Best Way to Use Chase Sapphire Reserve Points for Travel and Food

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a travel powerhouse, offering incredible rewards for frequent flyers and foodies alike. With a whopping 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, you can start redeeming your points for travel and food right away.

The card's 3X points on travel and dining purchases make it a no-brainer for those who frequent restaurants and hotels. This means you'll earn 3 points for every dollar spent on travel and dining, which can add up quickly.

You can redeem your points for travel through Chase's Ultimate Rewards portal, which offers a range of booking options, including flights, hotels, and rental cars.

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To maximize your Chase Sapphire Reserve points, it's essential to understand how to accumulate and redeem them effectively. You can earn 5X points on certain flights and hotel stays, and hundreds of dollars a year in credit for travel and shopping.

One way to accumulate points is to earn the sign-up bonus, which can be a significant boost to your rewards total. If you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, you'll earn 60,000 bonus points.

Redeeming points is where the real magic happens. You can redeem your points for travel through the Chase portal, which offers a 50% higher value than cash back or gift cards. This means your rewards rate effectively jumps from 3% to 4.5% if you spend points by booking travel through Chase.

To redeem your points, log in to your Chase account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal. From there, you can choose from multiple menu options, including cash back, gift cards, and travel. You can also transfer points to travel partners at a 1:1 ratio, which can often get you a better value than redeeming for travel through the Chase portal.

Here's a quick breakdown of the redemption options available through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal:

Keep in mind that the value of your points will depend on how you choose to redeem them. By understanding the different redemption options and how they work, you can make the most of your Chase Sapphire Reserve points.

You can earn a lot of points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, especially in travel and dining categories. The card gives you 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel, which includes taxi rides, train fares, and even parking lots and garages.

Dining out is another great way to rack up points, with triple points earned on all dining purchases, including fast food and fast casual.

If you book travel through Chase, you can earn even more points, with 5 points per dollar spent on air travel and 10 points on hotels, car rentals, and Chase Dining.

Here are some key categories to focus on for maximum rewards:

The card also offers a 10-point bonus on Lyft rides through March 2025, making it an excellent choice for frequent riders.

You can redeem your Chase points in various ways, but some options are better than others. You can redeem points for cash back, which gives you 1 cent per point, or use them to book travel through the Chase portal, where points are worth 1.5 cents each.

To redeem points, log on to your Chase account and select "Ultimate Rewards" at the bottom left. Choose how you'd like to use your points, and you'll be taken to a separate dashboard where you can select from multiple menu options.

One of the best ways to redeem points is for travel through Chase, which gives you 50% more value than cash back. This makes it a great option if you're planning a trip. You can also transfer points to travel partners, such as airlines and hotels, at a 1:1 ratio.

Here are some of the best ways to redeem points for travel through Chase:

If you're not planning a trip, you can also redeem points for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits. However, these options typically give you less value than redeeming points for travel.

Here's a quick breakdown of the redemption options available through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal:

Keep in mind that some redemption options may have blackout dates or other restrictions, so be sure to check the details before redeeming your points.

Holders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve will receive an annual $60 DoorDash credit in 2020 and 2021.

You can use your $60 credit in one fell swoop or space it out any way you'd like.

A free DashPass subscription is included for at least a year if you activate it by Dec. 31, 2021.

DashPass includes no delivery fees on orders that total over $12, but you'll still be responsible for service fees and gratuities.

You can potentially save an average of $4 to $5 per order with DashPass.

DoorDash estimates you could save around $4 to $5 per order.

You can redeem points for cash starting at 2,000 points ($20) with a statement credit or electronic deposit into a checking or savings account.

Redeeming for travel is more lucrative than redeeming for cash with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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Using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for travel purchases can earn you triple points, which can be worth 1.5 cents apiece or more. This means you should always use the card for travel expenses like taxi rides, train fares, and parking lots, but not for gas.

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To maximize your rewards, use the card for dining out, as it earns triple points for dining in restaurants, including fast food and fast casual. You can also earn 10 points back on Lyft rides through March 2025, making it a great option for frequent riders.

Here are some examples of travel purchases that qualify for triple points:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a $300 annual travel credit, which can significantly reduce the effective cost of the card from $550 to $250 per year.

This credit can be applied to various travel-related purchases, including flights and hotel stays, and is automatically applied to your account each year.

The credit applies to the same kinds of purchases that qualify for triple points as travel, making it a great perk for frequent travelers.

You can earn 5X points on certain flights and hotel stays, up to $500,000 per calendar year.

Here are some travel partners that accept the Chase Sapphire Reserve card's travel credit:

Pay Yourself Back is a feature that lets you get more value for rewards when redeeming for statement credits toward eligible spending categories. This can change over time.

You can get more value for your points with Pay Yourself Back compared to redeeming them for a statement credit using the cash back method. In fact, your points will be worth more in dollars when used with a Pay Yourself Back promotion.

Here are some airline partners that participate in Pay Yourself Back:

Keep in mind that the value of your points can vary depending on the redemption option you choose. With Pay Yourself Back, you can get a higher value for your points compared to redeeming them for cash back or gift cards.

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You can transfer your points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to 11 airlines and three hotel groups at a 1:1 ratio, making it a great way to get more value out of your points.

To transfer points, you'll want to strategize and do the math to ensure you're getting the best value possible. This means comparing the cost of booking through the Chase portal or transferring points to a partner to know which option requires the lowest total number of points.

If you transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy, you'll get a 50 percent bonus, turning 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points into 1,500 Marriott Bonvoy points. This is just one example of how transferring points can give you more value.

Here are the 11 airlines and three hotel groups you can transfer your points to:

Transferring points can be a great option for redeeming points, especially for pricier flights and hotel stays. For example, you can transfer 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points into 25,000 United miles and then pay for a $500 United Airlines flight, giving you a redemption rate of 2 cents per point.

This is higher than the 1.5 cents per point you get for booking the same flight through the Chase travel portal. However, cheaper flights and hotel stays favor redeeming points through the Chase travel portal.

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Transferring and booking with your Chase Sapphire Reserve points can be a great way to maximize their value. You can transfer points to partner airlines or hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 rate, which can give you a higher redemption rate than booking through the Chase travel portal.

For example, if you found a $500 United Airlines flight for 25,000 miles, you can convert 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points into 25,000 United miles and pay for the ticket with them, giving you a redemption rate of 2 cents per point. This is higher than the 1.5 cents per point you get for booking the same flight through the Chase travel portal.

You can also transfer points to 11 airlines and three hotel groups through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Occasionally, there may be bonuses available to earn even more points, such as the 50 percent bonus offer when transferring points to Marriott Bonvoy.

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To transfer points, log in to your Chase account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal, where you can choose to transfer points to a partner airline or hotel loyalty program. You can transfer points in increments of 1,000, and the transfer process is usually instantaneous, but can take a couple of hours or even a day to process.

Here's a quick rundown of the transfer options:

Keep in mind that once your points are transferred, they are out of your account and can't be sent back to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account if you decide not to book on the partner you sent them to.

Booking travel and activities through the Chase Travel portal is a great way to use your Chase Sapphire Reserve points. You can book flights, rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities, and even earn extra rewards on your booking.

One of the benefits of booking through the Chase Travel portal is that you can earn miles and elite credits on flights, just like you would if you booked directly with the airline.

A fresh viewpoint: Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Portal

You can search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport to find the best option for your travel needs. For example, a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card would be worth 1.25 cents per point.

You can also use points to book rental cars, tours, and other travel activities, and even earn primary rental car insurance if you book through the portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card. This can be a great perk if you're planning a road trip or other car-based vacation.

Just keep in mind that you can't transfer points to a car rental company, so using points to book a rental car through Ultimate Rewards is a good option if you don't have enough points to cover the entire rental.

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Booking flights through the Chase TravelSM portal offers several advantages. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, making it a great option if you're not flexible with dates and flight times.

You can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United, as well as most international carriers. However, you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air.

You'll be able to earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase Travel portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight. This means you'll still get the benefits of your credit card, even when booking with points.

To book a flight through the Chase Travel portal, you can search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For example, a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card can result in a fare for 29,600 points, which is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines.

You can also book flights using points to pay for part of your flight or hotel stay, reducing the overall cost. Since you can't transfer points to a car rental company, you could use points to book a rental car through Ultimate Rewards instead of paying cash.

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Booking rental cars and activities through the Chase Travel portal is a straightforward process. You can book rental cars, tours, and other travel activities, including cruises, but you'll need to call for cruises.

To book car rentals, make sure you're using points connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to get extra perks like primary rental car insurance. You'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when booking.

To activate primary rental car insurance, charge at least a few dollars to your card and don't use points to cover the entire booking. This ensures you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card.

You can filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options like air conditioning and automatic transmission. For example, a seven-day rental in Austin booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option.

You can enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price, making it possible to enjoy a free or nearly free vacation solely on Chase points if you plan it out properly.

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To access the Chase Travel portal, log into your Chase account and click on the area near the right side of the screen that shows your Chase Ultimate Rewards points balance.

You may be asked to choose which Chase credit card you want to proceed with, depending on how many cards you have.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing your current points balance and any available deals or bonus opportunities.

On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options, including using your points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cashing them in for gift cards and experiences, or transferring them directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners.

From here, you can click "book travel" to enter the Chase Travel portal, where you can search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and cruises.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a premium credit card that offers a range of benefits and perks, making it a great choice for those who want to maximize their points.

To get started, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

One of the key benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the ability to redeem points for travel booked through Chase Travel℠, which gives you 50% more value compared to other redemption options. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.

You can also earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.

Here's a breakdown of the rewards structure:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers a range of travel-related benefits, including Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, and Lost Luggage Insurance.