Because of its plethora of premium journey perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) is well-known within the journey bank card house. The Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) is the Sapphire Reserve’s mid-tier sibling. The 2 playing cards include annual charges of $795 and $95, respectively.
Regardless of which Sapphire card you’ve got, Chase clearly defines what counts as journey. Nonetheless, Chase lately refreshed the Sapphire Reserve, altering the way it rewards spending on journey. (The Sapphire Most popular has not undergone any adjustments.)
So, we have up to date this information to make clear which purchases rely (and do not rely) towards incomes bonus factors on each playing cards.
What number of factors does the Chase Sapphire Reserve earn on journey?
Present cardholders
In case you utilized in your Sapphire Reserve earlier than June 23, you may earn on the following charges till Oct. 25:
- 10 factors per greenback spent on lodges and automobile leases booked via Chase Journey℠
- 5 factors per greenback on Lyft rides (via Sept. 30, 2027) and flights booked via Chase Journey
- 3 factors per greenback on all different journey purchases
From Oct. 26, your incomes construction will change to the one beneath.
New cardholders
Those that utilized for his or her card from June 23 — in addition to current cardholders from Oct. 26 — get pleasure from the next incomes charges:
- 8 factors per greenback on purchases made via Chase Journey
- 5 factors per greenback on Lyft rides (via Sept. 30, 2027)
- 4 factors per greenback on flights and lodges booked immediately
- 1 level per greenback on all different journey purchases
What number of factors does the Chase Sapphire Most popular earn on journey?
The Chase Sapphire Most popular Card earns:
Each day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
- 5 factors per greenback on all journey booked via Chase Journey
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft rides (via Sept. 30, 2027)
- 2 factors per greenback on all different journey purchases
‘Journey,’ in response to Chase
The Chase Journey portal lets you e-book numerous varieties of journey. This is how Chase defines “all different journey purchases:”
“Retailers on this class embody airways, lodges, motels, timeshares, automobile rental businesses, cruise traces, journey businesses, low cost journey websites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking heaps and garages.”
In comparison with bonus classes from different bank cards, Chase’s journey class is extraordinarily beneficiant. (Do not forget that flights and lodges booked immediately with the Sapphire Reserve earn at elevated charges.)
Whereas playing cards such because the American Specific® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Specific provide bonus factors for airfare purchases made immediately with the airline (with a spending cap of $500,000 on the Amex Platinum per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback), the Sapphire Most popular and Sapphire Reserve playing cards allow you to earn a bonus on just about each trip-related cost.
The journey class encompasses all kinds of purchases, from cruises to tolls and taxis to parking charges. Airbnb and Uber purchases additionally rely as journey.
The next purchases don’t apply towards the Sapphire Most popular’s basic journey bonus class, however most should not come as a shock:
“Some retailers that present transportation and travel-related providers usually are not included on this class; for instance, actual property brokers, academic retailers arranging journey, in-flight items and providers, on-board cruise line items and providers, sightseeing actions, excursions, vacationer points of interest, RV and boat leases, retailers inside lodges and airports, public campgrounds and retailers that hire autos for the aim of hauling. Purchases from present card retailers or retailers that promote factors or miles is not going to qualify within the journey class.”
Primarily based on TPG staffers’ experiences within the latest previous, there are a couple of notable travel-related expenses that haven’t posted as journey for the needs of bonus factors with Chase. These embody an RV rental and a few trip leases through VRBO and related providers.
Whether or not a trip house rental routinely codes as journey depends upon whether or not a person or a conglomerate operates it. Within the latter case, that cost could also be coded as “skilled providers” as an alternative of journey.
In case you’re ever uncertain whether or not a given buy counts as journey, it might be price making a small cost and checking whether or not it earns any bonus factors in your on-line Chase account.
In case you consider a journey buy ought to have earned bonus factors however did not, you are not out of choices. Begin by checking how the transaction was categorized in your Chase on-line account; this will usually make clear whether or not the service provider was coded accurately as a journey supplier. If it wasn’t, otherwise you’re nonetheless uncertain, you may contact Chase via a safe message or by telephone to request a handbook evaluation of the cost.
Whereas Chase could not all the time modify your factors retroactively, reaching out can present perception into how sure distributors code and enable you to make extra knowledgeable choices for future purchases. It is a easy step that might yield further rewards — or on the very least, peace of thoughts.
What does Chase sometimes rely as journey purchases?
- Airways (basic journey on the Sapphire Most popular; elevated class on the Sapphire Reserve)
- Buses
- Campgrounds
- Automotive rental businesses (excluding RV and boat leases)
- Cruise traces
- Low cost journey websites
- Ferries
- Resorts (basic journey on the Sapphire Most popular; elevated class on the Sapphire Reserve)
- Limousines
- Motels (usually categorized as lodges)
- Parking heaps and garages
- Passenger trains
- Taxis
- Timeshares
- Toll bridges and highways
- Journey businesses
What does Chase sometimes not rely as journey purchases?
- Instructional retailers arranging journey
- Excursions
- Present card retailers
- Inflight items and providers
- Retailers that promote factors or miles
- Retailers that hire autos for the aim of hauling
- Retailers inside lodges and airports
- Onboard cruise line items and providers
- Public campgrounds
- Actual property brokers
- RV and boat leases
- Sightseeing actions
- Vacationer points of interest
Backside line
The Sapphire Most popular affords sturdy worth on basic journey, whereas the Sapphire Reserve offers much more rewards in elevated classes.
In accordance with TPG’s July 2025 valuations, that interprets to a 4.1% return on basic journey purchases with the Sapphire Most popular. With flight or lodge purchases made immediately with the Sapphire Reserve, you possibly can get a return of 8.2%. Then, you may put your factors to make use of with Chase’s airline and lodge companions.
On high of that, these Chase playing cards have a few of the most beneficiant journey insurance coverage and buy protections available on the market. This makes both card a precious addition to your pockets.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular Card
