The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which is Chase’s flagship premium travel rewards credit card, is undergoing major changes that could change people’s opinions on the card drastically. Current cardholders may find the new changes to be displeasing, and aspiring cardholders may be motivated by the new benefits to apply for the card.

The new changes are rolling in on June 23, 2025. This means that if you apply for the card after June 23, 2025, you will receive the revamped version.

Current cardholders won’t fully access the new benefits of the card until October 26, 2025. Starting June 23, 2025, you’ll get access to Points Boost on Chase travel. Then, starting October 26, 2025, you’ll get the full suite of new travel perks being introduced by the Sapphire Reserve.

Increased Annual Fee + Authorized User Fee

One of the major changes that the Sapphire Reserve is going through is an increase in the annual fee from $550 to $795—a $245 jump. The authorized user fee is also being increased, going from $75 per authorized user to $195 per authorized user (a $120 jump).

The Sapphire Reserve already came with a premium price tag due to the annual fee, and the sharp 45% increase may deter cardholders from deciding to have the card in their possession. However, with the annual fee comes more benefits that cardholders may or may not enjoy, depending on how difficult it is for them to utilize the numerous credits that the Sapphire Reserve comes with.

A Different Point-Earning Structure

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is changing the way cardholders earn points. Here’s how the earning structure is being altered:

• 8x points on Chase Travel℠, which is replacing 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly, which is replacing 3x points on all other travel purchases

All the other point-earning rates are staying the same, which are 3x points on all dining purchases, 5x points on eligible Lyft purchases through 09/30/2027, and 10x points on eligible Peloton hardware and accessory purchases.

$500 Annual Hotel Credits for The Edit by Chase Travel

A new feature that the Chase Sapphire Reserve will be offering is up to $500 in hotel credits for prepaid bookings with The Edit℠ by Chase Travel. The Edit is a luxury hotel booking program only available to Reserve cardholders, allowing cardholders access to elite benefits when booking luxury hotels around the world.

Elite benefits may include complimentary breakfast, late checkout, room upgrades, property credits, etc. It is essentially Chase’s version of American Express’s Fine Hotels + Resorts® program.

The up to $500 credit comes in the form of two $250 semi-annual statement credits:

• Up to $250 in statement credits from January through June
• Up to $250 in statement credits from July through December

There is also a minimum of a two-night stay for the credit to qualify. Notably, purchases that qualify for the credit will not earn points. This means that you need to use the credits first before you can earn any points for the stay.

Some travelers may find this credit difficult to use since you can only book luxury and expensive hotels through The Edit program. Furthermore, the two-night minimum stay requirement can be a bit of a hassle to work with as well. On the other hand, premium travelers who already splurge to stay in luxury accommodations may find this new credit useful.

Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite Status

Another new feature that the Sapphire Reserve offers to cardholders is automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through December 31, 2027. Platinum Elite status is the second-highest tier of the IHG loyalty program. Platinum Elite membership comes with a variety of benefits, including Hertz Five Star® status through the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® Status Match program, a welcome amenity at check-in, early check-in, late check-out, etc.

Frequent travelers who need to book accommodation and like to stay at IHG properties such as Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and Intercontinental may enjoy utilizing the benefits that come with IHG Platinum Elite status.

However, if you’re like me and you prefer staying at other hotel chains such as Hyatt and Marriott, you may not find this perk very useful. Personally, I love staying at Hyatts since Hyatt Globalist status is considered one of the best hotel loyalty statuses out there, and I can achieve great value for my Chase points by transferring them to Hyatt.

If you’re looking for an easier way to get IHG Platinum status, you can also look into the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

$300 Annual Luxury Dining Credit

Another interesting and new perk that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is offering is up to $300 in annual credits for dining at restaurants through the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program.

Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables is an exclusive dining program only available to Reserve cardholders. The program allows cardholders exclusive access to reservations and events at select restaurants nationwide.

This is similar to other programs offered by American Express and Capital One to their top customers. Amex’s Global Dining Access by Resy also unlocks exclusive reservations for cardholders at top restaurants, and Capital One Dining does the same thing.

Again, the $300 credit is also split into two $150 semi-annual credits:

• Up to $150 in statement credits from January through June
• Up to $150 in statement credits from July through December

To make a booking, you’ll need to go to OpenTable, add your card, and then book a reservation.

If you’re interested in learning more about Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables, we dive more into it in this article: <insert link>

Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music

As part of its lineup of new benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is offering up to $250 in annual value of subscriptions for Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Apple TV+ allows you to stream a variety of TV shows and movies available on the platform, as well as live television through select TV channels. Apple Music allows you to stream millions of songs with a variety of features, such as no advertisements, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, DJ AutoMix, etc.

If you’re someone who enjoys watching TV shows or movies and listening to music in your free time, you may find it useful to subscribe to Apple TV+ and Apple Music. They are both well-regarded streaming platforms, and $250 is enough to cover a yearly subscription to Apple TV+ ($99.99) and a yearly subscription to the Apple Music Individual plan ($131.88).

I don’t think I would get too much value out of these two perks. I personally don’t watch too much live television, and I prefer using Netflix since I already get it for free through my mobile phone provider. For music, I prefer using Spotify since I’ve been using it for years, and I’m too lazy to switch everything over and reset my streaming statistics.

$300 Annual StubHub Credit

Chase seeks to provide Reserve cardholders with the best entertainment choices possible and is therefore rolling out a new perk that offers cardholders up to $300 in annual credits for purchases made on StubHub and Viagogo.

StubHub and Viagogo are ticket exchange platforms where users can list their concert or event tickets for resale to other people to purchase. I love going to concerts, and I’ve already used StubHub a fair number of times before Chase announced they were rolling out this perk.

If you’re also an avid concert-goer like me, you’ll likely find value in using this credit as you can buy tickets for a multitude of concerts. If you enjoy going to sporting events instead of concerts, this credit can still provide you with ample value since tickets for a variety of events can be sold on StubHub, including concerts and sporting events.

Unlocking Extra Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with an extra slew of secret benefits that you can unlock after spending $75,000 or more on the card within a calendar year. These benefits include:

• IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status, which is the highest tier within the IHG loyalty program. Perks include, but are not limited to: complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, early check-in, late check-out, etc.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, which includes perks such as priority boarding, one free checked bag, same-day standby access, etc.
• $500 credit for Southwest flights booked via Chase Travel℠
• $250 Shops at Chase credit, which is valid for purchases with select brands such as Baccarat, Bang & Olufsen, Breitling, Tumi, etc.

I don’t fly Southwest enough, nor do I stay in IHG properties frequently enough, to justify spending $75,000 on this card, so I wouldn’t get any value out of this either.

Redeeming Points

Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to redeem the points you earn from the Chase Sapphire Reserve through Chase Travel℠ or by transferring to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. That part is remaining unchanged.

Introducing: Points Boost

What’s changing is this: Chase is introducing a new program for redeeming points through Chase Travel, which is called Chase Points Boost. The Points Boost program allows cardholders to be able to redeem points at a rate of up to 2 cents per point on select hotel and flight bookings, which is replacing the flat 1.5 cents per point rate that the Sapphire Reserve offered.

This can either be beneficial or harmful, depending on the travel itinerary you’re trying to book. A specific itinerary you want to book might not be available at a rate of 1.5 cents or over, which could cause you to lose value with your points.

For points earned prior to October 26, 2025, by Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who applied for the card prior to June 23, 2025, the points will be automatically maximized for either Points Boost or 1.5x on Chase Travel until October 26, 2027.

What’s Staying the Same

There are a few features that are staying the same between the old and new editions of the Chase Sapphire Reserve. These features are:

• Up to $300 in annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Select Membership
• Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges
• Up to $120 credit every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS
• Various DoorDash, Lyft, and Peloton perks

I am very glad the $300 annual travel credit is remaining—if this were gone, it would be incredibly more difficult to get the appropriate value out of this card.

Final Remarks

Is it worth keeping the Chase Sapphire Reserve in your wallet? That will depend on the kind of cardholder you are.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has always catered to frequent travelers, and the 2025 changes only deepen that focus. With the revamped benefits lineup, ranging from luxury hotel and dining credits to exclusive status with IHG and elevated earning potential through Chase Travel℠, the card is leaning even further into the premium travel space.

If you’re someone who consistently books luxury hotels, dines at high-end restaurants, attends concerts or sporting events, and takes advantage of premium streaming services, then you may find it easier to justify the $795 annual fee. Especially if you book through Chase Travel often and can take full advantage of the new 8x earning rate and the Points Boost redemption program, the value is there.

On the other hand, if your travel and dining habits are more casual, or if you primarily prefer other hotel chains or booking platforms, you may struggle to extract enough value from the new benefits to offset the increased cost. And with the jump in the authorized user fee, it’s no longer a great value to add friends or family unless they’re equally invested in making the most of the perks.

Ultimately, the Sapphire Reserve remains a powerful card, but it’s no longer the catch-all travel card it once was. It’s becoming a card built for high spenders and luxury-focused travelers. If that doesn’t align with your lifestyle or spending patterns, it might be time to reevaluate whether it still deserves a place in your wallet.