Sapphire Preferred vs Sapphire Reserve: Which Is Actually Worth It?
Pay $95 or $550 - the Reserve only wins when you fly often enough to spend the credits and use the lounge more than twice a year.
Sapphire Preferred
The honest middle of the travel category - and the only middle that earns a recommendation.
Sapphire Reserve
High-end travel rewards come with a hefty $550 annual fee, but worth it for some.
Side-by-side specs
| Sapphire Preferred | Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $550 |
| Signup bonus | 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months | 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months |
| APR range | 21.49–28.49% Variable | 22.49–29.49% Variable |
| Foreign tx fee | None | None |
| Credit target | good to excellent | excellent |
Sapphire Preferred earn rates
Sapphire Reserve earn rates
The verdict
Your travel spend is under $10K/year and you don't care about airport lounges. The $95 fee nearly pays for itself on dining and travel alone.
Apply at Chase →You spend $15K+/year on travel and dining, want Priority Pass lounge access, and can use the $300 annual travel credit every year.
Apply at Chase →Track what both cards actually earn you, WalletHub Premium syncs all your cards and monitors your credit daily.
Sapphire Preferred annual fee $95, APR 21.49–28.49% Variable, signup offer 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months, terms as of 2026-05-03. Sapphire Reserve annual fee $550, APR 22.49–29.49% Variable, signup offer 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months, terms as of 2026-05-06. Verify current terms on the issuer's site before applying. We earn a referral fee on approved applications referred via Apply links, at no cost to you.