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If you like to travel, it’s hard to beat the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Their $300 annual travel credit is one of the most flexible in the industry. And, thanks to Chase’s interpretation of the Military Lending Act (MLA), you and your spouse can get the card absolutely free.
This is a premium credit card and is priced accordingly. You would normally be looking at a $550 annual fee.Even at that price, this is one of the most popular credit cards today because of all the travel perks – things like elite status and a bunch of annual statement credits for travel expenses. Chase takes a very generous interpretation of the Military Lending Act and offers all that for free for military members and their spouses.
Let’s dive in.
Right now, the best sign up bonus is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. That is a $900 value if you redeem the points through the Chase travel portal.
The pro move here is to use our referral link to sign up (please and thank you). That guarantees that you are getting the best possible sign up bonus at the time and helps support us in writing the blog. You and your spouse are each entitled to your own free account (and all the sweet perks) but you shouldn’t sign up at the same time. One should sign up first and then refer the other. That way you both get sign up bonuses and one of you gets the referral points, taking three bites at the apple.
You’ll need a credit score of 670+ to qualify for the card. If you need some help there, we’ll talk more about building and improving your credit score in future posts. Like all credit cards, the interest rate o this one is high (~25% APR) so you need to pay it off every month IN FULL. The golden money rule is never, ever carry debt on a credit card
The bennies
Here are some of the things that your not-having-to-pay-an-annual-fee gets you:
| Benefit | Details |
| DoorDash DashPass subscription | Free annual subscription, which means no delivery fees. $120 value. |
| $25/month DoorDash credit | $5 auto applied, and two $10 credits to use on non-restaurant orders. |
| Access to the Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club | Access to a new set of upscale lounges. Currently in BOS, HKG, JFK, LAS, LGA, PHL, PHX & SAN. |
| Priority Pass Select membership | Membership to 1,300+ VIP airport lounges worldwide. $469 value. |
| The Edit by Chase Travel | A curated booking portal that provides benefits like free daily breakfast for two, $100 stay credit, and room upgrades. |
| Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit | $120 statement credit once every four years. |
| $300 annual travel credit | More info below, very liberally applied. |
| Marriott Gold Status | Mid tier status if you don’t already have it |
| Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, auto rental coverage and roadside assistance | No brainer to use your Sapphire Reserve card to book flights, hotel and rental cars. |
$300 in your pocket
The $300 dollar annual travel credit is different from what you may get on a lot of other travel cards. With Chase Sapphire this is very liberally applied: airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds, trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges, highways, parking lots and garages… If it codes as travel expect it to be reimbursed. If you and your spouse each get the card, we’re talking about $600 per year for things you are already paying for. Since you pay nothing for this card, that really is just a salary bump.
Another reason the Sapphire Reserve card is so popular is how easy it is to earn and use points. You get 3x points on dining (always) and 5x on airfare and 10x on hotels (when booked through chase travel portal) after you have used up your $300 travel credit. The Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, which you use to transfer points to travel partners, is by far the most user friendly.
Some other premium travel cards’ benefits can be complicated to use or applied incrementally. This card isn’t like that. Chase’s $300 travel credit is incredibly straightforward and the travel portal is very easy to use. There’s not much standing in the way of maximizing the value of this card.
I’m excited to try the new Sapphire lounge collection they are rolling out (it was still under construction last time I traveled through Philly). And Chase has also been stepping up their partnership with Ticketmaster to offer exclusive or early access to come concerts and shows. The Visa Infinite Concierge is supposed to be able to get you access to hard-to-get dinner reservations or tickets but that’s probably more of a thing to keep in the back of your mind.
There are a lot of premium credit cards out there and as a service member you can get many of them for free. If you like to travel, this is or the AMEX platinum should be at the top of your list.
