Chase Sapphire Reserve is launching a new $250 Apple Perk. I haven’t fallen on it
Chase SapphireReserve®* was update Earlier this week, it includes many new annual credits and other features, including Apple Plus and Apple Music Memberhip, and includes $250 per year worth (June 22, 2027). Chase also raised the annual fees for the cards.
It currently costs $795 a year, so you’ll need to do more legwork to get plenty of value from the card to cover the costs. That probably means that the average credit card user doesn’t want to consider this as an option. This is fair.
In my opinion, you don’t need to just sign up for booking flights and hotels when you redeem dozens of credits, sign up for some free subscriptions, or boost your points. The new credits and features sound great on paper, but for me it means more work.
There are also some important changes to card rewards. It has a bigger welcome offer and new reward rates, and while not so exciting, Chase is changing how it rates the points on the card. But we get to that.
Some travel experts and credit card enthusiasts disagree and I’m sure you can easily get enough value from this card, but credit card holders like me want to have a more automated and streamlined experience, which doesn’t seem to be worth the extra effort.
There’s everything new in Chase Sapphire Reserve.
What does the new Chase Sapphire Reserve look like?
Chase changed the rewards for cards and how much they are worth when it’s time to redeem.
New and old rewards have been compared
| New rewards | Old rewards |
|---|---|
| 8x points on all trips booked through Chay Travel | 10x points to book hotels and car rentals through Chay Travel |
| 4x points for direct booked flights and hotels | 5x points on flights booked through Chase |
| 3x points for meals | 3x points on all other trips |
| 1x points of all other | 1x points of all other |
These changes are good. Food rewards seem like a simple travel card, but I was surprised that they weren’t originally seen on the card. Additionally, there is no need to book a Chase Travel constantly, opening up more travel and earning opportunities.
This card also includes a higher welcome offer.
- Credit for spending $5,000 in the first three months of opening a $500 Chase Travels credit account.
However, Chase has also changed the value of rewards earned through the new Point Boost program.
Previously, you could redeem points to pass the chase with a bonus value of 1.5 cents per point. This will earn you 2 cents per point, but you will only earn if your redemption flight and hotel is spinning. Also, redeem points on unboost flights and hotels are worth 1 cent each. You can still transfer points to your Chase travel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
This is clearly less flexible than the card’s previous rewards program, allowing cardholders to miss out on value that was otherwise secured. What happens when and where you are planning to travel, and what if your flight or hotel is not boosted?
You need to wait or take less of your trip. Alternatively, you could transfer points where the points might be more valuable, but again, just like before, it requires more work than simply redeeming the Card issuer portal for a small bonus. Chase SapphirePreferred®Card* now also uses the Point Boost program.
New annual credits
The cards also earn a handful of new annual credits:
- $500 editorial credit. Edited is a new collection of Chase from over 1,100 hotels. You will receive $250 from January to June, and $250 from July to December.
- $300 meal credit. Again, it costs $150 from January to June and $150 from July to December.
- $300 StubHub credit. $150 from January to June and $150 from July to December. Ends on December 31, 2027.
- Apple Plus and Apple Music membershipworth $250 a year. Ends on June 22, 2027.
- $120 platoon credits. The monthly statement credit for Peloton memberships through December 31, 2027 is $10, and $120 per year. Plus, you can earn 10x more rewards when purchasing Peloton equipment.
These are new credits. There are many more. You can see them all Chase page. The issuer says the card value is offering over $2,700, but you really need to work to achieve that.
For those who spend $75,000 on a card in a calendar year, you can unlock $500 Southwest Travel Credit and A-List Status, IHG Diamond Elite Status, and $250 Chase Statement Credit. This is a high spending threshold that only the wealthiest travelers are likely to reach, and does not appear to be a huge return on investment.
And higher prices
Finally, this card is $245 more than a month ago. Chase Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee is currently the highest on the market at $795. The credit provided can exceed the price of your card, but you will need to work to use everything you offer.
This means buying and using Peloton, checking the Point Boost program, ordering Doordash, using Lyft, taking advantage of new dining credits and two travel credits, and on. That’s a lot of homework. If you’re not fully using the extra perks, you could be on the hook for at least a portion of your annual membership fee.
Do I need to get this card?
In short, I think some people have this card, especially those with a higher than average travel budget (and perhaps some kind of assistant to help track everything), but for the average traveler or credit card holder, they leave value on the table and are more likely to get stuck at a high annual fee.
There are so many things here, and while it’s great, changes to the way you rate your points, and the annual additional work you’ve done as a cardholder, every year to make the $795 fee on your card actually worth the cost. But again, I look at credit cards a little differently from most card experts. I like the easy route. This guarantees value without financial corrosion or working beyond my usual routine.
So I’m happy to stick to my sapphire taste.
I use it for my meals and travel expenses, redeem my points for my home trips through a chase trip, and use that $50 per year hotel statement credit.
You may not have countless annual credits, memberships, or subscriptions, but you don’t have to do any additional work to realize the value and realize the annual cost.
*All information about Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire is collected independently by CNET and not reviewed by the publisher.