The card_name and the card_name are two of the most popular cards for people who use credit card points and miles. Both of these cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which we love!  These points are great because they are so flexible. You can use them at Chase Travel℠ (similar to Expedia) and book just about any type of travel, or you can transfer the points directly to one of Chase’s many hotel and airline partners and book directly. In this post, we will go over each of these cards and share which one we recommend you start with.

 

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

We probably recommend this card the most because it offers wonderful transferable points (Ultimate Rewards), and the annual fee is low. What’s great about these points is you can combine your points.

 

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Card Details

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has an annual fee of $95. You’ll receive an annual $50 hotel credit when you book a hotel via Chase Travel℠. Points are worth 1.25 cents each when booking through Chase Travel℠. You can earn 5 points for each dollar spent on Lyft (through March 2025) and when booking through Chase Travel℠. You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants, online grocery orders, and streaming services. Additionally, you can earn 2 points per dollar on travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other expenses.

 

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The card_name is a luxury Ultimate Rewards card with a hefty annual fee of $550 but some great benefits to offset that.

One of those benefits is a $300 travel credit each year. You pay for travel expenses on this card and will get up to $300 of those expenses credited back to you, reducing the annual fee to $250.

Another great benefit of this card is that you get access to Priority Pass lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges. 

 

Learn How to Apply
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Card Details

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has an annual fee of $550 but comes with a $300 annual travel credit. Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed via Chase Travel℠. You’ll also get a statement credit to cover TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry, or NEXUS every four years. As mentioned above, this card includes access to select airport lounges. When it comes to earning points, you can earn 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides through March 2025 and on hotels and rental cars booked via Chase Travel℠. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights via Chase Travel℠. 

 

 

Can You Have Both Cards?

Unfortunately, no. Chase states that you can’t be the primary account holder on both the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards.

You can get the Sapphire Reserve by canceling or downgrading your Sapphire Preferred and applying for the Reserve as long as it’s been 48 months since you received the last welcome offer on a Sapphire card. It is also possible to call and upgrade from the Sapphire Preferred to the Sapphire Reserve after you have had the card for one year. Keep in mind you’d miss out on the welcome offer.

 

Which Card Should I Get?

The Sapphire Reserve has a higher annual fee (but great benefits to offset it). While we normally recommend beginners start with the Sapphire Preferred, some arguments exist for taking advantage of the Reserve, like if it offers a higher welcome offer than the Preferred, you solely book at Chase Travel℠, or you want the benefits that come from having the Reserve. 

 

Bottom Line

Both cards are great for acquiring Ultimate Rewards. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred usually gets our nod because of the lower annual fee. We have other cards, like the card_name, that get us Priority Pass airport lounge access. Which card do you prefer, and why?