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Deciding whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worth its annual fee can be a complicated decision. In short: It all depends. The answer will vary depending on your circumstances. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has an impressive array of perks. But are they enough to justify its $550 annual fee?
We'll take a deep dive into the Sapphire Reserve‘s benefits, showing whether they're worth the fee and how to get the most from the card. We at AwardWallet assigned values to the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn and the card's benefits. However, you may need to adjust your valuations for each benefit depending on your own travel and spending patterns.
If the total value of the benefits exceeds the card's fee, then it's safe to say that they make the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth its annual fee.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $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 Ultimate Rewards® 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 Ultimate Rewards®. 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 $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- Member FDIC
- 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
Page Contents
- Summary of Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
- Can I Have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
- Are Ultimate Rewards More Valuable with the Sapphire Reserve?
- How Does the $300 Travel Credit Work?
- What Sort of Lounge Access Do I Get?
- Should I Care About Visa Infinite?
- Why Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve the Right Card for Me?
- TL;DR: So, Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Really Worth It?
- Alternatives To Consider
- Want More Insight Into Maximizing Your Rewards? Create Your Free AwardWallet Account Today
- FAQ
- Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve really worth it?
- How much do I have to spend for Chase Sapphire Reserve to be worth it?
- Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve hard to get?
- Who is the Chase Sapphire Reserve best for?
- Why is the Chase Sapphire Reserve so popular?
- Should I pay off my Chase Sapphire immediately?
- When can I cancel my Chase Sapphire Reserve to avoid an annual fee?
- Does Chase Sapphire increase credit?
Summary of Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
Sapphire Reserve cardholders get the following perks:
- Earn 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on all travel and restaurants worldwide.
- Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.5¢ apiece in the Chase Travel portal. For comparison, points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are worth 1.25¢ each towards travel booked through the Chase portal, and points from other cards are worth just 1¢ apiece.
- Up to $300 per cardmember year in travel credits across a broadly-defined travel category. As long as you spend at least $300 on travel in a year, receiving these credits automatically can effectively reduce the cost of carrying the card by $300.
- Priority Pass Select membership for both primary cardholders and authorized users, including two additional guests at most lounges. This perk also extends to Priority Pass spas and restaurants, though Capital One and Amex cards have cut access to these.
- Unlimited visits to Sapphire Lounges and the Sapphire Terrace.
- Use Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature to redeem the points for 1.25¢–1.5¢ apiece in value for purchases in evolving categories.
- Complimentary Lyft Pink All Access status for two years and a third year at 50% off if you register by December 31, 2024.
- At least 12 months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass if you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Up to $15 in statement credits for monthly Instacart purchases and Instacart+ membership.
- Up to $5 in monthly statement credits for DoorDash purchases through December 31, 2024.
- Up to $10 in monthly statement credits for Gopuff orders through December 31, 2023.
- Best-in-class trip delay/cancellation and luggage protection benefits.
- Primary rental car insurance coverage.
- Complimentary elite status with Avis Preferred and National Emerald Club.
- Get up to 30% off rentals with Audi on demand (formerly Silvercar).
Benefits can be activated by locating and following the prompts under “Featured Benefits and Offers” in the Ultimate Rewards Portal.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve full review
Chase Sapphire Reserve earning structure
The Sapphire Reserve has multiple elements to its earning structure:
- 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
You'll also earn 10x per $1 on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more. This is valid through March 2025 with a maximum of 50,000 bonus points.
For bonus earnings on travel, note that the earning rates only apply after you've exhausted the $300 travel credit.
To decide how valuable the Sapphire Reserve earning rates are, you first have to ask yourself a few questions:
- Do you book a lot of hotels and rental cars through the Chase Travel portal?
- Do you ride with Lyft regularly?
If so, this can present a significant earning opportunity to add extra points on each purchase. How you can use the card's earning rates will play into whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth it for you.
A look at earning potential using Chase Travel
Let's assume you spend $2,000 on hotels in a given year. You'd earn 20,000 Chase points by booking through the Chase Travel portal, instead of 6,000 when booked directly with the hotel.
Add in renting a car four times a year at an average of $200 per rental. Booking through the portal, you'll earn 10 points per dollar spent. Booking directly with the rental agency, you'd earn just 3x. That's an extra 5,600 Ultimate Rewards annually by using Chase's travel portal ($200 x 4 rentals x 7 additional points per dollar).
You'd earn a total of 28,000 points on these $2,800 in travel purchases. Valuing those points at a baseline of 1.5 cents each (which you can get when redeeming the points in the Chase Travel portal), you're getting at least $420 in credit card rewards from those purchases. However, data points from AwardWallet users show they redeem their Chase points for 1.97¢ apiece, further increasing the value of your earnings.
Keep in mind that hotels typically require you to book directly to get stay credits or enjoy your elite status perks. Consider how often you book through third-party sites to evaluate your real points-earning opportunities.
Earning from flights, dining, DashPass, and Lyft
Booking flights: How often do you book through a third-party agency? Given what we saw during the pandemic, many people have sworn off Online Travel Agents (OTAs) for good. Reviews and horror stories from friends about dealing with Chase Travel for canceled flights make me wary of trying to book with them to earn extra points. In a few situations, this could be a beneficial perk, such as finding a lower price here than elsewhere or if the likelihood of cancelation is minimal. However, given that you only earn an additional 2 points per dollar spent for flights booked through Chase Travel (5X instead of 3X), I don't consider it worth it.
Chase Dining: The Chase Dining benefit is difficult to value. For me, participating restaurants are few and far between. If you live in a major city, though, options are more abundant. Consider how often you dine at nice restaurants, how many participate in this program near you, and whether you will remember to book them through the Chase Dining site. It's hard to put a value on the earning possibilities from dining purchases.
DoorDash DashPass: Let's estimate for someone who orders with food delivery apps five times per month. If you consider an average savings of $4 per order, the DashPass benefit should save you $240 annually. For these cardholders, the DoorDash perks could provide some serious savings. However, I personally value this benefit at $0 since I use DoorDash maybe once per year.
Lyft: Let's assume you spend $100 per month on ride-hailing services. Earning 10 points per dollar spent with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card instead of 3X points with another card gives you an additional 8,400 points each year. If you value Ultimate Rewards points at a baseline of 1.5 cents each, that's $126 more in value each year.
Related: All of the Lyft Benefits Available Through Credit Cards
Value of other card benefits
$300 annual travel credit: This one is easy. Assuming you have at least $300 in paid travel expenses, this is worth its $300 face value.
Lounge access: This one is more difficult to peg. But let's assume you have a Priority Pass lounge or Sapphire Lounge at your home airport and would use it at least 12 times per year. I personally value lounge access at no more than $25 per visit — about what I would pay to eat a reasonably priced meal at the airport. So I would assign this benefit a value of $300 per year. If you fly much more often, the value increases. It also increases if you're able to use lounges at connecting and return airports.
We discuss each of these benefits in more detail later.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS application fee reimbursement: This benefit reimburses you for the application fee for any of these three trusted traveler programs. You can receive one statement credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement. Simply use your card to pay the application fee to receive the benefit.
What is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth to you?
It's important to emphasize that the value of the card benefits is different for everyone. Simply using something because it's there doesn't mean you are saving money or getting real value. For example, if you never use food delivery app services (which is my situation), the DashPass benefit is useless.
In summary, here's how to determine the value of the Sapphire Reserve benefits:
- Assess your typical monthly expenditures for the areas where the card's benefits or bonus earnings overlap with purchases you already make.
- See where the card would provide monthly or annual credits for purchases you already make. Assign this the full value of how much the card would save you.
- For benefits where the perk is additional bonus points, determine how many extra points the Sapphire Reserve will give you and assign the value of the points difference from earnings on the card you're currently using.
- Don't assign any value to perks that you wouldn't use if you didn't have the card.
Sign-up bonus
The Sapphire Reserve‘s current sign-up bonus lets new cardholders earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. If you conservatively value each point at 1.5¢ a piece, then this bonus is worth $900.
In this regard, the value of the sign-up bonus easily eclipses the annual fee and makes it easy to justify giving the Sapphire Reserve a try for one year. If you aren't sure how the card benefits will work out for you, you can monitor during the first year and make up your mind when the annual fee is due in year two — deciding to pay it and keep the card or to cancel the card to avoid this annual fee based on your experiences in year one.
If you don't think the benefits will outweigh the increased fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great alternative.
Related: Who Is Eligible to Get a Bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Can I Have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
No, you cannot hold both cards at the same time. Chase doesn't allow customers to have two Sapphire cards at the same time. However, you can product change one to the other as needed.
Given the overlapping benefits of the two cards — such as access to transfer partners and travel insurance protections — there isn't a strong reason to hold both of them anyway. The better question is which one best fits your needs. The Sapphire Reserve definitely has the better set of perks, but it comes with a much higher cost.
Are Ultimate Rewards More Valuable with the Sapphire Reserve?
The 1.5 cent-per-point redemption rate on bookings through the Chase Travel portal might be an essential factor in whether you think the annual fee on the Sapphire Reserve is worth it.
If you know you'll be transferring your points to an Ultimate Rewards partner, the Sapphire Reserve‘s enhanced redemption rate through the Chase Travel Portal is irrelevant. On the other hand, if you do use the travel portal, the Sapphire Reserve can help you stretch your points significantly further. If you're unfamiliar with these two redemption options, check out our comprehensive guides below:
The Sapphire Reserve enables you to redeem points at 1.5 cents each in the travel portal. In addition, there are six other Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards currently open to new applicants. These are the per-point redemption rates in Chase's travel portal:
- Sapphire Preferred: 1.25¢ per point
- Ink Preferred: 1.25¢ per point
- Chase Freedom Flex℠: 1¢ per point
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 1¢ per point
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: 1¢ per point
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: 1¢ per point
Related: All of the Cards that Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
A quick card comparison
Let's quickly compare the Sapphire Reserve and its closest alternative, the Sapphire Preferred. While a difference of 0.25¢ per point may not seem like much at first glance, it can make a big difference:
- If you value the Sapphire Reserve‘s $300 annual travel credit at cash value, then the new annual fee difference between the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred is effectively $155.
- How so? Here's the math: Take the Sapphire Reserve‘s $550 annual fee and subtract $300 (travel credit) = $250 (net cost). Then subtract the $95 annual fee on the Sapphire Preferred to get a $155 fee difference.
Let's assume that you get ZERO value from any of the other Sapphire Reserve benefits. To break even with the Sapphire Reserve‘s adjusted annual fee in the math above, you need to redeem at least 62,000 points through the portal per year.
- 62,000 points x 1.5¢ = $930 (Travel portal value with the Sapphire Reserve)
- 62,000 points x 1.25¢ = $775 (Travel portal value with the Sapphire Preferred)
- $930 – $775 = $155
- If you redeem more than 62,000 points per year through the Chase portal, then the Sapphire Reserve provides better value.
How many points do you redeem this way? I typically redeem fewer than 20,000 points through the Chase Travel Portal each year. That's not enough to break even if you consider this perk in isolation.
However, I am gaining value through other benefits. For me, the Sapphire Reserve‘s annual fee is worth it in this regard. Check the math for your personal situation.
How Does the $300 Travel Credit Work?
One of the best features of the Sapphire Reserve is its annual $300 travel credit. This is a flexible credit, good for any purchases that fall within the “travel” purchase category. Per Chase, travel merchants include:
airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.
All you have to do is use your card for a travel purchase to receive the credit. You don't have to spend the whole $300 in one go. Chase will automatically apply the credit to your travel purchases, up to a maximum of $300 per year. If you spend overseas, you don't have to worry about paying foreign transaction fees.
Chase bills this as the most flexible travel credit available. And they're right. Only the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve has a similarly flexible general travel credit.
Related: How To Use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® $300 Travel Credit
What Sort of Lounge Access Do I Get?
The Sapphire Reserve offers lounge access through a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass is a network of over 1,300 lounges worldwide. Lounge access is for the primary cardholder plus up to two guests per visit, subject to individual lounge policy. The membership offered by the Sapphire Reserve includes access to restaurants, cafes, and markets participating in the network.
What's unique about the Sapphire Reserve is that it lets you access exclusive Chase Sapphire Lounges. The first three locations are currently open, with several more planned:
- Austin (AUS) — Chase Sapphire Terrace
- Hong Kong (HKG)
- Boston (BOS)
Planned:
- Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- New York–La Guardia (LGA)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- San Diego (SAN)
- Washington–Dulles (IAD)
You must enroll in Priority Pass and activate the membership to enjoy lounge access, including access to Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations. If you fly frequently and have a lounge at your home airport, this perk alone can easily make the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth it.
Related: Chase Sapphire Lounge Guide
Should I Care About Visa Infinite?
Visa Infinite is the highest of the three tiers of Visa credit cards, offering the most exclusive perks and privileges. There are very few cards that are issued as a Visa Infinite product. Key benefits include:
- Auto rental collision damage waiver and other travel protections
- Global Entry statement credit
- Visa Infinite rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz, National®, and Audi on demand
- Visa Infinite concierge services
- Access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection
- Complimentary memberships with Shipt (through December 31, 2024), Sofar, and Skillshare
You may notice that some of these perks are available with Visa Signature cards. This is because credit card issuers control which features are offered on their cards. There are plenty of Visa Signature cards that offer travel insurance protections and a trusted traveler program statement credit.
Overall, I wouldn't worry about specifically having a Visa Infinite card. Of course, there's the “cool” factor to consider. Visa Infinite cards are rare.
Related: Visa Infinite Privileges — What They Are and How to Access Them
Why Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve the Right Card for Me?
For frequent travelers who fly regularly and could access a lounge within the Priority Pass network at their home airport, the Sapphire Reserve will likely be a great fit. The card is ideal for those who spend a good amount annually on travel and dining and want to maximize their rewards. The card is within the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, providing access to a great array of transfer partners. Plus, you can redeem your points for travel directly with Chase for high value.
The Priority Pass and Sapphire Lounge access offered by the card is a key benefit. If you'll be able to take advantage of this regularly, the card will easily pay for itself. Airport food is expensive, and you'll be able to enjoy both complimentary food and drinks, plus a quieter space away from the bustle of the terminal.
The other card benefits are ideal for those who travel frequently. You'll enjoy primary rental car insurance when renting with the Sapphire Reserve, plus other travel protections like trip delay and cancellation insurance plus coverage for delayed, lost, or damaged baggage.
If you don't regularly travel, the card won't be a good fit. You'll likely end up paying more than what you get in return. For those who travel infrequently, you'll need to decide whether the benefits make the Sapphire Reserve worth it for you.
TL;DR: So, Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Really Worth It?
Given the value of the sign-up bonus, it's pretty easy to justify the cost of the Sapphire Reserve the first year. After that, you should take a look at which benefits you find most useful, assigning a dollar value based on your own situation. Keep in mind that you may have access to some benefits (like TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement or lounge access) through other cards, which may dilute their value.
Let's crunch some numbers to see what makes the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth it. Here's my evaluation:
- $300: Annual travel credit (We assign this full value since you're directly reimbursed via statement credit)
- $300: Priority Pass Select membership (see above for my methodology; this could be worth less or more to you)
- $50: Additional value of points redeemed through Chase Travel versus other cards (assumes 20,000 points redeemed this way per year)
- $25: Trusted Traveler Program application fee credit ($100 credit divided over four years)
- $75: Estimated value of additional points/savings with Lyft and Dashpass
- I've not placed a value on any other benefits
Total value: $750
This is a rather conservative valuation. But it's clear that plenty of people can extract value from of the Sapphire Reserve.
You'll have no trouble justifying the card's cost if you regularly use the Chase Travel Portal, consistently book rideshares, order takeout or delivery pretty often, or have an at-home gym membership that you'll change for cost savings. Elevated earnings on travel and dining purchases also can sway your decision.
If you don't spend much in these areas and don't want (or can't use) lounge access, consider the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred.
Alternatives To Consider
If you're not sold on the Sapphire Reserve, or if you want to know what similar options are out there, here are a few other cards to consider.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
If there's one card that is a close comparison to the Sapphire Reserve, it is the Capital One Venture X. It also offers a $300 annual travel credit, although you have to book through Capital One Travel to use it. The card also offers 10,000 bonus miles (worth at least $100) annually and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years.
As far as earning miles goes, the Capital One Venture X earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, plus 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel. For travel purchases, it compares well, although booking through Capital One Travel may be frustrating for some. I always prefer to book directly with airlines whenever possible. Where it falls notably short of the Sapphire Reserve is on dining spending. Miles earned with the Capital One Venture X can be transferred to 18 Capital One transfer partners.
The other benefits compare well to the Sapphire Reserve. The Capital One Venture X provides a Priority Pass Select Membership, including unlimited guests (subject to space constraints at the lounge). However, unlike the Sapphire Reserve, this membership does not include access to Priority Pass restaurants. You also get access to Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges with the card. One benefit the card offers that the Sapphire Reserve doesn't is cell phone protection. The other travel protections compare similarly across both cards.
The biggest upside to the Capital One Venture X is its lower annual fee. At only $395, it is substantially cheaper than the Sapphire Reserve. And you get most of the same benefits.
Related: Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Which Is Better?
- 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases
- 5 miles per dollar on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel
The Platinum Card® from American Express
If you're looking for more out of a premium credit card, check out everything the Amex Platinum card has to offer. It has a $695 annual fee (Rates & Fees), which is substantially more than the Sapphire Reserve, but the various credits make it worth it for some travelers. The monthly or annual travel-focused credits include:
- Up to $200 hotel credit for eligible prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel
- Up to $200 airline incidental fee credit for common incidental expenses on the airline of your choice
- $189 CLEAR Plus credit that reimburses you for an annual membership
- $200 in annual Uber Cash for rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S., provided as a $15 monthly credit with an additional $20 in December when you add your card as a payment method in your Uber account
- $240 digital entertainment credit, available as up to $20 per month with select services
- $100 Global Entry fee credit (every four years) or $85 TSA PreCheck (every 4.5 years)
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Other credits include a Walmart+ subscription credit, $100 in annual credits at Saks Fifth Avenue, and a $300 Equinox credit. All said and done, it's possible to get far more value out of the card than the $695 annual fee. The Sapphire Reserve doesn't provide nearly this much potential, but its travel credit is much more flexible.
As far as earning goes, the Amex Platinum may or may not be as lucrative as the Sapphire Reserve. The Amex Platinum earns 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com, plus 1X points on other eligible purchases. If airfare or prepaid hotels are a major expense category, you'll likely come out ahead with the Amex Platinum. But this isn't as good as the 3X offered on all travel with the Sapphire Reserve — or the flexibility of booking travel however you wish.
Finally, Priority Pass memberships from American Express don't include access to restaurants. This is another area where the Sapphire Reserve has a leg up.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
- $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If the annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Reserve is too much for you, or you don't think you'll get enough out of the benefits to make it worth it, consider the Sapphire Preferred instead. At $95 instead of $550, it's easier on the wallet. Plus, it earns the same type of points. However, the card doesn't offer nearly as many features. It doesn't offer lounge access, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, or Lyft Pink membership. You do get a $50 hotel credit with the Sapphire Preferred, but this pales in comparison to the $300 Sapphire Reserve travel credit.
As far as earning points goes, the Sapphire Preferred falls a bit short of the Sapphire Reserve. The Sapphire Preferred earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (2X on other travel); 3X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out; 3X points on streaming services; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs); and 1X on all other purchases.. There's no 10X earning on hotel and rental cars booked through Chase and on Chase Dining purchases.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
When it comes to redeeming points, you'll have access to the same array of 14 airline and hotel partners. However, if you plan to use your points to book travel directly through Chase Travel, the Sapphire Preferred only gets you 25% more in value — 1.25¢ per point. With the Sapphire Reserve, your points are worth 50% more (1.5¢ apiece).
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase
- 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
Want More Insight Into Maximizing Your Rewards? Create Your Free AwardWallet Account Today
AwardWallet is the tool for tracking and managing all your loyalty program accounts. Besides being able to see all your points balances in one place, you can also use AwardWallet to get the most out of your credit cards.
Link your bank programs to AwardWallet and use the Credit Card Spend Analysis tool to see how many points you're currently earning versus how many you could be earning. Where your earning falls short of its potential, AwardWallet will suggest other cards.
Related: What Perks Does AwardWallet Plus Provide?
FAQ
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve really worth it?
This depends on your unique circumstances. If you can use the card's $300 travel credit each year, then you need to get $250 in additional annual value from the lounge membership, spending credits, and elevated earning rates.
How much do I have to spend for Chase Sapphire Reserve to be worth it?
It depends on your spending categories. If you redeem at least 62,000 points annually in the travel portal (using the elevated redemption rates), this card justifies its higher fee in comparison to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve hard to get?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a Visa Infinite card. This is the highest category of Visa credit cards and typically requires an excellent credit score — considered to be 750 or above. That's not the only factor, though. Proof of income and other application rules also matter.
Who is the Chase Sapphire Reserve best for?
This card is ideal for those who want top-notch perks from their credit card. Think lounge access, multiple spending credits, and elevated earning rates. If you won't take advantage of these, it's hard to justify the annual fee.
Why is the Chase Sapphire Reserve so popular?
It's popular because it offers so much. A $300 annual travel credit covers more than half of the annual fee, plus you get unlimited lounge visits, strong earning rates, and earn valuable points that can be used in multiple ways.
Should I pay off my Chase Sapphire immediately?
As with all credit cards, you should pay your bill in full each month — on or before the due date. If you don't pay your full bill each month, you will accrue interest. This can negate the value of rewards you earn and can lead to debt.
When can I cancel my Chase Sapphire Reserve to avoid an annual fee?
If you decide to cancel your card, do so within 30 days of the annual fee posting to your account. Within this timeframe, Chase typically allows cardholders to close their account and have the fee removed from their final bill.
Does Chase Sapphire increase credit?
It is possible to build your credit score and to get an increased credit line. Using credit cards responsibly can build credit history and improve your credit score. If you use your card responsibly, Chase also may provide an increased credit limit — which could further help your credit score.
How do you feel about the benefits on the Chase Sapphire Reserve — worth the annual fee or not?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (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.
I filed an insurance claim that was approved however I have to refile after my airline credit expires. Since I booked the trip with my CSR and got my claim approved, do I have to be a current CSR holder when I refile my claim or can I downgrade before that point?
Not sure if my rides would make up for it.. might just need to cancel. But I do like the lounge access though lol.
We have the card and, at least when not being impacted by COVID, it is definitely worth if you charge a lot and like to travel (as the value of the points really add up and you book any award travel through their website). Even with COVID, as the article points out they are adding some new benefits to make up for the same (e.g. DoorDash and grocery/gas bonuses and reimbursements in lieu of travel). Make sure you sign up when there is a strong sign up bonus.
The signup bonus hasn’t changed since the initial launch offer and I don’t expect it to again anytime soon.
It looks that it is well worth the annual fee of $450 because there is $300 per year as a travel credit. I keep that several years.
Ordinarily I wouldn’t need to think about how to rack up $300 in travel expenses. If you make one flight a year you’re there. But this is no longer trivial, given we’re in a pandemic that isn’t going away any time soon. Is there an expense that can count as ‘travel’ that is compatible with self isolating at home for the forseeable future, maybe with the occasional drive in your own car? Are there good travel gift cards that don’t expire? I’m going to get on planes/trains/buses again, and stay in hotels again, but not before there’s a vaccine. So what would you say is the easiest way to get to $300 in this situation, to help keep this card worthwhile?
Any reports of being able to get the annual fee reduced to $450 for a new CSR? Trying to decide between applying for CSP or CSR and I think that $100 would make the difference.
This year many airlines may change policy on how to redeem mileage. Better wait a little while.
I opted for this card as a travel card – the $300 credit, Priority Pass lounge entry, Global Entry, and no foreign transfer fees more than make back the annual fee.
The rest is gravy: 3% points on travel related purchases, auto collision waiver, trip delay coverage, emergency evacuation , emergency medical & dental reimbursement, trip delay coverage, Door Dash, Lyft, etc
Not worth the extra $100 to me. Lyft is a commodity — I use Uber and Lyft inter-changably depending who is more available and cheaper. And I don’t use food delivery services. The deadlines on the new Covid benefits are too tight and too complicated.
Deadlines too tight? You mean like the bonus categories only being for three months? I guess some love simplicity but I love trying to work the system.
Not worth it for me. Most of the new perks are useless to me, especially under the restrictive lifestyle changes caused by COVID.
Thankfully I think I’ll have another year of $450…
I was ready to downgrade mine this year to the regular Saphire. I don’t use lyft or Doordash. These perks are worthless to me. Luckily they pushed back the fee hike till next year because of covid so I’ll keep til my renewal date.
Regular Sapphire? You should choose a freedom instead.
As with every answer, it depends on your spending habits.
IMHO, this card is certainly NOT worth $550 for 2020.
The extra $100 is still hard to justify in my opinion. It’s nice that they reduced the fee back for renewals but surprised they didn’t really offer anything else to new card members. Though the ability to now get the $300 on grocery makes it almost a no brainer at a $250 net fee, even before the rest of the perks (assuming travel perks are not very useful for the next year)
I’ve had the CSR for years, but the extra $100 may drive me elsewhere. The lack of PP lounges in ORD domestic terminals is a killer for me.
It’s not likely I will renew the CSR at $550.
It would be interesting, if there was a follow up analysis as to what is the best combination of cards in the same range of yearly fees (the various AmEx platinums, Aspire, etc.). My initial thought would be to have both the Chase card and the personal platinum. Or might some other combination work better from a benefits standpoint?
Thanks for the Lyft breakdown. The travel insurance is a nice perk of this card too that many others don’t have.
Travel insurance just saved me a TON of money. I had travel booked but my PCS date got changed (due to COVID – but change of orders are covered). So far I got my $15 booking fee reimbursed and when my credits expire, I’ll get around $1,850 and $650 back. A lot of cards have travel insurance but this card just easily paid for itself.
It depends .. on how much the benefits described in the value proposition are used….Its could be very interesting!!
my answer is, “NOPE!” stick with CSP and you’d be happier without worrying about where to spend the CSR benefits
Good detailed breakdown of the value of the card. Helpful in deciding if to get it.
Getting harder and harder to justify keeping this card with the increased annual fee and benefits which are incredibly difficult to take advantage of during these times. Would have liked to see more benefits, even if temporary.
I used to have the Chase card and got rid of it. Now I might have to get it again. Thanks for the information
Still on the fence. Got plenty of value with Priority Pass and the $300 credit, but new benefits are not as valuable to us. Hope they would increase return to 5% for airfare, lodging, and dining!
For the $100 increase, I really wish they would’ve done something else; either change the multipliers to 4x or add a third category of groceries at 3x. Lyft and DoorDash do nothing for me and I think they’re temporary benefits anyway.
Lounge access and air ticket credit is worth $500+ , if you add the value of lyft and doordash it add upto over $600 .
The travel credit is a hard $300 so you’re saying PP is worth $200 – which actually you don’t earn points on that $300 so you COULD say that $300 is only worth $282…
Anyway, the value of PP will depend on how many times you use it. I value each visit on average around $10 so I’d have to use it 20 times to get $200 in value from it.
$550 doesn’t seem worth it to me! I don’t often use DoorDash or Lyft and would probably only end up spending more to justify the added fees.
To be fair, that is their goal.
Really not great for those who primarily use the card abroad!
How so? I’d argue the opposite. Amex has a lot of categories restricted to the US while Chase does not. Priority Pass also tends to be better overseas. I live in Australia at the moment and the card has been great for me.
Definitely keeping this card
I would vote yes. I love the restaurant feature with the Priority Pass. I use that with the airline lounge access and I don’t have to eat the meal on the flight. That gives me an extra 1 to 1.5 hours of sleep on the overnight long haul flights.
It definitely depends on what your regular airports are. PP restaurants are few and far between. 🙁
At this point, I am hoping that maybe American Express or other credit cards can offer something good like 100k pts to gather CSR users. I am definitely looking to hop to another premium credit card
Unfortunately they don’t need to do anything. Chase lowered the value of their premium card and are quite figuratively pushing tens of thousands of people out the door.
The really puzzling thing is that they market this as *the* travel card, yet introduced benefits that are only available in select markets in the US. How are those of us who spend much of the year abroad meant to get real value out of these perks?
Seriously. I don’t put Lyft as a company to be considered as a product of an elite travel card. Centurion lounges however…
Always appreciate the insightful analysis. Had been considering product changing from CSP to CSR. However, I’ll stick with the CSP as the CSR changes and increased fee have actually decreased my interest in the card as it lessened the value to me.
It was only a few months ago that I signed up at $450, and wondered if I would every break even. At least I have a while until the $550 fee will be due.
Don’t forget about things like Chase offers – there are lots of ways to help chip away at the fee. Priority Pass being another. I’m mad about the increase but it may still be the best option.
My Chase offers are always crap. I get 5 at most and they’re for things I wouldn’t even consider with the exception of Starbucks but I’m trying to cut back on that.
We order food for delivery at least once a week so the Doordash credit and DashPass will be put to good use. However, Lyft is almost always more expensive in my city even with the Pink discount.
Is it worth $550/year? Well, it is however putting it side by side with the Platinum card doesn’t even compare. That card gives Centurion Lounge access, Priority Pass (albeit minus the restaurants), and Delta lounge access when flying Delta. And I’m not even done. You also get BOTH Hilton and Marriott status. You also get 5x purchase categories and still so many more things too (an extra 4 hours on your rental car anyone?).
So all that said, is the CSR worth $550? Probably. But it’s living in Amex’s shadow and not doing anything to catch up. Chase needs to give at least Hyatt Explorist status and allow United Club access when flying United or create its own Sapphire airport lounges. The CSR was an AMAZING card that for some unknown reason just stepped into Amex’s shadow.
It is definitely not worth it for most.
To be fair this is a high dollar premium card to start with and the target audience is already really small. Unfortunately for us the target demographic doesn’t actually change much increasing the fee by $100.
Overall, these changes will result in less people holding the CSR, which I think is one of Chase’s goals. There will be many who won’t use the DoorDash and Lyft benefits.
Bingo. There have been many articles stating that the CSR loses Chase money (but they do it to try and build banking relationships). It A) increases more revenue per cardholder and B) lowers the number of churners and people who are a money drain on Chase.
Not so excited but still probably keep card, reluctantly.
I apologize if this has been asked or already answered somewhere else, but thought this would be the best place….
I am considering signing up for the CSR for myself and my girlfriend (as an authorized user), but had a couple of questions. Are the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and TSA credit split between the two cards or will we each get our own (hypothetically speaking of course, since I have not yet applied, LOL)?
Global Entry would be available for both you and the authorized user. You only get one $300 travel credit. But either cardholder could trigger it. (So you could spend $135 on your card and the AU could spend $165 on her card and you’d get a credit for each travel purchase). But once you hit $300, you’re done for the year until the credit resets.
One other thing to note is that you both get your own Priority Pass. I have also heard that only the main user gets Global Entry. I believe Erik but I’d confirm that if that will make or break your decision.
I kept CSR primarily for primary car rental coverage in North America. $150 a year can be justified for this ($450 minus $300 that is easily used).
Door Dash and Lyft pink provide very little added value to me so the increased AF is a showstopper.
My 2020 credit card strategy will be $95 a year for CSP to keep primary car rental coverage / travel benefits and another $95 for a Hilton Amex Surpass that comes with 10 Priority passes for the occasional layover. Free weekend night and Hilton gold status are benefits that don’t overlap with CSP that I can also use more than justifying the $95 AF.
Not sure if I will keep CSR or not. I like the full coverage insurance but haven’t found the lounges to be much of a benefit. Either there isn’t a lounge or it is in another terminal, etc.
Or the lounges automatically say they’re full. The real benefit is restaurants but you have to travel through airports that have them.
I think for a lot of people the answer is not worth it, but not sure for myself.
I agree with you but as always there is no one size fits all answer so we should always be doing cost benefit analyses.
I have another year of $450. Might stick with it first.
Keeping it. i get far more value from the transferring to airline partners
The new benefits definitely skew towards city dwellers. Very difficult to justify the higher fee if you are outside DoorDash delivery areas and don’t use Lyft much. I will stick with Sapphire Preferred.
It’s also odd that these aren’t travel benefits on a travel card. Copying Amex is just going to have the CSR lose it’s identity and get branded as the copycat imitator but is clearly missing lounge access (ie Centurion lounges) and hotel status (Platinum card offers gold status at both Hilton and Marriott and CSR offers…?).
Be careful with Doordash. Compare the Doordash prices with the restaurant’s own website prices. The restaurant’s prices I chose were exactly $2.00 LESS per item than the Doordash prices.
I’d second this. Doordash is an additional party that needs to get paid, so the prices go up. The value they offer is convenience – many restaurants on one site – and a better ordering interface. But, if you’re frugal, go directly to the restaurant site to order… or go old school and call.
Unfortunately you’re right. When we get a “free” $60 credit, it’s probably actually only $45 worth of food and I wouldn’t even value that at $45 because it’s forcing me to spend money I otherwise wouldn’t have spent. I’ll value the credit at around $30 each year and then it sounds like it’ll go away.
We live in a small town, the only time we CAN order Doordash, Grubhub or anything other than Domino’s is when we travel and honestly, I LOVE HAVING IT AVAILABLE! After a long day of sight seeing or travel, it is great to be able to just go on the app and have it delivered to the hotel and even if it is overpriced, it is no where NEAR the ridiculous prices charged by room service, if your hotel even has room service as it seems so many even nice hotels have stopped it anymore. I mean seriously, we’ve been to hotels where they literally charge $29-48 for a CHEESEBURGER LOL! For two people to eat room service it can be $100 or more! They add in a mandatory gratuity, service charge, etc. in addition to the overpriced food and yeah, Doordash looks like a fantastic value!
I will say I got a little ticked off this year with the CSR Travel Credit because I had booked a condo using Homeaway. com and they didn’t apply the credit. I asked why, they said it is because they are classified as a “Real Estate Company” which is funny because on Award Wallet, they are listed as a travel provider. I had rented at the same condos before under VRBO and they applied the credit so lesson learned to check the category if possible with CSR BEFORE booking.
There’s a website out there where you can see how Visa codes every single establishment. Sorry to hear about your experience but life lessons are learned all the time. I’ve definitely learned a few.
Yeah I’ve done a comparison too. I’ll be redeeming my $60 credit and that’s it. But on the other hand, if you get free delivery, I’m ok at times with just calling the higher price “the delivery fee” if it’s not worth my time to go out.
The new $550 annual fee is absolutely not worth it.
Chase must be out of their mind to think they can command $550 for the CSR.
I’m going to cancel my CSR once I get charged with the higher annual fee.
I’m with you except look up the average spend on a CSR. $100 increase in the annual fee sucks but most people see hundreds, if not thousands in rewards. Yes an extra $100 chips away at that but is the average user willing to throw away $800 in net rewards and get a different card just because they used to earn a net of $900? Don’t make a rash, emotional decision and just reevaluate your numbers.
With the new fee and new benefits, I’ll pass on this. I don’t find them useful and have priority pass from another card.
A key question here is whether the DashPass and Lyft Pink wind up being ongoing benefits. If they’re just intro benefits for a year or two, but the increased annual fee is permanent, then in the long run the CSR is a worse deal than it was before. If they’re long-term benefits (and one will use them enough to get significant value out of them) then it could be a better deal.
Agree 100%. If they drop them, I’ll be voting with my wallet.
It sounds to me like they’re temporary benefits to help ease the pain of transitioning to a $550 AF.
I think the biggest benefits of this card are the priority pass and point transfers.
Travel insurance is a big intangible you don’t really think of too. You don’t know you need it until you do.
Great, thorough post. I wasn’t aware of some of the CSR temporary l benefits that were added due to the coronavirus (specifically, reimbursement of gas station and grocery store purchases) – TY!
The CSR travel protection benefits (especially primary rental car insurance) is the one – and probably only – reason I’ll keep this card even with such an outlandish new price tag.
I have zero use for Doordash or any food delivery service – the prices on Doordash are significantly higher than calling the same restaurant directly or placing an order directly through its website… and I use Lyft once or twice a year, if at all.
The Citi Prestige card (designed for travel) was rendered useless for travel – other than the free hotel nights – when all travel protections were eliminated, unless I’m missing something. Like what on earth was Citi thinking?
I just used the travel insurance myself. Got the $15 Orbitz booking fee back and when my AA credits expire, I can claim that too.
I do not have any use of the delivery service benefits.
Same here. It seems to be an odd perk for a travel card but also they’re copying Amex yet again.
It would be hard for me to justify the fee.
This breaks down the benefits nicely versus the higher annual fee. Unfortunately, it’s just not viable for me.
Same. Never used Lyft or Doordash before in my life and aside from using the $60 credit, I still won’t. They are probably losing me as a customer – but I think that may secretly be part of their intent: to reduce the user base and stop the bleeding.
It is time to put a stop to the iPhone-level annual fees. Seriously.
I don’t think it’s worth it! I was going to upgrade my CSP this year, but decided not to after the price increase.
Yeah probably not this year. I’d say Priority Pass offers the most value and if you won’t be traveling much, you really won’t be using the benefits.
Benefits aren’t worth the price increase.
I’m in agreement with you but there’s no one best solution for many people. For some the new benefits are amazing. For some the new benefits do absolutely nothing but the extra $100 is still worth it, and for some it just may have priced us out of a premium card. I may be the latter…
Good post. I like the breakdown you did of how the card would benefit you. It’s nice to have an example. I would have to have another benefit because like you said if you have delivery or use lyft often, etc it’s not great for me right now. I don’t travel as much right now so all the card with a higher fee will be examined closer once I do travel more and can take advantage of all the benefits.
Thanks for the analysis. I transfer my points to Hyatt or other partners where I can get more than 1.5 cents of value, so the CSP seems better for me. Also, I’m well over 5/24, which makes it a moot point for now.
Hyatt is probably the best transfer partner there is. I’m strongly considering switching to the CSP longterm.
Love my CSR at $450, but not so much at $550. Since the $300 credit is a no brainer, is the extra $250 worth it? The best benefit for me is the Priority Lounge access, especially overseas (I REALLY wish PP had better domestic lounge access at ORD, DFW, etc.).
So, how much will I be traveling overseas next year? (already paid the $450 for 2020). Well, if the coronavirus sticks around, maybe not so much. I’ll probably ditch the CSR and move on to a different, cheer card with long access.
Overall, I think Chase may have squeezed too much of the value out of the CSR.
PP needs better lounges to be of any value. The only places in the US I can use are the few restaurants.
I think just comparing CSR with CSP isn’t a complete comparison. You also want to compare CSR with AmEx Plat ecosystem and Citi Prestige ecosystem.
Well, you could treat it like a playoff system, kind of. Pick the best Chase card (or ecosystem) and compare the top system from each setup. So you could weigh just the CSP and CSR (also assuming they’re paired with the two Freedoms) and decide which of those two cards is better for you.
Then compare to Amex’s setup, then to Citi’s, etc. Just compare two things at a time and pick which is better slowly making eliminations.
Is the annual $550 for Chase Sapphire Reserve card worth it? The answer is NO.
I’m disappointed in the annual fee increase. The results may be worth it, but i prefer Uber over lyft anyway. Worth looking into though.
I’d argue the results aren’t worth it and if I recall correctly, Chase is a financial backer to both Lyft and DoorDash too.
Thanks for the interest. Still not sure it would be worth leaving AmEx Platinum. However, might be worth it to have both cards. Your take on that possibility?
It really depends on whether you can get value from the benefits that don’t overlap (i.e. Priority Pass lounges). I personally have the Amex Plat, CSR, and Prestige.
I easily cover Platinum costs with Uber, Saks 5th Credit, and the Airline Fee credit + I visit the Centurion Lounge 5-10x per year.
For CSR, now $250/year after the $300 credit, I’ll recover most of that via Lyft Pink with around $200/month in Lyft charges. I could drop the CSR if they don’t make Lyft pink permanent after the first year.
For Prestige, I easily use the 4th night free 2x per year, so I come out way ahead on that card.
It’s also worth noting that Amex eliminated Priority Pass restaurants. I use the $28 per person meal credit with my spouse a few times a year, so that adds another $56-$112 in value (but that benefit could be with either the CSR or Prestige priority pass.
Again, really comes down to overall travel habits.
If you can legitimately use the credits, the Amex plat is a powerful card. Hotel status, lounge access… Chase has none of that. (Priority Pass but they both have that.)
I don’t really use the Lyft or Door Dash benefits, so I would rather they kept the price down and not offered these.
Unfortunately I can guarantee you the price increase was happening no matter what. The “extra” benefits we got were added to help justify the increase, not the other way around. These new benefits did not cost Chase $100. Period.
OR one exception would be yes these extra benefits do cost Chase more than $100, but they’re temporary and help ease customers into the new longterm increase before falling back to normal but we now pay $550 instead of $450.
I agree. I think Chase needed to raise the fee and then looked for additional benefits rather than added benefits but the had to increase the fee. But who knows. Doordash and Lyft are both heavily backed by Chase so it very well could have been a desire to push these services and subsequently increase the fee.
I just got my CSR – to get in under the increase in AF. Most of these new benefits don’t help me – especially the Lyft Pink since it’s just 15% off vs. actual cash in your account like the AMEX Platinum gives you with Uber. I’ll try it for a year. I’m hoping the $28 pp (for 2) Priority Pass restaurant meals will pay off. And, of course, there’s the $300 travel benefit. So the jury is still out for me.
Likewise here. Lyft and Doordash do nothing for me so I got a $100 increase for no new benefits. If they would add and/or keep the grocery category, that would change things a lot.
I would love for the grocery category to stay. The green, gold, and platinum card are all legit competitors to the CSR so Chase REALLY needs to up their game.
I also was disappointed in the annual fee increase but I will keep my card. Points, Priority Pass, Travel Trip Interruption, Lyft, etc keeps me in.
I would guess many (like myself) won’t really see much value from the card changes — it will be a negative. But certainly some will see a benefit.
It doesn’t quite make sense (well it does – they’re copying Amex). Lyft and Doordash aren’t really travel items. I definitely lose out by paying $100 more for no additional benefits.
The $300 credit is used almost as a given, add in the door dash that nearly pays for the card even if you only take a weekend trip somewhere. CDW is good, so is Priority Pass if you fly much. I currently have Amex Biz Plat, Citi Prestige and CSR but am probably going to cancel the Biz plat as the higher fee isn’t really worth it with the loss of the $200 American Airlines Gift card option…that made the fee worth it but the other benefits don’t seem to be worth the increase, between husband and me it is not worth it. Funny, Amex recently sent offer for 2nd BizPlat card….thought it was weird?
It used to be a given. In the current COVID climate….not so much.
Chase has made it far easier to use during COVID and to my knowledge you still earn points when you trigger the credit unlike when you trigger it on travel purchases.
In my opinion yes. Overall, the roster of transfer partners is superior to the closest competition (AmEx), and the annual credits the CSR offers are easier to utilize, and the Lyft offer is a decent addition. For me, the CSR is still the overall winner amongst premium CCs.
Sadly a lot of these benefits are temporary. I don’t think Doordash or Lyft Pink will be staying longterm.
Still keeping it too, because the Priority Pass restaurant access easily provides my family with over $600 in benefits annually. I’m no fan of increased fees, but even if none of these other benefits had been added, it was still a keeper. If they pull an Amex and drop that though, the math immediately changes.
I’m quite jealous. We don’t travel often so we can’t use PP much. 🙁
Yeah, between that and $300 travel credit, it pretty much pays for itself….errr….paid for itself. Not sure how I can justify it with no traveling now though.