Why You Should Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

Is this the best invention since sliced bread? No, but it is still the best credit card in the miles and points community in years. I first wrote about this card when it came out two years ago, and it still is one of the best cards ever. Below I’ll outline why you should get it (I still have mine), what kind of trips you can go on with the points, and why this card can replace every other card in your wallet.

Get a Plethora of Useful Benefits, Including 5,000 points and a Net $150 Cash Rebate in Your First Year

Not all credit card come with useful benefits, but this card is an exception. I will leverage almost every single feature (listed below) on this card. The bonus points after minimum spend alone are worth at least $1000 in travel when you transfer it to airline partners. The annual travel credit can be used to offset those pesky fuel surcharges, or just paid for your upcoming Airbnb stay. And the Priority Pass Select will give you access to spacious, quiet lounges across the world.

Complete Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve

  • Earn 50K bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases such as airfare and hotels charged to your card
  • 3X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Plus, no foreign transaction fees
  • Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 100,000 points are worth $1,500 toward travel
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
  • Access to 900+ airport lounges worldwide with complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership
  • Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre√®
  • No blackout dates or travel restrictions – as long as there’s a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Click here to learn more.

What is the Value of the Card?

The points alone from this card can get you a business class ticket to anywhere in the world. The value could easily be over $2,000, but I conservatively estimate it to be at least $1,000. For example, transfer 49,000 points to Singapore Airlines for a one-way business-class flight from New York to Frankfurt. You can read my review of their Lobster Thermidor in-flight dining experience here.

TWI-Singapore-business-class-A380-seats

Europe Not Your Cup of Tea? How About Two Flights to Hawaii?

50,000 points can also get you two round-trip economy flights from the West Coast to Hawaii. Just transfer the points to British Airways and use it on partner Alaska Airlines. Check out my review of their flights here. Then take your friend or spouse to Hawaii. Cheers.

TWI-Alaska-Airlines-plane-over-Hawaii

On top of that, the $300 travel credit can be used every year, which means that if you sign up for the card now, you’ll receive $600 worth of credits, netting you $150 for your first year of card membership since the annual fee is $450. At the end of the first year, you can then decide if the card is worth keeping for the second year.

The Earning Structure is Very Strong for Frequent Travelers and Diners

This card earns 3 points per dollar on travel and restaurant purchases. Airfare, Uber, hotels, amusement parks, McDonald’s, fancy restaurants, Jamba Juice, all gets you many steps closer to that next vacation. The card with the closest earning structure is now my second favorite card: the Citi Costco Anywhere. Although that card earns 3% cash back, it can’t compete with the value of Chase Ultimate Reward points, which I value at 2 cents each. At an earning structure of 6 cents per dollar for those purchases, the Chase Sapphire Reserve can’t be beaten. Thus, this card can practically replace all the other cards in most people’s wallets.

Conclusion: This Is the Best Credit Card. Period.

No other credit card company can compete with the massive benefits of this card. Chase has a strong balance sheet and can afford to eat the customer acquisition costs. Over the long run, Chase will make money from the masses, but savvy travelers who subscribe to my blog will learn how to turn the tables on that.

Get the card now!

Where in the world do you want this card to take you?

2 thoughts on “Why You Should Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

  1. Steve

    HI Ivan,

    Love your detail yet clear analyze! Here I have question for you, When credit card company disapprove your application with the reason “Have too many active accounts or too much available credit”, How do I arguer with them? BTW my credit score is 854.

    Steve

    1. Ivan Post author

      Great question, Steve!

      When the reason for disapproval is because you “have too many accounts/credit”, it is not a bad problem to have, because you can easily change that. You can call them and ask to transfer some of the credit line for one of your other cards to this one. If you have a card with $20k credit limit, you can transfer $10k of that to open this card. Worst case scenario, you can also offer to close one of your existing cards in exchange to open the one you want.

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