How I Use the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits—and Why I Still Keep the Card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has become a divisive premium credit card. It used to offer a simple set of benefits that were easy to understand and use, but after its recent refresh, the card now looks much more like other high-fee cards. It comes with a long list of credits that can help offset the annual fee, but many of them require extra effort or specific spending habits.

Whether the card is worthwhile depends on where you live and how you spend money. For me, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is still an easy card to keep. That is especially true now that Chase has reduced the Hyatt transfer ratio on its other credit cards. As a result, the Sapphire Reserve has become much more important for anyone who wants to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

In this post, I will break down the Chase Sapphire Reserve credits I use, explain how I use them, and show how the numbers work out for me.

My Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Valuation

Benefit	Annual Face Value	My Value
$300 Travel Credit	$300	$300
$300 Dining Credit	$300	$300
$300 StubHub Credit	$300	$300
DoorDash Food Credit	$60	$60
DoorDash Grocery Credit	$240	$0
Apple TV+ and Apple Music	$288	Some value
Lyft Credit	$120	$0
The Edit Hotel Credits	$500	$0

Bottom Line: I conservatively receive about $960 in annual value from benefits I would otherwise pay for. Everything else is a bonus.

How I Use Each Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit

1. $300 Travel Credit

The $300 travel credit is the easiest benefit on the card to use. In my view, it’s as good as cash. Once this credit is applied, the effective annual fee drops from $795 to $495.

Unlike many premium-card travel credits, this one applies to almost any purchase that codes as travel. That includes obvious expenses such as airfare, hotels, and train tickets. It can also cover smaller purchases such as parking meters, buses, and local transit.

There is no activation requirement. Chase automatically applies the credit when an eligible travel purchase posts to the account. I’ve never had any trouble using the full amount.

My value: $300.

2. $300 Dining Credit

The dining benefit provides two $150 credits each year. You can use them at restaurants that participate in Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables through OpenTable.

This credit won’t work equally well for everyone. The list of participating restaurants is limited, and most of the options are in larger cities. If you live in a smaller market, you may have few convenient choices—or none at all.

I live in Minneapolis, where I have several qualifying restaurants nearby. Because I can use the benefit without changing my normal spending habits, I value it close to face value.

My value: $300.

3. $300 StubHub Credit

The StubHub benefit provides two $150 credits each year. I regularly attend sporting events and shows, so spending $150 every six months is not difficult for me.

There are two drawbacks to keep in mind when buying tickets on StubHub. First, StubHub prices can be higher than prices on other ticket platforms. This can reduce the value of this benefit if you’re paying more than it should cost for the ticket.

Second, some sellers list tickets on StubHub before they actually have them in hand. If a seller never delivers the tickets, StubHub should issue a refund. However, a refund doesn’t help much when you were trying to attend a specific event and trying to use these credits. To reduce the above risk, I usually only buy tickets marked for instant download. That label means the seller has already uploaded the tickets to StubHub. When you buy an instant download ticket, you’ll instantly receive the ticket, which helps remove some of the uncertainty with StubHub.

I still value this credit close to face value. However, I recognize that the credit sometimes encourages me to buy better seats than I otherwise would.

My value: about $300.

4. $300 DoorDash Credit

The DoorDash benefit is split into two parts: a $5 monthly credit for restaurant orders and two $10 monthly credits for grocery orders.

The $5 restaurant credit is easy for me to use. I place pickup orders through the DoorDash app, which lets me avoid delivery fees. I normally use the credit within the first few days of each month. As a result, I treat the annual $60 restaurant benefit like cash.

The grocery credits are much less useful. Depending on your location, you may be able to use them at stores such as 7-Eleven, gas stations, DashMart, or participating grocery stores. In Minneapolis, I can use them at DashMart and at Kowalski’s Kitchen, the prepared-food section of a nearby grocery store.

The biggest issue is the pickup minimum. Many users must place a $20 order to use a $10 credit on a pickup purchase. In practical terms, that means spending $20 to receive a $10 discount.

My DoorDash account still allows pickup orders without a minimum, so I can use both grocery credits without having to go out of pocket with my own money. Even so, they are inconvenient enough that I assign them no real value. I would not make these purchases without the credits.

My value: $60 for restaurant orders and $0 for grocery orders.

5. Apple TV+ and Apple Music

The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Instead of paying first and receiving a statement credit, you link the card and receive the subscriptions at no cost.

I use Apple Music in my car, and I have watched several shows on Apple TV+. Still, I probably wouldn’t pay for both services if they were not included with the card.

That makes this benefit difficult to value. It is clearly useful, especially for music streaming, but it doesn’t necessarily replace an expense I would definitely have made.

My value: more than $0, but well below the full advertised value.

6. $120 Lyft Credit

The Lyft benefit provides $10 per month after you link your Chase Sapphire Reserve to your Lyft account.

I rarely use rideshare services, so this credit doesn’t fit my normal routine. I occasionally use it when I need a Lyft, but it’s never guaranteed that I’ll use these credits.

A useful way to value any credit is to ask what you would pay for it separately. If someone offered me $120 in Lyft credits, divided into $10 monthly installments, I would not pay anything for them.

My value: $0.

7. $500 The Edit Credit

The Edit benefit is divided into two $250 credits. You can use them at participating hotels booked through the Chase Travel portal.

To trigger each credit, you must book a minimum two-night stay. Eligible reservations also include hotel-style benefits such as early check-in, late checkout, a possible room upgrade, and a $100 property credit. Availability varies by hotel.

The main problem is cost. Many participating hotels are expensive, and a two-night stay often costs far more than $250. In those cases, the credit can reduce the bill, but you’ll still have a very expensive stay that you’ll have to pay out of pocket with either points or cash.

I have used the benefit, including for a recent two-night stay in Copenhagen. Even so, I do not assign it a standard cash value because I would not normally book many of these hotels at their regular rates.

At the moment, Chase is offering an additional $250 credit at select hotels. When a property qualifies for both offers, you may be able to receive $500 back on one stay. That makes the benefit more useful for now, although it is unclear whether the extra credit will continue in future years.

My value: $0, although it can provide a meaningful discount on the right stay.

Doing the Math

When I add up the benefits I value like cash, the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives me the following annual value:

$300 travel credit
$300 dining credit
$300 StubHub credit
$60 in DoorDash restaurant credits

That comes to $960 in clear annual value. I also receive some additional value from Apple Music and Apple TV+, while the DoorDash grocery credits, Lyft credits, and The Edit credits are bonuses when I can use them.

Annual fee: $795

Conservative annual value: $960

Net value before other card benefits: about $165

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Worth Keeping?

For me, the answer is yes. The benefits I use naturally provide more value than the annual fee. I don’t need to count every advertised credit at face value to make the card worthwhile.

That doesn’t mean the card is a good fit for everyone. The dining credit is far more useful if you live near participating restaurants. The StubHub credit works best if you already attend events. Several of the monthly credits also require you to remember to use them before they expire.

The card may be a strong fit if you live in or near a larger city, dine at higher-end restaurants, attend sporting events or shows, and value Hyatt transfers. On the other hand, it may be difficult to justify if you need to change your spending habits just to use the credits.

Ultimately, premium-card credits are only worth what they save you on purchases you would have made anyway. Based on that standard, the Chase Sapphire Reserve remains an easy keeper for me—especially because it preserves the 1:1 transfer ratio from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt.

What is your valuation of these credits? Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve a keeper card for you?

This post may contain affiliate links.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($75) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
US Bank Business ($400/$1200) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $400/$1200 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.