Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
Imagine having only ONE credit card in your wallet that earns a very specific type of airline miles. Just the thought of it seems very restrictive to me, especially given how many airline and hotel options exist. But my friend told me last week this was the exact situation he was in.
Before my friend and I sat down for dinner, he only had one card – a Delta miles earning credit card. Don’t get me wrong, Delta miles can be useful. For example, I redeemed Delta miles for a Business Class flight to Paris. And certain Delta cards offer nice perks, like a free checked bag. But having just a Delta card in your wallet definitely limits your opportunity to book Big Travel!
I gave my friend the 30-second pitch on why he should add the Chase Sapphire Reserve to his wallet. It helped that I told him it’s the #1 card I use (and I have a wallet with 15 cards!). My friend ended up applying for the Sapphire Reserve on the spot and already has the card in his wallet!
With the Sapphire Reserve, you earn the most useful credit card points. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are flexible, which means you can use them for travel OR redeem points for cash back. And it’s super easy to redeem points. You can book flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Chase travel portal without having to worry about blackout dates.
Or you can transfer points to airline and hotel travel partners, including Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest, United Airlines, and several others. When you transfer points, you can get an amazing value. I’ve done this to get First Class flights on Singapore Airlines, free Hyatt hotel stays, United Airlines Business Class tickets, free Southwest flights, and much more!
Chase Sapphire Reserve 50,000-Point Offer
Apply Here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Read our review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve
When you sign-up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The sign-up bonus is worth $750 worth of travel if you book flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Chase travel portal. That’s because points linked to this card are worth 1.5 cents each when you book this way.
Or you can potentially get more value by transferring points directly to these Chase travel partners:
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Flying Blue (KLM & Air France)
- Hyatt
- Iberia
- IHG
- JetBlue
- Marriott
- Ritz-Carlton
- Singapore Airlines
- Southwest
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll also get:
- 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel (excluding $300 travel credit) & dining worldwide
- 1X Chase Ultimate Rewards point on all other purchases
- $300 annual credit every cardmember anniversary for travel purchases such as airfare and hotels
- $100 statement credit for Global Entry
- Free Priority Pass Select membership 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 Silvercar
- Rental car discounts with National Car Rental and Avis
The card has a $450 annual fee, which is NOT waived for the first year. But the annual travel credit and airport lounge access can more than offset the annual fee! That said, if you shy away from premium credit cards with high annual fees, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (our #1 card pick for beginners!)
Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve to check out all of the card’s perks!
Important Chase Application Rules to Keep in Mind!
Chase has these restrictions for their Sapphire-branded credit cards:
- You can’t have more than one Sapphire-branded credit card. For example, if you currently have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you won’t be eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
- If you close a Chase Sapphire card account, you will NOT be eligible for any Sapphire-branded credit cards if you’ve earned the sign-up bonus on a Sapphire-branded product within the last 48 months.
You should also consider the Chase “5/24 rule.” If you’ve opened 5+ cards in the past 24 months from ANY bank (excluding Chase business cards and other certain small business cards), you will NOT be approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve. So if you’re just over the “5/24 limit”, it might be worth waiting to apply for other cards to make yourself eligible to get the Sapphire Reserve.
Let me know if you’re planning to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card!