The Chase Sapphire Reserve just bumped its welcome bonus to 150,000 points after $6,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The card had been sitting at 125,000 points for months, and this is the first increase we've seen in over six months. If you've been on the fence about the Reserve, this is worth a closer look.
What Is the 150,000 Point Bonus Actually Worth?
At a minimum, 150,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth $1,500 in travel through the Chase Travel Portal, but with Points Boost, you can get upwards of $3,000 in value.
If you transfer your points to Chase's airline and hotel partners, you can stretch the value much further. We're talking $3,000+ in travel from a single signup bonus, depending on how you use them.
The flexibility of Ultimate Rewards is what makes this bonus so strong. You can transfer to airlines like United, Southwest, and Air Canada Aeroplan, or to hotel programs like Hyatt, which is one of the best-value transfer partners out there.
Who Is Eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Bonus?
If you currently have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, or have had it in the past, you're still eligible for the Reserve bonus. Chase recently made the eligibility rules more lenient, and you can now hold both cards at the same time and earn the bonus on each.
Previously, Chase had a stricter "one Sapphire" rule that blocked a lot of people from getting the Reserve if they already had the Preferred. That's loosened up significantly.
A few things to keep in mind:
- You can hold the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve at the same time.
- You can earn the signup bonus on both cards.
- If you already have the Preferred and want the Reserve, you do not need to cancel or product change your Preferred first.
- You'll get a pop-up on the application screen if you're not eligible for the welcome bonus. This has no effect on your credit score.
- Standard Chase 5/24 rules still apply. You can't have opened more than 5 personal credit cards across all issuers in the last 24 months.
Chase Keeps Stacking Benefits on the Reserve
Chase knows they fell behind the Amex Platinum when they relaunched the Reserve. And it shows. They've been adding new benefits consistently over the last several months.
This year alone, they added:
- WHOOP band credit for fitness tracking (expires May 14th)
- $250 hotel credit for select Chase hotels booked through the travel portal in 2026
- World of Hyatt Explorist status after $75,000 spend in a year
On top of what was already there: Priority Pass lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, $300 annual travel credit, $500 the Edit hotel stay credit, Lyft Credits, DoorDash credits, Peloton credits, and more.
When a credit card issuer feels like they're behind the competition, they keep adding perks to win you over. That's exactly what Chase is doing right now. I think more benefits are coming.
Can You Offset the $795 Annual Fee?
The Reserve's annual fee is $795. That's not small. But the credits do a lot of the heavy lifting:
The $300 travel credit and the $500 hotel credit alone knock out the entire annual fee before you even think about the other benefits. If you travel even a couple of times a year, you can chip away at the rest pretty quickly.
Key Takeaway: The $795 annual fee looks steep on paper, but between the $300 travel credit, $500 hotel credit, and lounge access, most travelers can offset a significant chunk of it. The question isn't really "is the fee worth it?" It's "will I actually use the benefits?"
How I Used the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Japan
The Reserve is how I booked the Edition hotel in Tokyo using the Chase Travel Portal with Points Boost. Instead of paying 349,000 points for the stay, I redeemed 101,250 points instead.
The Chase Travel Portal with Points Boost is totally underrated.
Is Now the Best Time to Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
I think so.
The bonus is at 150,000 points. That's the highest we've seen in over six months. Card bonuses go up and down, and waiting usually means missing out.
Chase is actively improving the card. New benefits keep rolling in, and I don't think they're done. When an issuer is playing catch-up, the consumer wins.
Eligibility rules are more flexible than ever. You don't need to choose between the Preferred and the Reserve anymore. You can have both and earn both bonuses.
There haven't been many strong card offers recently. This one stands out.
Bottom Line
The Chase Sapphire Reserve's 150,000 point bonus is one of the strongest card offers out right now. The bonus alone is worth $1,500 to $3,000+, depending on how you redeem, and Chase keeps making the card more competitive with new benefits.
