How To Upgrade the Chase Sapphire Preferred to the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Among the most popular credit cards in the U.S. are the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. If you’ve already opened the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and think that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card might be a better fit, you can upgrade your card by calling the number on the back of it, assuming you’ve held the card for at least 1 year.

However, think carefully before upgrading, because it forfeits your eligibility to earn the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s welcome offer bonus (if you haven’t already earned it). This article outlines each card’s benefits, helps you decide whether to upgrade your card (or apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card outright), and explains how to upgrade your card with ease.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card have similar names but differ significantly in terms of perks and fees. Here are some of the key benefits associated with each card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Benefits

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.24% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers its cardholders a variety of ways to earn bonus rewards and redeem them for maximum value for a low $95 annual fee. You earn 5x points on Lyft purchases (through September 20, 2027), certain Peloton purchases over $150 (through December 31, 2027), and travel booked through Chase Travel. You also get 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and some streaming services. And you also earn 2x points on travel purchases and 1x points on everything else.

Additional perks include a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit, travel insurance, including primary car rental coverage, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription (activate by December 31, 2027), among others.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Benefits

LAST CHANCE

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 125,000 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer ends at 9 AM EST on 6/15/2026.

125,000 150,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$3,000

Annual Fee

$795

APR

19.49% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like worldwide airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus, it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to cover you at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8x points on all Chase Travel purchases
• 5x points on Lyft rides
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly

Cons

• $795 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge^® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^® every 4 years
• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
• Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The ultrapremium Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers excellent value thanks to its many travel and lifestyle benefits, which can outweigh its considerable $795 annual fee. You can earn 8x points on Chase Travel purchases, 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly, 3x points on dining, and 1x points on everything else. (You can also earn 10x points on some Peloton purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027 and 5x points on Lyft purchases, plus a $10 monthly, in-app credit through September 30, 2027.)

The card also offers a Priority Pass Select membership for airport lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, access to Points Boost with Chase Travel to get up to 2 cents per point value on redemptions, complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status, complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions through June 22, 2027, and numerous statement credits for dining, hotel stays, and other retailers.

Benefits Comparison

Below, we compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:

One of the biggest selling points of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is its high-value rewards structure from a card with an annual fee under $100.

Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a series of valuable benefits. If you are able to take advantage of all of the credits that come with the Sapphire Reserve, you get well over $2,000 in value.

How To Upgrade Your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Step-by-Step Guide

Take these steps if you’re ready to upgrade your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

• Step 1: Confirm your Chase Sapphire Preferred account has been open for at least 1 year, as per the Credit CARD Act of 2009 (Source: Federal Trade Commission).
• Step 2: Check whether or not you’ve previously earned a welcome offer bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve — upgrading forfeits your eligibility if not.
• Step 3: Call the number on the back of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and request an upgrade.
• Step 4: Note that upgrading doesn’t count as a new account and therefore won’t affect your Chase 5/24 status.

Who Should Upgrade Their Card?

With all that said, the question is: Is the upgrade worth it? Here are a few situations in which it might make sense to upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

You Spend a Lot on Travel

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card generally offers better rewards on travel. To reiterate, you earn 8x on all purchases through Chase Travel and 4x Ultimate Rewards points on flights and hotels booked directly, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 5x on Chase Travel purchases and 2x Ultimate Rewards points on other travel.

If you’re the type of person who tends to book hotels, tour packages, or flights directly with the provider, or if you just tend to stray away from booking directly with Chase Travel, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is worth it.

You Don’t Spend Much on Dining

One of the biggest value points of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is its ability to earn 3x points on dining.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also offers 3x points on dining, but it doesn’t offer the 10% anniversary rewards bonus that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does (though this benefit is ending on October 1, 2026). It also comes with a much higher annual fee.

So if you spend a lot of money on dining every month, it’s worth keeping your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

You Don’t Spend Much on Online Groceries

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns 3x points on online groceries, excluding Target, Walmart, and warehouse clubs.

One of the best uses of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is on Instacart purchases. Remember that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card only earns bonus points on online groceries, so if you don’t spend much on online groceries every year, the value of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is weaker.

You Want Better Travel Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers significantly upgraded travel benefits over the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Even though the Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a higher annual fee, the increased benefits can outweigh the cost

For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you get a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which gives access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world for you and up to 2 guests. This benefit alone is worth at least $469 every year.

Plus, you get an annual travel credit of up to $300 from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which is one of the easiest benefits to use.

That’s not even considering the ability to get more perks at hotels through The Edit by Chase Travel (including a $500 annual credit), better travel insurance protections, and the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit every 4 years.

You Want a Better Value on Chase Travel Portal Bookings

If you are constantly redeeming points through the Chase Travel portal, you’d come out ahead in the long run by holding the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Thanks to Chase’s Points Boost, cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card (and the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠) can receive up to 2 cents per point (sometimes you get up to 2.5 cents per point in value during special promotions).

Final Thoughts

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card are two of the best flexible rewards cards on the market, but you still have to decide whether to upgrade or apply outright for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card in order to preserve your welcome offer eligibility. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers better travel benefits and redemption value, while the Preferred is the best card for dining, online groceries, and a minimal annual fee. Just remember that you have to hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for 1 year before upgrading, and you can upgrade via phone.