How does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Global Entry benefit work?

Question

Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth its $550 annual fee for frequent travelers who spend at least $4,000 in the first 3 months and qualify for the card’s initial bonus of 50,000 points. When a cardholder meets this requirement, the Sapphire Reserve card will pay for itself for the first year, and then some.… read full answer

Travelers will get a lot of value out of Sapphire Reserve because it offers a $300 annual travel credit, 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. There are several types of travel insurance, too, including a $1 million benefit for serious injury or death, plus a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership that would usually cost $399 a year.

But all those features are only worth it if you travel frequently and have the excellent credit needed to get approved for Chase Sapphire Reserve. And after the first year, you’ll have to spend enough – or utilize enough of the card’s perks – to make it worth owning. For example, if you make the most of the Priority Pass membership ($399 annual value), along with the $300 annual travel credit, you’d recoup the entire annual fee. That shouldn’t be hard for frequent travelers to do every year. And the more benefits you take advantage of, the less you need to spend to break even.

Finally, in order for Sapphire Reserve to be worth it, it’s important to pay the bill in full each month. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying 15.99% - 22.99% (V) interest on the unpaid balance, which will decrease the overall value of the card’s perks and rewards.

More moderate spenders who still want a Chase travel card with a solid complement of travel-friendly features may prefer the Sapphire Preferred card. It has an initial bonus of 60,000 points and gives 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining. Points are worth just 1.25 cents each toward travel, compared to Reserve’s 1.5, but Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee is only $95.

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Answer 1 · 2021-02-12 23:30:59

Lisa Cahill, Credit Cards Moderator

@lisacahill 02/12/21 This answer was first published on 02/12/21. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve Global Entry benefit refunds the Global Entry program’s $100 application fee, whether you’re approved or not. You can take advantage of this benefit once every 4 years, which is how often Global Entry requires you to re-apply. Global Entry is a way for low-risk U.S. citizens to get through customs faster when they return from abroad. It requires screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which explains the cost. But if you pay the application fee with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll automatically receive a refund within 24 hours.

5 Things to Know About Chase Sapphire Reserve’s Global Entry Benefit:

You must pay the Global Entry application fee with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Chase will automatically detect the Global Entry application fee payment. They will credit you within 24 hours.
You can only get an application fee credited once every 4 years. But you also only need to reapply every 4 years.
If you already have Global Entry or don’t think you will use this benefit, you can pay someone else’s application fee with your card and still get a credit.
If you think you’d get more value out of TSA Pre-Check (which is for regular security rather than customs), you can get a credit for its $85 application fee. You can get a credit for either Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check, not both.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Global Entry benefit is yet another way this card helps people save on travel. It supplements the card’s initial bonus of 50,000 points and $300 annual travel credit. All those perks are important considering Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $550 annual fee.

How does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Global Entry benefit work?

Lisa Cahill, Credit Cards Moderator

5 Things to Know About Chase Sapphire Reserve’s Global Entry Benefit:

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