As the competition among premium credit cards continues to heat up, one of the industry’s top players is making a major shift. Chase is set to raise the annual fee for its coveted Sapphire Reserve card, leaving cardholders and potential applicants wondering, Is the extra cost worth it?
On June 17, the card issuer announced plans to significantly revamp its premium Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, increasing the annual fee from $550 to $795. This 45 percent hike positions the card to have one of the highest annual fees in the premium credit card market, surpassing American Express’s Platinum Card, which charges a $695 annual fee. The card is also raising its yearly fee for authorized users (those who have been given permission by the primary cardholder to use a credit card on their account) from $75 to $195.
Chase isn’t just bumping up the price; they’re overhauling the perks to help justify the increase. The revamped Sapphire Reserve will come with a host of new benefits for cardholders, which the brand claims will deliver more than $2,700 of value to cardholders annually.
Here’s what you need to know about the changes—and whether credit card pros think they’re worth it.
Changes to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card
Current Sapphire Reserve cardholders will see the new benefits starting on October 26, 2025, while applicants who apply on or after June 23 will unlock the perks immediately, at the higher annual fee. For existing cardholders, the increased annual fee will apply immediately upon their next renewal after the October date. These are all of the brand-new user benefits (none of these are available before the new fee goes into effect):
- Points boost: A new redemption feature offering up to 2x the value on select premium flights and hotel bookings through Chase Travel.
- Hotel credits: Up to $500 annually in statement credits for prepaid bookings at The Edit by Chase Travel, a curated collection of more than 1,000 luxury hotels worldwide.
- Dining perks: Up to a $300 annual dining credit and access to peak-hour reservations at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables (a collection of more than 300 restaurants in major cities) when booked through OpenTable. A complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (valued at $120 yearly) and $300 in DoorDash promotions (a $5 restaurant promo and two $10 promos for everyday essentials monthly).
- Entertainment and lifestyle credits: Up to $300 annually in credits for entertainment purchases bought on StubHub and viagogo. Complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music through June 22, 2027, valued at $250 annually. Cardholders can also get up to $120 in annual statement credits toward Peloton memberships.
- Travel perks: $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits. Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status (which includes reward-night discounts, a welcome amenity, and early check-in, among other benefits).
It’s worth noting that cardholders will need to activate the entertainment and lifestyle credits on Chase’s website—they won’t be applied automatically (in other words, when you log into your account on the Chase website, you will need to opt into the entertainment and lifestyle perks, which is not the case for the other benefits). All of the credits that are $300 or more are split between two biannual periods (January to June and July to December), and you can use them at any point during the six-month period. All the other ones are divided into 12 monthly credits.
Cardholders will still receive a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, the $300 annual travel credit, Chase Sapphire lounge access (currently found at Boston, New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and Hong Kong), and a Priority Pass membership (allowing entry to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide).
Those who spend more than $75,000 a year with the card during a calendar year will unlock additional perks, including Southwest Airlines A-List status, a $500 Southwest Airlines credit when flights are booked through Chase Travel, and a $250 credit to The Shops at Chase (a website for cardholders that sells goods from retailers such as Dyson, Sony, and Tumi).
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card still worth it?
While annual fees help fund a lot of card benefits, travelers will need to decide if those benefits are useful to them, says Kurt Adams, senior points-and-miles content manager at Going, a travel app and deals newsletter.
“For example, if you want Global Entry but don’t use Apple Music, then there are better options out there for you,” Adams told Afar.
Jennifer Yellin, senior editor at Points Path, an award flight-search engine, told Afar that though frequent travelers, high spenders, and those already spending at places included in the forthcoming perks will likely find the enhanced Sapphire Reserve to be worth the price tag, more casual travelers likely won’t.
“Yes, the statement credits do offset the annual fee, if mostly used, but many of them require the cardmember to keep track on a monthly or semiannual basis—a task most travelers don’t have time for,” Yellin told Afar. “And many of the statement credits aren’t part of a cardmember’s normal credit card spend, thus potentially requiring a cardmember to spend beyond their necessities.”
Sally French, a travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, echoed that sentiment, saying, “For some travelers, especially those not living near major cities, it’s going to be tough to squeeze full value from credits like Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.”
Yellin added that for her personally, the annual fee is going up by a whopping $365, which includes the fee difference for both herself as the primary cardmember and her authorized user. After going through the list of statement credits she’d receive as part of her everyday spending, she said she wouldn’t come close to recouping the difference with the new statement credit opportunities. Still, because she lives in Boston, where there is a Chase Lounge at the airport, she said there’s a good chance she’ll keep the card, as the lounge saves her family of four a significant amount of money because they don’t have to purchase food at the airport throughout the year.
“But for those without a Chase Sapphire lounge at their home airport, I wouldn’t be surprised to see many casual travelers canceling the card once the annual fee hits, as the card is just too expensive,” Yellin says. “And with many other credit cards that provide some sort of lounge access at a significantly less expensive cost, there are other options—without the monthly coupon book.”
