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For the past few weeks I’ve been updating you about rumors of a very exciting new travel card from Chase. And now Chase tweets that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is for real. And it WILL come with an incredible sign-up bonus of 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!
There’s no official application link yet. But August 21, 2016, is the sign-up date that has been leaked previously.
It also seems that one of the best perks is BETTER than we thought!
$300 Annual Travel Credit Is Very Easy to Use
We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve would have a $300 annual travel credit. But it wasn’t clear if it the perk would mirror some other cards and only reimburse fees like checked bags and Wi-Fi.
Instead, it appears you’ll be able to get credit on any expense that’s classified as travel. That includes airfare and hotels!
That makes the $450 annual fee much more manageable, considering you can use the annual travel credit in 2016 and again in 2017.
Incredible Welcome Bonus & Perks
When you open the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You’ll also get:
- 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel & dining
- $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
Big Travel!
With the Sapphire Reserve, your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents each when you purchase travel like airfare through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal. That makes this bonus worth a minimum of $1,500!
But for really Big Travel, consider transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to partners like United Airlines and Hyatt.
For instance, with 100,000 Hyatt points you can book 4 nights at the all-inclusive Hyatt hotels in Cancun. Or take your pick of 6 outstanding Hyatt hotels in New York City.
Or fly one-way in Business or First Class to Europe. Or round-trip in coach with plenty of points left over.
Will You Qualify for This Card?
As of now, it’s not clear whether this card will be fall under Chase’s tighter application rules. That is, if you’ve applied for ~5+ cards from any bank (except these business cards) in the past 24 months, it’s unlikely you’ll be approved for most Chase cards.
I’ll let you know when you can sign-up!
Thanks a lot Karen for responding to my query – so does it mean one can avail $600, but only pay $450 as annual fee, that’s what I wanted to understand 🙂
@Sriram – he means that if you get the card this month you’ll be eligible to use the $300 travel credit in 2016 since you’ll still have Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec to use it. Then 2017 starts and you’ll be able to use it then as well.
Any word on whether this card will be ApplePay-eligible? That could obviate the need for more than 1 card. And what are your thoughts on paying the $450 fee with UR points (besides horror)? Pondering whether it’s better to pay $450 for 100K UR points plus $600 travel benefits or $0 for 55K (net) UR points plus $600 benefits.
Hello and thanks for the information! Do you know what level the Priority Pass Select membership is (e.g., standard, standard plus, or prestige)?
Darius, can you please explain what do you mean by “you can use the annual travel credit in 2016 and again in 2017.”