Who should get the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) challenges titans in the field like the Capital One Venture X Business and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
The card has a $795 annual fee, but don't let this deter you from considering its impressive earning rates and curated statement credits, which help offset the fee.
The Sapphire Reserve for Business truly makes a mark and differentiates itself from its competitors with an impressive collection of business, travel and lifestyle benefits. Before you apply for the card, it's good to understand if and how this card will fit into your business's needs.
Let's discuss whether the Sapphire Reserve for Business is right for you and how you can maximize its benefits.
Your business spends a lot on travel
The Sapphire Reserve for Business is a travel-focused business credit card, as evidenced by its top three earning rates:
- 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 5 points per dollar spent on eligible Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly with an airline or hotel
Competitors like the Amex Business Platinum offer 5 points per dollar spent, but only on flights and prepaid hotels purchased through American Express Travel®.
This is where the Sapphire Reserve for Business shines, as it earns a whopping 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel purchases — better than Amex's travel portal earnings.
Additionally, there are several benefits to booking flights and hotels directly, and the Sapphire Reserve for Business fills the gap by offering 4 points per dollar spent, a bonus-earning category that premium business cards lack.
The Sapphire Reserve for Business provides an easy way to rack up Chase Ultimate Rewards points through travel purchases.
Chase's addition of a new points redemption accelerator called Points Boost is also rewarding to businesses that frequently travel.
With Points Boost, cardholders can redeem up to 2 points per dollar with select airlines and top-booked hotels through Chase Travel, much better than what Chase offers on other cards that provide up to 1.75 points per dollar on Chase Travel bookings.
For business owners who travel often, the complimentary access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club and Priority Pass lounges for the primary cardholder is quite useful. Best of all, cardholders can also bring up to two guests per visit.
If these earning rates and travel benefits align with your business's existing expenses and suit your business travel needs, this is the card for you; otherwise, it's hard to justify applying for it, and perhaps one of Chase's Ink Business credit cards is better suited to your specific business needs.
Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access
The statement credits suit your business needs
The Sapphire Reserve for Business features statement credits that are divided into two categories: travel and business services.
Maximizing all of the card's statement credits is the best way to offset the $795 annual fee. If you cannot get value out of these credits, the card may not be best suited for your business.
Travel credits
One way to recoup a nice chunk of the annual fee is to take advantage of the card's flexible $300 travel credit, which works exactly like the one found on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees). Any purchase that codes as travel will be eligible to receive the credit.
Whether you're booking accommodations for yourself or employees, Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders can also put money back in their pockets with an annual $500 The Edit by Chase Travel credit.
This credit is split up as two up to $250 statement credits that can be used at any time throughout the year; however, you must book a two-night minimum prepaid stay to use them.
Another perk found among premium business cards offered by the Sapphire Reserve for Business is the up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit every four years.
If maximized to the fullest extent, cardholders net $920 in travel savings with these three credits alone, without the need to jump through hoops or restrictions like with other premium business credit cards.
Related: Who should (and shouldn't) get the Amex Business Platinum?
Business services credits
This is where prospective cardholders can really determine if the Sapphire Reserve for Business is right for them. The card offers up to $700 in statement credits for usual business services; however, not all businesses may find them useful.
These benefits include:
- Up to $400 ZipRecruiter credit: Statement credit for purchases made directly with ZipRecruiter and split into biannual credits of $200 from January to June and $200 from July to August.
- Up to $200 Google Workspace credit: Statement credit for purchases made directly with Google Workspace for AI tools for business.
- Up to $100 Giftcards.com credit: Earn up to $100 in statement credits (up to $50 January through June and another $50 July through December) on gift card purchases made through giftcards.com/reservebusiness
These credits are on top of another set of annual credits totaling $540:
- $420 toward DoorDash (up to $25 each month in promos and a DashPass membership worth $120) when activated by Dec. 31, 2027.
- $120 toward Lyft (up to $10/month) through Sept. 30, 2027.
For business owners, it's refreshing that there are no minimum spend requirements to access the statement credits.
However, small businesses or freelancers may have a tough time maximizing the ZipRecruiter or Google Workspace credits, which means that's $600 in value they're not receiving. In this situation, the Sapphire Reserve for Business may be a tough sell for such certain business owners.
Your business has high annual spend
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business offers several perks for enterprises with high annual expenditures. Cardholders who spend at least $120,000 in a calendar year unlock the following perks (through the end of the calendar year they qualify and the following calendar year):
- Southwest Airlines A-List Status and a $500 Southwest Airlines credit when booking through Chase Travel.
- IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status (an upgrade from the complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status that is good through Dec. 31, 2027).
- A $500 The Shops at Chase credit.
The Shops at Chase includes brands like Tumi, Baccarat, Ray-Ban, Dyson, Samsonite and more. Depending on how you value these additional perks, the Sapphire Reserve for Business may or may not be worthwhile for you.
Personally, these perks don't make it or break it for me, but some business owners may find the Southwest benefits useful, especially considering the massive changes the airline recently initiated.
Related: Southwest looking for new loyalty opportunities and a return to international flying
Bottom line
If your business expenses revolve around travel, the Sapphire Reserve for Business is the perfect fit. The high annual fee is easily recouped by simply taking advantage of the card's $300 annual travel credit and $500 The Edit Chase Travel benefit. To gain value above and beyond the card's annual fee, be sure to maximize its other business-related credits.
If this poses a challenge to our business, there are several other great business cards on the market.
Regardless, the card's spectacular earning rates on travel and redemption options make it a top choice for businesses. Analyze your business expenses and see if the card's benefits fit your needs; otherwise, you may be better off with a business card that has a lower annual fee and offers different statement credits and perks.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.