Chase is making some changes to their eligibility rules around the popular Sapphire credit cards. What used to be a rule that you couldn't be a cardholder of both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) has now changed, meaning you can double down on earning Chase points.
A big caveat, though? You might not be able to earn both cards' welcome bonuses.
Here's what to know.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections 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
- $50 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 75,000 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, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- 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.
- 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 plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- 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.
- 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
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 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 Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — 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's new eligibility rules
What's changed?
Before the overhaul of the Chase Sapphire line of cards, the bank didn't allow a user to be the primary account holder on both the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards; you could only have one.
This was Chase's previous rule on owning multiple Sapphire cards at once:
The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months. If you are an existing Sapphire customer and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change. You will not receive the new cardmember bonus if you change products.
That's now changed, however.
New Sapphire eligibility rules
As of June 23, 2025, you can now be a cardmember of both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve. Why would you want to have both? Well, they cater to different spending. While the Preferred works with more everyday purchases, allowing you to earn on online groceries and streaming, the Reserve rewards your travel. Plus, with the two, you can more quickly collect valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
The only caveat is that there's a good chance you won't be able to score a welcome bonus on both cards. A Chase spokesperson told CNBC Select that new account bonus offer eligibility for either the Reserve or the Preferred will be based on several factors, including previously earned bonus offers and the number of cards opened and closed, among others. If you already had one of the Sapphire cards and earned its welcome bonus, you may not earn the welcome bonus on the second Sapphire card you get.
This is on the product page of Chase's website:
The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you currently have any other personal Sapphire cards open, previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card.
So, while Chase is opening up the doors to the possibility of owning both Sapphire cards, earning their respective welcome bonuses seems like it's going to be more on a case-by-case basis.
What to keep in mind
It's worth noting that the site does specifically say, "personal Sapphire cards," and after confirming with a Chase spokesperson, Chase Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM (see rates and fees) cardholders can still open a consumer Sapphire card and earn its bonus. Thus, having the business card will not impact your eligibility for the other Sapphire bonuses.
With this current language, it seems like it's still possible to earn both bonuses; if you had one of the Reserve or Preferred cards and earned its bonus, you could then downgrade that card to a non-Sapphire card and then apply for the Sapphire card you haven't held yet and earn its bonus.
While this could be a good way to maximize the welcome offers, some people may be devoted to one card over the other and not want to downgrade for a bonus.
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