Chase Sapphire Reserve Card - a Perfect Travel Card?

intro purchase APR n/aregular APR16.49 - 23.49% (V)
intro BT APR 16.24-23.24% 5% BT fee, $5 min
rewards 100,000 intro spending bonus 3x on travel and dining/$300 annual travel credit/$100 Global Entry credit
  • 3x points on purchases in travel and dining categories
  • 1x regular rewards rate
  • 100,000 points intro rewards for spending $4,000 in the first three months of the account. That's $1,500 to spend towards travel if you purchase through Chase Ultimate Rewards® 
  • $300 annual travel credit
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check purchase.
excellent required

$450 annual fee

$300 annual travel credit

$100 credit on Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check

50,000 intro bonus for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

50% bonus on redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Editors Review

A new and exciting travel credit card making the previous category leader - Chase Sapphire Preferred Card envious.

Pros

  • 100,000 intro bonus if you spend $4,000 in the first three months of your account. That equals $1,500 if redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • $300 annual travel credit that can be used for most general travel purchases - airfare, car rental, hotels, etc.
  • $100 credit that can be applied towards Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check purchase.
  • Complimentary annual Priority Pass membership to access airport lounges worldwide. 
  • 3x points on all travel and dining purchases
  • 1x regular rate on all other purchases
  • No international transaction fee
  • 50% additional bonus if you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards

Cons

  • High $450 annual fee, but it is almost completely offset by the $300 travel credit and $100 credit on Global Entry.
  • It is hard to be approved for the card. Excellent credit is a must but doesn't guarantee you'll be approved. If you had opened 5 credit accounts in the past 24 months, your chances of approval are very low (5/24 rule).

Verdict

If you think your credit is good enough to be approved for the card - Chase Sapphire Reserve definitely worth it. If you are a current user of Chase Sapphire Preferred card - there is a good reason for getting a new card and downgrading your Preferred card to a no annual fee version.

 

Last updated: 03/02/2017









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