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.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.