Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Worth $795? Here's My New York Trip

The Chase Sapphire Reserve costs $795 a year. That's a serious annual fee.

But here's what makes it interesting: the CSR has $1,900+ in annual benefits, and unlike some other cards, most of them are actually easy to use.

Let me show you how I used it to design a perfect New York weekend.

The Benefits (What You Get)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a ton of benefits:

Semi-Annual Credits:

• $250 The Edit hotels = $500/year
• $150 Sapphire Dining = $300/year
• $150 StubHub = $300/year

Monthly Credits:

• $25 DoorDash = $300/year
• $10 Lyft = $120/year
• $10 Peloton = $120/year

Annual Credits:

• $300 Travel Credit (resets on your card anniversary year, not calendar year)

Other Benefits:

• Priority Pass lounges
• Chase Sapphire Lounges (Hong Kong, Boston coming soon)
• DoorDash DashPass membership
• Lyft Pink membership
• Peloton app

That's $1,900 in benefits for a $795 fee.

The other big thing? Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Hyatt. That's huge.

How I Used It: New York Weekend

Here's what I actually did with the CSR benefits:

Flights:

• United Airlines to/from New York → Used my $300 annual travel credit (applies automatically to travel purchases)
• Round-trip flights were ~$450, so the credit covered 67% of the cost
• Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia → Free access with card, food and drinks before my flight (lounge access normally $50+ per visit)
• Out of pocket: ~$150 for flights instead of $450, plus free lounge access

Hotel:

• The Standard High Line via The Edit → Used my $250 semi-annual credit for 2 nights (normally $300+/night, so ~$600 for 2 nights)
• Transferred 20,000 Chase points to Hyatt → Booked a third night for free (another $300+ value)
• Got Hudson River views, daily breakfast (~$30/day), late checkout, and a $50 hotel credit (all The Edit benefits)
• Out of pocket: ~$400 for 3 nights that would've cost $900+ without the credits

Dinner:

• Potluck Club in Chinatown → Booked through Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables, used my $150 dining credit
• Dinner for two was ~$200, so the credit covered most of it
• Out of pocket: ~$50 instead of $200

Getting Around:

• Lyft ride from dinner to hotel → Used my $10/month Lyft credit (ride was $15, so saved $10)
• Citi Bike rides around Manhattan → Discounted access through Lyft Pink membership (normally $4.50/ride, got discounted rates)

Entertainment:

• Death Becomes Her on Broadway → Bought tickets on StubHub using my $150 quarterly credit
• Two tickets were $350 total, so the $150 credit saved me 43% off the face value
• Out of pocket: ~$200 instead of $350

Total value captured: $915
Annual fee: $795
Net: +$120 on this one trip

The Hyatt Transfer Secret

This is the hidden gem of the CSR: Chase points transfer 1:1 to Hyatt.

That third night at The Standard? I transferred 20,000 Chase points to Hyatt and booked it for free. That's $300+ in value from points I earned on everyday spending.

Amex points don't transfer to Hyatt. This alone makes the CSR worth keeping.

My Verdict

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth $795?

For me: Yes.

The benefits are actually usable (unlike some other premium cards where you're stretching to find value). The Edit hotels are real luxury properties. Exclusive Tables restaurants are places I'd actually want to eat. StubHub works for concerts, sports, Broadway—whatever.

But the real magic is the Hyatt transfer. If you stay at Hyatt properties even 2-3 times a year, this card pays for itself just on that.

Get it if:

• You travel 3-4+ times a year
• You like nice hotels (The Edit properties are great)
• You eat out regularly (Exclusive Tables credit)
• You go to shows/concerts/sports (StubHub credit)
• You stay at Hyatt hotels

Skip it if:

• You rarely travel
• You won't use the dining/entertainment credits
• You prefer cash back over points
• You don't care about hotel transfers

Track Your Benefits

The hardest part? Actually remembering to use everything. Semi-annual credits, monthly credits, quarterly credits—it's a lot to track.

That's why I built Credit Card Coups. It tracks all your benefits and shows you exactly what you have left.

Track your Chase Sapphire Reserve →

Bottom Line

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth $795 if you actually use the benefits. The Edit hotels alone can justify the fee. Add in Exclusive Tables dining, StubHub entertainment, and Hyatt transfers, and it's a no-brainer for anyone who travels regularly.

See the full benefit list →

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Track your benefits and see your actual ROI at creditcardcoups.com