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As we know, Chase offers some of the most versatile rewards for travelers of all kinds – and they’re my favorite. If you didn’t know that, that’s essential to the conversation. Whether you’re looking to take your family to the beach, hoping for an annual honeymoon for your anniversary, OR just don’t want to spend insane amounts going to kids soccer tournaments every weekend, flexible points from either card can get you there!

Let’s compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card to see which is best for you! Spoiler alert – it might not be what you think! 

Let’s get to the details.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

This card is the perfect beginner card. The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee and gives you 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. With this card, you receive 2x points on all other travel and 3x points dining along with 1x points on all purchases.

With the Sapphire Preferred, when booking with Chase Travel, one point is equal to 1.25 cents.

The biggest travel benefits from this card include trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, travel and emergency assistance services, and baggage delay insurance.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The “big brother” card to the Sapphire Preferred is the Sapphire Reserve. With this card, you’ll receive 5x points on flights purchased through Chase travel 3x points on dining and all other travel. You’ll receive 1x point per dollar on all other purchases.

With the Sapphire Reserve, when booking with Chase Travel, one point is equal to 1.5 cents. 

This card has a $550 annual fee, which can be justified by some big perks, such as a $300 annual travel credit.  

The Sapphire Reserve includes many travel perks with comprehensive travel benefits including trip cancellation/interruption services, primary auto rental collision damage waiver, luxury travel protection including lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100 every 4 years), and access to Priority Pass lounges and Sapphire Reserve Lounges worldwide.

Transferring Points

Both cards allow you to transfer points to Chase’s extensive list of travel partners, including airlines and hotel chains, at a 1:1 ratio. This flexibility can be a huge advantage for travelers looking to maximize their rewards. We have recently utilized travel partners to transfer points to Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) for round trip flights to Europe, and for Hyatt stays at Paris Hyatt Etoile, Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, and Hyatt Andaz Mayakoba. These have been some wonderful sweet spot redemptions for us. 

To transfer points, go to your Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and select “transfer points.” You can then browse through your list of airline and hotel partners (remember, you need to have an account with the partner to transfer points). From there, enter the amount of points you want to transfer (be sure to transfer in increments of 1,000), and book the trip of your dreams on the travel partners website!

Which Card is Right for You?

Sapphire Preferred: Best for travelers who want robust travel rewards and benefits without the high annual fee. The Sapphire Preferred provides solid rewards and points transfer options, making it a great value for its lower cost. I personally have this card and we average one trip each month.

Sapphire Reserve: Ideal for frequent travelers who can take full advantage of premium perks such as higher point redemption value, extensive travel protections, and airport lounge access. Despite the high annual fee, the benefits can outweigh the cost if you travel often and utilize the card’s extensive perks. Some airports, such as my home airport of Austin, Texas, even have a Sapphire Reserve Lounge. 

Odds and Ends

If you’ve held this card before, you can receive the welcome offer every 48 months. I like to use my Travel Freely App to remind me of important deadlines and annual fees. You cannot be the primary account holder on both of these awesome rewards cards simultaneously. You’ll need to pick your favorite. 

In Conclusion

Ultimately, both cards offer excellent travel benefits, but the right choice will depend on how you prioritize travel rewards, benefits, and the value you place on premium perks. I prefer the Sapphire Preferred because I prefer to avoid the annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve. I personally use the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for Priority Pass Lounge access.