Listen, I like the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I’m gonna try to get you to sign up for it. Why? Cause if you do using my link you’ll get a bunch of points, and I will too, and I want those points. But, I also legit think it’s a good card, and I’ve recommended to friends a bunch before. But, first:
You Shouldn’t Sign Up For This Card
If you’ve got credit card debt, or poor spending habits, I don’t think you should sign up for this or any other card.
If you don’t really understand credit cards, it’s possible the Sapphire Reserve may be too advanced for you. You could get screwed if you don’t utilize it right.
Also, there’s a $450 per year fee. That may sound like a lot, but you also get a lot. See below.
But Also, Sign Up For This Card
$300 Travel Credit Per Year
You’ll get $300 in travel credit with this card every year, and it’s applied automatically. This can be flights, hotels, Lyft, Uber, train tickets, parking meters, and more. That’s $300 back right away.
50,000 Point Bonus
Once you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, you’ll get 50,000 bonus points applied to your account. That’s worth $500 cash back, or $750 towards travel.
Ok, you could stop right here, and sign up for the card, use it for a year, and shut it down after 11 months and come out ahead. Sounds dope to me.
Primary Insurance for Car Rentals
If you pay for a rental on this card, you get primary insurance through Chase. That means the free insurance though this credit card will pay for claims due to collision or damage without having to go through your insurance. No deductibles. Pretty good deal. It also works in other countries (like Ireland) where often they’ll require insurance.
Important note, this does not also cover luxury cars or trucks.
3x Travel 3x Dining Points
You get triple points on Dining and Travel. I eat out a lot, so this was great for me. Every dollar I spend is worth three points, so for me that’s like… 300,000 points a year.
Free Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check
Honestly, I don’t want to tell you about this one, cause I love TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry are so dope, I don’t want anyone else to use them. Alas, it’s a great perk that helps you speed through TSA, or Customs coming back into the USA. Really great.
Complimentary Airport Lounge Access
Some lounges suck. Some rock. But having the option to go into hundreds of airport lounges for free is great. Like the Star Alliance Lounge at Charles De Gaulle airport has a full stocked bar. The Dublin Airport lounge has complimentary cans of Guinness. Barcelona El Prat airport’s Sala VIP Miro lounge has lots of cookies and beds if you needed a nap. The Vegas airport had a water pitcher. Either way, it’s nice to have the option.
Points are worth 50% more in Travel Rewards
This is gold. If you have points and you redeem them for travel, like hotels, flights, car rentals, or experiences, they’re worth 50% more. Say you wanna stay at Ashford Castle ($400 a night), well you’d only have to use 26,666 points a night instead of the full 40,000 it would be without the extra value.
Plus, you can use any amount of points you want. Like if you wanna save some points, to use later, you can pay part cash and part points.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Until recently, I didn’t care about this, but foreign transaction fees are typically 3%. Do you wanna get charged an extra 3% for buying stuff in another country? Hell no. This card has no extra foreign fees. Tight.
Bunch More Travel Perks
Roadside Assistance, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Baggage Delay Insurance, Lost Luggage reimbursement, Travel and Emergency Assistance, 1:1 points transfers, Travel Accident Insurance, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation, Emergency Medical and Dental Benefits, Trip Cancellation Insurance.
Wrap Up
Those are a ton of reasons I like the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I think you should sign up if some of the perks sound like they could be helpful for you. I don’t think you should sign up if you’re not great with money, no judgement there. There’s lots of ways to go wrong with credit cards if you’re not careful.
