6 Reasons to Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

The much-talked about Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is coming out and people are excited. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a 100,000 point credit card sign-up bonus, but when those rewards are Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it’s even more exciting. Huge sign-up bonus aside, here are six other reasons you should consider signing up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card:

1. $300 Annual Travel Credit. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card comes with a recurring $300 travel credit issued every calendar year, which means you’ll get this credit twice during your first year. The great thing about the $300 travel credit is that it’s good for all travel – not just airline and baggage fees. Most of us easily spend $300 per year on travel, so charge it to the Chase Sapphire Reserve and you’ll get a statement credit to cover the cost. This takes a bit of the sting out of the hefty $450 annual fee.

2. $100 Credit Towards Global Entry Application Fee. Enrolling in Global Entry can be a huge time saver for frequent travelers as well as folks who make 1-2 international trips per year. The Global Entry application fee is actually reasonable at $100 since it’s good for five years and gets you enrolled in TSA PreCheck as well. Several rewards credit cards offer statement credits towards Global Entry fees, but the Sapphire Reserve has the added advantage of being part of the Ultimate Rewards program. So if you’re looking for a card offering Global Entry application fee credits, you may want to take the Sapphire Preferred into consideration – especially since it’s an Ultimate Rewards earning credit card.

3. 3 Points Per $1 Spent on Travel and Dining. Any card that offers ways to accelerate Ultimate Rewards earnings is worth a second look. The Sapphire Reserve pays out 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining. Aside from the occasional quarterly 5x bonus from the Chase Freedom Card (which is limited to the first $1,500 spent), this is the highest travel category bonus offered by an Ultimate Rewards earning credit card. Along with the annual $300 travel credit, this is a great incentive to charge travel to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, especially in light of the higher value cardholders get on Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal redemptions …

	Chase Freedom® Add to Favorites	$0 annual fee	Get a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Read Review »
Already have this card? Track it and maximize your rewards.

	Chase Freedom®
Apply Now Add to Favorites
Sign Up Bonus $0 annual fee Get a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Annual Fee Already have this card? Maximize your rewards.
Read the FTG Review »

4. Redeeming Points for 1.5 Cents Each Through the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal. The Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal is an amazing place to find travel deals of all kinds. It’s where I found nightly rates at the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos for just $284.08 per night. For two people. During the busy Spring Break season. Being able to redeem points at a slightly higher rate towards travel (compared to the normal 1.25 cents each) is one of the most appealing things about this card to me, personally.

5. Primary Rental Car Insurance. In the 12 years I’ve had a driver’s license, I’ve only ever personally rented a car once. What I remember about the experience was how the rental agent kept hounding me about buying additional insurance. He just would not take no for an answer and tried everything from suggesting to guilting me into it. It didn’t work because I’m more stubborn and relentless than any desperate salesman. At one point I tried to refuse on the basis that I had insurance through my credit card and he proceeded to tell me that wasn’t sufficient. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can rest assured that the primary rental car insurance on the card has you covered. If you happen to get into a fender bender, you don’t have to go through your own insurance to get the damage fixed. That’s a very good perk to have from your credit card.

6. Priority Pass Select Membership. The Priority Pass Select membership benefit from this card is great for frequent travelers who want access to over 900 airport lounges worldwide. This isn’t the greatest type of lounge access offered by a credit card, but it’s a nice bonus to an already impressive list of benefits.

Personally, I’m most excited about the 100,000-mile sign-up bonus than any other feature of this card. Now whether any of us will get approved for this card is another story. With the Chase 5/24 rule in place, most of us will likely get rejected. However, there is a chance that Chase will make an exception to this rule like they did when the Freedom Unlimited Card was unveiled this year.

	Chase Freedom Unlimited(SM) Add to Favorites	$0 annual fee	$150 Bonus After you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Read Review »
Already have this card? Track it and maximize your rewards.

	Chase Freedom Unlimited(SM)
Apply Now Add to Favorites
Sign Up Bonus $0 annual fee $150 Bonus After you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Annual Fee Already have this card? Maximize your rewards.
Read the FTG Review »

Are you applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card? Which of these card features is your favorite?

[Image via Getty]