I’m not typically a fan of a credit card with a $795 annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is an exception. Here’s why I think the card is worth the price. I list the Chase value of each major benefit and then what I think the benefit is actually worth:
$300 dining credit; JJ value is $200
The dining credit is broken out into two $150 credits. The first is good Jan.–June and the second July–December. Here is the list for Las Vegas. The list is limited and I wish they would just give you a $300 credit for the year. Still, a nice perk.
$300 credit at Stub Hub or Viagogo; JJ value $200
Again, the credit is split in two. Stub Hub surcharges can be quite a bit and you have to attend two events.
$300 travel credit; JJ value $300
This credit is good for the whole year and is a direct credit for travel expenses. These include airfare, hotels, rental cars, parking, tolls, etc.
Pre TSA or Clear credit: $85 for Pre TSA and $119 for Clear; JJ value $25
This credit is good once every four years (the length of the Pre TSA and Clear membership). You can use this only once in that time, so if you already have either of those, there’s no value. You can buy someone else’s membership. This one is a bit difficult to price.
Priority Pass $399; JJ value $200
This perk gets you priority-pass membership that allows you to bring two guests into an airport lounge. Again, this one depends a lot on where you fly and how good the lounges are in your location.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounges. I’m not putting a value on this, since I haven’t been in a Chase lounge yet. The few times I tried, the lines were way too long. I think they’re working on the capacity issue.
Primary Rental Car Insurance; JJ value $300
This is one of my favorite CSR perks. Primary rental car insurance means you can skip the high-pressure sales pitch at the rental car counter and your car insurance company isn’t even notified if there’s damage to the vehicle. It used to be a minor accident wasn’t reported to your personal auto insurance company. I don’t know if that’s the case anymore or not.
The rental car companies charge $20-$40 per dayfor this coverage. The peace of mind is great and it can save you a bunch, especially if you typically take the insurance from the rental car company.
There are various other perks but these are the major ones.
JJ value is $1,225. There’s also a sign-up bonus, currently 100,000 points, worth about $1,500, depending on how you use it. If you’re interested, please use my link. I’ll split the referral bonus 4 ways: 1/4th to you, 1/4th to me, 1/4th to LVA, for hosting and 1/4th to the IRS. This is now considered taxable income. The current referral bonus is 20,000 points. I take the lowest valuation at $0.01 per point, so I would send you $50.
Here are one link and another link with more information.
Also, check to see if you can get a better offer. Many factors go into the sign-up bonus and some people get more than the general public. Sometimes doing the search in incognito mode helps you to get a better offer.
I’ve had this card for eight years. I think the annual fee was $295 the first year and has gone up several times. I still think the card is worth the price, especially with the sign-up bonus.
If nothing else, I recommend getting this card for one year and see how you like it. The usual Chase 5/24 rules apply. If you’ve opened five cards in 24 months, Chase won’t let you open another card. Also, I believe they’re looking for a mid-700 FICO score. Many factors go into determining credit-card offer eligibility.