Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Don't Let Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits Expire! Here's Your Game Plan

Don't Let Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits Expire! Here's Your Game Plan 🎯


Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve? You're probably feeling the December 31st deadline pressure right about now.

Here's the deal: Chase bumped the annual fee to $795 earlier this year (ouch 😬). But they also added some seriously valuable credits to soften the blow. The catch? They all expire on Dec. 31st, and you need to use them to actually justify that hefty fee.

If you're scrambling to figure this out, you're not alone—we're in the same boat! Let me walk you through some strategies that might help. Plus, Chase is rolling out changes on January 1st that should make this less stressful next year 🙌

Your Three Main Expiring Credits:

  • $150 StubHub credit
  • $150 Restaurant credit
  • $250 Edit hotel credit

(There are also monthly credits like Lyft and DashPass, but those don't expire annually, so we're focusing on the big three.)


💳 The $150 StubHub Credit

This one's straightforward:

Buy any ticket on StubHub.com using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You can purchase for yourself or let someone you trust buy a ticket in their account using your card—as long as the purchase goes through StubHub directly, you're good.

Key detail: You only need to purchase the ticket by Dec. 31st, not attend the event.

Pro tip: You could buy a ticket and relist it on StubHub. Even if you resell for the same price, you're up $150 from the credit 💡


🍽️ The $150 Restaurant Credit

This one confuses people, but it's actually pretty flexible:

  1. Go to Chase Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable
  2. Click your city (or wherever you're visiting) to see participating restaurants
  3. Book a reservation through OpenTable—you can choose ANY available time, not just the ones marked "Chase Sapphire"

But here's where it gets better—you don't even need a reservation:

  • Walk in and dine
  • Order takeout
  • Get delivery (if the restaurant offers it directly—not through third-party apps)
  • Buy a gift card online IF the restaurant uses Toast as their payment system (you'll see "Toast" on the checkout page)

Just make sure you pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to trigger the credit.



🏨 The $250 Edit Hotel Credit

This one takes a bit more work:

Log into the Chase Travel Portal and search for hotels. Edit properties sometimes appear at the top if they include a points boost, but there's no dedicated filter (annoying, I know).

Since Edit hotels are typically 4-5 star luxury properties, filter for those categories to narrow your search. Some more affordable options include Kimpton hotels and MGM properties in Las Vegas.

What you get with Edit hotels:

  • $100 property credit
  • Daily breakfast
  • Early check-in/late check-out
  • Free WiFi

Important notes:

  • 2-night minimum required
  • Book by Dec. 31st, but your actual stay can be in 2025
  • Some people are booking refundable 2026 stays—we're still figuring out what happens if you cancel or modify
  • You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to cover any remaining balance after the credit

My Vegas Plan 🎰

I already have trips booked for next year, but the Edit hotels in those cities were way over budget. So I'm doing a quick midweek Vegas trip instead:

  • MGM Grand - only $40 out of pocket after the $250 credit for 2 nights
  • Daily breakfast included
  • $100 property credit for lunch or dinner
  • $150 restaurant credit for another meal out
  • $150 StubHub credit for Sphere tickets
  • Southwest points + Companion Pass for flights

Total out-of-pocket: $40 for a 2-night Vegas getaway ✈️

I'll report back on how it goes! 

In January, Chase is changing the bi-annual $250 credit to an annual $500 credit, BUT you will still need to book a 2 night minimum for each $250 credit. The theory is you can book back to back reservations to use both credits. You will need to contact the hotel to connect the reservations so you don't need to change rooms. 


Want more personal help planning your next trip? Book a 1:1 consulting calldownload my ebook, custom tracker or 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 coaching program. 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. 





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