Chase is a leader in travel rewards cards, and its Sapphire cards are cult favorites for frequent travelers. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) are two of its most valuable credit cards.
The Sapphire Preferred is typically a better choice for beginners or less frequent travelers since the annual fee is just $95, compared to the much larger $795 annual fee for the Sapphire Reserve. But, if you want luxury perks, such as airport lounge access and travel credits, the Sapphire Reserve is the way to go.
Below, CNBC Select breaks down what sets these cards apart, so you can choose the one that provides the most benefit for your spending habits.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- 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 TravelSM, including The EditSM 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 PassTM 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
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual fee
The Chase Sapphire cards have vastly different annual fees, so it's important to do the math and see which card makes the most sense for you.
The $795 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve is expensive, even for a premium credit card. However, you can more than offset the fee if you utilize its perks. By taking advantage of just a handful of the Sapphire Reserve's benefits, you could receive $1,000+ in value.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred's $95 annual fee makes it more accessible, and it comes with a $100 credit toward hotel bookings you make through the Chase Travel℠ portal, which recoups the cost. While it doesn't have as many statement credits, the annual fee is more manageable.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred. While you can offset the fee for both cards, the Preferred's $95 annual fee is lower and much easier to recoup.
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With over 4,700 branches, Chase has the largest branch network in the U.S. plus access to more than 15,000 ATMs.
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Bank from anywhere with access to more than 15,000 Chase ATMs, more than 4,700 Chase branches, the Chase Mobile® app and Chase.com.
Welcome offer
Currently, the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are offering virtually the same welcome bonuses, just with slightly different spending requirements. That's an exceptional deal for potential Sapphire Preferred cardholders, given the Reserve charges $700 more per year.
For the Sapphire Preferred card, you can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The Sapphire Reserve is offering 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred. This bonus matches the card's highest-ever welcome offer.
Rewards
The Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve both offer solid rates on dining and travel purchases, with an even higher return for Chase TravelSM purchases.
The Sapphire Preferred earns:
- 5X on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM
- 3X on dining, select streaming services, online groceries, vacation homes and gas and EV charging
- 2X on all other travel purchases
- 1X on all other purchases
Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve earns:
- 8X points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM
- 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3X points on dining worldwide
- 1X points on all other purchases
If your primary rewards focus is earning on flights and hotel stays, the Sapphire Reserve will likely be the best pick. But if your spending is spread out and you'd prefer to earn in everyday spending categories like gas and online groceries, you'll benefit from the Sapphire Preferred.
Winner: Tie. The best rewards categories for you depend on your spending style.
Redemption options
Both cards allow you to redeem Chase points in a variety of ways, from statement credits to gift cards to travel booked through Chase Travel℠. You'll typically get a value of around 1 cent per point for these options.
Chase's Points Boost feature increases the value of select flights or hotel bookings through Chase Travel℠. For eligible Points Boost bookings, Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive up to 2 cents per point, and Sapphire Preferred cardholders receive up to 1.5 cents per point.
In general, the highest value redemption for both cards is transferring points to Chase's partner travel loyalty programs. Note, with the recent overhaul of the Sapphire Preferred, the card's transfer ratio to World of Hyatt dropped from 1:1 to 4:3 (though existing cardholders receive the 1:1 ratio until Oct. 1, 2026). Sapphire Reserve cardholders are unaffected.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners
| Chase transfer partner | Transfer ratio for Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM cards | Transfer ratio for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| The British Airways Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Iberia Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| IHG One Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 | 4:3 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. It features higher Points Boost potential and is unaffected by the Hyatt transfer ratio devaluation.
Benefits
While each card offers strong additional perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve goes above and beyond. Firstly, those with either card can benefit from:
- Complimentary DashPass for a minimum of one year (activate by Dec. 31, 2027)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage
Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits
Sapphire Preferred cardholders can take advantage of:
- Up to $120 in application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
- Up to $100 in annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
- One year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by Dec. 31, 2026 (terms apply)
Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits
Sapphire Reserve cardholders can enjoy:
- Access to Priority Pass lounges, including Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations and select Air Canada lounges
- Up to $500 in annual credits for prepaid stays with The Edit by Chase Travel (up to $250 in statement credits on up to two bookings per year; minimum two-night stay required)
- Up to $300 in annual StubHub and viagogo credits for concerts or events (up to $150 semiannually through Dec. 31, 2027; activation required)
- Up to $288 in annual value through complimentary Apple TV and Apple Music subscriptions (activation required; subscriptions run through June 22, 2027)
- Up to a $250 credit for select Chase Travel Hotel stays of two nights or more, made before Dec. 31, 2026
- Up to $150 in dining credits twice per year via the Sapphire Exclusive Tables program on OpenTable ( earn a $150 credit at eligible restaurants between Jan. 1 and June 30, and between July 1 and Dec. 31
- Up to $120 in application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
- Up to $120 in annual, in-app Lyft credits (up to $10 in credit per month) through Sept. 30, 2027
- Up $120 annual credits for Peloton memberships through Dec. 31, 2027 ($10 in monthly credit; activation required)
- Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status, the second highest level (through Dec. 31, 2027)
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. It offers significantly more value compared to the Preferred, as long as you take full advantage of its many perks.
Which should you get?
Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve depends on individual preferences, such as how you spend your money and how often you travel.
The Reserve card comes with more lucrative travel benefits and coverages, but it has a significantly higher annual fee. The Preferred card has a lower annual fee and nearly the same level of redemption benefits, but lacks higher-end travel perks such as lounge access.
FAQs
What is the 5/24 rule for Chase cards?
While it's more of an unofficial policy, the 5/24 rule means that you're less likely to be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth the annual fee?
The Sapphire Reserve can easily be worth the annual fee if you take advantage of several of the large credits and use features like lounge access with some regularity.
What credit score do I need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
To qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you'll typically need a good-to-excellent credit score, which falls into the 670-850 range.
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