Chase’s Sapphire Duo constitutes two of the best cards on the market for travelers, but narrowing down your travel and spending needs help you determine if your Chase Sapphire Preferred® card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the best option.
With a $95 annual fee, Chase Sapphire is recommended, making it more accessible among the two travel credit cards. Sapphire Reserve is a more premium option, matching price tag of $550 per year. Both cards earn rewards on travel and meal spending and offer competitive sign-up bonuses.
Choosing either Chase Sapphire will result in either Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Reserve, and it will result in your own spending habits and decide which will provide you with the most long-term value. There are a few things to consider:
Main details
| Features | Chase SapphirePreferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus |
|
|
| Remuneration rate |
|
Note: After earning $300 in annual travel credits, all travel-related revenues begin. |
| Introduction April | none | none |
| Annual fees | $95 | $550 |
| Statement Credit | $50 per year hotel stay credit through Chase Ultimate Rewards | qualifying trip annual travel credit: $300. Statement credits up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees. $10 per month with Lyft Ride credits until September 30th, 2027. |
| Point values via the Chase Travel Portal | 25% Point Value Boost for Travel Booked with Chay Travel | 50% Point Value Boost for Travel Booked with Chay Travel |
| Permitted User Fees | There is no fee to add certified users | Annual fee of $75 per additional certified user |
Chase Sapphire Preferences and Chase Sapphire Reserve Highlights
Which cards make the most money?
When comparing Sapphire Preferred with Sapphire Reserve, an important consideration is how much you earn in each bonus category of your card. Here are the amounts each card earns from normal spending:
Chase Sapphire Preferences and Examples of Chase Sapphire Reserve Expenses
Ultimately, the reserve is a sapphire card that can earn you the best rewards, but you have to be willing to spend. If you can make the most of your benefits and if your spending is focused on food and travel, you can easily earn a sudden $550 annual fee for the reserve. However, if these credits are useless, priority may be much more valuable.
Let’s say you ignore your credit and spend $20,000 on your card each year ($8,000 for a restaurant, $8,000 for a trip, $4,000 for a typical purchase).
With sapphire being prioritized, your spending will earn a total of 40,000 points on typical meal and travel purchases, and 44,000 points on all others. If you trade a Chase trip with a 25% boost, this is worth around $550.
However, in the reserve, your spending will bring 48,000 points to general meals and travel purchases and 4,000 points to other spending, totaling 52,000 points. The 50% boost you can get when redeeming points through Chase Travel, which totals around $780. Note that in order to earn 3x points on a travel purchase, you will need to earn $300 in travel credits first.
Using this example to subtract the annual fee, the annual value of the preferred card is approximately $455. The reserve is worth around $230. However, as spending increases, credits on the reserve (including $300 annual travel credits) and using the full reward spectrum will greatly increase the value of your card. It helps you to use your spending as a guide to determine which sapphire cards can maximize your spending.
Why you need to get a Chase Sapphire Preferred card?
If you travel a decent amount throughout the year, but don’t necessarily fly every few weeks (or travelling in style is not a top priority), priority may be the right sapphire card for you. A great reward structure with flexible redemption makes it easy to create a reasonable $95 annual fee worth it. This is a particularly great card for beginners looking to immerse their toes in the world of Travel Rewards credit cards.
Why should you get a Chase Sapphire Reserve?
If you spend a lot of your time on the plane every year and fully maximize all the extra credits and perks this card offers, the reserve is perfect for you.
Those who already spend frequently on ride-sharing and delivery services can choose a reserve if they travel frequently and are looking for lounge access to make the long airport waiting period a little more comfortable.
Which Chase Sapphire Credit Card Should I Choose?
Choosing a Chase Sapphire Reserve and a preferred credit card can take into account how you view these two key features and benefits Reward Card. Let’s take a closer look.
How important is annual fees to you?
Is the extra perks from Premium Chase Sapphire Reserve worth paying an annual fee of $550? If you use additional perks and take advantage of bonus categories and rewards, the annual fee is high It might be worth it.
On the other hand, if you don’t use enough cards to offset the annual fee, then perhaps Chase Sapphire recommends a better match.
Do you need the benefits and perks of a premium level?
Sapphire Preferred has many rewards, including five times the points on travel purchases, such as chase travel, travel insurance, and consumer protection. But Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits to a whole new level, including $300 annual travel credits and airport lounge access.
If you need to upgrade from tracking, sapphires take priority over reserves
If you prefer Chase Sapphire, it may be appealing to upgrade to Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of many of the perks on the card. Annual fees ($550) are something to consider, but they can offset or even deny the annual claims of many consumers.
Before upgrading to Sapphire Reserve, you must wait at least one year from the date you open your Sapphire Priority Account. This is because the Card Act explicitly requires credit card issuers to not charge cardholders higher annual fees on the same account within the first year of activation.
Upgrading from sapphire to sapphire reserves is easy. Follow customer support and call to request changes. You are just changing your product and have not applied for a new card, so you do not need to fill out or agree to the new application. Strict enquiries About your credit report. Still, you must meet the conditions of the Sapphire Reserve. Excellent credit score.
Also, keep in mind that you will not receive a welcome bonus when upgrading your cards. If you can wait for a card to change, your better option is to wait 48 months from the time you last won the Sapphire’s preferred bonus, and then wait for the downgrade you want over the rate card each year, then apply it fully to your reserve card and earn a welcome offer.
Conclusion
Your individual annual trip itinerary and ability to maximize credits will be a determinant between these cards.
If you want to earn rewards for food and travel expenses but only travel a few times a year, it’s better to reduce your Chase Sapphire Prefered card payments. If you are a frequent flyer and travel enough to compensate for the $550 annual fee for the reserve, its compensation and benefits are difficult to beat.
Both cards will pair with other cards Chase Card It can help you maximize your chances of earning your rewards.
Chase sapphire is desirable and Chase sapphire aliases are great Travel Reward Card It helps you earn hundreds of dollars worth every year. Still, it is important to consider your specific needs before making a decision.
