ChaseSapphire Reserve

4695 8705 6563 8551

VALID THRU 04/29AVERY PATEL

Man sitting in empty airport waiting area — Photo: Eric Prouzet / Unsplash

Travel Rewards · United States

Chase Sapphire Reserve

4.7 / 5 editorial rating

Best for: Heavy travelers who'll actually use the lounges and travel credit

Reviewed by the CreditCardCompare editorial team · Fees and rates checked September 2026 — confirm on the issuer's site before you apply

Annual fee$795/yr

IssuerChase

NetworkVisa

Purchase APR22.49%–29.49% variable

Foreign transaction feeNone

Credit neededExcellent (740+)

Pros

Lets you into airport lounges
The yearly travel credit takes a big bite out of the fee
Top-tier travel insurance included

Cons

Steep annual fee
Only pays off if you travel often

Check current offer on issuer site Compare USA cards

Rates and offers change. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's official site before applying. Independent comparison — not financial advice.

Our take on the Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best choice for a frequent traveler who already spends money at the places its credits cover, because the $300 travel credit alone takes the $795 fee down to $495 and the rest has to come from credits you would have used anyway. As of September 2026 Chase lists credits for The Edit hotel bookings, Sapphire Exclusive Tables dining, StubHub, DoorDash, Lyft, Peloton and Apple subscriptions. On paper they add up to well over the fee; in practice most people use only a few.

Our honest test: list only the credits you would spend without the card. If the travel credit plus two or three others do not clear $495, the Reserve costs more than it returns. Authorized users also cost $195 each, which changes the math for couples who both want the card's perks.

The earning is strongest on flights and hotels booked directly at 4x and on dining at 3x. Everything else earns 1x, which is weak for a card at this price, so pairing it with a no-fee card that pays 1.5% or 2% on everyday spending makes sense. Lounge access is the benefit a heavy traveler can count on most reliably.

Good fit if

You spend at least $10,000 a year on flights and hotels booked directly with the airline or hotel
You already pay for DoorDash, Lyft, Peloton or Apple subscriptions that the credits can cover
You travel enough to use airport lounges several times a year

Skip it if

You would have to change your habits to use more than two of the credits
Most of your card spending is everyday purchases that would earn only 1x

Worked example

Assume $1,000 a month on flights and hotels booked directly, $500 on dining and $1,500 on everything else. Direct travel is $12,000 a year at 4x, or 48,000 points; dining is $6,000 at 3x, or 18,000; other spending is $18,000 at 1x, or 18,000. That totals 84,000 points, worth $840 at a conservative 1 cent each. Against the $795 fee you are ahead by $45 on points alone, so the $300 travel credit and any other credits you actually use are what make the card worthwhile.

How it stacks up

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns the same kind of points with the same transfer partners for $95, and for most people who will not use lounges or several credits it is the better value. The Capital One Venture X is the lower-effort premium option at $395, with a $300 travel credit that is simple to use through Capital One Travel and 2x on everyday spending rather than 1x.

This only makes sense if you'll burn through the annual travel credit and use Priority Pass lounges; otherwise the $795 fee (as of 2026) makes the Preferred the smarter pick. Subtract the ~$300 travel credit and the real cost is closer to $250, which a frequent flyer recovers fast through 1.5 cents-per-point redemptions in Chase's portal. Don't carry it for the status alone, and check chase.com for the current credit structure since Chase has reshuffled it before.