See how two heavyweight travel rewards cards measure up to find which one you want in your corner.
Two of the most popular rewards credit cards for travelers are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Both cards are accepted worldwide and offer trip delay reimbursement along with trip interruption and cancellation insurance — all with no foreign transaction fees.
However, the two cards differ enough in annual fees and rewards structure to sway applicants either way.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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|---|---|
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★★★★★ 4.0 / 5.0 |
★★★★★ 4.6 / 5.0 |
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening - that's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. |
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Earn 2x points on travel and dining. Earn 1x points on all other purchases. |
Earn 3x points on dining and on travel after you've earned your $300 travel credit. Earn 1x points on all other purchases. |
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17.99% to 24.99% variable |
17.99% to 24.99% variable |
| $0 the first year, then $95 | $450 |
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APR: 17.99% to 24.99% variable Fee: $5 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
APR: 17.99% to 24.99% variable Fee: $5 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
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APR: 26.99% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
APR: 26.99% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| $38 | $37 |
| $0 | $75 |
| 21 days | 21 days |
| $0 | $0 |
| 670 | 740 |
| Credit | Credit |
| Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees |
Which card should you choose?
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Rewards for spending on travel and dining
- 25% more value when you redeem points through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- $0 annual fee for the first year (then $95)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® waives its annual fee for the first year and costs $95 each year after. You'll also earn an additional 5,000 bonus points once you add an authorized user and they make their first purchase within three months of opening the account.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Rewards for spending on travel and dining
- 50% extra point value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- $300 annual travel credit
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a handy travel credit card as it reimburses you up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It can also get you into over 900 VIP airport lounges in over 400 cities with complimentary Priority Pass Select. You'll also like that the card's purchase protection will pay as much as $10,000 per claim, up to $50,000 per year, for added peace of mind.
What’s next?
You should decide whether you’ll be able to maximize the rewards of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for the price tag of $450 a year, or if the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is more up to your speed for spending and perks.
If you aren’t satisfied with the rewards and fees of either card, move on and keep comparing. With so many different types of cards on the market, you shouldn’t have to settle for a credit card that you’re not completely confident in.
Compare Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express
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