Reasons to pick the Sapphire Preferred over the Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see charges and charges) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) stay a few of the hottest journey rewards bank cards, even years after they first got here to market. That’s partly due to the number of invaluable perks they each provide, however it’s additionally as a result of Chase retains selling wonderful welcome bonuses for each playing cards 12 months after 12 months.

The Sapphire Preferred is favored amongst price range, newbie and midrange vacationers thanks to its inexpensive annual payment of simply $95.

Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve is focused at extra premium clients thanks to upscale perks like a $300 annual journey credit score, Priority Pass Select lounge membership and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck software assertion credit score each 4 years — all of which assist offset the card’s $550 annual payment.

Those further advantages is likely to be price it for some, however the Sapphire Reserve does not make sense for everybody. If you are attempting to resolve between these two phenomenal playing cards (since you may’t have each concurrently), listed here are 11 causes to select the Chase Sapphire Preferred as a substitute of the fancier Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

First, he is a fast comparability of the two playing cards and their major options:

Now let’s dig into the particulars to see simply why the Chase Sapphire Preferred excels as the extra entry-level of the two playing cards.

*Excludes Wait & Save, bike, and scooter rides. Maximum assertion credit score is up to $120 yearly.

Lower annual payment

First, the Chase Sapphire Preferred expenses an annual payment of simply $95, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve options an annual payment that prices an eye-watering $550. That’s a distinction of $455 yearly.

Granted, the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with many perks price lots of, and even 1000’s, of {dollars} per 12 months (which we’ll get into beneath). But when you’re simply getting began, do not journey often or aren’t certain whether or not you will use the perks, you are higher off choosing the card with the decrease annual payment.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred overview

Highest-ever welcome bonus

Now for what in all probability caught your eye: these welcome bonuses. New Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn an unbelievable 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 inside the first three months from account opening.

Meanwhile, new Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 inside the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG’s March 2025 valuation, Chase Ultimate Rewards factors are price 2.05 cents every if you switch to lodge and airline companions. That makes the Sapphire Preferred’s provide price a staggering $2,050, whereas the Sapphire Reserve’s provide is price $1,230 in preliminary worth.

One of the finest methods to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards is to switch them to the program’s 11 airline and three lodge companions, together with United, British Airways, Southwest, Hyatt and Marriott, amongst others. Hyatt and United are unique switch companions of Chase, so when you take pleasure in these manufacturers, that is one more reason to get one in all these playing cards.

If you propose to use your factors this manner relatively than for direct redemptions by means of Chase, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred ought to suffice. That’s as a result of irrespective of which of those two playing cards you carry, your Ultimate Rewards factors switch to every airline and lodge associate at a 1:1 ratio.

Plus, you will get nearly twice the worth out of the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome bonus versus the Sapphire Reserve’s.

You do not spend tens of 1000’s every year on journey

Aside from their welcome bonuses, the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve have comparable incomes buildings and rack up further factors in comparable particular classes. Namely, they share journey and eating.

It’s true that the Sapphire Reserve earns up to 10 factors per greenback on journey and up to 10 factors per greenback on eating, however these charges are restricted to purchases by means of Chase.

Regarding common journey purchases, the Sapphire Reserve has only a slight edge (after receiving the $300 journey credit score) — 3 factors per greenback as a substitute of two. And for normal eating (together with takeout and eligible supply companies), the playing cards are tied, as you earn 3 factors per greenback on every.

If you spend tens of 1000’s of {dollars} a 12 months on journey, choosing the Chase Sapphire Preferred over the Chase Sapphire Reserve can imply dropping out on a big variety of bonus factors.

But when you solely spend just a few thousand {dollars} per 12 months on these purchases, getting one card as a substitute of the different will solely have a negligible impact. This is very true if you have already got different playing cards that earn bonuses in these classes.

Related: Best bank cards for eating

The Sapphire Reserve’s journey advantages aren’t invaluable to you

Thanks to its $550 annual payment, the Chase Sapphire Reserve provides many extra perks than the Chase Sapphire Preferred. But that does not essentially imply it is all the time price a better annual payment.

Among the ones you are most certainly to use is the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $300 annual journey assertion credit score, which is comparatively straightforward to burn by means of, given the broad vary of purchases which are eligible for it.

Assuming you may take full benefit of the $300, that brings the card’s annual payment nearer to $250, which continues to be much more than $95.

While that credit score makes it simpler to justify the Sapphire Reserve, we do not advocate spending extra in annual charges simply to get the $300 again in credit when you can spend that cash anyway with out getting hit with a better payment.

The Sapphire Reserve lacks the substantial credit that assist give different premium playing cards a better return on their annual charges. It provides lounge entry to assist give some further worth to cardholders, however you may have already got this profit on one other card.

If that is the case, or when you do not journey greater than a few instances every year, the Sapphire Reserve’s lounge entry will not imply an excessive amount of. Those who do not place quite a lot of worth on the Reserve’s journey credit score and lounge entry are higher off with the Sapphire Preferred.

Related: How to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 annual journey credit score to save on journey

You’ve left Lyft behind

Thanks to Chase’s partnership with Lyft, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 5 factors per greenback on Lyft purchases and up to $10 in month-to-month Lyft credit score (up to $120 yearly), whereas the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5 factors per greenback with no month-to-month credit score.

While these advantages may also help you earn extra rewards whereas additionally saving you cash on rides, they are not price a complete lot when you do not truly use this particular ride-hailing service fairly often.

If you are a frequent Lyft rider, the Sapphire Reserve’s Lyft credit may also help make a considerable dent in its annual payment. Otherwise, it’s possible you’ll be higher off with the Sapphire Preferred.

Related: A information to Lyft advantages as a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder

You’re high quality with fundamental DoorDash advantages

Both playing cards provide the likelihood to register by Dec. 31, 2027, for at the very least a 12 months of complimentary DoorDash SprintPass, which entitles you to $0 supply and decreased service charges on eligible orders over $12.

So you aren’t getting forward by selecting one card over the different so far as a SprintPass membership is anxious.

Where they differ is in the credit they provide SprintPass members.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve provides two $10 credit every month at checkout on grocery, comfort or different non-restaurant orders on DoorDash and $5 off restaurant orders as soon as per thirty days.

Sapphire Preferred cardholders who’ve an activated SprintPass membership obtain one promo of $10 off every month at checkout on one grocery, comfort or different non-restaurant order on DoorDash.

If you employ DoorDash all the time, it’s your decision to reap the benefits of the further credit offered by the Sapphire Reserve. Otherwise, the Sapphire Preferred nonetheless provides strong advantages for DoorDash followers.

TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak is a frequent DoorDash consumer, but she feels the Sapphire Preferred’s DoorDash advantages are greater than adequate.

Comparable journey and buy protections

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve provide a few of the most complete journey protections of any rewards bank cards obtainable. In truth, the insurance coverage they supply is virtually an identical in some classes, with just a few variations.

Both provide journey interruption and cancellation protection of up to $10,000 per lined traveler and $20,000 per journey, misplaced baggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance coverage for delays of six hours or extra, overlaying up to $100 per day for as many as 5 days to exchange issues like garments and toiletries.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has journey delay protection — say, when you miss a connection and want to in a single day someplace — that kicks in at six hours. The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s model does not come into play till 12 hours, so that you may need to hang around a bit longer earlier than you may invoke it.

Though each playing cards provide major automobile rental insurance coverage towards harm or theft, the Chase Sapphire Preferred will cowl up to $60,000 on most autos with an MSRP of $125,000 or much less, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve covers up to $75,000 for many rental vehicles. That may come into play when you lease an costly automobile, however it’s in all probability not a dealbreaker for many leases.

In addition, the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s journey accident insurance coverage maxes out at one million {dollars}, whereas the Chase Sapphire Preferred tops out at $500,000. Let’s file this one below: “Hope you never need it.”

Finally, the Sapphire Reserve contains up to $2,500 in journey medical and dental protection (topic to a $50 deductible) in case you need assistance whereas on the street whilst you’re 100 miles or extra from dwelling on a visit. The Sapphire Preferred does not provide this in any respect.

As for buy protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred solely covers up to $500 per declare if an merchandise you’ve got used the card to buy is stolen or broken inside 120 days.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve covers them towards harm and theft up to $10,000 per declare, so it is a significantly better alternative for big purchases.

Overall, you ought to be simply high quality with the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s journey protection. But when you do make massive purchases repeatedly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s buy safety protection restrict is far larger.

You get Global Entry or TSA PreCheck by means of one other card

At this level, over a dozen different playing cards, together with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see charges and charges), all provide some reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck purposes — up to $120 as soon as each 4, 4½ or 5 years, relying on the card.

Enrollment is required for choose playing cards; phrases apply.

If you already carry a number of of these, you won’t want the Chase Sapphire Reserve for this particular perk. That mentioned, you can all the time use your card to pay for another person’s Global Entry or TSA PreCheck software, which turns out to be useful when you journey with a complete household.

You don’t desire to pay further for approved customers

Adding a certified consumer to a bank card has a number of advantages. Among them, it may possibly assist the secondary consumer construct their credit score historical past, which is a good way to get younger individuals began with credit score.

The factors earned by way of approved customers’ spending go to the major cardholder. Assuming everyone seems to be spending responsibly and paying statements off on time, this may be a good way to rake in much more rewards.

You can add approved customers and get further Chase Sapphire Preferred playing cards in your account for no annual payment.

If you will have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, although, it prices $75 per approved consumer and the solely further profit they get is the means to register for Priority Pass Select lounge entry on their very own.

It could also be simpler to be authorized for the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Credit card issuers, together with Chase, don’t publish details about how they approve or deny potential candidates. However, it is broadly believed that you will want to qualify for a credit score line of at the very least $10,000 for the Chase Sapphire Reserve since it is a high-end Visa Infinite product, versus simply $5,000 for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which is a Visa Signature card.

Many different elements will decide your credit score restrict, and the financial institution will have a look at your general monetary image. But basically, it ought to be simpler to get authorized for the Chase Sapphire Preferred than the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Related: Got wonderful credit score? These are the finest bank cards for you

Bottom line

You cannot go mistaken with both the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Though, there are many causes to select the Sapphire Preferred over the fancier Sapphire Reserve.

The Sapphire Preferred has a decrease annual payment and considerably larger welcome bonus, plus comparable advantages and redemption choices.

Finally, you can all the time apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred now. Then, when you resolve you need to check out the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s premium perks, you may ask Chase to improve to that card later.

For a extra in-depth breakdown, take a look at our full comparability of the Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve.

---

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

---