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Chase's Sapphire cards are among the most popular travel credit cards on the market, and for good reason. Whether you're a casual globetrotter looking to earn rewards on dining and everyday purchases or a frequent flier who wants premium lounge access and top-tier travel protections, there's a Sapphire card that can meet those needs at a price point you can justify.
Here's everything you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, how they work with Chase's Freedom cards, and how to navigate upgrades, downgrades, and the rules that govern them.
The two Chase Sapphire cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Excellent for travel rewards rates and redemption
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Reward Rate
Intro Offer
Annual fee
Why We Like It
Card Details
The Sapphire Preferred is Chase's entry-level travel card, with a $95 annual fee. It earns {{cc_16.reward_rate_details}. Each account anniversary, you'll also earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases from the prior year, plus up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel.
Who this card is right for: The Preferred is a strong choice for travelers who want flexibility and solid travel protections without committing to a high annual fee. It's a great choice for anyone who takes a few trips a year, but doesn't need the luxury perks that more frequent travelers might be looking for.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Excellent for top-notch travel rewards
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Reward Rate
Intro Offer
Annual fee
Why We Like It
Card Details
The Sapphire Reserve is Chase's premium option, with a $795 annual fee. It earns 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠ (including The Edit℠), 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases. It also comes with a $300 annual travel credit, which applies automatically to eligible travel purchases each cardmember year, effectively reducing the net cost of the card to $495 even before you factor in any other annual credits, or which there are plenty.
Cardholders also receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees.
Who this card is right for: This card is the right choice for frequent travelers who can get enough value out of the card's perks to justify its fee every year. You might choose the Sapphire Reserve over a different premium credit card if you're a fan of Chase's lounges in particular. Having been to one, I can confirm that they're not your standard airport lounge — they're nice nice.
What both cards share
Both Sapphire cards offer no foreign transaction fees, access to Chase's broad network of transfer partners, and the ability to redeem points through Chase Travel℠ for elevated value.
Both cards also offer DoorDash DashPass benefits: at least a year of complimentary membership when activated by Dec. 31, 2027, plus monthly dining and non-restaurant credits, the amounts of which vary based on the Sapphire card you hold.
Earning and redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards
Both Sapphire cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are among the most flexible travel currencies available. Points can be redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠, transferred to airline and hotel loyalty partners at a 1:1 ratio, used as statement credits, or exchanged for gift cards.
What counts as travel?
Chase uses merchant category codes to determine which purchases earn travel rewards. Categories that qualify include airlines, hotels, Airbnb, car rentals, cruise lines, travel agencies, booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity, campgrounds, trains, buses, taxis, rideshares, ferries, tolls, and parking lots and garages.
Some travel-adjacent purchases don't qualify, though. Real estate agent fees, in-flight purchases, on-board cruise line charges, tours and sightseeing excursions, tourist attraction admissions, and boat rentals are among the purchases that won't earn bonus travel points. When in doubt, it's worth calling Chase or asking the merchant how they're categorized.
Redemption value
Points are generally worth 1 cent each toward travel booked through Chase Travel℠. The Reserve unlocks a "Points Boost" feature where select hotel and flight redemptions can be worth up to 2 cents per point — a significant jump in value. The Preferred similarly offers up to 1.75 cents per point on certain eligible flights through Points Boost.
When transferred to partner loyalty programs, points can sometimes be worth far more depending on how good of a redemption you're able to find.
Chase Sapphire lounge access
Lounge access is one of the key differentiators between the two Sapphire cards — the Preferred offers none, while the Reserve offers quite a bit.
Chase Sapphire Reserve lounge access
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which grants unlimited access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. Cardholders and authorized users may bring up to two guests per visit at no additional charge. Additional guests are $27 each.
The Reserve also provides unlimited access to the growing Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network. These are Chase's own premium lounges, featuring elevated food and beverage programs with locally inspired menus from award-winning chefs, high-speed Wi-Fi, comfortable workspaces, and amenities like shower suites, wellness rooms, and private bathrooms.
Current open locations include Boston (BOS), Las Vegas (LAS), New York LaGuardia (LGA), New York JFK (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), San Diego (SAN), with additional locations planned for Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX).
When flying with a Star Alliance carrier, Sapphire Reserve cardholders can also access select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges (with one complimentary guest). Lounges included in this perk can be found in Frankfurt (FRA), London (LHR), San Francisco (SFO), and elsewhere.
Chase Sapphire travel insurance
Both Sapphire cards come with substantial travel insurance, though the Reserve's coverage is more robust in a few key areas.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance covers up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses if a trip is cancelled or interrupted for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, jury duty, or the financial default of a carrier. Both cards offer the same limits here.
Trip delay reimbursement covers up to $500 per ticket for meals, lodging, and other reasonable expenses when a trip is delayed. The Reserve kicks in after a six-hour delay; the Preferred requires a 12-hour delay or an overnight stay.
Baggage delay insurance provides up to $100 per day (for up to five days) if a carrier delays your bags by more than six hours, and can cover essentials like clothing and toiletries.
Lost luggage reimbursement provides up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry-on luggage lost or damaged by a common carrier. Coverage for jewelry, watches, and electronics is capped at $500 per person.
Auto rental collision damage waiver is available on both cards. The Preferred covers up to the actual cash value of the vehicle, while the Reserve covers up to $75,000 — and both provide primary coverage when renting abroad. The Reserve's coverage is also primary domestically (when you decline the rental company's own coverage), which is a significant advantage.
Roadside assistance is Reserve-only: up to $50 per incident, up to four times per year. Preferred cardholders can use roadside dispatch for a per-use fee.
Travel accident insurance covers loss of life, limb, sight, speech, or hearing. The Preferred provides up to $500,000 in coverage on common carriers; the Reserve provides up to $1,000,000.
To file a claim on either card, call 800-356-8955 or visit eclaimsonline.com. Be prepared with receipts, documentation from your carrier, and any other supporting materials.
Pairing a Sapphire card with a Chase Freedom card
One of the smartest moves in the Chase ecosystem is pairing a Sapphire card with one of the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom cards — the Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, or Chase Freedom Rise®. Here's why: Freedom cards earn cash back, but that cash back is actually stored as Ultimate Rewards points. On their own, those points are worth 1 cent each. But if you transfer them to a Sapphire card, you unlock the Sapphire card's elevated redemption rates and access to transfer partners.
For example, if you spend $20,000 annually on non-bonus purchases with a Freedom Unlimited (earning the base 1.5% rate on non-bonus category purchases), you'd accumulate $300 in cash back. Transfer those rewards to a Sapphire Reserve and you could potentially redeem them for up to $600 in travel value through a Points Boost booking — or transfer them to a partner airline or hotel program for even more.
To transfer points, log into your Ultimate Rewards account, select "Combine points" from the Reward details dropdown, choose your Freedom card as the source and your Sapphire card as the destination, and specify the amount. Transfers happen instantly.
Check out our guide to pairing Freedom and Sapphire cards to learn more.
Upgrading, downgrading, and product changes
If a Sapphire card no longer fits your needs, canceling isn't your only option — and it's often not the best one. Canceling a card increases your credit utilization ratio, eventually shortens the average age of your accounts, and could hurt your credit score. A product change (Chase's term for an upgrade or downgrade) lets you keep your account history and credit line intact.
Downgrading
From the Sapphire Reserve, you can downgrade to the Sapphire Preferred or to a Chase Freedom card. From the Sapphire Preferred, you can downgrade to a Freedom card. You cannot switch from a Sapphire card to a co-branded airline or hotel card — product changes must stay within the same card family. Your account must also be open for at least 12 months before a change is allowed.
To initiate a downgrade, call the number on the back of your card. If you call within 30 days of your annual fee being charged, you may be eligible for a prorated refund of that fee.
One important consideration: when you downgrade from a Sapphire card to a Freedom card, your Ultimate Rewards points lose access to transfer partners and the elevated travel portal redemption rates. Consider using or transferring your points before making the switch.
The old 48-month rule (and the new once-per-lifetime rule)
Chase used to prohibit holding more than one Sapphire card at a time and limited your ability to Sapphire welcome bonuses to once every 48 months. Meaning you couldn't earn a welcome bonus on the Sapphire Preferred, open the Sapphire Reserve and then earn the bonus on that until 48 months had passed since earning the initial bonus.
While you can now hold both Sapphire cards at the same time, cardholders are limited to earning the welcome bonus on either card just once in their lives. There's no canceling your card, re-applying four years later, and earning the bonus again.
The 5/24 rule
Chase's unofficial 5/24 rule states that you'll likely be denied for a new Chase card if you've opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. If you're subject to this rule but want to move from a Freedom card to a Sapphire card, it may be worth asking a Chase agent about a product change rather than applying for a new card outright.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire lineup offers something for nearly every type of traveler.
The Sapphire Preferred is a high-value, low-cost option with strong earning rates and solid travel protections. The Sapphire Reserve is a premium powerhouse for frequent travelers who can maximize its credits, lounge access, and enhanced insurance coverage. And when either card is paired with a Chase Freedom card, the combined earning potential becomes one of the most competitive setups in the rewards card space.
If you're trying to decide which card is right for you, check out our Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve comparison.
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Current Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Rewards Rate
5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
