The Chase Sapphire Reserve® just got a total overhaul. With new benefits, better earning rates, and a welcome offer that can be worth thousands, this card is more valuable than ever.
There’s a lot to take in with all the recent changes, so here’s a clear, no-fluff breakdown of why this premium card might deserve a spot in your wallet… despite the $795 annual fee.
1. A Welcome Offer Worth Thousands
Here is the current welcome offer:
Earn 100,000 bonus points plus a $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
That bonus alone can unlock incredible redemptions like the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica, a Category 7 Hyatt hotel that often goes for over $1,300 a night or just 45,000 points.
That’s nearly 3 cents per point in value, which is far above the industry average and shows how powerful this card is when paired with Chase’s transfer partners.
Screenshot from hyatt.com
If you use your welcome offer for redemptions like this, you can get thousands of dollars in value right off the bat.
2. Triple the Travel Credits
The Sapphire Reserve now comes with not one, not two, but three different travel credits:
A $500 Chase Travel promo credit as part of the welcome offer
A $300 annual general travel credit that applies to everything from flights to trains to Ubers
A $500 annual hotel credit (up to $250 biannual credits; 2-night minimum stay and prepayment required) when booking through The EditSM by Chase
Together, you can easily recoup the card’s $795 annual fee in your first year and beyond.
💡 Pro Tip: Learn more about how to justify this card’s high annual fee — thanks to new travel, lifestule, and dining perks.
3. $500 in Hotel Perks — And Then Some
The Edit by Chase isn’t just a hotel booking platform. It’s a premium program that offers added perks at handpicked, 1,000+ luxury hotels worldwide.
When you use your $500 annual hotel credit through The Edit, you’ll also get extras like:
Daily breakfast for two
Welcome amenity
$100 property credit (dining, spa, etc.)
Room upgrades when available
Early check-in/late checkout when available
These benefits can easily add a few hundred dollars of extra value to your stay.
Photo by Benji Stawski / Daily Drop
4. An Easy-To-Use Dining Credit
The new $300 annual dining credit (up to $150 biannually) works at select restaurants listed under Sapphire Reserve Tables on OpenTable.
Here’s the trick: you don’t need to book through OpenTable or Chase to get the credit. Just dine at an eligible restaurant, pay with your Sapphire Reserve, and the credit is applied automatically.
It’s rare for a card this premium to make things this easy, but this could be as good as cash for those of you who live in cities with options on Chase’s list of eligible restaurants.
5. Points Now Worth Up to 2x in the Chase Travel Portal
I’m not gonna lie… I was worried when Chase announced they’d be removing the ability to book travel through its portal for 1.5 cents per point.
But thankfully, it was replaced with something much more interesting: Points Boost.
With the new Points Boost feature, you can now get up to 2 cents per point when booking select flights or hotels (including all The Edit properties). No need to deal with transfer partners or award availability.
Screenshot from chase.com
6. Higher Earning Rates
The earning rates are one of the biggest changes to the Sapphire Reserve. And overall, I think it’s a net win.
The Sapphire Reserve now earns:
8x on all Chase Travel purchases, including The Edit, rental cars, cruises, activities, and tours
5x on eligible Lyft rides (through 9/30/27)
4x on flights and hotels booked directly
3x on dining worldwide, including eligible delivery
1x on all other purchases
These boosted rates mean you’ll rack up points even faster, especially if you book travel directly with airlines or hotels (which we highly recommend).
💡 Pro Tip: If you want to rack up Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your travel purchases, Daily Drop Pro will search thousands of flights and hotels to find the best cash and points deals for you.
7. Top-Tier Airport Lounge Access
It wouldn’t be a proper premium card without robust lounge access, right? Thankfully, this is yet another aspect of the Sapphire Reserve that Chase improved on.
You’ll get access to:
Chase Sapphire Lounges at airports like Boston (BOS), LaGuardia (LGA), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), and more
Priority Pass Select lounges (1,300+ worldwide)
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges when flying Star Alliance
Two free guests are also still included, unlike some other cards that now charge for guests or require you to hit a spending requirement.
8. Best-in-Class Travel Protections
The Sapphire Reserve has long offered some of the best travel protection in the business, and that hasn’t changed.
You’ll still get:
Primary rental car coverage
Trip delay and cancellation protection
Lost or delayed baggage coverage
Emergency evacuation and medical assistance
This is one of the reasons I put most of my travel purchases on my Sapphire Reserve already. If you travel even semi-regularly, this could save you thousands on a bad day.
9. Extra Perks for High Spenders
If you’re looking to drop some big coin, the Sapphire Reserve will reward you for it.
Spend $75,000 per year to unlock:
IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status
Southwest A-List status
Up to a $500 Southwest flight credit when booked through Chase Travel
An up to $250 credit for luxury shopping at The Shops at Chase
If you’re already spending heavily on travel, this bonus tier makes your card even more rewarding.
10. Flexible Points That Go Far
With all of the headline features, it’s easy to forget that this card earns you valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to some of the best airline and hotel programs out there.
Here are a few ways you can put them to use:
Book a flight to Europe for 6,000 points by transferring to Virgin Atlantic
Book Category 1 World of Hyatt hotels for as few as 3,500 points per night
Book Singapore Airlines business class to Europe by transferring 60,000 points to Aeroplan
Plus, transfer bonuses pop up often, which can stretch your points even further.
Bottom Line
The $795 annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®is hefty — but the value it delivers is even heavier.
With over $2,700 in potential annual value, standout travel protections, luxury perks, and one of the strongest welcome offers on the market, this card is built for travelers who want it all. If you’re looking for your next premium travel card, this one should be at the top of your list.
