9 Tips to Maximize Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
One of the ways I afford to travel so much is by leveraging points and miles to book vacations. Although I earn points through flights and stays, credit cards make up the vast majority of my earnings. Of all the cards in my wallet, my Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of my favorites.
It comes with a ton of travel perks, including an annual travel credit, lounge access, travel insurance, and access to the Chase Travel Portal. Unfortunately, it also comes with a steep annual fee of $550.
I know this fee can be off-putting, but I honestly get way more than $550 of value from the card each year. Below I’ll explain the best ways to use your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get the most value out of it to justify the high annual fee.
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.
Some links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through them. All opinions are my own, and I only recommend products and services I personally use and believe in. Thanks for your support!
1. Book All Travel Expenses on the Card
The easiest way to offsite the annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Reserve is with the $300 annual travel credit.
Unlike other credit cards, there are no strings attached such as needing to book through the bank’s travel platform. The definition of “travel” is also very generous for Chase compared to its competitors.
Simply charge travel expenses to your card and they will be credited on your bill until you reach a cumulative $300 for the year.
This year, I used up my credit within one week with an Airbnb reservation, rental car, and toll charges. I love the immediate $300 back in my pocket that makes the annual fee basically $250.
In addition to getting $300 in credits on travel purchases, the CSR earns great rewards on travel so you will quickly rack up points which are valued at around 1.5 cents each.
So, for every $500 you spend on travel on this card, you will earn 1500 points (3x per dollar), which are valued at $750 in travel.
2. Get Global Entry
The next easiest way to offset your annual fee is by purchasing global entry. You can only do this once ever five years, the length of time a global entry membership lasts, but you are free to use the credit for yourself or someone else.
Again, you only get the credit once every five years, but it is valued at $100. Plus, Global Entry is an absolute must for frequent travelers.
It includes TSA precheck at all airports where it is offered. This means you don’t need to take off shoes, remove jackets, or take your electronics out of your bag. Plus, the line is usually way shorter and faster.
Global Entry provide expedited immigration into the US on international trips, also saving a ton of time.
3. Hit the Lounge
Without a doubt, airport lounge access is the best perk of a Chase Sapphire Reserve. Once you get to sit in a quiet, private area with free flowing food and alcohol, it is impossible to go back to a crowded airport terminal.
The CSR comes with two lounge perks – priority pass and their own Chase Sapphire Lounge.
Priority Pass is a lounge membership that provides access to lounges in airports around the world for yourself and a guest. I’ve visited a Priority Pass Lounge in many destinations, including Seattle, Orlando, and Albania to name a few.
One of the new lounge perks for the CSR is their new Chase Sapphire Lounges. So far, I’ve only visited the one in Boston but it is my favorite lounge in the US. They offer a full bar with specialty cocktails, hot food you can order to your table, and a selection of tapas from local chef’s.
There is no exact monetary value you get from lounge access, besides avoiding high airport food costs. However, the qualitative value I get from getting to visit lounges is worth a ton to me.
Apply for a Chase Sapphire Reserve Today and Get 60,000 Bonus Points
4. Take Advantage of Lyft Pink
An underrated perk that comes with a CSR is complimentary 2 year subscription to Lyft Pink. This service comes with priority pickup and discounts on rides.
I have saved hours by getting priority pickup from the airport over the years! Not to mention the money I’ve saved from the consistent 15% off rides.
In addition to the convenience of Lyft Pink, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft, making it the highest bonus category. This benefit alone has earned me thousands of miles.
5. Use the Card for Restaurants and Dining
Speaking of bonus categories, the 3x on dining is great if you love food as much as I do. Although this isn’t a super tangible $$ benefit, the points you earn on eating out will translate to free travel with real value.
6. Order In Through DashPass
Your Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a complimentary dashpass subscription, which provides free delivery on all applicable DoorDash orders. I was never much of an “order in” person, but this benefit has definitely turned me into one. I love the convenicne of it.
In addition, you will be provided a $5 monthly credit which will automatically load into your DoorDash account each month. This adds up to $60 of value over the year.
7. Transfer Points to Travel Partners
The biggest non cash perks of holding a Chase Sapphire Reserve are the points you earn that can be used towards travel. You can book flights or hotels directly through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal at a value of 1.5 cents per point. So, a $1000 per night hotel would cost 67,000 points.
This is a great deal and super easy to use! However, you can get even better value if you transfer points to a travel partner.
In the same portal, you can transfer points for a 1:1 value to a ton of airlines and hotels, including:
- Air Canada Aeroplan Miles
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles
- British Airways Avios
- Emirates Skywards Miles
- IHG Rewards points
- JetBlue TrueBlue points
- Marriott Bonvoy points
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus miles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points
- World of Hyatt points
With these transfer partners, you can easily get 2 cents per point or higher. My favorite transfer partner, World of Hyatt, has a ton of great opportunities for point redemptions.
This year alone, I’ve been able to use my Chase points to book two amazing stays:
5 nights at the Park Hyatt Maldives for 150,000 points
4 nights in a suite at the Andaz Wailea Maui for 180,000 points
8. Travel with Peace of Mind
Use your Chase Sapphire Reserve on travel purchases to get built-in travel protection such as cancellation and delay assistance.
I love the peace of mind this provides. Read their website more details because I’m not an insurance expert.
9. Take Advantage of Sign Up Bonuses
When you first open a Chase Sapphire Reserve, you will be eligible for a sign up bonus of a lump sum of points if you spend a certain amount within the first couple months of holding the card.
I’ve seen this bonus range from 50,000 to 80,000 points which are valued around $1,000. Although this is only a one-time benefit, it will help offset the annual fee for the first year or two.
Apply for a Chase Sapphire Reserve Today and Get 60,000 Bonus Points
Annual Estimated Value
$300 – Travel Credit
$20 – Global Entry ($100/5 years)
$60 – $5/month DoorDash Credit
Effective Annual Fee = $170
Once you subtract the credits you get for holding a Chase Sapphire Reserve, it brings the effective annual fee down to $170.
So, is $170 worth all the other perks? Lounge access, purchase protection, and thousands of points to redeem for free travel.
The answer is an easy YES for me! And I bet it is for you too.
The only case that this card may not be worth it to you is if you don’t travel at least 1-2 times per year. It is also not worth it if you don’t plan to pay off your credit card each month. The interest expenses will far outweigh any benefits you’ll get.
Apply for a Chase Sapphire Reserve Today and Get 60,000 Bonus Points
Before You Go: How to Turn Chase Points in Luxury Hotel Stays
Like I said above, World of Hyatt is my favorite Chase Transfer partner. Read my guide to maximizing the program to get amazing luxury hotel stays for free.
Related Posts:
- How To Book Hotels With Points? Guide To Hotel Rewards
- How To Earn Hyatt Points Fast – Beginners Guide (2023)
- How To Earn Marriott Points Fast: Guide To Marriott Bonvoy
Apply for a Chase Sapphire Reserve Today and Get 60,000 Bonus Points
