Chase Sapphire Reserve Card 50,000 Bonus Points ($750 Value)

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98%

Chase Sapphire Reserve Bonus
Reviewed by: Tony Phan
Published on: September 20, 2018
Last modified: November 15, 2018

Popularity
Editor: 95%
Value
Editor: 95%

Contents

1 Why I Chose The Chase Sapphire Reserve
2 What’s The Competition?

The 100,000 bonus points offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card officially expired back in March of 2017. You can still earn 50,000 bonus points with the card when you apply online or in-branch.

Even though the 100k points offer is no longer available, I still believe the card to be worth the $450 annual fee. However, I don’t necessarily feel this to be the case for users that don’t travel often, or those who don’t appreciate the premium travel perks.

*Be sure to check out the current Checking and Savings promotions from Chase Bank also.

At-A-Glance
Bonus available	50,000 Points worth $750 towards travel.
Travel credit	$300 annually in travel reimbursements.
Ongoing rewards	3X Points on Travel Worldwide, immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit. 3X Points on Dining at Restaurants Worldwide. 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Foreign transaction fees?	No
Airport lounge access	1,000+ VIP lounges in over 500 cities worldwide with Priority Pass Select.
Annual Fee	$450 annual fee; $75 for each authorized user
Credit Needed	Excellent credit

Why I Chose The Chase Sapphire Reserve

Only recommended for travelers seeking premium benefits

I’ve been looking to jump on a premium travel card for some time. After a long period of debating between the Platinum Card from American Express and the Citi Prestige Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card made its introduction at the perfect time and I took the plunge.

For those simply seeking a hefty credit card sign-up bonus, the 50,000 bonus points that you can earn will be worth $750 towards travel booked through Chase. This offer more than makes up for the $450 annual fee, which isn’t waived for the first year.

Now that the bonus offer is down to 50,000 points, this card won’t be such a good choice for those only looking for bonus value. If you’re in this boat, go for one of the other bonus options with lower annual fees that are waived the first year (e.g. Chase Sapphire Preferred).

If you are in the market for a premium travel card to hold on to, it’ll be hard to pass this one up. I don’t usually get excited when a new credit card arrives, as it’s always been a financial move towards the bottom line. It’s not the first metal card I’ve had, but this one felt a little more special. It put a smile on my face knowing I now had three premium travel benefits I picked this card for – Priority Pass lounge access, 3X points on travel/dining, and $300 in annual travel credit.

#1: Free Priority Pass Select Membership

Save $399 on a Priority Pass membership with your card

You’ll have access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide with the complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. This membership level is equivalent to the “Prestige” membership plan that would cost you $399 if purchased directly on the Priority Pass site (10% discount link). As this is a benefit that is important to me, I perceive the savings as a huge rationale for the $450 annual fee.

You’ll have access to all of these 1,000+ lounges at no cost, and your guests (up to 2) will also be covered according to the Priority Pass Select welcome letter I received.

While it is still a nice retreat when traveling domestically, this premium benefit is much needed on those long international travel plans. You’ll find common amenities like showers, refreshments, alcohol, WIFI, and comfortable seating at many lounges.

Lounges can be found at busy domestic airports like LAX, ATL, ORD, JFK and DFW. More importantly, many more lounges can be found at international airports like PEK (Beijing, China), DXB (Dubai), LHR (London), BKK (Bangkok, Thailand), NRT (Narita, Japan), etc.

Go to the Priority Pass website to find a lounge in your intended destination and terminal.

KAL Lounge at LAX

Tips:

Once you receive your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll have to activate your free Priority Pass Select membership to take advantage of the benefit.
- Log into your Ultimate Rewards account.
- Click on either the “Use Points” or “Earn Points” menu at the top.
- Click on “Card Benefits”.
- Click to activate your Priority Pass Select membership.
While some lounges may give you access with just your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, your best bet is to carry your Priority Pass member card during your travels. It could take 2-3 weeks after activation to receive your card, so plan accordingly (I received mine in under 2 weeks).
If you’re traveling before your Priority Pass member card arrives, charge the in-network lounge access to your Chase Sapphire Reserve card and you can call in to have it reimbursed.

You must activate your Priority Pass membership to have access!

#2: 3X Points On Travel/Dining

Enjoy a nice meal and earn maximum rewards

You’ll earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel worldwide from airfare and hotels to taxis and trains. The 3 points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants worldwide applies to both fast casual to fine dining. Outside of these categories, you’ll earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

What are these points worth?

While you can redeem your points towards Gift Cards, Cash Back, or Amazon.com “Shop with Points”, you’ll receive 50% more value when you book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

Taking into account the 50% extra value, your rewards rate will be 4.5% on Travel/Dining and 1.5% on all other purchases. In comparison, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns an effective rate (also when redeemed towards travel through Chase) of 2.5% on Travel/Dining and 1.25% elsewhere. Hence, this is my second rationale for the $450 annual fee.

To possibly get even more value from your earned points, you can take advantage of the 1:1 points transfer feature. This is where you can transfer over your Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for an equivalent amount of points/miles with their transfer partners. Depending on how you use your rewards with these partners, your transferred points could end up being worth more. This is the case with many of the hotel rewards partners. Partners sometimes change, but here’s a current list:

Ultimate Rewards Airline/Hotel 1:1 Point Transfer Partners

Airline Transfer PartnersHotel Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus AerClub
British Airways Executive Club
Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
Iberia Plus
JetBlue TrueBlue
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
United MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

IHG Rewards Club
Marriott Rewards
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards
World of Hyatt

#3: $300 Annual Travel Credit

Thirdly, the $300 Annual Travel Credit that you’re allotted will cut down on the $450 annual fee substantially. I’ve seen some misunderstanding from readers and websites on this credit thinking it only applies to minor expenses like baggage fees and seat upgrades. Actually, the $300 in credits will be used as reimbursement for travel purchases that includes airfare and hotels charged to your card. The credits also occur throughout the year automatically as your charges are processed (it only took a few days for my first hotel booking with the card to get credited). I can also personally confirm that ride-sharing expenses such as Uber and Lyft count towards the travel credit as well.

This credit will be easily used up for any traveler, much less a frequent traveler that I only recommend this card for. I received my entire $300 in reimbursements within the first month for my trip, where even my Uber rides were credited.

50,000 Bonus Points To Top It All Off

To earn the 50,000 bonus points, you’ll have to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify.

Frequent travelers should have no issues meeting the spending requirement for the bonus, but here are some ideas:


MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS Use Plastiq to pay with your card. Plastiq is a service that will allow you to pay for expenses that you wouldn't otherwise be able to with your card, such as rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. They charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, but this will likely be worth the card bonus you'll obtain. They also have a referral program where you can earn "Fee-Free Dollars" to use towards processing fees. Go to Plastiq. Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you're working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase and TD Bank have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $500 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank. Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don't have purchase fees so this route won't cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you'll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it's a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well: Raise Gift Cards On eBay (auctions can save you even more with patience) Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you'll have to consider the convenience fees. More ways to meet the spending requirement

MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS

Use Plastiq to pay with your card. Plastiq is a service that will allow you to pay for expenses that you wouldn't otherwise be able to with your card, such as rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. They charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, but this will likely be worth the card bonus you'll obtain. They also have a referral program where you can earn "Fee-Free Dollars" to use towards processing fees. Go to Plastiq.
Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you're working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase and TD Bank have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $500 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank.
Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don't have purchase fees so this route won't cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. *Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you'll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it's a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well:
- Raise
- Gift Cards On eBay (auctions can save you even more with patience)
Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you'll have to consider the convenience fees.

*More ways to meet the spending requirement

Bottom Line:

Anyone who makes full use of all the travel benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card will see why choosing a premium card with a whopping $450 annual fee can actually make sense in some cases.

What’s The Competition?

Here’s a chart comparing the Chase Sapphire Reserve with its main premium credit card competitors – The Platinum Card from American Express and The Citi Prestige.

The Platinum Card from American Express


The Platinum Card from American Express has a special offer for 75,000 Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. The best options for redeeming these points would be by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards. Using these options, the 75,000 bonus will be worth $750. You must go directly to the American Express website to find this offer. Typically, the bonus offer reverts back to a 60,000 or 40,000 points promo, so it's all about timing here. The biggest drawback to this card is the $550 annual fee, which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights and eligible hotels, access to 1,000+ airport lounges, $200 in Uber credits yearly, and a $200 airline fee credit annually. For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury. Full Review

The Platinum Card from American Express has a special offer for 75,000 Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. The best options for redeeming these points would be by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards. Using these options, the 75,000 bonus will be worth $750. You must go directly to the American Express website to find this offer. Typically, the bonus offer reverts back to a 60,000 or 40,000 points promo, so it's all about timing here.

The biggest drawback to this card is the $550 annual fee, which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights and eligible hotels, access to 1,000+ airport lounges, $200 in Uber credits yearly, and a $200 airline fee credit annually. For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury. Full Review

Citi Prestige Card


*The Citi Prestige Card is no longer available in the U.S. but could return soon. The Citi Prestige Card is no longer offers a sign-up bonus (previously there were offers for 40,000 to 75,000 in bonus points). For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $450. In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 3X points on air travel & hotels, 2X points on dining & entertainment, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,000+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value. Full Review

*The Citi Prestige Card is no longer available in the U.S. but could return soon.

The Citi Prestige Card is no longer offers a sign-up bonus (previously there were offers for 40,000 to 75,000 in bonus points). For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $450.

In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 3X points on air travel & hotels, 2X points on dining & entertainment, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,000+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value. Full Review

If you don’t spend enough on Travel/Dining or don’t feel as though the premium travel benefits are worth the annual fee, you may want to consider some great alternatives – the Barclaycard Arrival ^® Plus World Elite Mastercard® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Barclaycard Arrival^® Plus World Elite Mastercard^®


The previously discontinued Barclaycard Arrival^® Plus World Elite Mastercard^® is now available again, and with a 60,000 bonus miles offer. The 60k bonus miles will be worth $600 when you redeem towards travel. If you take into account the 5% miles back every time you redeem perk, the 60k miles would then have a $630 value. This card also earns unlimited miles at the rate of 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases regardless of category, and doesn't have foreign transaction fees on international purchases either. Full Review Learn More Enjoy 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase Book travel your way-no airline, seat or hotel restrictions-and redeem your miles for travel statement credits Get 5% miles back to use toward your next redemption, every time you redeem No foreign transaction fees International Chip and PIN for use at self-service chip terminals around the world Miles don't expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing See Rates & Fees Card Details Hide Card Details

Barclays Arrival Plus 60000 Bonus $630 Value

The previously discontinued Barclaycard Arrival^® Plus World Elite Mastercard^® is now available again, and with a 60,000 bonus miles offer. The 60k bonus miles will be worth $600 when you redeem towards travel. If you take into account the 5% miles back every time you redeem perk, the 60k miles would then have a $630 value.

This card also earns unlimited miles at the rate of 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases regardless of category, and doesn't have foreign transaction fees on international purchases either. Full Review

Learn More

Enjoy 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase
Book travel your way-no airline, seat or hotel restrictions-and redeem your miles for travel statement credits
Get 5% miles back to use toward your next redemption, every time you redeem
No foreign transaction fees
International Chip and PIN for use at self-service chip terminals around the world
Miles don't expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing
See Rates & Fees

Card Details

Hide Card Details

Chase Sapphire Preferred


The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card currently has an offer for 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Redeeming the 50,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $625 in value towards travel. The 50K bonus points are worth $625 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived for the first year. Full Review

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card currently has an offer for 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Redeeming the 50,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $625 in value towards travel.

The 50K bonus points are worth $625 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived for the first year. Full Review

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Chase Sapphire Reserve Card 50,000 Bonus Points ($750 Value)

Why I Chose The Chase Sapphire Reserve

#1: Free Priority Pass Select Membership

#2: 3X Points On Travel/Dining

#3: $300 Annual Travel Credit

50,000 Bonus Points To Top It All Off

Bottom Line:

What’s The Competition?

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