Link: Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
The Chase Sapphire Reserve (review) was launched in 2016, and has become one of the most popular premium credit cards on the market. We recently learned that the card would be undergoing major changes, and those changes are now live for new applications. Separately, I’ve covered the launch of the new Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM (review).
When it comes to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, we’re seeing the annual fee increase considerably, but we’re also seeing updates to the benefits, including the introduction of lots of new perks. Some will like the changes, while others won’t.
For those who are willing to maximize value, I think these updates could prove to be positive. Meanwhile for those who have credit card fatigue in terms of keeping track of benefits, well, there’s definitely a learning curve here…
In this post:
Details of the Chase Sapphire Reserve changes
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is undergoing major changes. For new cardmembers, these change kick in for applications as of June 23, 2025. For existing cardmembers, the new annual fee and new perks kick in as of October 26, 2025, with the exception of the Points Boost benefit, which is now live for all. Let’s cover all the changes, in no particular order.
Welcome bonus of 100K points & $500 credit
To celebrate the card’s relaunch, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a best-ever welcome offer that can earn you 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points, plus a $500 Chase Travel credit, after spending at least $5,000 within the first three months.
That Chase Travel credit has to be used within 12 months of when it’s issued. It’s a one-time code, so has to be used in one transaction, or it will be forfeited. It can be used toward a variety of Chase Travel purchases, ranging from flights, to hotels, to rental cars.
Personally, I value this welcome bonus at up to $2,200, which is massive. That’s because I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, while I’d say the welcome offer is worth close to face value. Just keep in mind that the card has some new eligibility requirements.
Annual fee increases from $550 to $795
The Chase Sapphire Reserve‘s annual fee has increased from $550 to $795 per year. Note that this applies effective immediately for new cardmembers, and for the next renewal after October 26, 2025, for existing cardmembers.
Obviously that’s a significant increase, especially when you consider that the card’s annual fee was $450 at launch. At the same time, we’ve seen quite a bit of credit card annual fee inflation in recent years, so this is hardly surprising, especially with all the new benefits being added.
Authorized user fee increases from $75 to $195
The Chase Sapphire Reserve‘s authorized user fee has increased from $75 per person to $195 per person. I’d argue that this is the roughest change we’re seeing with these updates, since being able to add authorized users for $75 was a great value.
I suspect Chase justifies this based on the continued investment in Chase Sapphire Lounges, plus wanting to minimize crowding in those facilities. This also applies effective immediately for new cardmembers, and for the next renewal after October 26, 2025, for existing cardmembers.
3x points replaced by 3-8x points
Up until recently, the Chase Sapphire Reserve rewards structure has been as follows:
- 10x points on hotels and rental cars booked through Chase Travel
- 5x points on Lyft purchases through September 30, 2027
- 3x points on dining
- 3x points on travel
- 1x points on all other purchases
With these changes, the card’s rewards structure has changed, as follows:
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel
- 5x points on Lyft purchases through September 30, 2027
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining
- 1x points on all other purchases
As you can see, this means the card no longer offers 3x points on all travel purchases, negatively impacting things like parking, trains, etc. Instead, it offers more points for direct purchases of flights and hotels. When it comes to Chase Travel purchases, hotels and rental cars go from earning 10x points to earning 8x points, while flights start earning 8x points.
New credits for dining, travel, and more
The Chase Sapphire Reserve now offers a bunch of new credits, beyond the ones that were previously offered. This should help many people justify the higher annual fee. The new credits include the following, in addition to the existing ones:
- The card offers up to $500 per year in hotel credits for The Edit by Chase Travel, in the form of a $250 credit semi-annually; this applies to hotel bookings that are a minimum of two nights
- The card offers up to $300 per year in statement credits for Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables, in the form of a $150 credit semi-annually; this is for select restaurants bookable through OpenTable, as part of The Infatuation & Visa Dining Collection platform
- The card offers up to $300 in DoorDash credits per year, in the form of up to $25 in monthly credits (a $5 monthly promo credit to spend on restaurant orders, and two $10 promo credits for groceries, retail, and more), along with one year of DashPass
- The card offers up to $300 in Stubhub and viagogo credits per year, in the form of a $150 credit semi-annually; this is for the purchase of concert and event tickets
- The card offers a complimentary subscription to Apple TV+ and Apple Music through June 22, 2027, a $250 annual value
Additional benefits for spending $75,000 annually
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers new benefits for those who spend at least $75,000 per calendar year on the card. Specifically, the card now offers the following (note that 2025 calendar year spending counts toward this):
- IHG One Rewards Diamond status, which is IHG’s top tier status, offering perks like complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, and more
- Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, offering perks ranging from priority seating to free checked bags
- A $500 Southwest credit, for flights booked via Chase Travel
- A $250 Shops at Chase credit, valid for purchases with select brands, including Baccarat, Bang & Olufsen, Breitling, Tumi, and more
1.5 cent redemptions replaced by Points Boost
Personally, my preference is to redeem Ultimate Rewards points by transferring them to Chase’s airline and hotel partners, as that allows me to get the most outsized value. However, one advantage of the card has been that it’s possible to redeem points for 1.5 cents each toward the cost of a travel purchase through Chase Travel.
With these changes, that has been dropped down to one cent per point, so that’s a pretty significant devaluation. For what it’s worth, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has offered redemptions for 1.25 cents per point, so that has being lowered to one cent as well.
Now, there is some good news. This benefit is being replaced by Points Boost, whereby you can redeem points at up to 2x the typical value on select hotel and airfare redemptions (meaning you can get up to two cents of value per point):
- The Edit by Chase Travel offers extra perks at luxury hotels, and you’ll always be able to redeem points for 2x the typical rate through there
- Select airfare will be bookable with points getting at 1.25-2x the usual rate, though options will vary based on class of service, airline, etc.
Other card benefits remain unchanged
The above covers the changes to the card, though let me note that other perks aren’t changing. Most significantly, the card’s (very) easy to use $300 annual travel credit continues to be a perk. The same is true of the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credit, etc.
Furthermore, the card’s lounge access perks aren’t changing, so the card will continue to offer a Priority Pass membership, access to Chase Sapphire Lounges, access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges, etc.
My take on Chase Sapphire Reserve changes
I’m not surprised to see changes made to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. We’ve had reason to believe that there was a general profitability issue with the card, which probably reflected evolving consumer behavior. A large percentage of spending is in categories eligible for bonus points, and people probably aren’t financing charges as much as issuers would like.
At the same time, there has been a premium credit card arms race of sorts, and card issuers feel like they need these cards to compete. Now, to state the obvious, many people won’t like that the annual fee is increasing by $245, and that 3x points is being dropped on some travel purchases.
That being said, personally I still find this card to be worthwhile. Actually, I’ll likely get more value from the card than before:
- Being able to earn 8x points for flights booked through Chase Travel might change how I book many of my flights, as that’s a really compelling return
- I also appreciate the ability to earn 4x points on hotel purchases, since that’s an industry leading return on that spending
- Given how easy the $300 annual travel credit is to use, I tend to consider this to be more of a $495 annual fee card after the changes ($795, minus the $300 credit)
- I’ll largely come out ahead compared to the $245 annual fee increase; for example, the up to $300 in dining credits will be easy for me to maximize, since there are several great Miami restaurants participating in the program
- I know some people will be bummed to see the 1.5 cent per point redemption option discontinued, though personally, that’s not how I’ve typically redeemed my points
- The “coupon” aspect of some of these perks is quite frustrating, like with DoorDash, where the $25 in monthly credits is made up of three separate credits, which can’t be used together
Ultimately the pattern here is the same with card issuers. Cards are largely becoming more lucrative, but there are more hoops that need to jump through to maximize value. If you’re willing to put in the effort, these changes may very well be positive. The question is just how much time people want to spend trying to maximize every last perk.
It’s also worth acknowledging that these perks largely favor those living in major cities, where many of the benefits are easier to use.
Chase Sapphire Reserve strategy for existing cardmembers
If you’re an existing Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmember, what’s the right approach to take here? Obviously everyone has to decide for themselves whether the refreshed version of the card is worth the annual fee. Personally, I think there’s no reason to take any action right now.
For existing cardmembers, the new annual fee only kicks in on the next account renewal date after October 26, 2025. That means that some people won’t be paying the new annual fee until some point in October 2026.
The benefits stay the same for now (except Points Boost, which is being added for now, without anything immediately being taken away), and even come October, it could make sense to hold onto the card until the renewal date hits. Of course this assumes that you don’t like the changes. But either way, there’s no benefit to doing anything now.
If you do decide that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is no longer right for you, it could be worth downgrading to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which has a much lower annual fee, and it’ll still allow you to keep all your points.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has undergone major changes. Applications for the refreshed card are now live, and those benefits kick in immediately. For exiting cardmembers, the higher annual fee and most of the benefits only kick in as of October 26, 2025, at the earliest.
While the higher annual fee and elimination of consistent 1.5 cent redemptions is bad news, there’s also a lot of good news. We’ve seen a bunch of new credits added to the card, which will make it much easier to justify. We’re also seeing significant perks added as an incentive for spending $75,000 per year on the card.
Whether these changes are positive or negative depends entirely on your spending patterns, and how many hoops you’re willing to jump through in order to maximize value.
What do you make of these Chase Sapphire Reserve changes?
This update seems like a way for Chase to get rid of cardholders who don’t live close by a major city (not unlike Amex Plat giving credits to Equinox gym membership). The restaurant credit of $300 is fairly easy for me to use. I like 4x on hotels and airlines. Loss of 3x on cruise and Airbnb isn’t a breaker for me as I don’t do either. We will see how that boost thing works....
This update seems like a way for Chase to get rid of cardholders who don’t live close by a major city (not unlike Amex Plat giving credits to Equinox gym membership). The restaurant credit of $300 is fairly easy for me to use. I like 4x on hotels and airlines. Loss of 3x on cruise and Airbnb isn’t a breaker for me as I don’t do either. We will see how that boost thing works. Lucky mentioned 2 cents redemption rate for United and Air Canada so that may work out good if I’m redeeming with either programs but sucks for other airlines with 1 cent value. Overall Sapphire still a keeper for now.
Besides Chase, we will soon see changes with a couple of AMEX cards as per Doctor of Credit.
AMEX PLATINUM AF will go from $695 to $895 in Autumn of 2025.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/rumor-american-express-platinum-annual-fee-increasing-from-695-to-895/
AMEX CLEAR will be discontinued as of August 20, 2025. Those card holders will instead have Cash Magnet cards.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/american-express-to-discontinue-clear-from-american-express-credit-card/
Besides Chase, we will soon see changes with a couple of AMEX cards as per Doctor of Credit.
AMEX PLATINUM AF will go from $695 to $895 in Autumn of 2025.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/rumor-american-express-platinum-annual-fee-increasing-from-695-to-895/
AMEX CLEAR will be discontinued as of August 20, 2025. Those card holders will instead have Cash Magnet cards.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/american-express-to-discontinue-clear-from-american-express-credit-card/
Platinum has been announced. Green is due. Everyday Preferred has been offline for nearly 10 months. With a $95 annual fee, the EDP really needs to parallel the Capital One Venture at 2X everywhere and no foreign transaction fee. Otherwise, don't even bother.
Pretty simple that the benefits are very limiting with many details. Downgrade to the Preferred is a better option.
This is an interesting new, 1-time benie received today on the CSP (via email):
“$50 credit toward Chase Travel, on us
“On top of your $50 hotel credit, cardmembers who joined within the last year can now enjoy a little something extra—a one-time $50 credit toward any purchase on Chase Travel.*
I’m
To redeem, just book your itinerary through Chase Travel by June 23, 2026.”
Hey Ben (or anyone else) - what's the logic behind emphasizing Southwest benefits on a premium travel card? Seems like a mismatch with the target customer.
That's what I thought. If a person charges $75k on a personal card in what world does that person fly southwest other than something like their business class flight got canceled and they'll be late for their BFFs wedding but oh look SW still have flights, oh well.
Because Southwest needs the LUV financially and can be squeezed . . . whereas Chase's other domestic airline partner United doesn't and can't. In any other scenario, Chase probably would have looked to United.
Looking at the exact benefits as rolled out this morning, it appears that cruises booked through Chase Travel earn 8x points, which I don't think was clear previously. Looked like only air/hotels/cars.
This used to be a straightforward premium travel card—now it's a glorified coupon book. The time spent managing dining credits, hotel booking restrictions, and monthly DoorDash allowances isn't worth the $245 annual fee increase. If Chase wants to keep premium customers, they should focus on simple, valuable earning rates instead of turning cardholders into part-time coupon managers.
Chase wants the card to be profitable for them to offer
Nothing about this card says premium. I wouldn't go to chases portal to book a stay at a Waldorf. I go directly to Waldorf where they will give me higher service. It's like apple products. Pretend luxury for those who can't actually buy $150k cars but want that feeling of being in a luxe world. The doordash credits are the worst. You need to do 3 transactions /month. Not to mention dealing with DD bs....
Nothing about this card says premium. I wouldn't go to chases portal to book a stay at a Waldorf. I go directly to Waldorf where they will give me higher service. It's like apple products. Pretend luxury for those who can't actually buy $150k cars but want that feeling of being in a luxe world. The doordash credits are the worst. You need to do 3 transactions /month. Not to mention dealing with DD bs. Their app sometimes will add your csr credit and sometimes don't. We know what that's all about. Currently the app defaults to 30% tip to the driver. Sometimes it's 10% but it's random. Again, we know what that's about.
The hokey pokey really is what it's all about.
In a comment to another article, a guy asked a question, which I paraphrase: "Tell me if I got this wrong -- just between the $300 travel credit and the $500 hotel credit, I can break even on the annual fee?" When I read it, it sunk in. And, those credits combine. I really had to scratch my head about the venomous comments from some about the refresh.
Yes! I think you can wear yourself out just as much as you want to on this refresh. Book a couple of nice hotel stays & the fee is covered. Spend the same amount of effort (as previously) on DoorDash & Lyft & now you’re really in the black. Drill further down & I get fatigue sets in, but hasn’t that always really been the case with Chase Offers, spend promos, etc for really doing...
Yes! I think you can wear yourself out just as much as you want to on this refresh. Book a couple of nice hotel stays & the fee is covered. Spend the same amount of effort (as previously) on DoorDash & Lyft & now you’re really in the black. Drill further down & I get fatigue sets in, but hasn’t that always really been the case with Chase Offers, spend promos, etc for really doing well with their cards? I think most of the negativity is because of the lame SUB. I figured it would be 150k URs (based on the relative cash value of the initial 100k launch to required spend etc), but the $500 is worth 1/2 as much for me since I want the points for 2x on nice hotel stays. I am guessing 150k URs will be forthcoming after all the folks Chase is shutting out on this relaunch. I’m going for Biz card (only) for now at a SUB I
am very happy with.
For a lot of people this is a game / hobby, a way to travel in extravagance. The AF is just the cover charge to get in the club. The product is the points. The AF cost is just the entry problem. The core problem is earning points and how to redeem them. The changes are forcing you to do all your game /hobbyist activity within their own wall garden. Abd as they have demonstrated...
For a lot of people this is a game / hobby, a way to travel in extravagance. The AF is just the cover charge to get in the club. The product is the points. The AF cost is just the entry problem. The core problem is earning points and how to redeem them. The changes are forcing you to do all your game /hobbyist activity within their own wall garden. Abd as they have demonstrated they have no shame in making that as lucrative for themselves as possible at your expense.
Chase is in business to make money & we are on the other side of the table. Absolutely. But, as hobbyists, we are going to play smart. We use them when it's in our favor & don't when it's not. There are hotels I regularly use at which the Edit price is LOWER than booking direct, get 8X, & get loyalty credit. The extra points alone are worth a multiple of the annual fee. The coupons are gravy. And, if a knucklehead like me can figure it out . . .
I have the old Reserve but don’t have a problem with the new card. Between the $300 travel credit plus the $300 dining credit (which I will easily be able to use), that makes the net annual fee $195. And for that I get all the other points, which I typically transfer to airlines, plus free travel protection which saves me the 10% cost of purchasing trip insurance for cruises and hotels after their cancellation...
I have the old Reserve but don’t have a problem with the new card. Between the $300 travel credit plus the $300 dining credit (which I will easily be able to use), that makes the net annual fee $195. And for that I get all the other points, which I typically transfer to airlines, plus free travel protection which saves me the 10% cost of purchasing trip insurance for cruises and hotels after their cancellation deadlines have passed. The Priority Pass benefit works for us when we are not flying business or with Star Alliance. And the primary collision damage coverage for rental cars is a good benefit for us.
But that’s just me. If the card doesn’t make sense for you, then don’t get it. But you also don’t need to project your personal financial considerations onto others in terms of a universal judgment about the value of the card. Just do what makes sense for you. Your choice of credit cards should not be a committee decision rendered by the blogosphere as a whole.
8x through the Chase Portal is lucrative, but I HATE PORTALS! Credit cards are upping their fees/benefits, but they're also incentivizing you towards their travel portals which nobody wants to use.
4X on direct bookings is not so bad. If you have enough spending on airfare and hotels, that extra 1X might be valuable enough to cover the $250 increase in annual fee. That being said, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is a good alternative. Admittedly, the list of transfer partners is still in the growth phase.
Yes in the last year I have booked 15 different hotels in the states, france, Germany, Norway, denmark, uk, Tokyo and Kyoto. Each one of them I checked in chases portal and it was always much more expensive than everybody else.
The Edit has some of my "regular" hotels at or below their direct booking price. In those instances, I'll take the 8X. When the Edit is higher, I'll go with 4X. Again, for anyone who travels enough, that extra 1X on direct bookings should cover the higher annual fee . . . and the extra coupons are gravy.
Can I apply now and get the bonus if I currently have the CSP?
@ Eli -- I wrote about that topic in this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/new-chase-sapphire-eligibility-rules/
The short answer is that you probably wouldn't receive the bonus, but there are inconsistencies when it comes to data points, and Chase now has a pop-up if you're not eligible for an offer.
Do current CSR card holders continute to earn 3x points on cruise travel until October 2025 or does it stop today June 23rd?
@ janekirstine -- You continue to earn 3x points through late October.
Thank you, Ben! This is great news for me.
Apologies if this was mentioned and I missed it but curious to know whether the Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is affected by these changes. Thank you
@ Charlie -- Nope, no changes there.
Wrong. NYS is not primary if you already have auto insurance. Change was last year, but bloggers should be including this string being attached.
Ben: Is it easy to book flights through Chase Travel? What happens when you want to cancel or change the flight?
You need to be careful with portals for flights. Generally no problem with main airlines. But if it's a code share flight like it's a air Canada flight marketed as united, you won't be able to pick your seats. Also, if you have free check bags via a airline card, you can't use it because you need to use a chase card.
I had two instances when I booked flights for multiple cities, once the booking was confirmed, it reverted to round trip. For example I booked NYC-Zurich then Paris-NYC. The confirmation I got was round trip NYC-Zurich-NYC. I called several time to fix have it fixed and one supervisor confirmed, it was the system's fault.
This card is garbage now.
Does anyone know when the $75k spend annual perks start?
I was thinking about getting the IHG card but now I am rethinking that since I can get the Diamond Elite status with CSR. I also don't like that they are offering $250 credit for Apple since I don't use Apple products but I might just get rid of Spotify and try Apple Music. $500 Southwest credit to use in Chase Travel is a nice...
Does anyone know when the $75k spend annual perks start?
I was thinking about getting the IHG card but now I am rethinking that since I can get the Diamond Elite status with CSR. I also don't like that they are offering $250 credit for Apple since I don't use Apple products but I might just get rid of Spotify and try Apple Music. $500 Southwest credit to use in Chase Travel is a nice perk. So far, this change in annual fee is okay with me.
I hope people cancel their CSR card so the CSR lounges are not as crowded! :) Lol
Was planning on signing up for this card this month. I'm having a tough time justifying the $795 fee. I'm hoping for an enhanced Sign Up Bonus. If they would offer 100000, I'd sign up.
My card renews on 10/1 -- does that mean I keep the $550 annual fee and get the new card benefits? Or do I keep the old benefits until I renew again on 10/1/2026?
@ Lara -- You keep the low fee for your next renewal, but you start getting the new perks as of late October. :-)
@Ben - It might be good if you created a post of the best way to downgrade from CSR without losing too much value of existing UR points. (Possibility of getting new bonus on CSP?)
Curious - if the $75K spend threshold is calendar, when will the credits/status kick in for existing CSR holders? I'm over that already this year...
1.5cpp on travel is literally why I carry the card. “Select” airlines “up to” 2cpp means absolutely nothing from a bank. Sad to see Chase joining the race to the bottom with this new coupon card mentality.
Don’t like the changes. Laughable they give you a Southwest credit if you’re a heavy spender. Talk about an airline people that spend that much don’t want to fly.
Who charges $75k/year on a csr non business and flies southwest?
Of all the things they could have kept, they kept those stupid door dash credits. I HATE them so much. They can't even give you $25/month it has to be in 3 separate transaction of $10, $10 and $5. I hate it so much.
Have to pay $$$ so they can market a coupon book to me? No thanks
On the surface this is a downgrade. Like so many csr benefits you will only get them if you do the homework. There was already too much and they doubled it. I'm going to need a spreadsheet just for csr and my spreadsheets are fairly complex already. Not sure I want to continue. I have about 9 months to figure it out and test drive it before I renew.
But my usage of csr...
On the surface this is a downgrade. Like so many csr benefits you will only get them if you do the homework. There was already too much and they doubled it. I'm going to need a spreadsheet just for csr and my spreadsheets are fairly complex already. Not sure I want to continue. I have about 9 months to figure it out and test drive it before I renew.
But my usage of csr over Amex will reduce even more now that parking, transit etc won't count as travel. I have never liked booking hotels through their portal because the prices are higher 80% of the time.
Flights and some hotels would be my only charges on this card so that doesn't seem great. My guess is I will cancel in 9 months and move those former charges to cap 1.
Sounds like a downgrade at AF renewal until we burn all of our points. We start nomad travel later this year and the loss of 3x for cruises and airbnb/vrbo makes the card no longer a good value proposition.
I've had this card since it launched and have an authorized user. I will be cancelling at renewal. I won't use third party sites for booking travel and the loss of 3 x travel for rental properties, public transit, etc. absolutely is a devaluation that makes this card just like any other one on the market. I'm sad tbh but all things must come to an end I guess.
I am the same as you. Loss of 3x travel is huge downgrade.
This is a downgrade for me, as my biggest spend category on this card has been 3x travel since 2016.
I'll tolerate coupons and unusable credits for a good bonus category (like 5x on Amex platinum). But if there's no good bonus category, then cards get churned.
I wonder if this card will finally kick off the "coupon fatigue" that makes customers stop engaging. Without an outsized welcome offer, how can they compete?
Peloton $10 credit on membership in the refresh?
Currently hold both Amex Platinum and CSR. Might be time to cancel both and just go for the Coinbase 4x Bitcoin rewards on all purchases card being announced in the fall. Done with coupon cards. Bitcoin more valuable than worthless fiat anyway.
I am disappointed by these changes. More than 80% of my card spending is on Travel (cruises, group tours, AirBnB, car rentals, etc.) now that will not be bonused spending. Ouch. That was what made this card so appealing to me. Chase travel bookings are less than optimal since they do not work with many of the travel providers I patronize. (SIXT is my goto car rental agency) I also wonder if the 4X direct...
I am disappointed by these changes. More than 80% of my card spending is on Travel (cruises, group tours, AirBnB, car rentals, etc.) now that will not be bonused spending. Ouch. That was what made this card so appealing to me. Chase travel bookings are less than optimal since they do not work with many of the travel providers I patronize. (SIXT is my goto car rental agency) I also wonder if the 4X direct spend will include ALL airlines and hotels, or just the ones with which Chase makes a deal? (In Europe I book mainly small local hotels and use discount airlines like WIZZ and Ryan Air, that offer point-to-point route ignored by the European national carriers.). I can probably break even on the $795 annual fee from the percs I value, and I will use the dining and hotel credits, but being forced to purchase things I normally would not to benefit irks me. I don’t know if I can spend enough on airfare (my intention with maximizing points is to NOT spend a lot on airfares) to make this card more attractive than some of the others in the market. I’ll have to evaluate periodically
Interesting. I just dumped the Amex ecosystem earlier this year; lounges were no longer a draw, benefits were dropped. Yes, I got more back in the "coupons" than the fee, but not by THAT much. No points earnings differential was enough to make a huge difference.
Now this annual fee headed up as well. I will give it a grace period (until the AF at least) to see if these credits will be easy- which...
Interesting. I just dumped the Amex ecosystem earlier this year; lounges were no longer a draw, benefits were dropped. Yes, I got more back in the "coupons" than the fee, but not by THAT much. No points earnings differential was enough to make a huge difference.
Now this annual fee headed up as well. I will give it a grace period (until the AF at least) to see if these credits will be easy- which to me means something I would spend money on anyway. I will stay in the ecosystem because I use Hyatt points so much
I could speculate a future where I opt out of all this silliness. At the higher levels of wealth/ income, just "getting ahead" on the benefits (i.e. the coupons used exceed the AF) becomes less and less worth it as fees and hassle increase. I do ask everyone - exactly how much (in $$) do you REALLY get ahead now on these cards? A lousy few hundred or thousand bucks?
My big draw has always been premium cabin points bookings (I'm not paying $23k cash to fly JAL first, after all, even if I can afford it- the value prop just isn't there).
If premium cabin availability (at a big discount ) keeps vanishing..... Then what's the point? Go to a Merrill card and get around 3% cash back and just spend it the way you want to
This is a massive devaluation disguised as an upgrade. The card went from simple, valuable travel earning to a complex "coupon book" requiring significant effort to break even.
Are all chase The Edit bookings available at 2 cents? I’ve read conflicting reports.
Can the $150 Open Table credit roll over to a couple restaurant visits in the half year? I rarely drop $150 at a restaurant.
I think you are misunderstanding the new benefits! There is NO $150 OpenTable credit...there is a credit for Chase Reserve Dining and not every OT restaurant you see in your location or where you are traveling to.....the restaurant MUST be part of CRD in order for you to get the credit. There has been a ton of discussion on this and a restaurant list of PARTICIPATING restaurants can be found by searching. IMHO the list...
I think you are misunderstanding the new benefits! There is NO $150 OpenTable credit...there is a credit for Chase Reserve Dining and not every OT restaurant you see in your location or where you are traveling to.....the restaurant MUST be part of CRD in order for you to get the credit. There has been a ton of discussion on this and a restaurant list of PARTICIPATING restaurants can be found by searching. IMHO the list is VERY limited in areas outside of large metropolitan cities. I for example live in CT and there is not a single restaurant in a 25 mile radius that participates.
Instead of an authorized user, why not have second user to keep the preferred version to at least keep 2x full travel, cheaper fee and still have higher earning for airlines and hotels? Also get a second bonus ...
So if my renewal of Sapphire Reserve has always been Oct 1, you are saying the price change would not take effect until 2026 instead of 2025? And I would still get the new benefits for Oct 2025-2026 year. Another question is the $75k based on calendar year or renewal year?
@ Adam -- That's correct! And $75K is based on calendar year.
It’s all downside and no upside for us. We spend over $100,000 per year on cruises, and the other “improvements” have a sum total value of zero to us. Looks like Amex Green will be our new card.
Perks on Southwest? How premium! Upgraded from CSP to CSR last year for lounge access ( Chase at PHL way better than AA Flagship), better travel protection, and 3x on travel. Going to have to rethink my card strategy and eagerly awaiting Amex's Platinum announcement.
It's disappointing to lose 3x on all travel and the 1.5 cents "floor" value by booking through chase travel (even if I haven't actually used it). I also don't really rate the drip feed of coupons that highly as I'll normally just forget to use them.
I do think if Chase wanted to really push traffic to Chase Travel they'd make the portal easier to use and make changes via. Right now you have to...
It's disappointing to lose 3x on all travel and the 1.5 cents "floor" value by booking through chase travel (even if I haven't actually used it). I also don't really rate the drip feed of coupons that highly as I'll normally just forget to use them.
I do think if Chase wanted to really push traffic to Chase Travel they'd make the portal easier to use and make changes via. Right now you have to call up for most (non United) bookings. I change plans frequently and it's a massive hassle. Their call centre agents are incredibly slow and insist on reading out masses of prepared scripts, repeating back everything you say. I know what I want to do. I want a 5 min call and for them to do it. Pick up time isn't an issue, but the simplest changes can take 30 minutes to price up, confirm etc.
The silver lining is most of my travel is on United and their IT is competent enough for me to take control of the ticket on the united site and manage most changes there.
@Joe
The silver lining is most of my travel is on United and their IT is competent enough for me to take control of the ticket on the united site and manage most changes there.
How do you actually do this in practice?
You can just go to united.com and change flights booked with Chase on the United site. Same as changing any other booking. If you cancel and need to rebook there's a hacky way to let you make a change, you have to luck upon the right page which lets you do it. But it works.
The DashPass benefit isn't a year, it's always on. They keep on punting the expiration forward, but I have had the benefit consistently since January 2020 when they first launched the partnership with DoorDash
Agree that this coupon book nonsense has gone too far. It just maximizes bank income by making one purchase more frequently vs once and thus spend more or simply forget to use the credit or not use it because it is useless. ALSO BEWARE of booking air via Chase….on many occasions I have found the same class of service cheaper directly with the airline
Two important issues I haven’t seen addressed on websites such as this one:
1. The flights available on the Chase portal (and other cards I assume) are only a subset of flights available on say Google Flights or the airline sites, and the price through the portal is sometimes higher than what’s available direct from the airline’s site.
2. More and more travel vendors are charging a 2-3% fee if you pay with a credit card.
Comments?
Hotels on the portal is an even bigger mess. It's generally more expensive and you get a worse deal on top of the bad price. Whenever I check on chase the price is always worse by a lot and it's non refundable and you pay up front. So I get a worst price, give them a interest free loan and I don't get perks if I already have status with the hotel. Amex portal will...
Hotels on the portal is an even bigger mess. It's generally more expensive and you get a worse deal on top of the bad price. Whenever I check on chase the price is always worse by a lot and it's non refundable and you pay up front. So I get a worst price, give them a interest free loan and I don't get perks if I already have status with the hotel. Amex portal will at least give you the option of paying at booking or at the hotel. Sometimes I will want to pay early if the dollar is strong for example. But I always book refundable.
Seems incredibly short-sighted. Now, so many of us will not only be canceling the CSR after October (and no point anymore to change card to CSP), but also exiting the entire Chase points ecosystem.
Will be dusting off that Capital One Quicksilver card now!
I think I'm just going to go with BofA Premium Rewards Elite next year and drop Venture X, Amex Gold, and CSP. Credits are easy enough to hit so I'm basically paying $100 a year for Priority Pass for my wife and kids. With retirement accounts at ML I'll get 3.5% on travel and dining and 2.62% on everything else.
What is ML?
ML = Merrill Lynch
I'm assuming Merrill Lynch so in the end BoA.
You mind as well not get the card at all and pay for a PP membership which is less than $100. Unless there are things in the bofa card that benefits you.
Time for a complete review of my deck of cards. I kept CSR for 3X points on all travel (do a lot of cruises, shore tours, and RV parks), the Primary Rental Car Coverage, and Priority Pass/Chase Lounges. Lately PP lounges are full (unless you are flying business class) , so the bent is less useful - less the CSR lounges themselves. I really liked getting Chase points as I use them for Hyatt stays...
Time for a complete review of my deck of cards. I kept CSR for 3X points on all travel (do a lot of cruises, shore tours, and RV parks), the Primary Rental Car Coverage, and Priority Pass/Chase Lounges. Lately PP lounges are full (unless you are flying business class) , so the bent is less useful - less the CSR lounges themselves. I really liked getting Chase points as I use them for Hyatt stays and get good value.
Plan to downgrade to CSP to maintain 2X points on all travel, but mostly for Primary Rental Car insurance. Chase Freedom earns 1.5 X on all non category charges! . You can move Chase points between them.
As for my cruises and other travel, plan to use the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card (3X all travel period). I can always use KLM/AF FB miles or Avios. Nothing beats AMEX Gold for Groceries and Dining.
I must not be the customer Chase wants. I live where there are no fancy restaurants on their list. I don't use Grub or Stub Hub. I usually run 30-40K a year through their cards. Was willing to keep paying $550 (I have had card since it came out), as the $300 travel credit made it bearable. Done.
Assuming you live somewhere where you don’t rely on public transit since you mention the dearth of applicable restaurants. If that’s the case, why is the rental car coverage so important? Your personal auto insurance will cover rentals, no?
Primary rental car coverage on the credit card is golden because in the event that you do need to use the coverage, you don't risk your personal insurance rates going up.
Hoping a new elevated signup bonus will be announced on June 23rd. To me that would be the only thing that would make me interested in this card.
Ben,
When do existing cardholders stop earning 3x for travel?
Last I checked, we are spending 30k on Reserve and another 60k on Freedom, primarily due to the 1.5x redemption. Any suggestions on if moving is worthwhile?
The new terms say "We may reverse statement credits if an eligible purchase is returned, canceled, or modified or if you close your account within 90 days of receiving a statement credit." Seems to include the $300 travel credit, so best to use everything up at least 3 months before closing.
I use the 1.5 cent redemptions too so big loss for me. Do not live in a major city so these coupons are mainly worthless. Will be burning through Chase points until October then move spend to Amex Gold/Green. Way better value there
I have nothing against Ben, but let’s be real. His job, as has been mentioned, is to pimp these cards.
For those interested in an uncomplicated cashback card, might I recommend the Navy Federal Credit Union Flagship card? You do, however, need to be military or have family that is (their interpretation of family is pretty liberal).
-$49/yr
- sign-up bonus
- 3x points (1 cent per point) on all travel, which includes...
I have nothing against Ben, but let’s be real. His job, as has been mentioned, is to pimp these cards.
For those interested in an uncomplicated cashback card, might I recommend the Navy Federal Credit Union Flagship card? You do, however, need to be military or have family that is (their interpretation of family is pretty liberal).
-$49/yr
- sign-up bonus
- 3x points (1 cent per point) on all travel, which includes car rentals, timeshares, campgrounds, RV parks, ride-sharing services, parking, bridges, tolls, ferries, entertainment, museums, amusement parks, public golf courses, among others
- 2x on everything else
- U.S. based support
- free Amazon Prime
- cell phone protection
- $120 for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check
- other perks included
Is annual fee waived for military?
No, however, the promo sometimes includes the first year free. In either case, the current promo gives you $350 cash back if you spend $3,500 within the first 90 days.
Along similar lines, you might also consider the Pentagon Federal Pathfinder Rewards card. As of a few years ago, anyone can join PenFed.
- $95/yr (waived for military service or simply by opening a free checking account with the credit union)
- 4x points on travel if you qualify for the above fee waiver, otherwise 3x
- 1.5x points on everything else
- 50,000 point sign-up bonus
- Priority Pass
- $100 airline fee credit
- $120 Global Entry credit
I guess an important question for these Navy and Pentagon cards are - what programs points are transferable to, at what ratio and whether transfers are immediate.
Yeah, that's a no for me. The CSR felt like a luxury card for everyday consumers. Now it feels like it's targeting the elite 1% and with how expensive everything is nowadays, I'm traveling and eating out less. Let alone trying to stay or eat at expensive places. Probably gonna finish off my year than downgrade to the Preferred. Unless they start making changes over there too... Almost ready to just cut the cord and...
Yeah, that's a no for me. The CSR felt like a luxury card for everyday consumers. Now it feels like it's targeting the elite 1% and with how expensive everything is nowadays, I'm traveling and eating out less. Let alone trying to stay or eat at expensive places. Probably gonna finish off my year than downgrade to the Preferred. Unless they start making changes over there too... Almost ready to just cut the cord and go straight debit card for a while. All these coupon strategies are a real turn off.
Do the changes apply to the JP Morgan Reserve?
This sucks. May be able to still justify but will be mich bigger pain in the ass with these ridiculous credits - the monthly ones are super irritating and the $500 hotel credit to Edit hotels is likely limited to no value (as have to book 2 night stay to a selected group of hotels which are generally very expensive and won't be the lowest rate anyway). And the loss of 1.5x redemption kicker may...
This sucks. May be able to still justify but will be mich bigger pain in the ass with these ridiculous credits - the monthly ones are super irritating and the $500 hotel credit to Edit hotels is likely limited to no value (as have to book 2 night stay to a selected group of hotels which are generally very expensive and won't be the lowest rate anyway). And the loss of 1.5x redemption kicker may be the final straw - depends on how difficult will be to get any points bonus. Can only see these changes on having a negative effect for JPM
Yeah canceled mine this morning. Venture X is my go to now.
“Ain’t nobody got time for this sh/t!* Really, who has time to jump through all these hoops to receive value in the card? Perhaps retired folks? Each transaction requires tracking down this or that to extract value. The previous version was simple, go travel and the card would work for you.
This will probably result in a downgrade to the Preferred Card for me. Most of the changes do not benefit me at all. I do use the current DoorDash $5 credit for food, but I have no interest in deliveries of groceries or retail, especially if the prices are higher, as they are for Uber Eats. I rarely use Uber or Lyft except overseas with Uber and I understand that Lyft is not present in...
This will probably result in a downgrade to the Preferred Card for me. Most of the changes do not benefit me at all. I do use the current DoorDash $5 credit for food, but I have no interest in deliveries of groceries or retail, especially if the prices are higher, as they are for Uber Eats. I rarely use Uber or Lyft except overseas with Uber and I understand that Lyft is not present in Europe, so that benefit does nothing for me. "The Edit" hotels appear to be more of the curated, overpriced hotels that would cost me more to stay there than I would get from the credit in all likelihood. If it is anything like the similarly curated Amex hotels, this is a no-value change. I rarely dine out at places where I need an OpenTable reservation so that credit is of marginal usefulness.
Whether I keep the Reserve will come down to two things. First, can I use the StubHub credit? Maybe. I go to a lot of college football games, but I have season tickets for home games and I prefer to buy my road tickets through my school so I can sit with our fans. I usually try to go to one other college game aside from my school each year, so the credit might be useful there. Also, sometimes I need to buy bowl tickets aftermarket as opposed to my school. Plus, I occasionally go to other events where I might be able to use the credit.
Most likely, the big decider will be the 4x points on hotels. I get some use on "other travel" when I go to Europe and buy train tickets. The question is will I get more value out of an additional point on hotels than I lose from those train tickets. Fortunately, I closely track my actual realized value of points and perks so I will be able to get a good estimate before I have to decide next year whether or not to downgrade.
Ben, on another travel site. They said if you leave. Chase will not refund your unused credit unless you do so within 30 days of your last annual membership fee. I called Chase yesterday and they said they would prorate my fees if I left at any time. I don't know what the truth is.
So do existing cardholders get the Edit and dining credits on 23 June or at a later date?
From 3x to 1x on cruises is why I will downgrade. For me that’s a loss of 40k + points per year and no assurance I can use them at $0.015 for airfare.
Wow! I almost use the 1.5 redemption for travel all the time. Also an additional $195 for a card for my son and my wife is ridiculous. I will be finding a new card
"I also appreciate the ability to earn 4x points on hotel purchases, since that’s an industry leading return on that spending"
I'm thrilled I kept the Citi Prestige, with 10x points on hotels booked though them.
Do you get hotel loyalty benefits when booking through the Edit (like FHR)? Will likely be a determining factor for me
@ JustinB -- Yep, generally speaking!
For existing holders. Trains go from 3x to 1x on Oct26?
@ Ni -- That's correct.
Ouch, I'll probably be downgrading this card then. Sure if you add all the fees up its more than the AF, but I don't really see enough value here.
Ben, with the new perks coming into place for existing cardmembers in Oct 2025, do you know if these credits will be based on calendar year or cardmember year? For example lets say my new AF will be March 2026, for the Edit Hotel or...
Ouch, I'll probably be downgrading this card then. Sure if you add all the fees up its more than the AF, but I don't really see enough value here.
Ben, with the new perks coming into place for existing cardmembers in Oct 2025, do you know if these credits will be based on calendar year or cardmember year? For example lets say my new AF will be March 2026, for the Edit Hotel or dining credits, can I use these credits Oct-> Dec 2025, and again in 2026 JAN->Mar before the AF hits?
I'd assume Cardmember year but maybe double dip in this first year of changes.
@ JJ -- With the exception of the $300 travel credit (which is based on the cardmember year), all other credits are based on the calendar year, as I understand it. In your example, you should be able to use those credits as described, twice before your next annual fee is due.
Losing the 1.25 redemption option on the CSP as collateral is rough and makes the downgrade worse. Not the splashiest option but it was great to have that floor.
i find that in the chase travel portal, they consistantly show a limited amount of fares, at higher prices / fare buckets.
trying to book a BOD > CDG > FCO flight last week on air france.
only business class full fare shown @ $900. on kayak and google flights, $550 in business class light... Air France website was $625.
additionally, the portal is now almost not worth it at all, becase of...
i find that in the chase travel portal, they consistantly show a limited amount of fares, at higher prices / fare buckets.
trying to book a BOD > CDG > FCO flight last week on air france.
only business class full fare shown @ $900. on kayak and google flights, $550 in business class light... Air France website was $625.
additionally, the portal is now almost not worth it at all, becase of the dramas when trying to make itinerary changes and having to deal with chase as a 'travel agency' vs. being able to change directly through the airline.
re: the points boost... ben have you heard or can you guess what flights/fares this will apply to? totally randomized, business class, full fare, etc?
agree, inflated pricing generally
Ben - I have been a massive CSR fan for years. And for all those years I have detested dealing with Chase Travel’s inept, rigid script bound Philippines call center.
I would rather book air at 5x through Amex Platinum than 8x through Chase Travel. I am simply petrified of having to deal with that team if I have to change travel plans - which I often do
The loss of 3x for all...
Ben - I have been a massive CSR fan for years. And for all those years I have detested dealing with Chase Travel’s inept, rigid script bound Philippines call center.
I would rather book air at 5x through Amex Platinum than 8x through Chase Travel. I am simply petrified of having to deal with that team if I have to change travel plans - which I often do
The loss of 3x for all travel cuts deep, and just reading about all the idiotic coupon benefits made my eyes gloss over
So I can’t even believe I am saying this but I will probably jump ship. Are there any competing cards you would recommend that come close to the 3x bonus on travel?
@ErikOJ, take a look at the AMEX Green - 3x on travel, transit, dining. Also a CLEAR credit. And no fee for AUs.
We cruise and this is our go to card. Plus, there have been some outstanding AMEX offers on various cruiselines. Recently, on our cruiseline of choice it was an additional 5x MR up to 50,000 points, so we each paid $10K towards already booked cruises and earned 100K extra points, so...
@ErikOJ, take a look at the AMEX Green - 3x on travel, transit, dining. Also a CLEAR credit. And no fee for AUs.
We cruise and this is our go to card. Plus, there have been some outstanding AMEX offers on various cruiselines. Recently, on our cruiseline of choice it was an additional 5x MR up to 50,000 points, so we each paid $10K towards already booked cruises and earned 100K extra points, so total of 160K points for $20K spend. Tjat's a big win in my book.
Funny thing is, the Green card usually gets no love, but recently all the major travel blogs, including OMAAT, have done pieces on the card. Hmmm.
Authorized user to $195 is the biggest hit to me as I have 2 colleague kids. So 3 authorized users = 120*3+245=605 increase. Plus 1:1.5 is gone. Seems like a time to drop the card
I'd love to see who Amex and Chase are polling and doing user studies with to determine that people want coupon clipping books. Absolutely ridiculous. Glad I've smashed Chase and Amex for over half a million points in sign up bonuses over the years.
$1,000 annual fee card coming before the year 2030. $3 per a day in Amazon credits.
My biggest fear here is the loss of the easy 3x points on travel. That said, I did the math, YMMV, but I guess it works out at the end of the day.
As an example, say I put ~20k of Travel on my CSR last year, split ~12k "hotels" and ~8k transit, so 20x3=60k points. Under the new regime it's 12x4=48 for hotels, but only 1x8 for everything else, so 48+8=56.
That said, car...
My biggest fear here is the loss of the easy 3x points on travel. That said, I did the math, YMMV, but I guess it works out at the end of the day.
As an example, say I put ~20k of Travel on my CSR last year, split ~12k "hotels" and ~8k transit, so 20x3=60k points. Under the new regime it's 12x4=48 for hotels, but only 1x8 for everything else, so 48+8=56.
That said, car service comes into play, especially in NYC. I'd say the 8k was somewhat evenly split between Ubers / regional transit (subway, railroad, etc.). So if I shifted 4k Uber to Lyft would be an extra 20k points (4x5) so would be 48+20=68 plus 1x4=4 on subways, etc. so total 72k points versus 60k points - and I'd come out 12k points ahead.
And if I open a Citi custom cash and can get 5x points on transit that way (up to $500/month), would be even better - 72k points with Chase and 20k points with Citi (4x5=20). So all in could be getting 92k UR/TY points versus 60k UR points.
So bottom line for me- if I choose to keep the CSR with the higher annual fee (coupon book changes are only so useful...), is a) shift spending from Uber to Lyft and b) shift all transit spending to a Citi custom cash card.
Are plane tickets more expensive on the Chase portal than by booking with the airline?
@ R B -- They generally shouldn't be, though at times, it might be tough to book complex itineraries there, and you might not have access to as big of a range of options as elsewhere.
Not mentioned is the additional $195 authorized user fee in addition to the $795 fee. That’s $1,000! Gotta think this one over. Not thrilled.
@ John L. -- For what it's worth, it *is* mentioned in the post, and even has its own heading. :-)
Ben,
Would love some commentary on the urban vs not urban market. These coupon book cards are mostly worthless for a lot of us non city folk.
Yep. I live in rural WA and I think this will be the straw that triggers a downgrade. I don't buy event tickets, there are no participating restaurants within 100 miles, etc.
Rural people move as far away from everyone else to live a "quiet life" and then complain online nonstop about everything.
I live 20 minutes from the largest city in Maine...What am I complaining about, not wanting a credit card with an outrageous fee for credits I can't use?
@Andrew
Even as a city guy, most of the benefits they're adding and other coupon changes for cards like the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold are things I'd have to go out of my way to use.
Is the 4x on hotels and flights apply to bookings though other websites as well such as Expedia, aahotels, etc
@ Kartik -- Technically, 4x points only applies if booking directly with an airline or hotel, and not through an online travel agency. We'll see how that shakes out in practice, as some other card issuers have sometimes issued bonus points on travel bookings through OTAs, even if claiming it's only for direct bookings.
The 3x on travel was the only reason I was keeping the card. Will downgrade to CSP once that's no longer available.
Another commenter here pointed this out to me awhile ago, but is the no-fee Citi Custom Cash now the best deal for transit?
5x points up to $500 a month; Select Transit - Includes car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals. Also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. Excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs...
Another commenter here pointed this out to me awhile ago, but is the no-fee Citi Custom Cash now the best deal for transit?
5x points up to $500 a month; Select Transit - Includes car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals. Also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. Excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies.
This really increases the value of the strata premier by the way (still a terrible name). 3x for air/hotel direct and 10x through portal for a $95 fee that's covered by a $100 hotel credit. Or pay $795 (ok $495 after the $300 credit) for 4x air/hotel direct and worse 8x portal benefits. Really paying an extra $500 for lounge access ($700 with authorized user which is needed to get a family of 4-6 into the lounge).
Is that worth $700 a year when this is not the only card with lounge access most of us have? They are great lounges...
Also really makes the Venture X worthwhile to consider. Looking forward to seeing the new Landing at LGA TB and new T4 lounge also looks very nice. For $395 ($95 after $300 travel credit) plus $125 auth user (or get 2 cards if you'll use the $300 credit twice) that's ~$200 ($190 or $220, you pick) plus $25/kid (for me that's 2x). Feels like the better deal, although only portal booking for elevated points (5x air, 10x hotel).
When I look at the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables, there seems to be quite a few cities (including Miami) that don't have any restaurants on the list yet. Do you know if the $300 yearly credit will only be for Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables or for any restaurants on the Infatuation & Visa Dining Collection platform (which, when I try to look at those restaurants I'm automatically directed to the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables) screen.
Prediction: All cards with a Priority Pass benefit will become more expensive or coupon-ized.
I live in NYC and while I can get $300 from Stubhub, $300 from the restaurants and $300 from the other credit pretty easily, which covers the 795, this is still a big downgrade from what it was before, specifically the 1.5x and easy points redemption. It's still a bit more usable than Amex, but Chase is on thin ice
2nd question: Does the Apple Music/ Apple TV+ benefit also apply to Apple One (TV+/music/Arcade/iCloud+/Fitness/News+ bundled)?
@ gideyup11 -- Here's what the terms state:
"One-time activation required on chase.com or the Chase Mobile® app. You, as the primary cardmember, will receive one complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through June 22, 2027. If you have an active paid Apple Music individual subscription purchased directly through Apple, your complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through Chase will automatically suspend your existing subscription. If you cancel your complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through Chase,...
@ gideyup11 -- Here's what the terms state:
"One-time activation required on chase.com or the Chase Mobile® app. You, as the primary cardmember, will receive one complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through June 22, 2027. If you have an active paid Apple Music individual subscription purchased directly through Apple, your complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through Chase will automatically suspend your existing subscription. If you cancel your complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through Chase, your paid Apple Music individual subscription purchased directly through Apple will resume. If you have an active paid Apple Music Family or Apple One subscription purchased directly through Apple, your complimentary Apple Music individual subscription through Chase and your Apple Music Family or Apple One subscription through Apple will run at the same time unless you cancel your preexisting subscription. You may cancel your Chase complimentary Apple Music individual subscription at any time by calling the number on the back of your card. Use of Apple Music is subject to Apple Media Services Terms of Use and Apple Privacy Policy."
I guess we'll find out soon in practice how it actually works, but that's what the terms suggest.
The terms suggest it doesn't apply to Apple One, or at least that is how I'm reading it. :(
Currently for Hotels, it’s 10x via Chase Travel but only 5x for The Edit.
Does The Edit bump up from 5x to 8X or remain only 5x?
Capital One Travel is 10x for such higher end hotel bookings.
8X
@ Peter -- Yeah, it's 8x for the entire Chase Travel/The Edit ecosystem.
I thought I saw somewhere that The Edit reservations will now be 2x?
@ Steve Hall -- With Points Boost, you'll be able to redeem Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Sapphire Reserve for 2.0 cents each toward The Edit reservations. That's separate from the multipliers for spending, though.
I think this is pretty simple - unless you can book a lot of travel via the Chase portal, or you book a lot of independent hotels at 4x, these changes are a negative. In general, I find Chase’s “coupon book” partners to be weaker than Amex, and they are structured a bit worse as well. 4x on airfare/travel are good, as is 3x on dining, but you can get that elsewhere. Sucks that they...
I think this is pretty simple - unless you can book a lot of travel via the Chase portal, or you book a lot of independent hotels at 4x, these changes are a negative. In general, I find Chase’s “coupon book” partners to be weaker than Amex, and they are structured a bit worse as well. 4x on airfare/travel are good, as is 3x on dining, but you can get that elsewhere. Sucks that they gutted 1.5x redemptions, and 1.25x for Chase Sapphire Preferred. If you are a regular Chase Sapphire Lounge user, then Reserve makes more sense.
In terms of Chase - Freedom Unlimited, Freedom and Chase Sapphire Preferred is a much cheaper, and probably better option.
Pretty much my opinion too.
Little to no value in the coupon book for me, and I don't think that 8x points is enough to take the risks of booking air via 3rd party.
One thing I value is the insurance coverages. I'll have to go comparison shopping for cards with a better insurance/points/fee equation.
One thing that I hate about these credits is that they only apply to domestic usage but these are travel cards, why not apply the credits to international travels.
For existing CSR cardmembers, will the new earn structure (1X earn on non-airline/hotel travel) be effective 6/23/25 or 10/23/25? If it's 6/23/25, then I have some upcoming final payments for cruises/group trips I should pay this week although final payment isn't yet due.
@ gideyup11 -- It's my understanding that the new bonus categories only kick in as of late October for existing cardmembers.
Thanks Ben!
Thanks Ben!
Who killed the cook?
Sadly I'll have to cancel the card when the fee annual increase kicks in. I liked the card as it was, and used it all the time, but with these changes and the increased fee. Sorry that you forced me to leave, Chase.
I don't live in a major city, so this card is no longer worth it. Bummer since I've had the CSR for several years. How does downgrading to the CSP work? I don't want to lose my points. Could you do a post on that?
My local airport only has Delta, only flies to SLC. Maybe I'll look at those cards.
@ Liz -- Yep, I'll cover that in a separate post! You should be able to downgrade your card by calling Chase, and you would be able to keep your points. Just keep in mind that the new fee doesn't apply until your next renewal date after late October 2025, so you can potentially keep enjoying the card for some time, without paying a higher fee.
I think that Chase made a good decision to raise the annual fee rather than downgrade Lounge access as Capital One has done with the X. I consider as much lounge access options to be as important as the earnings for a travel card. So I'll happily pay the increase. What I'm not sure about is how many points do I earn if I book a flight direct with an airline because I'm unlikely to...
I think that Chase made a good decision to raise the annual fee rather than downgrade Lounge access as Capital One has done with the X. I consider as much lounge access options to be as important as the earnings for a travel card. So I'll happily pay the increase. What I'm not sure about is how many points do I earn if I book a flight direct with an airline because I'm unlikely to change that in case of IRROPS? The only major negative change I see is that they removed the simplicity of 3x for all travel like trains, taxis, etc. That was both easy to remember and helpful. Overall I give them credit for raising fees rather than cutting benefits.
I'm so tired of all cards going the route of 3 dozen different credits that all apply monthly for low dollar amounts, and each one with a specific company or vendor within an overall category. It just kills most of the value proposition.
So, I lose 3x on travel. I lose 1.5 redemptions, and the AF explodes, in exchange for a bunch of hoops I have to jump through. Adios CSR. After 8 years, this is not a close call. You're fired.
I agree completely. Now which card should I use for travel expenses ?
Amex Green card offers 3X for travel with a $150 annual fee.
Do you expect upcoming changes to the CSP too?
@ Grogg -- Nothing has been announced, other than the reduction from 1.25 cents per point to 1.0 cents per point for Chase Travel redemptions. However, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see some changes, given how annual fees have been inflated on other cards.
As someone who hates the coupon book cards, this further strengthens the Venture X as the most outstanding premium credit card. I have no use for most of these new Sapphire Reserve credits, and can’t justify paying that steep annual fee. The AMEX Platinum has the same issue.
I have definitely been loving my Venture X for this reason.
Agreed! Venture X rocks. And the simple travel credit/10,000 bonus pays for the card itself.
Are there indications that other cards will see their definition of travel changed--I'm mostly thinking the ink preferred here which still has the 3x bonus (conveniently most of my taxis and such are work expenses...). if that stays the same it takes out a bit of the negative punch on that end.
@ Adam -- I haven't heard of plans to change the definition of travel on any other Chase cards, so I think that should be safe for now (of course it's possible we see changes in the future).
You wrote “ for existing cardmembers, these kick in as of October 26, 2025”. Does this mean all the new benefits will only apply to existing card members after October, or do you only mean the new annual fee?
@ leol -- So the new fee kicks in as of October 26 for existing cardmembers. That's also when new perks kick in, except for Points Boost, which kicks in as of June 23 as well.
Thank you! Usually only the new annual fee kicks in at a later date. I’ll need a post from Ben in October to remind me the new benefits then!
Do authorized users get the Apple Music subscription as well or just the primary?
@ Jon -- The credits are once per overall account, so authorized users wouldn't get extra credits, as I understand it.
How do we see this impacting the using of Chase Freedom in conjunction with the reserve?
@ Andrew -- You should still be able to combine points, as before. The key difference is that you'll no longer get more than 1.0 cents of value through Chase Travel by combining points.
Makes sense, just curious if you still think that combo is of strong value or if I may want to adjust. Been a CSR member since it's initial release... also carry venture x, amex plat, so feeling like I may be looking to shed a card in the future given some of the duplicative benefits... the new Edit Benefit seems very similar to the $200 FHR on Amex. Thanks for keeping up on all this stuff and posting/replying!
@ Andrew -- It's a toughie, because all these cards have some overlap, but not that much. Personally, I think a good strategy could be to use the Sapphire Reserve for bonus categories, and to put everyday spending on the Venture X. Admittedly that's still a lot in annual fees, but if you're willing to maximize, it could work out quite favorably. I think the Amex Platinum is probably the harder one to justify, in...
@ Andrew -- It's a toughie, because all these cards have some overlap, but not that much. Personally, I think a good strategy could be to use the Sapphire Reserve for bonus categories, and to put everyday spending on the Venture X. Admittedly that's still a lot in annual fees, but if you're willing to maximize, it could work out quite favorably. I think the Amex Platinum is probably the harder one to justify, in terms of the actual return on spending not being very compelling, and it just being primarily about the credits (this assumes you don't particularly value Amex or Delta lounge access).
Welp, no more delaying the downgrade to CSP. I mean seriously, $75k annual spend for status with IHG/SW is the best y’all got? Coupon cutting for restaurant meals? Complete waste of an AF.
I remember when Chase and Amex were in bitter warfare for the young professional demographic and now it looks like Amex has won that battle.
You say Amex has won the battle...dumb question I'm sure..but with which of their cards?
With the Platinum. Easily worth the fee for the Airline Fee Credit, SkyClub access and Uber monthly credits alone. Also I’ve used the Platinum concierge for restaurant bookings sparingly over the years but they have gotten me some insanely good reservations that I was unable to get calling/contacting the restaurants myself. (Le Bernardin, Atomix, Alinea, to name a few.)
“ I also appreciate the ability to earn 4x points on hotel purchases, since that’s an industry leading return on that spending”
No Ben, it’s not. Once again you act like the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey does not exist. Just because they don’t pay you to promote the card doesn’t mean that you should ignore it. It’s actually a pretty cool card and the number of transfer partners is slowly growing… all for $95
RIP to the travel category. Airbnb, Amtrak, Uber, public transit, ferries; all across the entire world. Get rid of that and this card loses a lot of earnings and a lot of value.
I foresee this coming closer to my Platinum where I use some great credits, but I don't actually spend much on this card.
Plus cruises and parking fees, which could both provide significant point accumulation for those who use them.
Thanks for the info on the WF Autograph Journey card. I have recently begun to see references to WF points in point.me. However, when I go to the Wells Fargo website and look at the info page for the Autograph Journey card, it does not say anything about transferring points to partners. I called a CS rewards rep and he did not know what I was talking about. Where exactly do you find the information on this? I know it exists. Thanks in advance.
IHG status just became useless. Everyone will have it now.
Not many people are going to have this card for $800/year. You'll be ok
@IHG Pro you will be fine. Not a huge mass of people willing to spend 75k on top of a $795 annual fee. Much cheaper ways to earn IHG Diamond plus Ambassador purchase.
Don't worry. Not many people are interested in IHG "status."
The real question is whether they'll incentivize people to get this card by waiving the SUB 4-year lockout. That would be a make/break probably for me..
I feel like I'll need a war room in my house with maps and charts to track if I have used all of my benefits and gotten the most value from the card, and those who have this card are those whose time is valuable, it's just not going to be fun to have to diligently track all of this stuff each month and ensure you use it all in order to justify that fee. I think this is the final blow for me on keeping the card, it's just not worth the hassle anymore.
If you do decide to go the war room route, make sure to purchase the supplies through the Chase portal
I actually think that some of these credits may make this card worthwhile to me. My biggest disappointment is the loss of the 3x for all travel and also the fact that now between this card and my AMEX Platinum card, I have two huge coupon books to keep up with. It was much simpler to have one premium travel card with numerous credits that effectively reduce the annual fee. Having two separate coupon books just increases the chances of breakage.
There’s little point to pimping up this card anymore. With the loss of 3x on all travel, the cartwheels and extra hoops to jump through to earn bonus points make this card a dud. Plus I think people are just tired of card-couponing.
Time to go looking for a new card. #bye_felicia
Any indications whether the CSP will change in any way?
@ Mentees Salmon -- Nothing that I've seen, other than that Chase Travel 1.25 cent redemptions will drop to 1.0 cent redemptions.
Where has this been confirmed? I agree it's likely, but I haven't seen any official mention of it yet, or the timing of it?
Ben, one other thing to note is that previously hotels and rental cars got a 10x bonus through the travel portal. If it’s now a flat 8x for all purchases through the travel portal, then that’s a negative change as well.
@ Zach -- Good point, adding that now, thanks!
would love to see a comparison of The Edit vs Amex FHR and see which hotels are included/price points of each/sweet spots/etc
In my experience FHR is much more robust, but there are rarely some properties on The Edit not on FHR.
I know they don't care about people like me, but I live in rural Maine. Most of these credits are useless to me. Just canceled my card since I am up soon anyway and moving to Venture X. Just want lounges and simplicity.
Even living in CT these coupon book credits are a complete PitA to redeem. There are NO options at all for the Chase Reserve Table in my area and the StubHub credit is not something I can see myself using either as it would require me to go to NYC where there are more events to pick from. Clearly the people at Chase seem to want to focus on people in big cities and that is fine but it's going to loose them members outside of those areas.
Yup 1000%, I am liking the Venture X. The travel the 300 credit plus the annual 10,000 bonus pays for the card. The Capital One Lounges are lovely and you still get priority pass all for the 375 annual fee.
The 3x travel was nice though since it included taxis, public transit, etc.
Generally not impressed by these changes, I'm glad I downgraded.
Same here. CSP is much easier to justify… although, if starting from scratch, CapOne would probably be the way to go these days.
Yep, as someone who commutes via train and frequently takes Uber/taxis etc, losing that is devastating. Not a fan of all these changes - all of the cards are making it incredibly complicated to use the perks, hidden beneath a flashy big number that you "can" receive.
I read the doordash credit is not a blanket $25 a month. It's $5 in restaurants and 2x $10 convience and retail. That already exists today so it's not new. And is frankly useless. $5 isn't enough to incentivize me to to make and order. And $10 on convience just covers the higher DD price+fees+tip.
@ Mm -- Updated the post to specifically call that out, thanks.
My wife and I both have the CSR. Been to lazy to downgrade her. Not anymore, that will happen today.