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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
See how two heavyweight travel rewards cards measure up.
Credit Card Guides
The main difference between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is that the former is a mid-tier card with a $95 annual fee and fewer perks, while the latter costs $550 annually and comes with premium perks like $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass lounge access, higher points value when redeemed for travel purchases and more.
Summary of card features
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Signup bonus. Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months when you open your account. That's $750 in value when redeemed for travel purchases via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
- Earn reward points. Every time you use your card toward travel and dining purchases, you earn 2x points. All other purchases earn 1x points.
- Point transfer. You can transfer your points in 1:1 ratio with Chase's hotel and airline partners, including British Airways, Air France KLM, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, IHG, Marriott and World of Hyatt.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Signup bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months of card membership. This is worth $750 if you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
- Earn rewards points. Earn 3x points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide and 1x points on all other purchases. The 3x points can be worth 4.5% back if redeemed on travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards. You also earn 10x points on Lyft purchases until March 2022. This can be worth up to 15% back in travel purchases via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
- Annual travel credit. Get $300 in statement credit as reimbursement for your travel purchases every year on your card account anniversary.
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Best for Signup bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
In its latest batch of card updates, Chase updated the signup bonus of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to 60,000. It’s old value of 60,000 was slightly higher than the Chase Sapphire Reserve®‘s 50,000 bonus, but both cards were tied in value when it came to redeeming through the Chase Travel Portal. This is no longer the case.
Now, the Sapphire Preferred‘s buff signup bonus results in a value of up to $1,000 when redeemed through the travel portal or on the Pay Yourself Back feature. The Sapphire Reserve still rests at its old signup bonus value of up to $750, leaving the Sapphire Preferred the clear winner in this category.
Best for rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Sapphire Reserve earns 3x points on travel and dining purchases and 10x points on Lyft rides until March 2022. What’s more, once we add the 50% higher value on travel redemption through the Chase portal, your 3x and 10x points are actually worth 4.5x and 15x. To see why the Sapphire Reserve is the better card for earning rewards, check out the table below.
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and dining | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Lyft | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Everything else | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Total spent | $16,800 | $16,800 |
| Total points earned | 35,800 | 49,800 |
| Points value at the Ultimate Rewards portal | $447 | $747 |
Best for annual fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
With an annual fee of $95, the Sapphire Preferred is the cheaper card. But you get what you pay for. Paying a lower annual fee means you get to earn fewer points on your purchases and you get to use fewer perks.
This isn’t a bad thing, though. Especially if you travel on a tight budget.
Best for additional perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve are top picks for the Chase trifecta combination because they let you transfer points to partners in a 1:1 ratio, and because your points are worth more at the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
But travelers who want to squeeze the best out of their card should definitely go with the Sapphire Reserve. For example, with the Sapphire Reserve, you get $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass lounge access, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and benefits at the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. None of these perks are available for the Sapphire Preferred.
Who should get Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?
Travelers looking to maximize their Chase Ultimate Rewards points without burning a hole in their pocket should consider the Sapphire Preferred card. This card pairs well with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Freedom Unlimited, and you can get a solid value on travel redemption.
Who should get Chase Sapphire Reserve®?
Travelers looking for the best value and premium perks should consider the Sapphire Reserve. It also pairs well with the two Freedom cards, and you can get the highest value on travel redemption when you combine points between cards. Plus you get a host of valuable benefits and features.
Compare travel credit cards
If you aren’t satisfied with the rewards and fees of either card, keep comparing options. With so many different cards on the market, there’s no need to settle.
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