.

The benefit applies to eligible warranties of three years or less, with a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account. You need to charge a portion of the purchase price to the Sapphire Reserve to have the protection kick in, or have purchased the item using Ultimate Rewards earned on the card.

Again, there's an extensive list of exclusions that can be found in the benefits guide.

a person repairs electronics inside a smart phone
Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

In many cases, this benefit can save you $20–$100 for an extended warranty on a single piece of electronics!

Return protection

If a merchant won’t accept a return, the Sapphire Reserve’s return protection benefit may reimburse you for eligible purchases made entirely with the card or Ultimate Rewards points earned on the card.

Coverage applies for up to 90 days from the purchase date and is limited to $500 per item, with a maximum of $1,000 per account per year.

Return protection is secondary to any store return policy or guarantee, and the item must generally be returned to the benefits administrator in like-new or good working condition.

Final Thoughts

We've all seen the dozens of commercials promoting the benefits of the Sapphire Reserve. Still, there are plenty of benefits under the hood that can deliver thousands of dollars in additional value each year, if you know where to look.

Taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with these protections before your next trip can pay off in a big way. Whether you’re dealing with a delayed flight, lost luggage, rental car damage, or an unexpected medical issue abroad, these benefits can help limit both stress and out-of-pocket costs when travel doesn’t go according to plan.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)

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