The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Refresh: New $795 Annual Fee, Benefits & Perks Breakdown

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®—one of our favorite luxury travel credit cards—just got a major refresh for 2025. And while the changes bring exciting new perks, they also come with a sharp increase in the annual fee: from $550 to $795.

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the new Chase Sapphire Reserve, including:

  • New earning categories
  • Updated travel and lifestyle credits
  • Points redemption changes
  • Who should still consider the Sapphire Reserve
  • And whether the card is worth the new price

New Annual Fee for Chase Sapphire Reserve in 2025

The Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee is increasing to $795 starting June 23, 2025. That’s a $245 increase—making it the most expensive personal travel card on the market.

  • Current cardholders will continue paying the $550 fee until their first renewal after October 26, 2025.
  • Authorized user fee is also rising—from $75 to $195 per user.

This fee hike brings the Sapphire Reserve closer to the Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee), which is a significant change.

New Sapphire Reserve Travel Earning Rates (Effective June 2025)

Chase is overhauling how you earn Ultimate Rewards® points on your purchases (any category not listed in this table earns at 1x points per dollar spent):

Spending CategoryPrevious RateNew Rate
Chase Travel portal (flights / hotels / rental cars)5x / 10x / 10x8x
Flights & hotels (direct)3x4x
Other travel (Airbnb, cruises, trains, vacation rentals, etc)3x1x
Lyft5x5x
Dining worldwide3x3x
Peloton purchases1x10x

Key takeaway?

What you earn on dining worldwide (3x) and Lyft (5x) remains unchanged, but there are new spending categories to watch out for, such as Peloton purchases (10x).

Meanwhile, direct bookings with airlines and hotels now earn 4x points per dollar spent (as opposed to 3x), while bookings via Chase Travel earn 8x. Importantly: all other travel, which used to earn at a 3x rate, is now reduced to only 1x.

New “Points Boost” Travel Redemption System

Chase is replacing the old 1.5 cents per point redemption bonus with a new Points Boost system.

  • Book eligible luxury flights and hotels through Chase Travel and receive up to 2.0 cents per point in value.
  • Other travel redemptions (non-boosted) fall back to 1.0 cent per point.
  • Points earned before October 26, 2025 can still be redeemed at 1.5 cents per point until October 26, 2027.

Pro tip: If you want to stretch your Ultimate Rewards points for max value, aim for Points Boost redemptions in specific cases or – ideally – prioritize transferring to airline and hotel partners, where the value of your redemptions remains uncapped.

Updated Statement Credits for Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase is cushioning the higher fee with up to $2,700 in annual credits and perks. These are automatically applied (unless otherwise noted in the table):

Statement CreditAnnual ValueAdditional Notes
Chase Travel Hotels (The Edit)$500$250 every 6 months
Dining at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables$300$150 every 6 months
StubHub/Viagogo Credit$300$150 every 6 months;
must activate
Apple Music & Apple TV+$250one-time activation, check chase.com
Peloton Subscription$120$10/month
Lyft Credit$120Up to $10 a month up to Sept. 30, 2027
DoorDash Promotions$300A $5 restaurant promo and two $10 promos on everyday essentials each month;
Must activate by Dec. 31, 2027
DoorDash DashPass$120Must activate by Dec. 31, 2027

Notably, TSA PreCheck / Global Entry and lounge access also remain unchanged.

Overall, if you intend to maximize all of these credits, you’ll get tremendous value out of this. But now that the annual fee’s increased to $795, definitely consider which benefits fit your lifestyle before you apply: you don’t want to end up in a situation where you have a high-value credit card whose benefits you don’t use!

Elite Status & Travel Perks

Beyond points and credits, the 2025 Sapphire Reserve refresh includes:

  • IHG Platinum Elite status (valid through Dec 2027)
  • Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club + full Priority Pass Select membership
  • Exclusive access to Reserve Travel Designers, Chase’s new concierge-style trip planners
  • If you meet the $75K annual spending threshold, you’ll unlock Southwest A-List, $500 flight credit, IHG Diamond, and $250 for The Shops in Chase

Key Dates for Chase Sapphire Reserve Changes

June 23, 2025: All changes go live for new and existing cardholders

October 26, 2025: New earning rates and Points Boost begin; card fee increases for renewals

October 26, 2027: Deadline to use legacy 1.5¢/points redemptions for points earned before cutoff

Is the Sapphire Reserve Still Worth IT IN 2025?

The new Chase Sapphire Reserve 2025 benefits are generous—but only if you’re an active traveler, use your lifestyle credits consistently, and don’t have too many competitor cards in your wallet whose benefits will overlap.

Who should keep or apply for Sapphire Reserve:

  • Cardholders who value elite status, airport lounge access, and concierge-style planning
  • Cardholders who frequently spend in the forementioned spending categories and don’t already have credit cards that maximize these categories
  • Frequent travelers who are able to max out $1,000+ in travel and dining credits to offset the annual fee

Who might want to downgrade or switch:

  • Infrequent travelers who don’t benefit from some the card’s main perks in the first place – there are better fits out there!
  • Budget-conscious cardholders who can’t justify the $795 fee or who don’t see themselves using the benefits, even if they travel frequently
  • Cardholders who already have other premium credit card with similar earning rates or benefits

No More One-Sapphire Rule

Starting June 23, 2025, Chase will allow customers to hold both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® simultaneously, officially removing the previous one‑Sapphire-card limit.

You’ll be notified whether you’re eligible to earn the sign-up bonus for each card at the time of application! This is very good news, since you’ll potentially be able to earn both sign-up bonuses.

Final Thoughts: Is This the Best Premium Travel Credit Card?

If you’re maximizing Points Boost, statement credits, and Chase Travel perks, the Sapphire Reserve remains a top-tier travel card in 2025. But if you don’t regularly use luxury travel benefits, you might be better served by lower-cost alternatives!

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Note: Opinions expressed here are ours alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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