Chase Sapphire Preferred® vs. Sapphire Reserve®
Quick insights
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred cards both offer travel perks, partner benefits and rewards.
- The Sapphire Reserve has more travel perks, partner benefits and statement credits than the Preferred card.
- The Sapphire Preferred has a lower annual fee and more rewards categories than the Reserve card.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit cards are two popular options for those looking for a card with travel perks, rewards earning potential and a host of other card benefits. Even though they are both Chase credit cards with an annual fee, the two cards have many differences that are worth noting.
Review the guide below to learn about the similarities and differences between the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred cards.
Benefits of Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred
The Chase Sapphire cards offer a host of benefits that include travel perks, rewards and statement credits. The particulars of each depend on the card.
Travel benefits
The Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards offer various travel-related benefits. Both cards provide access to Chase Travel℠ and allow cardmembers to earn enhanced rewards on eligible travel purchases, but the Sapphire Reserve card has a longer list of travel benefits and perks than its counterpart.
Let’s examine them both:
Sapphire Preferred
The Sapphire Preferred card has a $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit. Cardmembers can earn up to $50 in statement credits each anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel.
Using rewards points when booking through Chase Travel with the Sapphire Preferred card can make your points go further. Cardmembers rewards points are worth up to 1.5x on thousands of hotels and flights with select airlines through Chase Travel—and up to 1.75x on premium cabin tickets on select airlines.
Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides a variety of travel perks and credits as well as access to travel bookings and programs exclusive to Reserve cardmembers. They include:
- A $300 annual travel credit
- Access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
- Access to any Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club with two complimentary guests
- A statement credit for the application fee associated with TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or NEXUS
- Access to The Edit by Chase Travel℠, a collection of hand-picked hotels and resorts providing daily complimentary breakfast for two, room upgrades (when available), a $100 property credit and more with each stay
- A $500 credit for stays booked through The Edit (up to $250 in statement credits from January through June and again from July through December)
- Access to Sapphire Reserve experiences, which offer memorable events and sought-after destinations designed primarily for Sapphire Reserve cardmembers
- IHG® One Rewards Platinum Elite Status
Sapphire card rewards and bonuses
The Reserve and Preferred cards both offer 1 reward point for each dollar spent on most purchases, but each card has categories that allow cardmembers to earn points at an accelerated rate.
Sapphire Preferred
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 2x points on other travel purchases
- 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
- 3x points on online grocery purchases, not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs
- 3x points on select streaming services
Additionally, on each account anniversary, cardmembers earn bonus points equal to 10% of their total purchases made the previous year. For example, if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you can earn 2,500 bonus points.
Sapphire Reserve
- 8x points for travel booked through Chase Travel
- 4x points on flights booked direct
- 4x points on hotels booked direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
Of note, points do not expire for either card, provided your account is open and not in default.
Partner benefits
Chase has partnered with several brands to bring additional benefits and promos to each card. They include:
Sapphire Preferred
- DoorDash: Get a complimentary DashPass membership for 12 months and $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders when you activate by December 31, 2027
- Peloton: Earn 5x total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027
Sapphire Reserve
- Apple: Get complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions through June 22, 2027 (up to $250 annual value)
- DoorDash: Get a complimentary DashPass membership for 12 months, giving you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders. Plus, get up to $25 each month to spend on DoorDash through December 31, 2027 (up to $420 value)
- StubHub: Get up to $150 in statement credits from January 1 through June 30 and up to $150 again from July 1 through December 31 for StubHub and viagogo purchases through December 31, 2027 (up to $300 annual value)
- Peloton: Get $10 in statement credits per month on eligible Peloton memberships (up to $120 annual value) and earn 10x points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027
In addition, the Sapphire Reserve card unlocks more benefits—including elite airline status and statement credits with designated partner brands—when cardmembers spend more than $75,000 each calendar year.
Learn about additional lifestyle benefits with the Sapphire Reserve card.
Perks available with both Sapphire Reserve and Preferred
We've talked a lot about the differences between these two Chase Sapphire cards, but let's review some of their similarities.
Travel and purchase protection benefits
Both cards offer travel protection benefits that include Auto Rental Coverage, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Lost Luggage Reimbursement and Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, among others.travel-purchase-protection
Purchase coverage includes Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty Protection, among others. Protections vary by card, so check the cardmember benefits for more details.
Welcome bonus offer
Both cards typically offer sign-up bonuses for new cardmembers. These offers require you to meet a spending requirement, usually within the first few months of opening an account.
Check the card pages for the latest welcome bonus offers that the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards provide.
Transferrable points to travel partners
Both the Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards allow you to transfer your points to participating travel partners at a 1:1 rate. That means 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points equal 1,000 partner miles/points with participating brands which include several major airlines and international hotel brands.
Customer service
Cardmembers have 24/7 access to a customer service specialist from almost anywhere in the world. Additionally, Reserve cardmembers enjoy exclusive access to a dedicated customer service team available every day of the week.
Which card is right for you?
On one hand, the Sapphire Reserve Card can be perfect for frequent travelers who would take advantage of the travel-related perks, statement credits and rewards earning potential offered to offset the annual fee. The card has more than $2,700 in annual value between its statement credits, promotions and partner benefits.
On the other hand, for those who don't travel as much or want a card with a lower annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred Card also offers several perks and rewards earning categories.
In summary
When deciding which Chase Sapphire card is right for you, you may want to compare the benefits and annual fees. The best card will often be the one that best matches your spending habits and meets your needs.
Those who prioritize travel may find that the Sapphire Reserve's benefits outweigh the cost of the card’s annual fee. Those who want a lower annual fee but still prioritize travel perks and rewards potential may find that the Sapphire Preferred card suits their needs.
For a side-by-side comparison, you can see the cards’ fees, offers, rewards, benefits and more by using Chase’s Card Comparison Tool.
