Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve all seen the announcement yesterday about the upcoming refresh to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Last week, I’d written about rumors circulating about that announcement as we’d seen a lot of chatter about it on Reddit. Turns out, most of it is true. However, I’m not jumping in joy and lining up to get the card right away after it’s out next week. If you already know the details and find the card awesome and have made your decision, then this post isn’t for you. Here are reasons why I don’t plan to get the ‘new’ Chase Sapphire Reserve.
7 Reasons why I won’t get the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve
So, here are a few reasons why I don’t plan on getting the card.
1. I already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred
If you’ve followed the blog for long enough, you’d know that I primarily bank points to Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards points. In this case, I already have the Preferred and it does the job for me in terms of being useful to transfer points to Chase’s partners.
2. I already have the Amex Platinum Card (Charles Schwab version)
If you consider the premium card category, then I already have one of the Reserve’s competitors. Also, in this post, I’ve explained why the math works for me and helps me recoup more than the $695 annual fee that I pay.
3. Annual Fee Creep
I’m trying to avoid paying too much in annual fees. I already have the Amex Platinum Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. The former gives me Hilton Gold status, whereas the latter gives me Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status. That takes care of my hotel needs. Moreover, these cards already charge annual fees to the tune of $695 and $650 respectively. In addition, I also have two Business Gold cards ($375 in annual fee per card). The last thing I want is to add to the annual fees I’m paying each year.
4. No more coupon books
In addition to more fees, the last thing I want is another coupon book that has multiple credits. The Amex Platinum card and two Business Gold cards have kept me busy already.
5. Bonus on Travel Spend
With the Amex Platinum card, I already earn 5x on all flights. I use the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card whenever a paid corporate stay comes up which I can get reimbursed. This gives me enough of a points boost on my hotel spend for cash stays. When it comes to Hilton, I already get complimentary Gold status thanks to the Amex Platinum card. I primarily use Hilton for leisure stays and transfer points from Amex to Hilton whenever there’s a transfer bonus.
6. Points Boost or the lack of it
The flat 1.5 cents per point redemption is going away from Chase Travel. That will be replaced by targeted offers and you can earn a much higher ratio. Again, which flights and hotels are eligible is variable so I don’t want to pay a fee now and just hope that when I redeem, something is available. I like the consistency of the flat 1.5 cent per point that the card hard previously.
7. Duplicate or less useful credits
In case of the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve, many of the credits are simply not of much use to me or are available elsewhere. The last thing I want is another spreadsheet tracking multiple credits in varying time frames.
- $500 Edit Credit: I already have the Fine Hotels & Resorts credits which is on the Platinum card. So this is a duplicate benefit for me
- Lounge Access: I already have Centurion Lounge Access and Priority Pass select with the Amex Platinum card, which works perfectly for my style of travel
- Reserve Travel Designers: This is just a fancy way to say travel agents. In the age of AI, a travel agent is probably the last person I’m looking to contact while booking my travel.
- IHG status: I don’t stay at IHG properties so this benefit adds no value to me
- Global Entry/TSA Precheck: Already have it with the Amex Platinum Card
- $300 Dining Credit: The catch here is that it’s via Chase Sapphire Reserve tables. I’d have a loved a simple dining credit like the travel credit on the card
- Apple TV+ and Apple Music: I already have Netflix and Amazon Music subscriptions, so I don’t plan to switch just because there’s a benefit on a credit card
- Doordash, Lyft, Peloton, Stubhub: Again, I don’t usually do rideshare trips and prefer eating out instead of ordering in. For my style of travel and shopping, I’m pretty sure I’d not end up using most if not all of them
The Pundit’s Mantra
If you plan to get the card next week and have made up your mind, then by all means, go for it! I’ve just cited reasons why I’m going getting this card for now. While the welcome bonus may be enticing, I’m focusing on what works for my style of travel. Also, given everything going on with work, travel and family, the last thing I want to add to the mix is a bunch of new credits that I need to track of over different time frames.
What’s your take on the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve card? Are you getting it right away? Love it or just think it’s not good enough? Tell us in the comments section.
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For all the folks up in arms, go switch to Venture X from C1. It’s got a simple to use travel credit and with the 10K Venture miles given on each renewal it’s effectively free. Now, they are eliminating the lounge benefits but not till next year and then it’s so much cheaper than CSR, that you could pay quite a few guest fees before the math says go to CSR or Amex Platinum. Speaking of the Platinum card it’s almost assured the AF on that card will go up with more coupons offered. The coupon approach is expanding because it works for both the banks and the consumers. If it didn’t Centurion lounges would not be packed and Amex wouldn’t be pointing out how many cardholders they have. I really think some folks live in lala land in terms of credit card benefits, they exist to bring you in so then the banks can make money off you, not the other way around.
@WorldTraveler: Yes, c1 is a good alternative. Also, yes, Amex Plat fee is going up in sept.
I live in Hawaii. I can use the $250 bi-annual Edit credit, $150 StubHub, and the $150 food credit for a nice weekend with a Waikiki Hotel, a show, and a good dinner easy. That’s $650 without even touching the $300 travel credit and still apply the same $650 overseas in the same year.
I Doordash all the time so that’s another $300 easy. Apple TV is just a bonus.
The current reserve doesn’t get close to this kinda value. I don’t know how I could can pass on this especially if they offer a 100K signup.
@ikaikaArnado: great that it works for you so well!
Eh. To each their own. But for me – $795 AF.
$300 travel credit stays the same.
$300 in doordash credits (we doordash at least twice a month).
$30 in Global entry ($120 / 4 years = $30)
$120 in Apple TV
That’s $750 of the annual fee right there. Plus the lounges, and maybe I’ll use the hotel or dining benefits once or twice.
Not great, but I’ll probably try it for a while.
@Chriz: Sounds like a sound strategy!
The Chase Saphire Reserve Card has been my go to card for maybe 8 or 9 years. The revised card is laughable. How they put this card out with these partner benefits leads me to believe that some high level decision maker needs to be transferred to a new department. If they had lowered the price for these benefits I would have passed. Needless to say, I certainly won’t be renewing!!
@TennisPlayer: 2 reasons: they were losing money on the CSR big time and they’re just copying what Amex has been doing off late with their cards
Ditto. I have Reserve card for several years. With benefits I value most are reduced, and useless coupons added, not to mention the audacious annual fee increase, it became a goner!
@JosephY: Exactly, I loved the card when it came out in 2016. It had a very simple value prop.
I agree with you as well. I will be dropping or downgrade the card to the preferred. The lyft, doordash, and other credits I cannot find any personal value in. The restaurants at certain restaurants only booked through Chase is a huge turn off. Ditto with the hotel credits. These are all just too difficult to use and not worth it to me personally.
I’ve read at least one travel blogger who is flipping out in joy over these changes. Clearly Chase is giving them higher compensation to tout this card. Thanks for providing a realistic review.
@CMC: I agree, I would’ve preferred a simple dining credit like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card has.
I value the travel and car rental insurance on the CSR. It has already saved me tens-of-thousands of dollars and paid for years of AF. I once tried using the AMEX Plat travel insurance and it was worthless – every facet of the trip had to be paid by the card then and I couldn’t get a penny of coverage. So I’ll keep the CSR card to save me from buying trip insurance!
@Sam: Fantastic, glad that it works for you!
Thank you for not joining in the hucksterism that so many bloggers are exhibiting. With the high price and coupon book mentality Chase is insulting most potential applicants.
@Christian: I agree with you. With the United card and now this, the couponing is getting out of hand.
I looked at alternatives, such as Capital One Venture X and the CSR math still works for me even at the $795 because i don’t have any similar “premium” cards. Perhaps you saw how Chase had lost about a billion since launch? Between the $300 travel credit and Priority Pass, I come out ahead. All the other benefits are “gravy.”
PP Standard+ alone is almost $500 for six visits with a guest. In the first quarter of 2025, I visited five lounges with my wife while in Asia for seven weeks, including the CSR lounge in Hong Kong twice. There’s a new CSR lounge in Philly, and I’m heading there next month. Also in Vegas, where I’m heading in September.
Before CSR, I had Wells Fargo Autograph with no annual fee and 3x on all “travel;”, including gas. Now, WF has Journey for $95 an $50 annual credit on airfare. It has 5x hotel, 4x airlines and 3x on all other travel. I may upgrade to that because I suspect at some point the CSR math will not work anymore.
And I’ve learned that the 1.5x bonus for Chase travel portal is good for two years for existing card holders. So I will use points up that way. I like getting a $600 fare to Asia for $400. Not sure how often I’ll get any “bonus” air deals. But there’s always points transfers to FF programs….
@Steve: those are all great products. Good that the new CSR still works for you!
Great perspective. Points Boost is a pseudonym for dynamic pricing– the more distressed the inventory, the closer we arrive at 1 CPP valuation. This kneecaps the Mr & Ms Smith/Beaumier portal redemptions that are a significantly greater value than the award points pricing on those properties. One positive note is that Chase elected not to devalue the points transfer to partners ratio ala Citi- though this may be the next shoe to drop industry-wide..
@MilesHusband: That’s a good point re: Citi. Yes, the 1:!1 ratio is a major part of their marketing. Losing that would be a huge deal.
Finally an honest blogger with the true perspective on the card. I completely agree. No more of this extreme couponing.
@JasonWang: Agree, just way too many coupons to track..