The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best travel credit cards in the points and miles world, constantly ranking as a top premium card.
Several perks of the card stand out as its strong suits include a $300 annual travel credit, earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, excellent travel insurance and a lofty sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after meeting the minimum $4,000 spending requirement in three months from account opening; per TPG valuations, this offer is worth $1,538.
However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also charges a $550 annual fee. Is it worth that price tag after you've used the sign-up bonus? Let's examine how you can maximize this card's benefits to ensure you're earning the most points — and saving money while you're at it.
Below are the notable benefits of the Sapphire Reserve, including its earning rates:
This card's value extends far beyond the sign-up bonus. If you travel even a few times per year, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is likely worthwhile for you.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve review
The Sapphire Reserve currently offers 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. TPG values that bonus at $1,538 worth of travel, though it's certainly possible to receive more value if you're acquainted with Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots.
Beyond the bonus, how can you rack up Chase Ultimate Rewards points with this card?
Earning 10 Chase points per dollar is a stellar rate.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve accrues 10 points per dollar for hotels reserved through Chase Travel. Now, booking a hotel through Chase comes with pros and cons (as we'll touch on later), but you can think of this earning rate as a 20% rebate, as TPG values Chase points at 2 cents each.
If you usually head to online travel agencies like Orbitz and Priceline when booking a hotel, you should love this particular benefit. That's because Chase uses Expedia to reserve hotels, so you'll be dealing with an ecosystem with which you're familiar.
Again, you'll earn 10 Chase points per dollar when renting cards through Chase Travel.
This earning rate works perfectly in tandem with the card's already generous primary rental car insurance. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best credit cards for reserving rental cars, so it's an obvious choice for renting cars, anyway. This 10 points per dollar earning rate just makes it that much more of a no-brainer.
When you book a rental car with this card and waive the rental agency's in-house insurance, you'll receive primary coverage against damage and theft. Not paying for insurance at the desk could save you at least $15 per day!
The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 5 points per dollar on airfare when booking through
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