Is the Sapphire Reserve still worth $795 a year?
At renewal there's no welcome bonus left, just the fee against what the card earns and the credits you actually use. Here's that renewal year for three spending profiles, compared with downgrading or switching to a no-fee card. Terms verified Oct 5, 2026.
| Profile | Sapphire Reserve after fee | Best alternative | Pays | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday spender About $2,000 a month, mostly groceries and errands, one trip a year. | −$7 | Sapphire Preferred | $545 | Cancel or downgrade Keep only if lounge access, Global Entry credit and elite status are worth over $552 a year to you. |
| Balanced About $3,500 a month with a few trips a year and regular dining out. | $576 | Wells Fargo Autograph | $1,055 | Cancel or downgrade Keep only if lounge access, Global Entry credit and elite status are worth over $479 a year to you. |
| Frequent traveler About $5,000 a month, heavy on flights, hotels and restaurants, some trips abroad. | $1,449 | Wells Fargo Autograph | $1,782 | Cancel or downgrade Keep only if lounge access, Global Entry credit and elite status are worth over $333 a year to you. |
Profiles use typed totals, so merchant credits (rideshare, delivery, streaming) aren't counted here.Answer a few questions in the calculator below and the verdict updates.
The credits, and what it takes to use them
Up to $2,718 a year on paper. They only offset the fee to the extent you'd have spent that money anyway.
| Credit | How it works |
|---|---|
| $300 annual travel credit | Applied automatically to purchases in Chase's travel category (airlines, hotels, car rental, cruises, travel agencies, campgrounds, trains, buses, taxis, ferries, tolls, parking). Account-anniversary year, not calendar year. Purchases covered by the credit earn no points. |
| $500 credit for stays with The Edit (up to $250 per booking) | Starting 1/1/2026: up to $250 per prepaid 'Pay Now' booking of 2+ nights with The Edit by Chase Travel, max $500 per calendar year (no longer split into Jan-Jun / Jul-Dec halves). Covered portion earns no points. Book through the issuer's travel site. |
| $250 credit for select Chase Travel hotels (2026 only) | Prepaid Chase Travel stays of 2+ nights at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin Hotels, Minor Hotels, Pan Pacific. One $250 maximum for calendar 2026. Can stack with The Edit credit when a property is in both programs. Book through the issuer's travel site. Ends Dec 31, 2026. |
| $300 dining credit at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants ($150 each half-year) | Up to $150 Jan-Jun and $150 Jul-Dec; must be charged directly by the restaurant (no delivery platforms/gift cards). |
| $300 StubHub/viagogo credit ($150 each half-year) | One-time activation required. StubHub and viagogo purchases (not gift cards, not StubHub International). Up to $150 Jan-Jun and $150 Jul-Dec. Needs enrollment. Ends Dec 31, 2027. |
| $10 monthly Lyft in-app ride credit | Add the card to the Lyft app (first user on the account to add it gets the credit). Rides only (Standard, Extra Comfort, XL, Black, Black SUV); unused credit does not roll over. Needs enrollment. Ends Sep 30, 2027. |
| $10 monthly Peloton membership credit | Activation required. Eligible monthly Peloton memberships (All-Access, Rental, App+, Guide, App One, Strength+) bought directly from Peloton (not via app stores). Max $120 per calendar year. Needs enrollment. Ends Dec 31, 2027. |
| Complimentary Apple TV and Apple Music subscriptions ($288/year value) | Not a statement credit: free subscriptions (suspends an existing paid Apple subscription; Apple One subscribers get an $8 discount instead). One-time activation required by 6/22/2027; Chase says subscriptions run through 6/22/2027, with at least 12 months from activation. Needs enrollment. Ends Jun 22, 2027. |
| $15 monthly DoorDash promo (any eligible order) | Checkout promo for DashPass members who activated DashPass with the card. From 10/1/2026 it replaced the $5 restaurant-only promo and works on restaurant and non-restaurant orders. Reported by Doctor of Credit, OMAAT, NerdWallet, TPG; Chase's product page still showed the old $5 promo on 2026-10-05. Needs enrollment. Ends Dec 31, 2029. |
| Two $10 monthly DoorDash promos on non-restaurant orders | Two $10-off promos each calendar month, one per qualifying non-restaurant (grocery, retail, convenience) DoorDash order; requires activated card-linked DashPass. Unused promos expire monthly. A $20 minimum has been reported. Needs enrollment. Ends Dec 31, 2027. |
| Complimentary DashPass membership ($120 value) | At least 12 months free for the primary and AUs when activated with the card by 12/31/2027 (per Chase product page). Needs enrollment. Ends Dec 31, 2027. |
Run it on your own spending
The calculator needs JavaScript. The table above is precomputed.
The calculator needs JavaScript. The table above is precomputed.
Downgrade instead of closing: The issuer usually lets you product-change to the Sapphire Preferred or Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex, which keeps your account age and credit line. Ask before you cancel.
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