3 Reasons I'll Never Downgrade My Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Motley Fool
31 Jan

KEY POINTS

  • Between the annual travel credit and the rewards points I earn, I get free airfare several times a year.
  • I get a lot of value out of special discounts and bonus rewards.
  • The Priority Pass membership is worth hundreds of dollars per year alone.

I've had a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card in my wallet for about eight years, and it'll stay there so long as the perks remain as good as they are now.

The card carries a steep annual fee of $550, but it's still one of the best travel cards on the market. I could downgrade to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which costs only $95 per year. However, I easily earn back my annual fee -- and then some -- through rewards.

Here are three of the biggest reasons I expect to keep this card for years to come.

Ratings Methodology

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠.

Annual Fee

$550

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

  • All the perks we've come to expect from a top travel card, including a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and big bonuses on travel and dining. Points are transferable to airline and hotel partners or worth 50% more if you book through Chase Travel. The annual fee is hefty, but if you can use all its features, this card could be well worth the cost.

    • Travel credits
    • Airport lounge access
    • Travel and dining rewards
    • Welcome offer
    • Flexible travel points
    • Annual fee
    • Limited-time benefits
    • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
    • Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
    • Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
    • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
    • Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
    • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
    • Member FDIC

1. I fly for free several times a year

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card pays a credit for your first $300 in travel spending each year. So if you travel even just once per year, you're practically guaranteed to get $300 back.

Earning categories include:

  • 10x total points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
  • 5x total points on air travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
  • 3x points on other travel and dining
  • 1x points on all other purchases

On top of that, your points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for travel through Chase.

Between the annual credit, the rewards points, and the bonus redemption rate, I've saved over $1,000 on airfare in the past year alone.

2. I use DoorDash and Lyft

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders get a free DoorDash DashPass subscription (normally $10 per month) and a $5 monthly DoorDash credit. DashPass gets you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees. I save $5 to $10 on every order, and I order from DoorDash once or twice a week. That means I'm saving a few hundred bucks a year.

I also use rideshare services to get around sometimes, and my card got me a free Lyft Pink subscription. Granted, this was a limited-time promotion that has since ended; my free Pink membership runs out in November. But until then, I'll enjoy faster pickup times and 5% off every ride, which for me is worth at least $40 a year.

And if history is any guide, there will be more valuable limited-time promotions to come.

3. I use my Priority Pass Select™ membership every chance I get

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders get access to over 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges.

There's no limit to how many lounge visits they can make, and they can bring a guest for free. That means my partner and I almost always have a place to relax with free food and drinks before our flights.

This is a rare and valuable perk that most cards -- including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card -- don't offer. Without the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, a similar Priority Pass membership costs $469 a year -- and you still have to pay extra for guests.

Cardholders also get access to the new Sapphire Lounge®, which currently has only six locations. We recently stopped by the Sapphire Lounge® at Boston Logan, and let me tell you, it was luxe.

I have no reason to switch cards anytime soon

Chase has kept me pretty happy for eight years running. So long as I keep getting my annual fee back several times over, I feel no need to downgrade to a card with a lower fee.

That said, I'll continue to keep an eye out for exciting sign-up bonuses and other reasons to switch up my main spending card -- as should you.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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