Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve

Chase has two flagship cards that offer Ultimate Rewards, a flexible rewards currency that can be used for cash back, travel redemptions, or transferred to travel partners for awards like luxury hotel suites and first-class flights.

The card_name is the mid-tier premium version. The card, which comes with a annual_fees annual fee, offers robust travel and consumer insurance protections and is a good choice for the frequent traveler.

Alternatively, for annual_fees a year, there is the high-tier card_name. This particular card offers benefits like airport lounge access, a $300 travel credit, and additional value for your points when you redeem them for travel.

Which card is right for you will depend on how often you travel. Infrequent travelers should pick the card_name. Frequent travelers should look to the card_name, especially if you do not already have a card that grants you Priority Pass lounge access.

In this overview, we’ll highlight both cards, show you the benefits and rewards offered by each and help you decide which one is right for you.

How the cards stack up

Here’s how the card_name and card_name cards stack up:

Chase occasionally offers additional incentives and increases the amount you can earn by getting a new card_name or card_name. Be on the lookout for increased welcome bonus offers if you are thinking of applying for either card.

Winner: Tie

Rewards winner

The card_name and Chase card_name both earn Ultimate Rewards, a flexible point currency that can be redeemed for a number of rewards, including cash back, travel booked through Chase, or transferred to airline and hotel travel partners for increased value. Even better, holding one of these cards unlocks the most valuable redemption options on your other Chase cards — travel booked through Chase at elevated values and transfers to partners. You can combine your Ultimate Rewards points earned across all Chase cards you hold and redeem them using your premium Sapphire credit card.

In terms of earnings, both cards earn five points per each dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase, three points per each dollar spent on dining purchases, additional points on travel, and one point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.

Where the card_name outpaces the card_name is when you use the card or your points to purchase travel. The card_name earns three points per dollar spent on travel (vs. the two points earned by the card_name) and a whopping ten points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase (vs. five with the card_name)

When you redeem your points, card_name delivers even more value — your Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel redemptions through Chase Ultimate Rewards. With the card_name, that drops to 1.25 cents per point.

Additional earning power and redemption value on travel give the card_name card the edge.

Winner: card_name

Annual fee winner

The card_name comes with a annual_fees annual fee, which makes the annual_fees fee of the card_name seem like a value play. Of course, there is plenty of additional value in the card_name for frequent travelers. Be sure you consider the annual fee in the context of the other benefits the card offers.

Winner: card_name

APR winner

Surprisingly, the card_name and the card_name offered two different APR ranges at publication. The purchase APR on the card_name is reg_apr,reg_apr_type, based on creditworthiness, while the APR you will be offered on the card_name is reg_apr,reg_apr_type. If you are ever considering carrying a balance on either of these cards, you’ll pay slightly less with the card_name.

Winner: card_name

Foreign transaction fee winner

The card_name and card_name are targeted toward frequent travelers. Consequently, neither of these cards carries a foreign transaction fee, making both of them a good choice to use for purchases abroad.

Winner: Tie

Additional perks

Both the card_name and the card_name offer one of the best sets of perks available on a travel credit card. Both cards offer trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance, baggage delay insurance, and trip delay reimbursement.

The cards also protect your purchases at home, with purchase protection and extended warranty protection. Chase’s extended warranty protection adds an additional year to eligible items you purchase using your card that have warranties up to three years.

But the higher annual fee of the card_name pays for a higher level of perks.

First, the card_name offers a $300 annual travel credit, which is applied as offsetting credits when you charge travel expenses to your card. The credit is easy to use; simply charge travel expenses to your card and Chase will take care of the rest.

Second, the card offers an airport lounge access program through Priority Pass. When an airport you fly through has a Priority Pass lounge in your terminal, you can present a same-day boarding pass and get access to a place to rest or work. Many Priority Pass lounges offer free food and beverages. And you can bring in two accompanying guests for free. Prefer a more traditional restaurant experience? You’re in luck; the card_name Priority Pass membership also allows you to present your Priority Pass card at select airport restaurants for a credit against your bill. Chase plans to add several Chase Sapphire Lounges to this offering in 2023.

Winner: card_name

Which card earns the most

If you spend heavily on travel, you’ll come out ahead using either the card_name or card_name. By how much depends on your spending patterns. Consider your own spending patterns in the context of the card’s bonus categories to get an idea of how much you could earn in rewards.

Which card is best for you

Why we recommend card_name for occasional travelers

If you travel occasionally, the card_name will serve you well. The card earns additional points on travel and dining purchases. Plus, you can use it for online grocery purchases and streaming services closer to home. When you book travel with your card, you’ll be covered by an extensive set of travel insurance protections. You can get a little bit more value for your points when you use them this way.

The card’s annual_fees annual fee will likely pay for itself through elevated rewards on your travel spending. If your flight is ever delayed overnight, you’ll be thankful to have access to Chase’s trip delay protection benefits. Without them, you’d perhaps be sleeping on the floor of the airport rather than in a hotel room.

Why we recommend card_name for road warriors

People who travel frequently should strongly consider the card_name. First, you’ll have no problem using the card’s $300 travel credit, bringing your out-of-pocket costs for the card down to $250. Moreover, if you’re in the airport each week, you can get plenty of value out of the card’s Priority Pass lounge access in food and drinks alone. You’ll earn an extra point on all of your travel spending, and you’ll get additional value when you redeem all of the points you’re earning for travel.

In addition, you’ll get all of the travel and consumer insurance protections offered by the card_name card, plus the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners. If you’re the type of road warrior that the card_name card is meant for, it will be easy to get enough value from the card to justify its annual_fees annual fee.

TIME Stamp: Choose your card based on how you travel

Both the card_name and the card_name offer a generous set of benefits for the traveling cardmember. If you travel infrequently, opt for the card_name. You’ll get excellent value by putting your travel spending on the card and can also earn plenty of rewards from your spending activity at home.

If you travel enough to receive mail at your home airport, go with the card_name. Between the lounge access, additional earnings on travel and the annual credit, there is enough value in that card for any road warrior to justify its annual fee.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is card_name hard to get?

The card_name is not hard to get if you have a high credit score and don’t apply for many credit cards. You’ll need good-to-excellent credit, plus you will need to have opened fewer than five credit card accounts in the prior 24 months.

Why is card_name so popular?

The card_name is a popular credit card because it offers a set of benefits unmatched by most travel cards at its annual_fees/year price point. Notably, the card offers trip delay insurance and a primary auto rental collision damage waiver.

Can I have both the card_name and Reserve cards?

No. The card_name and card_name are not available to any cardholders who hold any variant of the Chase Sapphire card.

Can I downgrade from card_name or card_name?

Chase may offer you a downgrade from the card_name or the card_name. If you have the card_name, you can downgrade to the card_name. Chase typically offers downgrades to its no-annual-fee Chase Freedom cards.