[Elisa‏]

Would Chase Sapphire Reserve still be the best card with this fee increase, or is it time to look for a new card?

With the recent annual fee hike on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I’m starting to reconsider whether it’s still the best premium credit card option out there.

I’ve had the card for a while and really appreciated the travel perks, the Priority Pass, and the points value through Ultimate Rewards.

But with the higher fee, I’m wondering if the benefits still outweigh the cost—or if it’s time to look into other premium cards like the Amex Platinum or Capital One Venture X.

I’d love to hear from others who currently have the Sapphire Reserve or recently made a switch. Has the fee increase changed your view on the card’s value?

Are you planning to keep it, downgrade it, or cancel altogether? Or do you feel the perks still justify the cost?

Any insights or card comparisons would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[Megan]

I would argue the CSR wasn’t worth it even before the increase. I’m perfectly happy with a sapphire preferred or an ink preferred disservice the $95 transfer conduit for Ultima Rewards.

I do the bulk of my ultimate rewards earning with no fee inks and the quarterly freedoms.

[Nilam]

Only you can decide if the new card benefits will actually benefit YOU and outweigh the annual fee.

Also keep into consideration the potential headaches trying to remember to use all of the credits available.

[Ashté]

I have the CSR, but it’s turning into a glorified coupon book.
You can get the outsized value to offset the higher annual fee if you commit to all of the merchants on the coupon book list.

Apple TV? Never.

Peloton? Disinterested.
Lyft when Uber is cheaper 90% of the time? I guess.

StubHub when Vivid Seats has lower surcharges and better rewards? Unlikely.

It looks like you would have to be very deliberate in order to capture all of the value from the new CSR.

[Rick]

This is a common thing every 4-5 years. The big flagship cards get benefit rollbacks, benefit “expansions” but at higher annual fee, benefit changes.

Card collectors cry foul. Get mad.
Equivalent cards follow suit.
Everyone is mad.

Card spend on flagship cards wane. New leadership is hired or promoted into these brands.

Big huge rollout of new best ever rewards flagship cards re design happens. Equivalent cards follow suit.

It’s hay day for points again. For a few years.

[Rash]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card WAS NEVER the best card. There is no best card. The best card depends on you and your lifestyle. For some people it’s a hotel card.

For other people it’s AmEx Platinum or various business card.

It never has been nor will be the best.

The best card depends on the user and their lifestyle.

[Eva]

We’ll be switching things up given the update as the new benefits don’t match our values in spending. That’s okay.

Not really fretting.

Their loss, not ours. And seems like there’s a decent runway for decision making.

[Rachel]

My husband and I were just discussing whether we wanted to keep this card, with an AF increase, I think they answered the question for us

[Jen]

I dropped it already. Wasn’t worth it if not extensively traveling, which dropped for me after getting married & changing jobs.

just happy with cash back at this point!

[Amanda]

I will be giving up mine. I have had it since 2016, but I will not use any of the new benefits other than the Priority Pass Select so it has to go!

Anybody know of another card that will get the card owner and one guest into the lounges for free?

[Sitara]

They now have a business line for the Sapphire as well both are at $700+ with perks that you wont otherwise use gone the AE way couponing everything in the hope that most of the lay man wont go for it …

Hard pass unless it’s for a juicy sub

[Scott]

I’ve had this card since 2016.
It was an easy travel card.
$450 annual fee and $300 travel credit which was easy to use.

I don’t mind the increase in fee, and the benefits, if they can be used
The dinning credit and Edit credits are for restaurants I use, so I’ll keep the card, and pay the $795, the first year.

Waiting for Amex to up our personal platinum AF!

[Chris]

Here’s a clear breakdown of the key points from the CNN story (and other reporting too) about the Chase Sapphire Reserve updates:

• Annual fee jumps from $550 to $795 — effective June 23, 2025 — marking a 45–77 % increase depending on the baseline referenced.

• New “Points Boost” redemption feature: allows redemptions at 2¢/point on select premium flights and hotels, replacing the flat 1.5¢/point available previously.

• Earning rates enhanced:
• 8× points on travel booked through Chase Travel (up from 5×)
• 4× on direct airline or hotel bookings (up from 3×)
• 3× on dining (unchanged)

• 10× on Peloton purchases (up to 50,000 additional points).
• Expanded credits valued at nearly $1,500 per year, including:
• $500 hotel credit via The Edit travel portal
• $300 dining credit at “Exclusive Tables” partners
• $300 entertainment ticket credit at StubHub/viagogo
• $250 credit for Apple Music/TV+
• $120 Peloton membership credit.

• Retained credits like the existing $300 annual travel credit, Lyft and DoorDash perks, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee credit, travel insurance, and lounge access.

• New elite hotel status: complimentary IHG Platinum (with unlockable Diamond if you spend $75 K/year). Business travelers also get a new “Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business” version launching June 23.

• Devaluation caveat: redemptions outside Points Boost drop to 1¢/point, and some bonus categories (like Chase Travel hotels/rental cars) lose ground — so the value depends heavily on usage patterns.

• Positioned as luxury carry: This places covert pressure on cardholders to “maximize” benefits to cover the $795 cost; comparisons now match or exceed the AmEx Platinum ($695), and analysts say we could be heading toward $1,000 premium cards.

Bottom line: Chase redesigned the Reserve into a more credit-intensive, premium card—if you can stack hotel, dining, entertainment, streaming and Peloton credits, plus boost your travel redemptions, you’ll likely clear the fee.

If not, you might be better off skipping it.

[Author]

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