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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
The best Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits for active-duty military
Richard Kerr is a veteran naval officer and founder of the Award Travel 101 Facebook community. He’s one of the foremost experts in points and miles strategy, featured in Forbes, US News, Money Magazine, Kiplinger Personal Finance and presented at #SXSW 2017. Richard has visited over 45 countries, lived in England and Japan, and spends his spare time dissecting loyalty program award charts to maximize the value of points and miles. Richard holds a BBA in International Business and has his wife and two small children in tow for his travels as often as possible.
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
also contributed to this story
June 21, 2024 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Active-duty military personnel and eligible dependents can access a premium travel rewards card with all account fees waived, except for late and insufficient-funds fees, when enrolled through the appropriate military database.
The card provides a flexible travel credit each membership year, covering a wide range of travel-related purchases, along with airport lounge access for the cardholder and unlimited guests.
Points earned can be redeemed for travel at a fixed value through the issuer's portal or transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners for potentially higher value.
Additional perks include reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees and benefits such as trip delay insurance and car rental coverage.
What to consider
Fee waivers apply only to accounts opened after a specific policy date and require enrollment in the military eligibility system for dependents.
The offer may no longer be available.
Travel credits and lounge access are subject to the issuer's definitions and program terms.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed guidance on maximizing travel rewards and understanding eligibility nuances for military members and their families.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The strains of active-duty military service are unmatched in difficulty and intensity. In this line of work, it's important to arm yourself not only with the required military equipment but also with tools that can make your everyday life easier. One of the biggest stressors I encountered for myself and my family during active duty was constant travel.
With this in mind, let's talk about a travel tool I wish had existed in its current form during my service to make that part of my life a little bit easier. I'm talking about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and how it took the credit card market by storm in 2016 and continues to remain firmly entrenched as one of the most rewarding credit cards on the market.
Let's look at the card benefits that are most valuable to service members so you can decide if it deserves a spot in your wallet.
No annual fee
On Sept. 20, 2017, Chase instituted a significant policy change to comply with the Military Lending Act (MLA). Because of the 36% MAPR (military annual percentage rate) cap, including fees, for a credit card account, Chase erred on the side of caution and waived the Sapphire Reserve's annual fee of $550 for military personnel for any accounts opened on or after Sept. 20, 2017.
Under the same policy, Chase waived all account fees — except for late fees and insufficient-funds fees. This includes the $75 authorized-user fees. These benefits are also being applied to the accounts of military dependents who are primary cardholders, but they must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
The fee waivers are reportedly being automatically added to new accounts as Chase compares Social Security numbers to DOD databases. A letter explaining the MLA benefits usually goes out to a military cardholder or dependent shortly after the card itself. If it doesn't, you can always send a secure message to Chase through Chase.com or call the Chase military desk at 1-877-469-0110 and request the benefits. Receiving the card, the sign-up bonus, and all the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits (including the annual $300 travel credit) without having to pay the annual fee is an incredible deal for military members.
Redeem points for 1.5 cents each or more
Chase Ultimate Rewards are points earned by the Sapphire Reserve that can be transferred to 11 airline and three hotel partners. This unlocks the door to getting outsized value from your points by splurging on a Park Hyatt hotel stay or international business- or first-class flight. Of course, while on active duty, you may not have the luxury of time or advance planning to make use of all of these ways to maximize your points. But those options exist when you are ready.
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Visit Chase Travel℠, where you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Sapphire Reserve — or combined from other Ultimate Rewards cards to your Sapphire Reserve — at 1.5 cents each toward any travel booked via that site.
A flight, hotel, rental car, cruise or local experience can be booked with your points at this fixed 1.5-cent rate.
So, for example, if a plane ticket is $200, it will cost you 13,333 points when booked via Chase if you have the Sapphire Reserve. This is a fantastic value compared to most other rewards programs. On top of the benefit of ease-of-use and flexibility, flights booked through the portal are treated like paid tickets in the eyes of the airlines (most of the time), and you'll actually earn redeemable and elite-qualifying airline miles on the tickets booked via this manner.
Priority Pass airport lounge membership
The U.S. military travels the world, meaning you may want airport lounge access in far-flung commercial airports. Priority Pass Lounge membership gives you access to more than 1,300 lounges. And as a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you can bring unlimited guests with you for each lounge visit.
JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY
I wouldn't recommend bringing your entire ship's crew to the lounge, but your entire family should be no problem. During my nine years of military travel, I was consistently pleased to find a Priority Pass lounge in almost every airport the Navy required me to visit in Asia and the Middle East.
“Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, campgrounds, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.”
If you stay in service for more than a few years, you're going to travel internationally and there's a good chance it will be via commercial air much of the time. So skip the immigration return line by taking advantage of the up to $120 Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits that come with your Sapphire Reserve.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
You'll be reimbursed once every four years for the fee, and if you already have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you can use this fee waiver to get a friend or family member registered for free. Anyone can use the credit, not just the cardholder.
When should you sign up?
If I were still on active duty and looking for a credit card, this is the number one card I'd get.
With no annual fee, valuable rewards and all of the travel benefits, it should occupy the first slot in your wallet. It's also great to start with a Chase card in order to maximize your 5/24 policy standing before moving to other card issuers.
MIXETTO/GETTY IMAGES
Anyone, military or not, should make sure your credit is in good standing before applying and be certain your family has clear and consistent personal finance goals and organization, especially before a deployment or extended travel period.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
