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Table of Contents
Chase Ultimate Rewards cards:
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most lucrative currencies out there today.
You can rack up points quickly on no annual fee cards like the Ink Unlimited (1.5 points per dollar), Ink Cash (up to 5 points per dollar), Freedom (up to 5 points per dollar), and Freedom Unlimited (1.5-3 points per dollar).
You can cash those points out at 1 cent each, but you can do much better than that if you have a premium Chase card with an annual fee.
A premium card can transfer points to airlines from all of the major alliances, so you can book award travel on hundreds of airlines. Chase points also transfer to Hyatt, which has the last remaining valuable hotel points. Plus you can redeem your points directly for paid airfare, hotels, car rentals, or activities at an increased value as well.
Chase transfer partners include:
- United (Star Alliance)
- Singapore (Star Alliance)
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue (Skyteam)
- British Airways (OneWorld)
- Aer Lingus (OneWorld)
- Iberia (OneWorld)
- Emirates
- JetBlue
- Southwest
- Virgin Atlantic
- Hyatt
- IHG
- Marriott
I aim to receive a value of 2 cents or more per point when I transfer them into airline miles or hotel points. But sometimes the value of an airline miles or hotel point can be under 1 cent each. In these cases it’s great to have a card that allows you to redeem points for paid travel at a value that beats the 1 cent per point level where you can cash the points out.
Chase has 3 premium cards to choose from:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Card
There is no obvious answer as to which you should have, but in general I’d say that:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is best for general users
- Sapphire Reserve is best for power users
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has the best signup bonus and is good to have if the spending categories work for you.
Luckily Chase allows you to transfer points to a spouse or business joint owner, so you only need to have one premium card between spouses. Chase also allows premium cardholders to transfer points to their authorized user’s mileage accounts.
Chase also allows you to convert from any consumer Ultimate Rewards card to another consumer Ultimate Rewards card or from any business Ultimate Rewards cards to another business Ultimate Rewards card as needed. There is no hard credit pull needed to change cards. You will only get a signup bonus for opening a new card, not for a card conversion.
Let’s walk through the benefits to see which cards is best for you.
Signup bonus:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 60K bonus points for spending $4,000 in 3 months.
- Sapphire Reserve: 50K bonus points for spending $4,000 in 3 months.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 80K bonus points for spending $5,000 in 3 months.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a slightly lower spend threshold, but Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card’s 80K bonus for an extra $1,000 in spending is the best bonus on a Chase card.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual fee:
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Annual fee for additional cardholders:
Aside from the lower signup bonus, this is the other weak spot for Sapphire Reserve. The annual fee covers the lounge membership that is given to additional users.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Value of each points towards pair airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 1.25 cents per points
- Sapphire Reserve: 1.5 cents per points
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 1.25 cents per points
You can combine all of your points and your spouse’s points from all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards cards onto your most valuable card, so that they are worth the most for travel!
The increased value of points set a minimum value you can get from your points. You can get a higher value for your points by transferring them into airline miles and hotel points, but having the ability to use your points at an increased value for paid travel makes them into “hybrid points.” You can choose to redeem them for either paid travel or award travel, depending on which provides a better value.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve
Annual travel credit:
Sapphire Reserve’s $300 annual travel credit is effortless to use. You are automatically credited when you charge any travel related charge, from airfare or airfare gift cards, to hotels, car rentals, Uber or UberEats, subway/trains, parking and more.
That effectively lowers the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee from $450 to $150.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Points per dollar on travel:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 per dollar
- Sapphire Reserve: 3 per dollar
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 3 per dollar, capped at $150K annual spending across all triple point categories.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Points per dollar on dining:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 per dollar
- Sapphire Reserve: 3 per dollar
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 1 per dollar
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Points per dollar on shipping:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 1 per dollar
- Sapphire Reserve: 1 per dollar
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 3 per dollar, capped at $150K annual spending across all triple point categories.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Points per dollar on internet, cable, telecom, social media advertising and search engine advertising:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 1 per dollar
- Sapphire Reserve: 1 per dollar
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 3 per dollar, capped at $150K annual spending across all triple point categories.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Priority Pass Membership:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None
- Sapphire Reserve: Primary and additional users get a membership with lounge and restaurant credit with 2 free guests each.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Nothing like stocking up on free wine, beer, and KIND bars, thanks to Priority Pass restaurant credit:
Global Entry/Pre-Check Refund:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None
- Sapphire Reserve: $100 credit every 4 years.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Roadside assistance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Available for a $59.95 charge
- Sapphire Reserve: Free battery boost, flat tire service, 2 gallons of fuel delivery, towing, or lockout assistance
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Available for a $59.95 charge
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Cell Phone Damage and Theft Protection:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None.
- Sapphire Reserve: None.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $600 of coverage with a $100 deductible
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
US Car Rental CDW Coverage:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Primary.
- Sapphire Reserve: Primary.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Primary on rentals primarily for a business purpose, secondary on rentals for personal reasons
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Sapphire Reserve.
Worldwide Car Rental CDW Coverage:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Primary.
- Sapphire Reserve: Primary.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Primary.
Winner: Tie.
Foreign Transaction Fees:
Winner: Tie.
Extended Warranty Coverage:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 1 extra year.
- Sapphire Reserve: 1 extra year.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 1 extra year.
Winner: Tie.
Purchase Protection for items damaged or stolen within 120 days:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $500 per item
- Sapphire Reserve: $10,000 per item
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $10,000 per item
Winner: Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Return Protection:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None
- Sapphire Reserve: $500 per item, up to $1,000/year
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Trip Delay Reimbursement:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 12 hours.
- Sapphire Reserve: $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 6 hours.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 12 hours.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $10,000 per trip or $20,000 per trip with multiple travelers
- Sapphire Reserve: $10,000 per trip or $20,000 per trip with multiple travelers
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $5,000 per trip or $10,000 per trip with multiple travelers.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Sapphire Reserve
Travel Accident Insurance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $500,000 per person
- Sapphire Reserve: $1,000,000 per person
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $500,000 per person
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Emergency Evacuation Insurance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None.
- Sapphire Reserve: $100,000 for trips between 5-60 days, more than 100 miles from your home
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Repatriation of Remains Insurance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None.
- Sapphire Reserve: $1,000 for a coffin and to return your body to your home country if you die on a vacation
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: None.
- Sapphire Reserve: $2,500 for medical expenses on trips between 5-60 days, more than 100 miles from your home
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: None.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Visa Savings Edge Rebates:
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Adds to 5/24 count of cards:
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Spending affects credit utilization ratio:
Business card spending doesn’t get reported on your personal credit report, so having a bill close with an amount owed won’t hurt your score on a business card.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Lost Luggage Insurance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics)
- Sapphire Reserve: $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics)
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics)
Winner: Tie.
Baggage Delay Reimbursement:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours.
- Sapphire Reserve: $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours.
Winner: Tie.
Comparison chart of the card benefits:
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Sapphire Reserve | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signup bonus | 60K points for spending $4,000 in 3 months | 50K points for spending $4,000 in 3 months | 80K points for spending $5,000 in 3 months. |
| Annual Fee | $95 | $450 | $95 |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $0 | $75 | $0 |
| Allows you to transfer Chase points from any card to airline miles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Travel Credit (Airfare, hotels, car rentals, Uber, etc) | $0 | $300 | $0 |
| $100 Global Entry/Pre-Check Fee Refund | None | Once every 4 years for Primary cardholder | None |
| Priority Pass membership | None | Primary and secondary cardholders can bring 2 guests into a lounge | None |
| Value of points towards paid airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities | 1.25 cents | 1.5 cents | 1.25 cents |
| Points earned on everyday spending | 1 per dollar | 1 per dollar | 1 per dollar |
| Points earned on travel (Airfare, hotels, car rentals, Uber, etc) | 2 per dollar | 3 per dollar | 3 per dollar ($150K cap) |
| Points earned on advertising with social media sites and search engines | 1 per dollar | 1 per dollar | 3 per dollar ($150K cap) |
| Points earned on shipping | 1 per dollar | 1 per dollar | 3 per dollar ($150K cap) |
| Points earned on internet, cable and phone services | 1 per dollar | 1 per dollar | 3 per dollar ($150K cap) |
| Points earned on dining | 2 per dollar | 3 per dollar | 1 per dollar |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None | None |
| Cell Phone Damage and Theft Protection | None | None | $600 of coverage with a $100 deductible. |
| US Car Rental CDW Coverage | Primary | Primary | Primary on rentals primarily for a business purpose, secondary on rentals for personal reasons |
| Worldwide Car Rental CDW Coverage | Primary | Primary | Primary |
| Roadside Assistance | Available for a $59.95 charge | Free battery boost, flat tire service, 2 gallons of fuel delivery, towing, or lockout assistance | Available for a $59.95 charge |
| Purchase Protection for items damaged or stolen within 120 days | $500 per item | $10,000 per item | $10,000 per item |
| Extended Warranty Protection | 1 extra year for items up to $10,000 | 1 extra year for items up to $10,000 | 1 extra year for items up to $10,000 |
| Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance | $10,000 per trip or $20,000 per trip with multiple travelers | $10,000 per trip or $20,000 per trip with multiple travelers | $5,000 per trip or $10,000 per trip with multiple travelers |
| Return Protection | None | $500/item up to $1,000/year | None |
| Trip Delay Reimbursement | $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 12 hours. | $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 6 hours. | $500 per person for reasonable expenses (Hotel, food, toiletries, medicine, etc) required for delays more than 12 hours. |
| Lost Luggage Insurance | $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics) | $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics) | $3,000 per person per trip (limit of $500 per person for jewelry, watches, electronics) |
| Baggage Delay Reimbursement | $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours. | $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours. | $100 per day per person (max of 5 days) for essential items needed (Clothing, toiletries, charger, etc) for delays more than 6 hours. |
| Travel Accident Insurance | $500,000 per person | $1,000,000 per person | $500,000 per person |
| Visa Savings Edge Rebates | No | No | Yes |
| Emergency Evacuation and Transportation due to injury or illness on a trip | None | $100,000 for trips between 5-60 days, more than 100 miles from your home | None |
| Repatriation of Remains Insurance | None | $1,000 for a coffin and to return your body to your home country if you die on a vacation | None |
| Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit | None | $2,500 for medical expenses on trips between 5-60 days, more than 100 miles from your home | None |
| Subject to 5/24 rules | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adds to 5/24 count | Yes | Yes | No |
| Download Guide of Benefits | Link | Link | Link |
Win count:
Unsurprisingly, Sapphire Reserve wins in a landslide. Of course that comes at a cost, $450/year. If you maximize the $300 travel credit though, it drops to an effective $150 annual fee, which is $55 more than Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Are the benefits worth the extra $55/year? For a power user who wants their points to be worth at least 1.5 cents each and who wants benefits like triple points on dining and airfare, Priority Pass, Global Entry, and more it probably will be.
However a general user may find that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is good enough and they won’t have to worry about using the $300 in annual travel credit. Sapphire Reserve bests it in many categories, but not everyone will get enough value from its added benefits. It also certainly helps that Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also has a superior signup bonus. That means you can signup for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and upgrade it to a Sapphire Reserve down the line if you decide that the benefits are worth the extra $55. Note that some reps will make you wait 12 months after getting the card until you can upgrade it. You can downgrade either Sapphire card to a lucrative no-fee Freedom or Freedom Unlimited card down the line.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is an excellent card, though it’s a bit of a niche product. It has some great benefits and unique spending categories, but it doesn’t have benefits like double points on dining and primary rental car coverage on personal rentals in the US. That being said, the 80K signup bonus is a very attractive offer. You can also downgrade it to a lucrative no-fee Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited card down the line.
Which Chase Premium Ultimate Rewards cards do you have and which benefits do you value the most?
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143 Comments On "Battle Of The Ultimate Cards: Which Chase Ultimate Rewards Premium “Hybrid” Card Should You Have?"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Very (although lengthy) good review of card option s!
Thanks!
What about metal vs plastic card ??
Plastic is better because it doesn’t weigh down your wallet and doesn’t set off metal detectors.
Is this something people really care about?
yes, metal cards clean better between your teeth
I don’t have gaps that big, but I did once use it to scrape ice off my windshield.
I keep a stock of depleted gift cards in my car for scraping the windshield.
Thank you Dan. It looks great. Just one suggestion. You don’t have the trip cancellation benefits just the trip delay. Do you know if the Reserve has any better coverage?
Added, thanks for the suggestion!
Reserve, Freedom & Freedom unlimited is the perfect combination.
Yup, killer combo!
But may I suggest adding Ink Cash into the mix?
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/chase-ink-cash-card-earning-5-ultimate-rewards-points-per-dollar-amazon-everyday-spending/
Over 5/24 iyh in 2 years Lol
Spouse?
Same, but will be under soon.
I have the Reserve, Freedom and Freedom Unlimited. When used for travel, I get an effective 2.25 on everyday purchases with the Freedom Unltd, 4.5 on travel/dining with Reserve, and 7.5 with Freedom on the quarterly bonus categories (like Gas right now in Q3).
The Reserve fits for me since I use the $300 travel credit within a week or 2 on Uber/Lyft alone! I got Global Entry so that was reimbursed, too. Well worth the effective $150 fee, or $55 more than Preferred since that’s what I’d have if not for Reserve. I got the Reserve the day it was released so I got the 100k bonus.
Just got the Amex Gold this week with the 50k bonus, and the Amex Everyday card which had a 20k bonus (more than the 15k from Everyday preferred). First cards I got since the Chase ones back in 2016.
great post! for how many cell phones can one get protection? we have five phones on our family plan.
Everything on your plan is covered, as long as you pay for the plan on your card.
Can you explain this benefit more. I don’t really see it discussed in the post. Thanks!
I’ve added the guides to benefits of each card in the chart that I added to the post.
You can see the full plan details in there.
Do you think they’ll add cell phone protection to reserve ?
No
Are the sapphire cards worth it even someone isn’t eligible for the sign up bonus (once every 4 years I believe)?
There are some reports that it is a bit less than 4 years, but that’s certainly something to consider.
If you want another Sapphire card you can apply for Freedom or Freedom Unlimited and then upgrade it to a Sapphire card.
Ink and Freedom cards are certainly easier to get if you have opened a Sapphire card in the past 4 years.
Roadside assistance for $55 extra sounds like a pretty good deal.
Are there limitations?
I’ve used it in the past for a dead battery and towing to the dealer, worked great!
Last week my battery was dead and I completely forgot about this benefit, thanks for reminding me for next time
Dead battery on Tesla??
“in the past”
I’ll stick with the Reserve for the remains repatriation benefit. Thank you Dan for the detailed breakdown and for highlighting the benefits some of us didn’t know about!
(I actually didn’t know about the roadside assistance with the Reserve, really good to know just in case.)
Hope never to use either
Don’t forget about hoping never to need the travel accident and emergency medical and dental benefits 😀
can we get a chart plz
If that will make you day I can add one 🙂
Done 😀
and what about a million dollars !? that’s will definitely make my day!
Thanks, Dan for what you’re doing!
Wow. A real comprehensive report. While reading it I felt that you covered everything, and there’s nothing more I can want in this report besides a …chart. I felt like it’s really missing.
Thanks for the addition, and for this great write-up.
Dan, I have “hybrid points” with a Business Platinum Card and a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Which one pays better to use as “hybrid points”?
Business Platinum is worth about 1.54 cents (or more with Insider fares) vs 1.5 cents.
However Business Platinum is only good in coach on the airline of your choice and it’s not good for car rentals, hotels, cruises, and activities.
Then again the Blue Business+Business Platinum is quite a strong combo as Blue Business earns 2x points.
Overall, the Chase benefit is broader, but the AMEX benefit can be more lucrative in some scenarios.
I have the sapphire reserve card
I have a rental and I made a small crash and I didn’t make a police report
Dan what should I do
You can file a claim, just call the number on the back of the card.
They cover even your guilty?
And you most have a police report or it’s good with out?
Yes.
No need for police report.
The authorized user fee is a major disadvantage for Sapphire Reserve, because it means you can’t transfer points to your household member mileage account without paying $75.
This is true, though you can add and then cancel an AU in a pinch. Though I wouldn’t abuse that.
The fee is charged to cover the cost of the Priority Pass membership. Not too hard to get $75 of value from that if you travel, especially now that AMEX has killed Priority Pass restaurant credit.
3 points on travel using ink is on any travel related charge like what you need for the reserves 300 credit or more restrictive
Same as Reserve.
Awesome breakdown! Thanks for all your work Dan, keep it coming!
Thanks!
Got the reserve on my maiden name and got a second card when I changed my name after my wedding. Old card still works. Instant $75 savings.
Yup, Chase consumer AU cards will continue to work even after they are cancelled 🙂
Do you still get PP after cancelling?
@Dan, if you cancel an AU they can still charge stuff to the card? How does that work?
Is there a safe way to transfer ultimate rewards to your wife if she still hasn’t changed her last name so maiden name still on account
The last name does not need to match. Transfer away.
What about married siblings transferring… Once lived at same address?
Do the cards benefits /insurance apply if travel is purchased with ultimate rewards points and no charge to the card?
Sure!
wife is an AU on my father’s sapphire preferred car. can she transfer her UR points from her chase cards to my father’s sapphire preferred card?
online or call?
Technically only spouses and business co-owners are supposed to transfer points between each other.
You can transfer points to an AU’s mileage account though.
hmm so my wife can make my father a AU or co-owner on her chase ink cash card and then be able to transfer to his Sapphire preferred card?
Yes.
how does she make him a co-owner? online?
so for example my father can transfer UR points to my wife’s United mileage account because she is a AU on his Sapphire preferred?
Yes.
What about family members
Hey dan, thank you for the thorogh and well written article.
Wondering If I open a ink, and I have the reserve can I use the points for travel at a 1.5 per dollar in other words can I use those points as if they are reserve points?
Absolutely!
You can combine all of your points (and your spouse’s points) onto your Sapphire Reserve card.
How does one go about transferring ur points from one spouse to another
Does au on reserve get the roadside assistance and/or the other insurances/benefits?
Yes.
Opened a AU on my Reserve for my wife for a trip abroad and then closed it. The PP card came in the mail. Is it active? Is it risky for her to use it even if it will go through?
If I have ink unlimited card and cancel it how long do I hafta wait to apply for ink preferred ?
There is no waiting period and no reason to cancel either.
In fact it would be silly to cancel.
Dan you are such a mentch!
I can’t believe it.
Everyone should give Dan a round of applause!
He is helping lots of people who are asking simple questions that have been brought up on dd website over the years and are now being reasked!
Kol halavod.
(No one else online is this polite, courteous and understanding)
Keep up the good work!
Thanks 🙂
Can you transfer UR points from ink cash to sapphire? Business to consumer?
Sure!
chase does not allow two sapphire cards in the same name this is grounds for a shut down,true or false? do your research! hint, many innocent chase customers with excellent credit have been shut down for applying for both. stay alert and be aware.
Certainly not grounds for shutdown.
Thank you for an amazing write up. I usually purchase travel insurance (medical) for when I travel. If I’m booking my travels with a reserve card can I rely on that? Or would you still suggest purchasing travel insurance?
Personally I rely on it.
Does any Amex offer travel insurance ?
AMEX Platinum offers travel insurance even if the card is not used to purchase the trip!
How about on award flights and using the CSR just for the taxes?
Would we be able to get a comprehensive write up about the travel insurance offered by cc’s? I think some would really benefit from that. Thank You!!
I always book tickets using Ultimate Rewards points for my 14 and 16 year olds to come home. Over the last few weeks, I have been told that Chase started using Orbitz as their travel partner and I cannot book a ticket for anyone under 18 without an adult. I have tried booking with the wrong birthdate and calling to change, and they told us that we’d have to cancel. To have Her Blue take over the reservation (and make the birthday change) we have to pay $50.
Has anyone else encountered this recently? Any work arounds?
Birthdays on flights are meaningless. Make it up.
But if you make them over 18, won’t they need ID?
They don’t match it, nor is date of birth printed on a ticket or boarding pass.
Wow, i didnt know that. But on international flights, you cannot make it up right?
You can. They can fix it at check-in if they need to.
I had the same problem. So I booked him with a DOB that made him 18. I then called ElAl and corrected the DOB, they did it no problem. I thought the DOB needs to match the passport. I don’t know if that is true
if I book tickets using miles, how can I benefit (Baggage Delay Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance, Trip Delay Reimbursement) from having the above cards i.e. CSR?
Sure, same as paid tickets.
Even if you don’t pay the taxes or award fees with said card?
Of course you must use the card for that.
What is chase official policy of upgrading preferred to reserve? Will HUCA work at all?
YMMV within 12 months. HUCA can work.
Hi, I have the chase ink cash which earns the 1.5 point per dollar. I dont do any spending on my sapphire preferred. Is there any point in keeping it open and pay the annual fee?
As this post says, you need the premium card for mileage transfers and for increased value for paid travel.
Great post. Thank you. And I second the motion about you being a big mentsch!! One point, $2,500 for travel medical expenses isn’t very much. Purchasing travel insurance isn’t expensive and has higher coverage.
Who is going to win the battle between Reserve and CNB cards
Do you get trip insurance if you only book a one way ticket?
I have Sapphire Reserve and my wife has one. Can i downgrade one of ours?
You can.
I have a Chase freedom for 5 URP on quarterly bonus cat. My wife has a CSP as our premium card, and I have a Ink Cash which I use to buy visa and store GC’s from staples and cash them out with money orders/stores, and a CFU for all my other spending. Add a companion pass from Southwest and I’ve flown dozens of flights with my wife for just the $5.60 911 security fee ( of which I pay for by using the free $100 Southwest GC’s I get from my Amex Gold incidental credit ) so in short its free. Thanks Dan for your help
Nice!
How do I get roadside assistance
Do i call a 3’rd party company and then the CC company pays for it?
If i have a prepaid plan on my cellphone would that also qualify for cellphone theft or damage on the ink ?
Call the number on the back of the card for roadside assistance.
The terms for the cellular benefit can be found in the guide to benefits in the chart in the post.
Rats…I wish you would have had this article earlier. I just got approved for the preferred but wish I had applied for the reserve. I haven’t even received the card yet. Do you know how long I would have to wait to upgrade the card?
You can start calling as soon as you get the 60K signup bonus. Some reps will do it on the spot, while others will say you need to wait until you’ve had the card for a year. YMMV.
i booked a ticket with miles and paid the taxes and baggage with CSR.. the flight was cancelled and i was re-booked for the next day.. the next day the flight was delayed with over 5 hr. so i didn’t end up taking it.. i lost my vacation package with wyndham rewards, i got charged for hotel for 1 night what i booked before, my packages went to the destination and i got it back 2 days later with all the frozen and fridge food spoiled… and other things crushed.. what could i expect from chase? is this trip cancellation or baggage delayed or both?
thanks
btw card is under spouse’s name i’m not authorized user just used the card for the booking
If the primary or secondary cardholder isn’t traveling I don’t believe that benefits apply.
Call Chase for more info.
Using credit card insurance in Israel the agent told me that if something happens you would have to lay out the money on the credit card for up to 6 months until the claim is finished. How is it worth the risk? and how is it called insurance?
The agent makes money selling you insurance.
See more here:
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/car-rentalsride-share/reader-question-fake-damage-charges-israeli-car-rental-agencies/
I’m new to the points game, but I have a long established credit history with FICO over 800. Should I apply for CSP because its bonus is higher or go straight for CSR?
Tough call. Could go for CSP and then upgrade to CSR.
This is the best article I’ve read in the history of credit cards that compares these chase credit cards!!!
I have the Sapphire Reserve for a few years, and I only applied to it after I read on of your articles back then. I’ve traveled using thousands of $ of travel points with this card, and of course it was for free.
You rock Dan!!!
Thanks 🙂
I booked a flight using csp points there was a change of plans and didnt end up flying whats a good excuse for getting the trip cancellation insurance?
You can read the guide to benefits for the full details in the chart above.
How do I make someone co-owner on my chase business card as it seems to only give me option to add employee card online?
i
If the employee card is for a co-owner than you can officially transfer.
Thank you!
question is there anyway or anywhere to choose that employee as a co-owner
can someone be a co-owner for sole proprieship?
thank you, the chart is awesome! Would love to see this chart with all Chase cards compared in one spot !
trip delay/cancellation/baggage delay/lost – is only for business use ?
Hi, Dan. Thanks for the lengthy post! I’m a newbie, having moved from my American Airlines MC to a 2% cash back card the past 5 years or so. We’re planning some travel, and are trying to maximize points by signing up for a new card. It looks like Ink will be the best option, but are there any other cards we should consider? Thanks again!
Hi Dan
your post is amazing, me and my wife have a csr should i cancel one or downgrade it? as i dont see now a point to have 2
Dan,
Do I have to have a business to open the chase ink Perferd card?
If not what do I put in as business?
I use a combination of Reserve, Ink Cash and Freedom and feel I’m best maximized. Took me a while to close on these three, but these are best.
I gladly pay the annual fee for the reserve card. I often use the priority pass lounges, recently used the roadside assistance, I have filed claims and been paid for emergency medical (trip to south east Asia) and trip interruption (same trip). I never purchase optional travel insurance when I travel, I just put all expenses on this card. I take full advantage of the annual $300 travel bonus and use the feature to move points between my other cards. No contest for me.
I have the CSP and want to make my first airline tkt purchase using points from the US to Israel round trip. Not sure how to do this to maximize point value. Can someone walk me thru this, please? Thanks!
My wife has a targeted offer for 70k miles on the preferred on chase credit journey but for some reason it autofills our old address (and doesn’t let me change it). should i submit and then call or wait until transunion gets my address right?
Hi Dan, Thanks for the amazing post!
I changed lately my spending from the freedom unlimited to ink unlimited in order not to have high balances on my name.
On my last statement i got a message printed by the end:
“IMPORTANT NEWS
Your account is a business account, to be used only for business transactions.
It is not intended for personal, family or household purposes.”
Anything to worry? Shutdown Etc.
Thanks!
No.
Dan,
Thank you for all your amazing posts. It seems that CDW on the Sapphire Preferred is now Secondary in one’s home country. See https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/benefit-details/Sapphire/sapphire-damage-waiver-primary-consumer. I offer this information in case you would like to update the post.
Thanks again!
That is plain Sapphire, not Sapphire Preferred.
Thank you, Dan. Actually, what prompted me to comment was a benefits letter that I got regarding the CDW on my Sapphire Reserved which stated that domestically the CDW is secondary. However, I just followed up and apparently the letters are generated automatically and the same letter is used for many different Chase cards. In other words, the letter from Chase (or the third party to whom they outsource their benefits work) was wrong, and Dan was correct. Thanks again!
Hi Dan.
Thanks for the article. It’s really helped me.
My main interest is in the bonus points.
Is it a good idea to first get the ink card and then change it to a reserved for the benefits? And is it possible to do that?
Hi, I want to open Ink Business Preffered. Do I need to be cautious with the type of transactions the card is used for since it’s a business card?
Thank you if you can help out.
No need to be cautious. No reports of them caring.
I opened and closed all three cards over the last five years. Which card do you think would be the most likely to be approved?
Possible to update this post with current info in CSR?