The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card is one of the most popular premium travel credit cards, given its lucrative bonus categories, valuable lounge access, and other credits and benefits that can help offset the annual fee.
A few weeks ago, we saw a massive, best-ever welcome bonus rolled out on this card, making it the ideal time to apply. It’s anyone’s guess how much longer this offer will stick around, so I’d like to recap all the details, as I imagine the clock is ticking.
Link: Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
In this post:
Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus now offers 150K points, up from 125K
The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently has a huge welcome bonus, where you can earn 150,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months. Personally, I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me, the points are worth a staggering $2,550, which is fantastic, especially with such a reasonable spending requirement.
For context, prior to this, the card had a welcome bonus of 125,000 Ultimate Rewards points with the same spending requirement, so this offer is significantly richer. For that matter, this is the best publicly available welcome bonus we’ve ever seen on this card, period.
Are you eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus?
When it comes to eligibility for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, here’s the official language in the application:
This credit card is unavailable to you if you currently have one open. The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card. We may also consider the number of cards you have opened and closed in determining your bonus eligibility.
As you can tell, the terms here aren’t that explicit. However, you’re definitely not eligible for the bonus if you currently have this exact card, and you also may not be eligible for the bonus if you previously held this card, regardless of whether or not you received the bonus. Then there’s also the vague language about how other factors may be used in determining your eligibility for the card.
Furthermore, eligibility for the card (including the bonus) is unrelated to whether or not you have or have had the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review). Note that these restrictions are based on whether you’re the primary cardmember on one of these cards — if you’re currently an authorized user (or have been one in the past), you’d be eligible.
Also keep in mind the general rules of applying for Chase cards, including the 5/24 rule (though there are increasingly reports of people being approved in spite of being over the 5/24 limit).
Nowadays Chase will typically let you know during the application process if you’re eligible for the bonus on a card, before there’s a hard pull, so that’s good news if you want to try to apply and see if you qualify.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth it, and why?
The $795 annual fee Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most popular premium credit cards, thanks to its great rewards structure and benefits. The card has the following perks, among other things:
- The Sapphire Reserve has a $300 annual travel credit, that can automatically be applied to any purchase coded as travel; this should basically be worth face value to anyone who has the card
- The Sapphire Reserve offers a Priority Pass™ Select membership, as well as access to Chase Sapphire Lounges (which are some of the best credit card lounges you’ll find anywhere), and access to select Air Canada Lounges
- The Sapphire Reserve offers other valuable credits, including up to $500 in annual hotel credits, up to $300 in annual dining credits, up to $300 in annual Stubhub and viagogo credits, and much more
- The Sapphire Reserve has an amazing rewards structure — earn 8x points on Chase Travel bookings, 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on dining, and 1x points on all other purchases
- The Sapphire Reserve has great travel protection, including for delayed flights, lost bags, rental cars, and more
- The Sapphire Reserve acts as a good “hub” card for Chase Ultimate Rewards, and lets you maximize the other cards in the portfolio, including the ability to transfer points to Chase travel partners
- The Sapphire Reserve offers a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit, once every four years
- The Sapphire Reserve offers a good incentive for spending, because if you spend $75,000 per year on the card, you receive IHG One Rewards Diamond status, Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, a $500 Southwest credit, a $250 Shops at Chase credit, and more
Read a full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve here.
Chase Sapphire Reserve welcome bonus FAQs
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is currently offering a best-ever welcome bonus of 150,000 Ultimate Rewards points upon completing minimum spending, which is the best publicly available bonus we’ve ever seen on the card.
This is a great premium card that offers lots of perks, so if you spend a lot on dining and travel, value lounge access, and like Chase’s points redemption opportunities, definitely consider this card, as it’s quite easy to justify. Either way, if you don’t yet have the card and are eligible, there’s absolutely no reason not to take advantage of this incredible bonus.
Do you plan on picking up the Chase Sapphire Reserve with 150K bonus points?
It's very possible Chase had a deliberate "burn the forest down and then we'll rebuild it" strategy. It's just not going that well for them, hence the 150K offer.
That said, it's Chase, by far and away the market leading bank in the country, and they can absorb a strategic misstep that some folks over there should be fired for.
Chase's credit card division is likely under some earnings growth mandate. It's a reasonable explanation for everything that has occurred within the Chase ecosystem over the past year. In a way, they seem to be driving away all but those customers who either don't care or don't know any better. Fornus, it's like a line out of Lady Gaga's song Bad Romance: "Want you in my rear window, baby, you're sick."
Dumped mine - 10 years and 7 figures pumped through the little rectangle. Gone - poof! They have no intention towards retaining existing long time customers
Will put all the spending through Atmos instead. Thanks for the ride, Chase
I was surprised too. My wife has had it for 8 years, they didn't even quit-save or propose a retention offer. Crazy work.
The Chase advisor was fine - she explained her hands are tied, paraphrasing:
'Lots of people are calling to cancel or downgrade to Preferred. We are instructed there is no offer of bonus points or delayed annual fee, etc. Thanks for your loyalty, appreciate your business, but there's nothing I can do.'
¡Vamos!
If you were approved for a CSR card on or after April 20th, you are eligible for the increased signup bonus. I was approved on the 10th, so I'm SOL.
Anyone apply while over 5/24? Ive heard datapoints of chase demphasizing 5/24 when they have temporary increased offers on cards.
SUB to AF ratio still worse than before the inflation
@Lucky,
do you when this offer is scheduled to end?
@ JL -- Unfortunately that hasn't been revealed yet, so I have no insights. I'm sorry!
So is this the result of past UR devaluation or is the going to be the first step for an upcoming UR devaluation.
It’s because no one signed up when they refreshed it. They’re getting desperate. Amex and capital one blew them out of the water.
Are you suggesting that raising the annual fee by $200, adding a bunch of tiny, difficult to use coupons, quietly but repeatedly degrading one of the card's few good features after launch, and having its best transfer partner nuke its rewards program somehow didn't generate a flood of new card holders?
He probably acknowledges that. But, he wonders whether there's a second shoe to drop. Seeing all that Chase has done and continues to do, that's a fair speculation.
Crickets chirping.