Chase Sapphire Reserve Revamped with BEST OFFER EVER 100,000 Points + $500 Promo credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card(CSR) has been completely overhauled. And with the rollout of the latest iteration of this card, Chase has their best ever offer on this card with a sign up bonus (SUB) of 100,000 points and $500 Chase Travel^SM promo credit! Let’s take a look at why this offer is such a big deal including why flexible points are so important in travel hacking and see if this might be the right move for you.

^{In case you don’t read my other posts on this subject, I must stress to please only consider if you can pay off the credit card IN FULL every month because no reward amount can justify interest charges! Curious about credit: read this.}

To understand why I am so passionate about this hobby, I always like to go back to my definition of travel hacking/award travel: it’s simply traveling for cheaper, better and/or more often and credit cards are the NUMBER one way to be able to do this.

So why are credit cards my favorite travel hack? You put your everyday spend on a rewards credit card and earn points that you will be able to use for hotel rooms and/or flights for free or very low cost travel! When you start to maximize the spend with sign up bonuses (SUBs) for new cards, then you are really making your money work for you (read this for more info on SUBs and this for how to meet spending requirements)

What is the offer?

After spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening, you will receive 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points where the outsized value lies in the ability to transfer those to Chase travel partners (more on that in the what you can use the points for section).

What makes this the best ever offer is that in addition to those 100K points, you will also receive $500 in promotional credit in the Chase Travel portal. Important considerations are that the promotional credit is valid for one year from the date it becomes available to you in Chase Travel to be applied for purchases made through Chase Travel and per the T&C: please allow 6 to 8 weeks for your credit to be automatically available to you in Chase Travel. To be eligible for this offer, your account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. Also the promo credit is valid for a one-time use only, if you apply the promotional credit to a transaction less than $500, you will forfeit the remaining balance

Sapphire Reserve: What Has Changed + What Are The Benefits?

Some important definitions/terms/helpful hints for the above benefits:

• Bi-annual = twice a year with first portion from January through June & second is from July to December
• The Edit: Collection of luxury hotels and resorts curated by Chase with stays being booked via Chase Travel to qualify
  • Up to $250 in statement credits from January through June and again from July through December for prepaid bookings made with The Edit. Two-night minimum. Purchases that qualify will not earn points
  • Enjoy complimentary benefits like a $100 property credit, daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (if available) and more with The Edit bookings
• Beautiful tip: $100 application fee credit towards Global Entry (this is now $120) , TSA PreCheck or Nexus doesn’t have to be for you. For example, I already have Global Entry (that also includes TSA PreCheck) so I have gifted this benefit from various cards to my parents and friends!
• Dining Credits: bi-annual $150 for dining at restaurants that are part of our Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables – see list here
• DoorDash Membership is also complimentary with this card (value $120): Membership and DoorDash promos are through 12/31/2027
• IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status through 12/31/2027 (some status perks are subject to availability)
  • Beautiful tip: IHG Platinum Elite Status can be matched to Hertz Gold Five Stars status
• Travel & Purchase Protection Benefits – here’s the benefits guide
  • No foreign transaction fees (these can range from 1-3% which really adds up when you are traveling internationally)
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Baggage Delay Insurance, Trip Delay Reimbursement & Travel and Emergency Assistance Services,
  • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
  • Purchase Protection & Extended Warranty Protection
• Earning Categories – new earning rates
  • 8 points/$1 for travel booked through Chase
  • 4 points/$1 for flights booked directly with airlines / hotels stays booked directly
  • 3 points/$1 on dining
  • 1 point/$1 on all other travel (old 3 points/$1)
  • 1 point/$1 on all other purchases
• Redemption in Chase Travel portal: Instead of redeeming points are at a value of 1.5 cents – there is a new program called “Points Boost” in which cardholders can redeem points at a value of 2 cents/apiece on select flights and hotels – other bookings will be just 1 cent per point.
  • Beautiful tip: transferring to Chase travel partners will typically be more lucrative plus you will not be booking via a portal/third party =)

_{Beautiful tip: Depending on the location and the activities that you will be doing, you may want to consider purchasing a standalone travel insurance policy since being injured or needing medical evacuation IS NOT covered and can be very costly. I personally have stand alone yearly travel and international medical policies.}

Plus for big spenders – those spending more than $75,000/year, there are additional benefits

• IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status: This is the highest IHG elite status tier, offering 100% bonus points on eligible purchases, dedicated Diamond support, and free breakfast at participating hotels.
• Southwest Airlines A-List status: Southwest A-List members receive priority boarding, one free checked bag, same-day standby, and more.
• $500 Southwest Airlines Chase Travel credit: Receive up to $500 credit for Southwest Airlines purchases made through Chase Travel.
• $250 credit for The Shops at Chase: Receive up to $250 credit for The Shops at Chase, a new online shopping experience where you can purchase items from top brands like Ray-Ban, TUMI, and more.

Why You Should Consider This Offer

For many the annual fee will be a turn-off but there are many that could benefit from the card and you will definitely come out ahead – at least for the first year.

If you travel a lot (or are planning to within the next year)and especially if you are at any of the airports that have a Sapphire Lounge, it would make sense to get this card now with this elevated offer – with the $300 annual travel credit + $500 Chase Travel promotional credit, you have already made back the annual fee amount and that doesn’t include the value of the 100,000 points earned!

Why Flexible Points Are Great & What You Can Use Them For

In order to transfer to Chase travel partners, you must have either a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred card

Flexibility is the name of the game with award travel and this card allows you to earn Ultimate Reward Points that can be transferred to Chase travel award partners as opposed to having a co-branded card (one that is tied to a specific airline or hotel).

Why is this important? You could transfer to Chase’s airline or hotel loyalty programs partners so those points from your Sapphire Preferred sign up bonus are worth even more than the $1,000 that you would get if you redeemed those points for cash or a gift card.

How about a nearly FREE business class on Singapore Airlines? The cash value was ~$2,200 but I only paid $5.60 and used 56,700 points. There’s also many times when Chase will offer a % bonus on transfers so the rate might be 1:1.25 or even 1:1.5 so your points will go even further!

Want More Help?

Perhaps you should consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card as your starter card?

• I offer free mini consult sessions if you want to learn more! 
• I also have coaching packages to help you learn how to or maximize your points and miles earning INCLUDING some additional ways to meet minimum spending requirements!

PS I’ll continue to sweeten the deal if you’re approved using one of my referral links, I’ll throw in some baked goodies (beautiful tip: I won’t know unless you tell me if you have been approved for a card!)

Because life should be beautiful and delicious – Rosemary

Who else loves their Chase Sapphire card?