Chase Sapphire 2025 OVERHAUL: Is the $795 Reserve Card Worth It?

Points for Normal People by Katie's Travel Tricks

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

When it comes to our favorite points programs and credit cards, change is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be discouraging! In this episode, I'm breaking down all the huge updates that rolled out for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® card in the summer of 2025. We'll walk through everything from the new standard welcome offer and increased minimum spend on the Preferred card to the eligibility rule changes that have a lot of people confused. I'll also explain the brand new "Points Boost" feature and how it completely changes the way you redeem points through Chase Travel℠.

The biggest news is the massive refresh to the Sapphire Reserve, which now has a hefty $795 annual fee. I'll go over why my family decided to get this card again, even at that crazy price point, by breaking down how we get value from all the new "coupon book" style credits. Plus, I’ve got a fun tip for you, no matter which Sapphire card you have!

ACTION STEPS

• If you are a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, review the post on all the recent changes to ensure you fully understand the new benefits: https://katiestraveltricks.com/sapphirereserve/
• If you have an upcoming trip and have not yet booked your hotels, try out the Points Boost feature to see if you can find any savings.
• Download the GigSky app to try using it for your next trip (free with Visa Infinite or Visa Signature cards: https://www.gigsky.com/blog/up-to-3-gb-free-travel-data-with-visa-infinite-no-cost

RESOURCES

• Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits Calculator: https://katiestraveltricks.com/portfolio-items/chase-sapphire-reserve/
• Use this site to activate your Peloton credit: onepeloton.com/ChaseSapphire
• You must activate Your StubHub/Viagogo credit before purchase: Cardmembers can log into their account and activate the StubHub credit under Chase offers.
• Sign up for my newsletter: https://katiestraveltricks.kit.com/news

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

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Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

Fejezetek

1. Setting the Tone: Change Happens (00:00:00)

2. Earning vs. Devaluations: A Reality Check (00:02:10)

3. Sapphire Preferred: Offer, Spend, Eligibility (00:03:45)

4. Eligibility Pop‑Up and Approval Nuance (00:06:02)

5. Enter Points Boost: New Redemption Model (00:07:08)

6. Sapphire Reserve Refresh: The Big Picture (00:07:38)

7. Annual Fee Math and Personal Strategy (00:09:00)

8. Legacy Perks That Still Matter (00:11:00)

9. New Credits: Apple, Peloton, StubHub (00:12:00)

10. Dining Credits: Limits and Pitfalls (00:13:15)

11. Hotel Credit: The Edit Collection Explained (00:14:45)

12. Case Study: Cancun With Points Boost (00:17:00)

13. Off‑Season Sweet Spots and Stacking (00:20:10)

14. 2026 IHG Credit and Stacking Hopes (00:22:00)

15. Who Should Skip the Reserve (00:23:20)

16. Points Boost Deep Dive: Rates and Use Cases (00:24:30)

17. Compare Cash, Transfer, or Boost (00:27:10)

18. Hidden Perk: Free Visa eSIM via GigSky (00:28:25)

19. Action Steps and Publishing Cadence (00:30:00)

20. Newsletter Invite and Closing (00:31:30)