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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 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 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 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 Sapphire Preferred card's $95 annual fee makes it more accessible, and it comes with a $50 credit toward hotel bookings you make through the Chase Travel℠ portal. 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, both the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are offering strong bonuses, with the Sapphire Reserve having a slightly higher spending requirement, but a much higher value.
For the Sapphire Preferred card, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The Sapphire Reserve is offering 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. The bonus is 75,000 points higher (100% increase) for only an additional $1,000 in spending (20% increase).
Rewards
The Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve both offer solid rates on dining and travel purchases, with an even higher return for Chase Travel purchases.
The Sapphire Preferred earns:
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
- 2X points on all other travel purchases
- 1X on all other purchases
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
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. Unless you spend heavily on streaming, online groceries or general travel purchases, you'll earn more rewards with the Sapphire Reserve.
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 one cent per point for these options. Although the Chase Points Boost feature increases the value of select flights or hotel bookings. 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 (up to 1.75 cents per point for select premium cabin tickets).
In general, the highest value redemption for both cards is transferring points to Chase's partner travel loyalty programs. This includes World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and many more.
Winner: Tie.
Benefits
While each card offers strong additional perks, the Sapphire Reserve goes above and beyond.
Cardmembers 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
The Sapphire Preferred also comes with a $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit.
Sapphire Reserve cardholders enjoy these added perks:
- $500 annual credit for prepaid bookings made with The EditSM You'll earn up to $250 in statement credits Jan. through June and up to $250 in statement credits July through Dec. (minimum two-night stay required). Starting in 2026 you'll receive two statement credits of up to $250 each every year without having to wait six months between earning the credits.
- $300 annual travel credit
- Up to $300 in statement credits when dining at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables (up to $150 in statement credits Jan. through June and up to $150 in statement credits July through Dec.)
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $120 every four years
- Priority Pass™ Select membership with unlimited access to 1,300+ airport lounges
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through Dec. 31, 2027
- Complimentary Apple TV+ & Apple Music memberships through June 22, 2027 (worth $288 a year)
- $120 in annual statement credits toward Peloton memberships ($10 monthly statement credit through Dec. 31, 2027; activation required)
- $300 in annual StubHub and viagogo statement credits (up to $150 in statement credits Jan. through June and up to $150 in statement credits July through Dec.)
- Up to $120 annually for Lyft rides through September 30, 2027 (up to $10 in monthly credit)
- Return protection
- Emergency evacuation and transportation
- Emergency medical and dental benefit
- Access to the Visa Infinite Concierge service
- Starting Jan. 1, 2026, get up to $250 in statement credits through Dec. 31, 2026, on prepaid The Edit hotel bookings
Winner: The Chase Sapphire Reserve 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 cards 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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