Perks that would justify the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee increase, according to TPG readers
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On the heels of Chase upping its annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card to $550 in exchange for new perks with Lyft and DoorDash, we asked our TPG Lounge members to share their own ideas for added perks that would make the increase worthwhile.
Here’s a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
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Better deals on everyday purchases and travel
Many of our TPG Lounge members said they'd feel better about the annual fee increase if the $300 annual travel credit also went up — hey, that's not a bad idea! — and more points were awarded for additional everyday categories like entertainment, gas, groceries and golf.
"I want Uber credits, an annual flight voucher for Q Suite, unlimited tequila on my airline of choice, tickets to the Olympics every two years and full-scale travel insurance on all trips booked with the credit card. And free pizza." — Nicole S.
"Increasing the annual travel credit to $350 — plus current benefits — would make the annual fee increase easier to swallow." — Andres G.
"Introduce some additional categories, like groceries and gas, that earn 2x points." — Kevin M.
"Considering Lyft is very North America-centric, I find it relatively useless. I'd even settle for reimbursements on inflight expenses like Wi-Fi." — Elana G.
"2x points for every dollar for all purchases on top of the 3x points we already get for dining and travel." — Ashley M.
"If they upped the points value in shopping at grocery stores, I would be ecstatic!" — Molly F.
"A grocery bonus of 3x points — as long as we're dreaming — and, of course, 20x points for golf equipment, trips and for club dues paid on the card." — Bill V.
"Bonus earning on golf would be a dream. I would be earning so much from my husband's spending." — Bao C.N.
Related: The ultimate guide to the best cards for every bonus category
"Counting gas when you're more than a certain number of miles away from home. We do a fair number of road trips, some of them in our motorhome." — Catherine O.
"Lumping gas into their broader category of travel." — Donovan T.
"Adding an entertainment category. 2x points on entertainment and 3x points on dining would round out the card to be a no brainer for almost everyone." — Serenity F.
"If they're tying the increased fee to perks, I'd want something like Delta does where we could choose which perks we get with our annual fee. So for my Chase Sapphire Reserve, I might pick Lyft and airfare, while someone else might pick DoorDash and Priority Pass. I also would extend the trend of 10x points with a specific merchant. Maybe AMC Theaters or Alamo Drafthouse Cinema if Chase has a relationship. If they want to influence my spending to a partner and to their card, giving me outsized rewards will do it, too." — Byron B.
"1. Lyft benefits become permanent. 2. Hotel status — it would be nice to get Hyatt Explorist or IHG Platinum Elite status. 3. 4x points on dining and travel." — Bao C.N.
"What would I like? Additional lounge access, larger annual travel credit, points transfers to American Airlines and more points for travel and dining." — Ashley B.R.
"Anything directly related to travel and/or dining that isn’t company specific. Status, credits, general entertainment — all of those can be used at home or while traveling, especially if they apply to categories rather than companies." — Stephanie C.
Related: The best travel rewards credit cards
Better rideshare and food delivery options
Regarding rideshare options and food delivery services, several TPG Lounge members seemed happy about the new Lyft perks — as long as they're permanent benefits. Others mentioned how they'd rather receive more points for dining than DoorDash credit.
"The Lyft Benefit pays for itself after a handful of trips to the airport. They need to make Lyft Pink a permanent benefit though. You can't justify a huge fee hike for only temporary benefits." — Kevin B.
"I have switched to Lyft entirely so the extra 10x points will net me more than the $100 increase." — Timothy O.
"Just do $100/0.25. Spend $400 on Lyft and break even with the increase. I spent $200 on a weekend trip to Chicago so its not a bad deal. This is evaluating Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.5 cents per point minimum." — Utsav R.M.
"Regardless of Lyft Pink membership, 10x points on Lyft purchases will add up extremely quickly. I feel this is an added perk that is underrated and not talked about as much. Everyone is focused on DoorDash." — Joey B.
Related: Earn up to 14 points per dollar and cash-back rewards with this ultimate Lyft deal stack
"If they made the annual travel credit even $350 or increased travel and/or dining to 4x points, I would have been much happier than with the DoorDash credit. I've already mostly used it, but they have significantly fewer restaurants available than Seamless and Grubhub, even here in New York City. I can't imagine how barren it is for non-city dwellers." — Steve I.
"I don't use food delivery services, so the new DoorDash dining credit is of no use to me. Increasing the travel and dining categories to 5x and/or increasing the annual travel credit would be my preferences." — Larry H.
Related: Which purchases count as dining with the Chase Sapphire cards?
More perks with airlines and airport lounges
Others wrote in saying they'd prefer to have special access to flight upgrades or lounges beyond what's already available through Priority Pass, mentioning that United Club passes would be an acceptable added benefit to offset the cost of the new annual fee.
"Make the Chase Sapphire Reserve upgrade a priority over fare class. CSR cardholders at each medallion level would get preference for upgrades at that level." — Bill B.
"5x points on flights and hotels and 4x points on restaurants. 3x points on rental cars and gas. CLEAR membership. United Club membership." — David O.
"Ideally, I’d like to see Chase lounges or a partnership with airline lounges. United would be a natural choice for this." — Cameron L.
"I would love it if they reinstated the unlimited Priority Pass guest policy. I frequently travel in a business group of four and have been paying out of pocket for the third guest. $30 per visit adds up and I would gladly pay $550 per year to be able to take that additional person in for free." — Jeremy C.
"Since they're partnered up with United already, complimentary elite status and/or United Club passes." — Donovan T.