Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chase sapphire. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chase sapphire. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Have You Applied Yet?

Now that summer is in full swing, you might have some fomo watching all your friends go on fab trips or you are enjoying your trip and already planning the next one. 

Either way, the new Chase Sapphire offers could help you make those vacations super affordable. We don't know when this latest offer will end so it's better not to wait. 

Chase announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 

 
Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 


Let's break down the offer on each card:
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 
Another big change is the 48 month rule. You are now only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Monday, June 23, 2025

New Chase Sapphire Offers Are Announced And They Are Big!

 



Wow! Chase just announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 
 
Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 


Let's break down the offer on each card:
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 
Another big change is the 48 month rule. You now are only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 


Sunday, April 20, 2025

Already Have the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Here’s How You Can Still Get the 100,000 Point Bonus

 

By now, you have probably heard about the incredible 100,000 bonus point offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. This is already one of my favorite travel credit cards and with this high bonus offer, wow! 
But what happens if you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card? Are you shut out of this amazing offer?
Not necessarily. 
You are qualified to earn a bonus on the Sapphire Preferred credit card every 48 months. So you need to check to see when you earned the bonus the last time on the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card you are holding. If you are holding the Sapphire Reserve credit card, you can only hold one Sapphire card at a time so you will need to either cancel or downgrade this card as well before you can apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. Although there are some reasons why you may NOT want to do this. 
 
You can two that two ways:

1. Check your AlmostFREEFamilyTravel personal tracker which you get included for FREE as part of our coaching program. 
2. Check your credit report. Several credit cards and banks offer a free credit report or you can check once a year on annualcreditreport.com 

If it's been more than 48 months since you earned the bonus, then you are qualified to earn it again.
But you can't just apply since you can only hold one Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card at a time, you must do the following first:

1. Call the Chase phone number on the back of your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card
2. Ask to downgrade the card - DO NOT CANCEL. Why? If you downgrade, you can apply as soon as you get your new credit card, you will also keep your card number in case you have any automatic charges and you will keep any Chase Ultimate Reward points you have on this account. If you cancel, you will need to wait at least 30 days to apply for your new card, you will lose your number and your points. 


3. You should downgrade to either the Chase FREEDOM FLEX or the CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED credit cards. Both are no annual fee credit cards. The big difference is that the FLEX has quarterly 5x bonus categories and the UNLIMITED earns 1.5x points on all purchases. 
4. Wait two weeks and then apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. 



Woohoo! Now what can you do with 100,000 CUR points, check it out here. 

As always, if you need more guidance, please join our Travel Coaching Program, you can find out more about our personal coaching here. Use FREETRAVEL for $50 off the cost. 


Saturday, November 19, 2022

Last Chance To Apply For the 80,000 Bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve

It's the last few weeks to apply for the 80,000 bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.  The offer ends December 1st. This is my favorite card and has saved me thousands of dollars on travel. 


What can you do with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points? 

So many things. 
  • For one, you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal where the Chase Sapphire Reserve makes the points worth 50% more. 
  • You can also transfer them 1:1 to dozens of airlines including United, Jet Blue, Southwest and more. 
  • You can transfer them to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG hotels at 1:1.
  • Through the end of the year, you can use them to erase Airbnb and dining purchases. 



Chase says the value of 80,000 CUR points is $1,200 towards travel. But it could be more if you play your cards right. 

On my trip to Ireland last summer I used Chase Ultimate Reward points to cover my daughter's round trip flight which I booked through the Chase travel portal for 30,000 points. 
I erased all of our Airbnb stays at 50% value for 50,000 points and I erased most of our dining with another 30,000 points. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit so we used that to erase parking and a portion of the rental car. 


The other benefit is that you can transfer CUR points from your other credit cards to your Reserve card and then redeem them for 50% more. Woohoo! 

This card also comes with a $100 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and FREE Dashpass membership, Instacart+ and $10 Go Puff monthly credit. 

The card does come with a hefty annual fee of $550, but as long as you use the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and lounge access, it will be worth it. 

Couple of important notes about this card. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you are NOT eligible to apply for the Reserve card. You can only hold one at a time. However, your spouse, partner or other family member could apply for the Reserve card. You can also only earn the bonus on the Reserve only once every four years. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, please consider using my referral link. 
 

Monday, June 27, 2022

How You Can Stay At An Airbnb For FREE

 


After flights, accommodations are the biggest expense when you travel. 

But you have a few more days to cash in your Chase Ultimate Reward points to erase Airbnb purchases. 

It's part of the Pay Yourself Back program on the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve credit cards. The program was launched during the pandemic so you could use your points even though you were not travelling and fortunately, it stuck. 

Back then, we could use the points to erase groceries and dining which was pretty awesome. 

Now you can use the points to erase the following:
  • Airbnb 
  • charitable contributions
  • dining (with the Sapphire card only)
  • membership fee (with the Sapphire card only)
And the best part is you get a bonus, the same bonus you get if you book travel through the Chase Travel Portal. On the Preferred card, you get a bonus 25% and with the Reserve you get a 50% bonus. 

But the offer ends June 30th, 2022. So don't wait. 

I erased several Airbnb purchases just today at a value of $700. 

I am going to walk you through exactly how to do this. The first thing you need to do before you erase anything, transfer any Chase Ultimate Reward points you have on a Chase FREEDOM or Ink card to your Preferred or Reserve. 


It's easy to "combine points":

  • Log into your Chase.com account
  • click on the card you want to transfer points FROM
  • click redeem points
  • then click on the three little lines at the top left
  • scroll to the bottom
  • click combine points. 



Once you have moved your points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, then you are ready to erase your purchases. From the Chase Ultimate Rewards home page, scroll down until you see the Pay Yourself Back promotion. 


Click on the promotion and you will see a list of your eligible purchases. Only purchases made in the past 90 days are eligible to be erased. There is even a handy countdown above each purchase. 



Since I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can see my points are worth 50% more when I use them to erase Airbnb purchases. Just check the box for the ones that you want to erase. I usually start with the oldest ones, but since this promotion ends on June 30th 2022, it doesn't matter. 

You will be able to erase all of the purchase or just some of it so check as many boxes as you want. 
 

The purchases will be applied as a statement credit and it will take about 5-7 days to see that happen. 


Keep checking your Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve accounts too as the June 30th date gets closer or wait until the last day to cash in. After I cashed in 41,000 points, another 9,000 points showed up so I cashed those in too. 
And if you haven't booked your Airbnb yet for a trip coming up, book it and erase it before June 30th. 
If you do not have these cards yet, please consider using my referral link. It costs you nothing, but will award me for referring you so I can bring you more great information about how to FLY free. Right now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering 60,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend. Those points are worth $750 in the travel portal or if you erase an Airbnb purchase. But hurry, the Pay Yourself Back promotion ends June 30th. 



Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Should You Hang Onto Your Chase Sapphire Reserve?

 


The Chase Sapphire Reserve has been my favorite credit card for quite awhile. Even when the annual fee increased to a whopping $550 a few years ago, I held onto it. But today Chase announced that the annual fee is going up again, this time to $795. So now the question is should you hold onto it? I'll tell you right now, the answer is yes!

Should You Hang Onto Your Chase Sapphire Reserve?

But let's break down the benefits and dig deeper. 
Now worth and value are very personal. What's treasure for me, maybe trash for you. But let's see if we can investigate the changes and benefits and see if it's worth it for me and that might help you decide if it's worth it for you. 

How do I use this card right now? 
  • I charge all of my travel and dining to this credit card. Why? 
    • Currently, it earns 3x points on dining and travel. It also has amazing travel cancellation, rental and interruption insurance. I made a claim a few months ago and though it took several times uploading the same documents, they eventually reimbursed me. I always charge rental cars to this card because it earns 3x points and has awesome car rental insurance so I can pass on the insurance offered by the rental agency. 
    • Moving forward, it will continue to earn 3x points on dining and 4x points on travel booked directly with airlines and hotels. But other travel like car rentals, Airbnbs, and tours will only earn 1x points so that's disappointing. 
  •  I combine all of my Chase points onto this card to use them in the Chase Travel Portal. Why?
    • Currently, when you book in the portal, you earn 5x points on airlines and 10x points on hotels. When you use your points to purchase, the points are worth 1.5 in the portal. 
    • Moving forward, when you book in the portal, you will earn 8x points on all travel purchases booked through the portal. Current cardholders will still be able to get 1.5 value for points in the portal for a two year grace period. But the card is moving towards a "points boost" up to 2x points on certain travel purchases marked with a rocket ship. We are unsure right now how much travel will be eligible for a boost. 
  • $300 Travel Credit - I use this credit every year since it is automatically applied to travel purchases. Though it's not really a benefit, it does bring down the annual fee by $300. 
    • Moving forward, this credit will remain so it brings the annual fee down to $495. 
  • Global Entry credit - you can use this once every four years so it's valued at $30 per year as a benefit. 
    • Moving forward, this benefit remains. 
  • Priority Pass Lounge and Sapphire Lounge Access - remains a benefit on the Sapphire Reserve. 
    • Moving forward, there's no change 
  • Earns 5x points on Lyft and 10x points on Peloton. 
    • Moving forward, there's no change. 

Should You Hang Onto Your Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Other changes: 
  • Authorized users - price is going up from $75 to $195 per user. I don't recommend adding authorized users to any cards, but if you want to, Capital One Venture X allows you to add authorized users for free and let's them use the lounge access, but we hear this benefit may be ending. 
  • You could only hold one Sapphire card at a time. 
    • Moving forward, you can hold both cards at the same time. This could be huge! The Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95 and is one of my favorite cards. I usually advise my couple clients for one person to hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the other to hold the Reserve. Now one person could hold both. Instead of downgrading, you can just apply for the other Sapphire card and get the welcome bonus again. 

  • Other new credits:
    • $500 credit to use on Edit Hotels (Chase curated list).(split in two $250 credits) A quick search showed most properties were 5 star and came with perks like breakfast and $100 property credit. 
    • $300 credit on StubHub or Viagogo
    • $300 in monthly Doordash promotions 
    • $300 credit at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables (split in two $150 credits)
    • $250 annual credit for Apple TV and Music 
    • $120 Doordash membership 
    • $120 Peloton Membership 
    • $120 Lyft in app credits 
If you spend more than $75,000 on the Reserve card annually, then you will earn some added benefits  like status at IHG and Southwest, $500 Southwest travel credit, and $250 credit at The Shops at Chase. 

Chase says the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve will offer $2,700 value of benefits, but the question is how many of these benefits will you actually benefit from? 

It's enough to make your head spin, but rest assured, if you already have this card, the new benefits will kick in June 23rd and you won't get charged the increased annual fee until after October 26th 2025 when your annual fee is due.  

So if your annual fee is due July 1st like mine, you will end up in the sweet spot. You will get to enjoy the new benefits until July 2026 and the old benefits until October 26th 2025, but only pay the old annual fee of $550. Then you can decide if you want to pay the increased annual fee next year. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 








Thursday, October 20, 2022

My Favorite Credit Card Is Offering An 80,000 Point Bonus!

 


This past summer, I spent two weeks in Ireland and had the opportunity to hike along the Cliffs of Dover. Amazing! And I'll let you in on a secret. This trip was almost FREE thanks to one of my favorite ways to travel for FREE using Chase Ultimate Rewards points. 

For this trip to Ireland, I cashed in CUR points for my daughter's flight and erased all of our Airbnb's for the entire trip! 

One of the best ways to earn and redeem those points is by using the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 


What can you do with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points? 

So many things. 
  • For one, you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal where the Chase Sapphire Reserve makes the points worth 50% more. 
  • You can also transfer them 1:1 to dozens of airlines including United, Jet Blue, Southwest and more. 
  • You can transfer them to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG hotels at 1:1.
  • Through the end of the year, you can use them to erase Airbnb and dining purchases. 



Chase says the value of 80,000 CUR points is $1,200 towards travel. But it could be more if you play your cards right. 

So for the trip to Ireland, I used Chase Ultimate Reward points to cover my daughter's round trip flight which I booked through the Chase travel portal for 30,000 points. 
I erased all of our Airbnb stays at 50% value for 50,000 points and I erased most of our dining with another 30,000 points. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit so we used that to erase parking and a portion of the rental car. 


The other benefit is that you can transfer CUR points from your other credit cards to your Reserve card and then redeem them for 50% more. Woohoo! 

This card also comes with a $100 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and FREE Dashpass membership, Instacart+ and $10 Go Puff monthly credit. 

The card does come with a hefty annual fee of $550, but as long as you use the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and lounge access, it will be worth it. 

Couple of important notes about this card. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you are not eligible to apply for the Reserve card. You can only hold one at a time. However, your spouse, partner or other family member could apply for the Reserve card. You can also only earn the bonus on the Reserve once every four years. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, please consider using my referral link. 
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover


Lounge capacity issues are real and incredibly frustrating! But here's something you might not know: you can visit multiple lounges on the same day, or even enjoy one while you're on the waitlist for another. Several credit cards offer free membership in the Priority Pass Lounge network which offers entry for you and up to two guests into more than 1,700 lounges around the world. 


Recently, I had a three-hour layover at JFK in New York. I wanted to check out the Chase Sapphire lounge, but the line stretched on forever. I decided to add my name to the waitlist anyway. The agent estimated a 20-40 minute wait, which operates through text notifications—and you only have 10 minutes to reach the lounge once they text you. While some lounges let you join waitlists through the Priority Pass app, this particular Sapphire Lounge requires in-person sign-up.



Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Ten minutes isn't nearly enough time to switch terminals, but it's plenty of time to visit another lounge within the same terminal. Terminal 4 offers several Priority Pass network options:

  • Air India Lounge
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Hello Sky
  • Chase Sapphire - restricted hours for non Chase Sapphire card members


I headed downstairs to the Hello Sky pop-up lounge. No line whatsoever—I checked in quickly and walked right in. The space is compact but not overcrowded, and I immediately found a comfortable couch with a nearby charging station. An attendant approached within moments and offered me a glass of wine. What a welcome!


The food and drink selection pleasantly surprised me, featuring both hot and cold options plus an impressive variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A large monitor, computer, and printer were available for business needs. The only downside to this pop-up lounge? No restroom facilities inside.


Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

After 40 minutes of relaxation, my phone buzzed with the text I'd been waiting for—time to head to the Chase Sapphire Lounge. I gathered my belongings and headed upstairs, passing a Capital One Lounge along the way.


The Chase Sapphire Lounge was busy but manageable when I arrived. An attendant immediately seated me at a spot with charging capabilities. The amenities included hot and cold food buffets, an extensive drink selection, and an espresso machine. There's also a full-service bar with a QR code menu featuring items like hamburgers, grilled cheese, and french fries.

The takeaway? You have numerous options available, so explore them all and don't hesitate to visit multiple lounges during a single layover!

How to Get Access

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card: This remains the best way to access the Priority Pass lounge network. The current offer includes 100,000 points for meeting a $5,000 minimum spend requirement. While the $795 annual fee might seem steep, the credits and benefits provide excellent value. We hear this offer is ending soon! 

Capital One Venture X Credit Card: This alternative offers access as well, currently providing 75,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend. The $395 annual fee comes with fewer benefits compared to the exceptional Chase Sapphire Reserve offer.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Time is Running Out To Apply for the 80,000 Bonus on the Sapphire Reserve

This offer ends December 1st. 

Now this card is offering 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 

This my favorite card by far! 

What can you do with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points? 

So many things. 
  • For one, you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal where the Chase Sapphire Reserve makes the points worth 50% more. 
  • You can also transfer them 1:1 to dozens of airlines including United, Jet Blue, Southwest and more. 
  • You can transfer them to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG hotels at 1:1.
  • Through the end of the year, you can use them to erase Airbnb and dining purchases. 



Chase says the value of 80,000 CUR points is $1,200 towards travel. But it could be more if you play your cards right. 

For my recent trip to Ireland, I used Chase Ultimate Reward points to cover my daughter's round trip flight which I booked through the Chase travel portal for 30,000 points. 
I erased all of our Airbnb stays at 50% value for 50,000 points and I erased most of our dining with another 30,000 points. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit so we used that to erase parking and a portion of the rental car. 


The other benefit is that you can transfer CUR points from your other credit cards to your Reserve card and then redeem them for 50% more. Woohoo! 

This card also comes with a $100 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and FREE Dashpass membership, Instacart+ and $10 Go Puff monthly credit. 

The card does come with a hefty annual fee of $550, but as long as you use the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and lounge access, it will be worth it. 

Couple of important notes about this card. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you are not eligible to apply for the Reserve card. You can only hold one at a time. However, your spouse, partner or other family member could apply for the Reserve card. You can also only earn the bonus on the Reserve once every four years. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, please consider using my referral link. 
 

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

How Does The New Chase "Points Boost" Work

 


Part of the new refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is the "Points Boost" bonus in the travel portal. The "Points Boost" is replacing the fixed bonus 1:1.5. But we noticed that the points boost is also live in the portal for existing Chase Sapphire Preferred card holders where the fixed bonus was 1:1.25 points. Reserve card holders as of June 22nd 2025 will still have the fixed bonus through October 25th 2025. In theory, you should be offered the better bonus offer.

So how does it work? It went live today and here's what we found. 


When you click on the travel portal and enter your search criteria, the first thing you see is a banner with "Points Boost" offers applied. I entered a search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport in my Chase Sapphire Preferred account. These two hotels were offered to me with the points boost bonus which appears to be approximately  1.5 value of points. 


When you open the map view, you see little rocket icons next to the hotels where the points boost has been applied. I was happy to see that the majority seem to have the rocket icon. I clicked on the $169 to see the offer. The portal points out that the boost has increased this offer to better than the usual 1:1.25 value. 


Then I clicked on the travel portal in my Chase Sapphire Reserve account and entered the same search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport to see the difference. 
Here's what it gave me:


It returned the same banner, but this time with point booster offers on Edit hotels in the area. The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $500 credit ($250 every 6 months) for Edit hotels booked in the portal so that makes sense and can help you decide whether to use your credit or points.  



When I open the map, there are less options near the airport, but the $169 hotel is on there. 



But you can see the points boost offers are better than when I accessed the portal with the Sapphire Preferred. The boost does not appear to be a full 2x though. 
Points boost promised up to 2x. 

I also tried searching for flights. The points booster showed up primarily for business and first class flights in a banner across the top. 


On a different search, the banner offered me a variety of fares with the points boost. Again, first or business was offered at a better points boost than the economy plus fare on the same flight and the price difference was only $6. 


If I scrolled down though, some flights had points booster rocket icons next to various fare rates, but I couldn't figure out why some flights were targeted for a boost. Again, you can see on this search that the points needed for the first class fare end up being less than economy even though the flight is priced higher. 

At this point, you might want to check any reservations you already have booked to see if you get a better offer and can rebook. Just be careful if the original reservation is non refundable or offers you a credit. 
We will have to wait and see how the points booster evolves.


Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

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