Editor’s note: I earn commissions from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect editors’ opinions or ratings.
The $300 Travel Credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card is one of the most important credit card benefits on the market. This makes swallowing the card’s $550 annual fee a little easier.
But to get the most out of your Chase Sapphire Reserve® Travel Credits, you need to know a little bit about how they work. Read below for more information.
How do I earn Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Credits?
Earning Chase Sapphire Reserve® Travel Credits is a simple process. All cardholders receive $300 in travel-related credit. When you spend money on qualifying transactions, you’ll receive statement credits totaling up to $300 annually on that amount.
Credits reset on your anniversary year, allowing you to use up these credits for a full year. The $300 credit will reset after the anniversary. To find out when your year begins, call Chase’s Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-935-9935.
Credit applies only to travel-related purchases, including:
- Airlines
- Buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges, highways
- camp site
- car rental company
- cruise line
- cheap travel site
- Hotels and motels
- parking lot and garage
- passenger train
- Purchases made through the airline, such as in-flight WiFi, extra refreshments and upgraded seats
- time share
- Travel agency
Whether an item is eligible for credit depends on how the merchant classifies their business. Chase cannot change this. For example, if you stay at a hotel attached to an amusement park, travel credits will only be available if the merchant codes the stay as a hotel and not as an amusement park.
The primary cardholder does not have to be responsible for the transaction. Purchases made by authorized card users are also eligible for travel credits. Adding authorized users does not increase travel credits. The $300 limit remains unchanged.
Purchases made through Chase Travel Center will only apply if the purchase was not made using Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. For example, if you paid partly for your ticket with points and partly with your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, you would not be eligible for the $300 travel credit.
The following purchases are not eligible for travel credits:
- Annual fee
- balance transfer
- caching
- foreign currency
- interest fee
- money order
- Traveler’s check
- wire transfer
Withdrawals from overseas ATMs and purchases of meals at overseas restaurants also do not count as travel-related purchases.
Cardholders typically earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points for each travel-related purchase using Chase Sapphire Reserve. However, this does not apply to the first $300 of a qualifying travel transaction that receives a statement credit.
Unlike the welcome bonus, the $300 travel credit will continue to be offered to existing cardholders as well as new cardholders. There is no limit to the number of years you can receive travel credits.
How to use your Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit
Chase Travel Credit is one of the most accessible card benefits. Simply use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card when spending money with travel providers. You will receive a credit if the transaction is made in a qualifying category.
You do not need to manually activate travel credits to qualify. It is automatically applied when you spend money on pre-approved categories.
When you make a qualifying purchase, statement credit is immediately posted to your account. It will count towards that billing period or the next billing period. Unlike points and miles, you don’t need to manually redeem to receive your statement credit.
How to check your travel credits
To check your travel credit balance, log on to your credit card account on Chase.com. Once signed in, click on the Ultimate Rewards® portal on the right. If you have multiple Chase cards, click the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Then you will be taken to the Ultimate Rewards site. Click on the dashboard on the right and you will see a section called $300 Annual Travel Credit.
If you’ve already reached your travel credit statement limit, you’ll see a notification like this: This year, I received a $300 annual travel credit. You will then be shown when your travel credits will be reset. If you have not received the full limit, the remaining amount will be displayed.
Only purchases posted in the anniversary year will count toward travel credits. If the merchant delays posting the transaction until the renewal date, he will then be counted towards the $300 credit. Therefore, we recommend that you track your travel credits and ensure that your transactions reflect within the specified timeframe.
Find the Best Travel Credit Cards for 2023
Find the travel credit card that best fits your travel needs.
Conclusion
Using Chase Sapphire Reserve® Travel Credits is very easy as long as you use the card to purchase travel. If you have a variety of travel credit cards, use Chase Sapphire Reserve® first until you earn credits.
Set a reminder to check your remaining travel credits every few months to make sure it’s been used. If you choose not to use travel credit, we recommend using another travel credit card with a lower annual fee.
