$300 Million Sign-Up “Bonus” With the Chase Sapphire Reserve

December 6, 2016 By Joseph Hostetler

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full Advertising Policy.

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

Thanks to Million Mile Secrets reader Jeff, I’ve learned some interesting news about the Chase Sapphire Reserve card!

According to Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is so popular, Chase has lost ~$300 million (yes, million!) on the card so far. That’s quite the sign-up “bonus!”

So it really IS a great deal for consumers. But we already knew that. 😉

Here’s more about this news.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Is a GREAT Deal!

Link: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Lots of folks in the miles & points hobby already knew that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is an amazing deal. Especially given recent negative changes announced on other premium cards like the Citi Prestige Card.

And because the 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards point sign-up bonus after meeting minimum spending requirements is worth $1,500+ in travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal. Or even more when you transfer points to airline and hotel partners like Hyatt or Southwest.

Plus, it comes with fantastic perks like:

$300 annual credit for travel purchases such as airfare and hotels
$100 statement credit for Global Entry
Priority Pass Select for access to airport lounges
NO foreign transaction fees
Visa Infinite benefits like $25 food and beverage credit at the Luxury Hotel Collection and complimentary car rental elite status with Avis, National, and Silvercar

And now, Chase has confirmed what we already knew by announcing that they’ve lost up to $300 million in profit this quarter. Solely because of the overwhelming number of people who have signed-up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card – even before the bank did any marketing for it!

So if you haven’t already considered applying for the Sapphire Reserve, you can read my full review of the card here. And if you’re looking for more great reasons to get this great travel card, check out these posts:

But don’t forget about Chase’s 5/24 rule, where if you’ve opened ~5 or more credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months (excluding certain business cards), you’re unlikely to get approved for most Chase cards.

And check out this post about what to do if you can’t get the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Bottom Line

While folks have been enjoying the amazing sign-up bonus and perks from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Chase has paid a price! They’ll lose up to ~$300 million in profit this quarter thanks to overwhelming demand for the card.

Given the popularity of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, maybe Chase will introduce even more travel cards with great sign-up bonuses and perks? Here’s hoping!

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

APPLY NOW

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide, eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.

Intro APR on purchases

N/A

Regular APR

15.99%-22.99% Variable

Annual Fee

$95

Balance Transfer Fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.