The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most valuable premium travel credit cards available, especially for active duty service members who qualify for annual fee waivers under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Military Lending Act (MLA).
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Current welcome offer:
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Annual Fee
- $795 annual fee
- Waived for eligible active duty military members under SCRA/MLA
Travel Credits
- $300 annual travel credit applied automatically to eligible travel purchases
- Up to $500 annually in hotel credits through The Edit (requires a minimum two-night stay)
- Additional hotel promotions may be available through Chase Travel
Dining and Lifestyle Credits
- $300 annual dining credit, issued as $150 from January through June and $150 from July through December, redeemable through eligible dining platforms
- DoorDash benefits, including DashPass membership and monthly credits
- Up to $300 annually in entertainment credits through select ticket platforms (Stubhub and Viagogo)
- $120 Peloton credit ($10 per month)
- $250 Apple TV+ and Apple Music credits
Travel Benefits
- Priority Pass Select membership with access to airport lounges worldwide
- Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit (up to $120 every four years)
- IHG Platinum Elite status
Points Earning
- 8x points on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining
Points can be redeemed through Chase Travel or transferred to airline and hotel partners.
Travel Protections
The card includes a comprehensive set of Travel Insurance Perks, such as:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Primary rental car insurance
- Travel delay reimbursement
- Lost luggage reimbursement
How to use these points:
- Book through the Chase TravelSM Portal and points are worth 50% more (for example, 60,000 points is worth $900 in the portal)
- Transfer to a travel partner and book through that partner directly
These points are often referred to as Versatile or “transferrable” points. So, what are they?
- Transferrable/versatile means that you are able to transfer your points to other partner programs in order to book direct, which can often increase their value vs using them in the portal.
- You typically have more flexibility in cancellation or modification options when you book directly with the airline or hotel.
- Chase partner programs include companies like Southwest Airlines, United airlines, IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, and many more!
Airlines:
- AerClub, loyalty program for Aer Lingus
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virigin Atlantic Flying Club
- Air Canada Aeroplan
Hotels:
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World Of Hyatt
(Check out our transfer partner cheat sheet for a full list across all banks)
**Points can vary in value depending on how you use them. For example, I was able to use 88,000 Chase points transferred to United in order to book a Business class airline ticket that would have cost me over $5500 had I paid cash.
Why It Works for Active Duty Military
With the annual fee waived, cardholders can access a large set of travel credits, airport lounge access, and premium travel protections at no cost. Even moderate use of the available credits can provide significant value each year.
We are BIG fans of the Chase Sappire Reserve® over here at The Military Travelers and fully believe this deserves a spot in every service member (and spouses) wallet!
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