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Let’s get one thing out of the way right up front. Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are winners at their respective price points. Or said another way, you really can’t go wrong with either. Even if you’re not an avid traveler just yet, both credit cards offer plenty of exciting perks and can get you well on your way to your next free adventure.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is aimed at the casual traveler, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve attempts to take the crown as the world’s most feature-packed, prestigious travel card anywhere. Below, we’ll break down advantages and disadvantages of both to help you make the best call for your lifestyle.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
First, let’s take a look at all the key details of these two cards side-by-side:
View this interactive content on CNN.comWith the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn at least 2 points for every dollar you spend on travel, 3 points on dining, select streaming services and select online grocery purchases, 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months you have the card, and you can redeem all those points through Chase’s travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, or transfer them to Chase’s 14 travel partners for potentially even more valuable redemptions.
You’ll also earn a 10% anniversary point bonus, which means when your account anniversary hits (that’s the date each year that you first opened the card), you’ll earn an extra 10% on all purchases made in the previous year. And the Sapphire Preferred now has an annual $50 hotel credit when you book through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns at least 3 points for every dollar you spend on all travel and dining purchases, 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months you have the card, and you can transfer those points to the same 14 Chase travel partners.
But the Sapphire Reserve also comes with a $300 annual travel credit, $5 in monthly DoorDash credits through 2024, complimentary airport lounge access, enhanced travel protections and you can redeem your points through Chase’s travel portal at a higher 1.5 cents per point. Additionally, you can use the card’s “Pay Yourself Back” tool to offset purchases in certain categories at a rate of 1.25 cents per point.
Both Sapphire cards also offer the opportunity to earn extra points on dining and travel when you purchase them through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal. With the Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn 5 total points on travel when booking through Ultimate Rewards, and with the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll earn 5 total points on air travel and 10 total points on dining, hotel stays and car rentals.
Finally, the Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, while the Sapphire Preferred has a much lower $95 annual fee, but fewer perks and annual credits to help offset its cost.
Sign-up bonuses
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is ideal for people who want to travel for free using easily redeemable points, but with the option to learn how to master transferable points down the line for even greater value.
It currently has a 60,000-point sign-up bonus offer after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening the account. That’s worth at least $750 in free travel when redeemed via the Chase travel portal for 1.25 cents per point.
Related: 6 reasons to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Conversely, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is ideal for avid travelers who appreciate the finer things in life, value top-tier customer service and plan to spend heavily on travel and/or dining on the way to fantastic free trips. It currently offers the same 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening the account.
Even though you’re earning the same Chase Ultimate Rewards points, there’s one wrinkle to consider: you’ll get 1.5 cents per point when you have the Sapphire Reserve and redeem points via the Chase travel portal. So if you plan on redeeming points that way, 60,000 points on the Sapphire Reserve are worth $900 in travel, while the 60,000 points on the Sapphire Preferred is worth $750 in travel.
Redemption rates
Many folks like easy, straightforward ways to redeem their points for travel. Others prefer more complex options through transfer partners. Others still may begin as a no-fuss type of redeemer, only to become a points-and-miles hobbyist over time. Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve cater to all of those groups
The Chase Sapphire Preferred gets a respectable 1.25 cents per point when you redeem points directly for travel at Chase’s travel portal. But as mentioned above, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’ll get 1.5 cents per point when redeeming through the Chase travel portal. That means every point you earn on the Sapphire Reserve is worth an extra 20% over the Sapphire Preferred.
With either card, you can also redeem points using Chase’s “Pay Yourself Back” tool, which allows you to use your points to offset the cost of various purchases you make with your card. However, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve you’re able to redeem your points at 1.25 cents per point, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a much inferior 1 cent per point redemption.
Both cards also pair well with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, a no-annual-fee credit card that offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase. The reason is that if you pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited with the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, any cash back earned on the Freedom Unlimited can be converted to points at a rate of 1 cent per point, and deposited into your Sapphire account and redeemed like the rest of your points at either 1.25 cents per point (CSP) or 1.5 cents per point (CSR).
Related: Earn a sign-up bonus with this Chase Freedom Unlimited offer.
Transfer partners
Here, both cards are on an even footing, with equal access to Chase’s catalog of 14 travel partners:
View this interactive content on CNN.comPoints from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve transfer to all these partners at a 1-to-1 ratio, meaning for every 1,000 points you transfer, you’ll get 1,000 points or miles in the airline or hotel program.
While it takes some research and flexibility, for those who like to strategize, you can concoct impressive itineraries by transferring points to partner programs, and often get much more value for your points than redeeming through the Chase travel portal.
Airport lounges and hotel perks
If staying cozy in an airline lounge is important to you, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the clear winner. The CSR includes a complimentary Priority Pass Select airline lounge membership, which provides access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide, including in some cases credits for free food at airport restaurants.
With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll also get access to Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, which offers special benefits such as room upgrades, complimentary meals and other perks at select hotels. CSR cardholders also get elite hotel benefits at select Relais & Châteaux properties, which include a VIP welcome and complimentary daily breakfast.
Travel and purchase protections
While both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve have similar travel and purchase protections, you’ll find a few extras on the more-expensive Sapphire Reserve:
View this interactive content on CNN.comThe Sapphire Reserve has higher per-claim thresholds than the Sapphire Preferred when it comes to purchase protection and travel accident insurance, as well as only requiring a 6-hour delay before trip delay protection kicks in.
But you’ll also have two additional protections with the Sapphire Reserve: Emergency evacuation and transportation insurance, which can get you out of a jam if you get sick or injured when you’re far from home, and emergency medical and dental coverage, which can cover you for medical expenses if you get sick or injured while you’re on a trip more than 100 miles from home.
Related: Having a credit card with trip insurance could save you thousands on your next vacation.
Annual fees and credits
At $95, the annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is incredibly low given its stout sign-up bonus. We also love the minimum 2x points on all travel and 3x points on all dining with no foreign transaction fees. It’s a decent if basic set of perks and earning rates for a relatively low price, and Chase’s transfer partners are some of the best around. The card also comes with a $50 hotel credit every year when booking through Chase.
While the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $550 annual fee is high, it’s offset by a $300 annual travel credit that’s shockingly easy to use. Just make $300 in travel purchases over the course of your cardholder year, and you’ll trigger the reimbursement. For example, if you spend two nights in a hotel and rack up $350 in charges, your out-of-pocket cost will be just $50.
This means the net annual fee for the Sapphire Reserve is $250 — a much more palatable sum. Then toss in $5 in monthly DoorDash credits through 2024 and now the effective cost is down to just $190. Of course, if you don’t use DoorDash, then you won’t be able to take advantage of this particular perk, so you’ll need to do the math based on your own personal situation.
Related: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth the increased annual fee?
What could be better?
While the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s bundled Priority Pass Select membership is appreciated, the other top-tier premium travel card — The Platinum Card® from American Express — offers more comprehensive airline lounge access, including Delta Sky Clubs and Amex Centurion Lounges. It’s also curious that the Sapphire Reserve doesn’t include cell phone insurance, while many other cards with lower annual fees do.
While earning at least 3x points on all travel and dining is above-average, there are several credit cards which offer higher earning rates on dining, such as the American Express® Gold Card or the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Plus, the Amex Platinum offers a whopping 5x points on airfare purchased through Amex Travel or directly with the airline — where the Reserve only offers increased bonus points (10 total points on hotel stays and car rentals and 5 total points on hotels) when purchased through Ultimate Rewards.
Related: Earn bonus points for both eating in and dining out with the American Express Gold card.
When it comes to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, other cards with similar annual fees have additional perks that are missing from the Sapphire Preferred. As an example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit worth up to $100, yet Chase only offers that benefit on the higher-priced Sapphire Reserve.
Finally, the American Express® Green Card, while charging a higher $150 annual fee, earns 3 points per dollar on travel, transit and dining purchases. Plus, the card includes an annual credit of up to $189 for a CLEAR Plus membership and an annual credit of up to $100 for LoungeBuddy purchases.
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
Should you get the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve?
If you travel frequently and plan to utilize the Priority Pass Select lounge membership and its longer list of travel protections, it may be worth springing for the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The massive (and simple to use) $300 annual travel credit pushes the effective annual fee down to $250. If you can also utilize the $5 in monthly DoorDash credits, you can get that net fee as low as $190.
Since the Sapphire Preferred has an annual $50 hotel credit, that means it’s effectively $145 more to hold the Sapphire Reserve this year (though keep in mind that future years could be different if the credits change). But as long as you plan to use the card’s perks — including the higher 1.5 cents per point on Chase travel portal redemptions — it could make sense to pay the higher annual fee.
Otherwise, you’ll be better off grabbing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with its 60,000-point bonus and putting another card or two in your wallet with the savings — cards that can help you maximize earnings on other popular categories such as gas, business expenses or groceries. Check out our guide to the best credit cards for a list of some of the best complimentary cards to the Sapphire Preferred.
Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.
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