Each of Chase’s personal Sapphire cards earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
While the mid-tier Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) are in the same family, the two cards diverge in benefits, earning rates and annual fees.
The Sapphire Reserve offers many perks in exchange for a high $795 annual fee, while the Sapphire Preferred is a simpler option for $95 a year.
Consider your travel style and overall points and miles strategy before choosing. Let’s compare.
Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve comparison
Card
Sapphire Preferred
Sapphire Reserve
$95
$795
- 5 points per dollar spent on all travel booked through Chase Travel℠, eligible Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027) and eligible Peloton purchases of at least $150 (through Dec. 30, 2027)
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 10 points per dollar spent on eligible Peloton purchases of at least $150 (through Dec. 30, 2027)
- 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
(Purchases that qualify for the annual $300 travel credit will not earn points.)
Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Check your eligibility (with no impact on your credit score) to see if you’re targeted for an elevated offer to earn up to 175,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first three months. (This offer is only available via this tool.)
- Anniversary points boost
- Annual hotel credit when you book through Chase Travel
- DoorDash DashPass subscription and monthly DoorDash credits on nonrestaurant purchases
- Travel and purchase protections
- Annual travel credit
- Complimentary subscriptions for Apple TV+ and Apple Music
- Complimentary IHG elite status
- DoorDash DashPass subscription
- The Edit hotel credit
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee credit
- Lyft in-app credits (earned monthly)
- OpenTable credit
- Peloton membership credits
- Spending-incentivized credits, including IHG, Hyatt and Southwest Airlines status, and credits with Southwest Airlines and The Shops at Chase
- StubHub and Viagogo credit
- Travel and purchase protections
None
- Chase Sapphire Lounge access
- Priority Pass Select membership
Authorized user annual fee
$0
$195 for each user
Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve welcome bonus
New applicants for the Sapphire Reserve can check their eligibility to see if they’re targeted for an elevated offer to earn up to 175,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first three months. (You must check to see if you’re eligible for the 175,000-point offer via the Chase prequalification widget. There is no impact on your credit score. This offer is only available via this tool.)
These points are worth up to $3,588, according to TPG’s December 2025 valuations. (The standard public offer is 125,000 points for the same spending requirement.)
Meanwhile, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening with the Sapphire Preferred. This is worth $1,538 when considering TPG’s December 2025 valuations.
THE POINTS GUY
You can hold both the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred, but there are restrictions that may make some new applicants ineligible for bonus offers.
If you’ve previously earned a bonus on the Sapphire Reserve, you almost certainly won’t be eligible for a second bonus on the Sapphire Reserve. If you previously earned a bonus on a Sapphire Preferred, you almost definitely will be ineligible for a second bonus on the Sapphire Preferred.
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It’s important to remember Chase’s 5/24 rule when applying for one of the issuer’s cards.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. You could be targeted for a much higher offer than what the Sapphire Preferred provides.
Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve benefits
The Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are separated most distinctly by their benefits. Let’s break down what you can expect.
With the $95 Sapphire Preferred, you’ll receive:
- Anniversary points bonus: 10% each year
- Annual hotel credit: $50 hotel credit when you book through Chase Travel
- DoorDash benefits: Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription for at least one year (when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and $10 in monthly credits ($120 annually) for nonrestaurant purchases
THE IVENS HOTEL/FACEBOOK
The $795 Sapphire Reserve provides:
- Apple Music and Apple TV+: Up to $288 annually for subscriptions (one-time activation for both services is required; through June 22, 2027)
- DoorDash: Up to $25 in monthly promos plus at least one complimentary year of DashPass (activate by Dec. 31, 2027)
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus: Up to $120 in credits every four years
- Lyft: Up to $120 annually (up to $10 each month; through Sept. 30, 2027; does not apply to Wait & Save, bike or scooter rides)
- OpenTable: Up to $300 annually (split into two up-to-$150 biannual credits) for dining at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants (no prepayment, payment or reservation through OpenTable required)
- Peloton subscriptions: Up to $120 annually for Peloton subscriptions through Dec. 31, 2027
- StubHub/Viagogo: Up to $300 annually (split into two up-to-$150 biannual credits; through Dec. 31, 2027)
- The Edit: Up to $500 annually (split into two up-to-$250 biannual credits) for prepaid The Edit bookings (of two nights or more)
- Travel: Up to $300 toward all travel purchases
You can receive extra benefits after spending $75,000 on the Sapphire Reserve in a calendar year, including:
A distinction for many travelers will be the Sapphire Reserve’s lounge access. Chase has opened eight Sapphire Lounges and has plans to open at least three more. Plus, the Priority Pass network includes over 1,800 lounges worldwide.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
The Sapphire Reserve’s beloved travel credit broadly applies to travel purchases and is automatically applied. Conversely, the Sapphire Preferred’s $50 hotel credit is limited to bookings through Chase Travel.
Both cards come with a suite of travel protections. However, the more premium Sapphire Reserve has broader coverage with certain policies.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. The more premium card comes with lounge access, a more flexible travel credit and a laundry list of statement credits to maximize.
Related: Is the Sapphire Reserve worth the annual fee?
Earning points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve
There are notable variations in how the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve earn points.
With the Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn:
- 5 points per dollar spent on all travel purchased through Chase Travel, eligible Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027) and eligible Peloton purchases of at least $150 (through Dec. 30, 2027)
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
CREAM_PH/GETTY IMAGES
The Sapphire Reserve earns:
- 10 points per dollar spent on eligible Peloton purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 30, 2027)
- 8 points per dollar spent on all Chase Travel purchases
- 5 points per dollar spent on eligible Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The two cards earn at the same rate on Lyft rides and dining.
The Reserve outshines the Preferred on Chase Travel purchases and flights and hotels booked directly, an important consideration for frequent travelers.
In contrast, the Sapphire Preferred earns more on select streaming services and online groceries. Plus, it has a general travel bonus category that the Sapphire Reserve does not. If you book Airbnb stays, cruises or other general travel (outside of flights or hotels booked directly or through Chase Travel), you’re better off earning 2 points per dollar spent on the Preferred than 1 point per dollar spent on the Reserve.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. In most categories, it earns more than the Preferred, though the earning difference in the general travel category is worth considering.
Related: Which purchases count as dining with the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve?
Redeeming points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve
Chase’s Points Boost feature lets certain cardholders get more value per point when booking eligible travel through Chase Travel (up to 2 cents per point; the exact value you get depends on which card you have and what you’re booking; check your rewards program agreement for the full details).
- Sapphire Reserve cardholders can get up to 2 cents per point on select hotel and flight bookings made through Chase Travel.
- Sapphire Preferred cardholders can get up to 1.75 cents per point on select flight bookings and 1.5 cents on select hotel bookings.
LECHATNOIR/GETTY IMAGES
The base redemption rate for both the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve is 1 cent per point on Chase Travel redemptions not eligible for Points Boost.
Holding the Sapphire Reserve unlocks higher potential value through Points Boost than the Sapphire Preferred. However, you’ll have to make a Points Boost-eligible booking with select hotels and flight itineraries to get more than 1 cent per point in value.
You can also redeem your points for cash back or gift cards, but these redemptions typically offer poor value.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. You could get up to 2 cents per point in value with select Points Boost bookings, which is higher than the Sapphire Preferred’s rate of up to 1.75 cents per point.
Related: Why Chase’s Points Boost is an outstanding (kind of surprising) new way to book hotels on points
Transferring points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve
The best way to get maximum value from your points earned with the Sapphire Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve is to transfer them to one of Chase’s 13 travel partners.
These partners include valuable loyalty programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, United Airlines MileagePlus and World of Hyatt. When you transfer points, you can make stellar redemptions.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Plus, Chase often offers transfer bonuses that provide even more value for your points when you move them.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed recently transferred 70,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan to fly Lufthansa business class from Frankfurt to Los Angeles.
Winner: Tie. Both cards come with the same transfer options.
Related: Who are the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners? Everything to know
Should I get the Sapphire Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve?
The Sapphire Reserve outperforms the Sapphire Preferred in key earning rates, travel perks and redemption value — but those advantages come with a much higher $795 annual fee. Before choosing, think carefully about how often you travel and whether you’ll realistically use the Reserve’s many travel and lifestyle credits.
If you value airport lounge access, want top-tier travel protections and can maximize the Reserve’s credits, the Sapphire Reserve will likely deliver more overall value.
If you prefer simplicity, want strong earning rates on everyday spending and don’t want to manage multiple statement credits, the Sapphire Preferred remains one of the best mid-tier travel cards on the market.
Related: Reasons to choose the Sapphire Preferred over the Sapphire Reserve
How to upgrade from the Sapphire Preferred to the Sapphire Reserve
You can upgrade from the Sapphire Preferred to the Sapphire Reserve by calling the number on the back of your card. You can do the same if you want to downgrade your Sapphire Reserve to the Sapphire Preferred.
DRAGANA991/GETTY IMAGES
You have to hold your card for at least 12 months before you can downgrade. However, you won’t be eligible for a welcome offer on your new card if you choose to upgrade or downgrade.
Related: Reasons to upgrade from Sapphire Preferred to Sapphire Reserve
Bottom line
Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve have earned a strong reputation among travelers for their valuable rewards and flexible redemption options.
If you value airport lounge access, can maximize statement credits and appreciate high earning rates, the Sapphire Reserve is the pick for you. If you’re into simplicity and don’t want to pay a high annual fee, apply for the Sapphire Preferred instead.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
