Why we’re loving the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Simply put, the Sapphire Reserve is a beast. While its high yearly fee may leave many reluctant to bite the bullet, it’s an easy card to maximize value with, comfortably earning back the initial investment.

It’s $550 a year for the Sapphire, but the card comes with a $300 annual travel credit. Unlike competing cards, that $300 isn’t limited to things like in-flight purchases or baggage checking, so you can enjoy $300 worth of flights, hotels, Airbnbs, or whatever you like every year you have the card. From there, the Reserve’s 60,000-point intro offer can score you flights worth over $1000. That fee doesn’t seem so bad now, huh?

Pros

• High reward rates (10x on hotels and cars booked through Chase, 5x on flights booked through Chase, 3x on travel and dining)

• Priority Pass Membership (worth $299 a year)

• Global Entry and TSAPrecheck Fee

• DoorDash Dashpass Subscription

• 10x Points on Lyft rides

• Chase Coverage on purchases and travel

• Chase Points transfer well to other partners

Cons

• $550 annual fee

• Second-year value may not add up

• If you don’t travel at least a few times, it’s not great

• No hotel status included