Keep the Sapphire Reserve, or move to the Preferred?
The Preferred costs $700 less. You give up $800 of Reserve credits and gain a $100 hotel credit, so it comes down to whether you really use the Reserve’s.
Open the interactive map →
The quick pick
Choose the Sapphire Reserve if…
- You use both Edit credits and the $300 travel credit: together they cover the $700 difference in fees.
- You use the Reserve’s other credits and travel protections, which the Preferred does not have.
- You take two Edit stays a year without planning trips around them.
Choose the Sapphire Preferred if…
- You skipped an Edit stay last year: each unused $250 is fee you paid for nothing.
- You want to keep earning Chase points for $95 a year instead of $795.
- A $100 credit on any Chase Travel hotel fits your trips better than $500 at luxury ones.
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The arithmetic
| Sapphire Reserve | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $795 | $95 |
| Edit hotel credit | $500 | — |
| Travel credit | $300 | — |
| Chase Travel hotel credit | — | $100 |
| Fee less these credits, if all are used | −$5 | −$5 |
If you use all of them, the two cards come out level on these credits. The $300 travel credit is the easy one: it applies itself to any travel purchase. So the real question is the Edit credit. If you would not take two qualifying Edit stays a year, every $250 you leave unused is $250 you are paying for the Reserve and not getting back.
How likely you are to use the Edit credit
- 26 of 1,439 priced Edit stays come in under the credit, so it pays for the whole two nights. The other 1,413 leave something on your card.
- The median stay still costs $992 for two nights after the credit, and 1,122 of them (78%) leave more than $500.
- 38 of the 50 countries and 52 of the 58 cities we list on their own page have no stay the credit covers in full. The cheapest two nights after the credit in Tokyo $739, Paris $755.
The Reserve also carries other credits (dining, entertainment and more) and stronger travel protections. They are left out of the table because each is worth what you would have spent anyway, which only you know. Count the ones you use before deciding.
How to move
Chase’s own pages do not describe moving a Reserve to a Preferred. Card blogs report it is usually done by calling Chase, and that it keeps your account history and your points. Ask Chase how the move would affect any credits you have already used this year before you agree to it.
See the Sapphire Preferred on Chase’s site
Side by side
| Card | Annual fee | Hotel credit | Where it can be spent | Minimum stay | How it pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire ReserveBest for two prepaid luxury stays a year where The Edit has a hotel, plus a travel credit that applies itself | $795 | $500 a year, as up to $250 on each of two prepaid stays | The Edit by Chase Travel | 2 nights | statement credit |
| Sapphire PreferredBest for keeping Chase points for $95 a year when you do not use the Reserve’s credits | $95 | $100 a year on a hotel booked through Chase Travel | Chase Travel (any hotel, not only The Edit) | not stated by the issuer | statement credit |
Common questions
Should I downgrade from the Sapphire Reserve to the Sapphire Preferred?
If you do not use the $500 Edit credit, often yes. The Preferred costs $700 less, keeps you in Chase's points program and has a $100 hotel credit. If you use both the Edit credit and the $300 travel credit, the two cards come out level on those credits and the Reserve's other benefits decide it.
What do you lose moving from the Sapphire Reserve to the Preferred?
The $500 Edit credit, the $300 travel credit, the 2026 Select Hotels credit and the Reserve's other credits and protections. You keep your Chase points and gain the Preferred's $100 Chase Travel hotel credit.
Can you downgrade a Sapphire Reserve to a Preferred?
Chase's own pages do not describe it, but card blogs report it is usually done by phone. Ask Chase directly.
See the 26 Edit stays the credit covers in full
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