Chase

You can use your Chase Sapphire Reserve for airport lounge access by first enrolling in Priority Pass Select. There is no additional cost to activate your Priority Pass membership and it is a one-time procedure.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass gives you access to 1,300+ Chase Sapphire Reserve airport lounges around the world, including many locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. For example, the 8 largest U.S. airports – including JFK, LAX, DFW, ATL and ORD – all have Chase Sapphire Reserve airport lounges. The Chase Sapphire Reserve lounge benefit is provided by a company called Priority Pass and would cost $429 per year without the card.

To find a lounge, go to the Priority Pass website and type your destination into the “Find a lounge” bar. You'll be able to see where a lounge is within an airport, as well as its hours, amenities, guest policies and other rules. You can also check the Priority Pass lounge directory. If the airport you are visiting has a Priority Pass lounge, you will just have to show your card there to gain access.

Technically speaking, there aren't any airport lounges solely for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders. That's important because there are a few crucial details about Priority Pass membership you should keep in mind.

Key things you should know about Chase Sapphire Reserve airport lounges:

• Customers must enroll in Priority Pass Select to access the 1,300+ Chase Sapphire Reserve airport lounges. But you only have to enroll once.
• To enroll, go to Chase Ultimate Rewards and click “Earn Points,” then “Card Benefits.” Under the “Airport Lounge Access” tab, click “Activate Now.”
• Guests may be allowed to accompany you for free, depending on the lounge. If guests do not get complimentary access, the fee will be $27 per person per visit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve airport lounges offer perks like free Wi-Fi, full bars, snacks, and even showers and spas, depending on the particular lounge. To enjoy them, just activate your complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers new cardholders 80,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. And you also get extensive ongoing rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The rewards redemption process offers a number of good options  through Chase's Ultimate Rewards portal.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards Redemption Options:

• Travel redemption: Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points are best used for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Just select " Travel" once you're signed in.
• Cash: You can also redeem reward points either to get a statement credit or a deposit to a U.S. checking or savings account. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal and choose " Cash Back."
• Transfer points to Chase's travel partners: You can transfer Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points to partnered airline and hotel loyalty programs. Just confirm that you have a loyalty account, then select "Transfer to Travel Partners" in the Ultimate Rewards portal.
• “Pay with Points”: You can use your Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points when checking out on Amazon.com or with PayPal. Follow the instructions for both Amazon and PayPal to get started.
• Apple purchases: You can use your points to pay for all or part of your Apple purchases.
• Gift cards: You can convert Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards into cash or gift cards for your favorite stores. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal and choose "Gift Cards."
• Experiences: You can trade your points to attend exclusive experiences like sport and dining events, concerts, and more. Simply log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal an choose "Experiences."

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee, but its rewards definitely have the potential to offset it and bring you added value. And your reward points don't expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best rewards cards on the market, well worth getting if you use it regularly and travel often.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass membership gives cardholders and authorized users free memberships in the airport lounge program Priority Pass Select. Each cardholder and up to two guests get unlimited free access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide as a result. Additional guests cost $32 per visit. Priority Pass Select airport lounges offer free Wi-Fi, snacks and beverages. There's also comfortable seating and other amenities that vary by lounge. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass benefit is a $429 annual value. That's what it would cost to buy a membership with unlimited free visits normally.

This special benefit is only available on Chase Sapphire Reserve. You don't get it on Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the discontinued original Chase Sapphire® Card. Keep in mind that the $429 value helps offset Chase Sapphire Reserve's $550 annual fee.

In order to redeem your free Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass membership and start enjoying the lounge benefits, you need to do a one-time “activation” to have your Priority Pass card sent to you. Don't worry, this won't cost you any money and it's very easy to do.

How to activate Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass:

1. Log in to your Chase online account.
2. Click on the tab that says “Chase Ultimate Rewards.”
3. Click on “Card Benefits.”
4. Find “Airport Lounge Access” and click “Activate Now” at the bottom.

Follow those steps, and you'll get membership cards for you and any authorized users on your Chase Sapphire Reserve account within 2-3 weeks by mail. Once you have your Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass membership card, you'll need to show it and a same-day boarding pass to get into a Priority Pass lounge.

You may also be able to bring guests traveling with you. There's no limit set by Priority Pass, but individual lounges have the right to make their own rules. Authorized users have their own memberships and aren't considered guests. Keep in mind that only two of your guests are free – the rest cost $32 each.  

Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass membership gives you access to a widespread network. There are Priority Pass lounges all over the world, including at the most popular domestic and international airports.

Here are some popular Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass lounges:

• Chicago IL O'Hare International Airport: Swissport Lounge
  Offers refreshments, TV, magazines and Wi-Fi. They may limit guests based on space constraints.
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: The Club at DFWY
  ou have access to refreshments, alcohol, TV, Wi-Fi, fax and showers. There are no stated guest restrictions.
• Beijing Capital International Airport: Air China First & Business Class Lounge
  Offers refreshments, alcohol, internet access, TV, newspapers and telephones. They may limit guests based on space constraints.
• Dubai International Airport: Marhaba Lounge
  Amenities include refreshments, alcohol, TV, magazines, Wi-Fi and flight information, telephone, fax, and shower. There are no stated guest restrictions.

So, as you can see, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass benefit gives you a wide range of comforts all over the world. If you take full advantage of this perk, that's an extra $429 in value you get out of your card every year.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a 3% foreign transaction fee. This fee applies to transactions made both in person and online.

So, if you plan on spending a lot of money at foreign-based merchants or overseas, it can really add up quickly. Hence, you're better off using Chase Freedom Unlimited for your everyday purchases and getting a second card with no foreign transaction fee for your foreign purchases.

You can check out our editors' latest picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards on the market to see which one better suits your needs.

Ultimately, there are credit card issuers, such as Capital One and Discover, that do away with foreign transaction fees altogether. And there are $0 foreign fee credit cards available to people of all credit levels, from bad credit to excellent credit. So, there is no reason why you should ever pay extra when buying something from abroad.

Chase will charge you a fee of $34 each time you overdraw your account by more than $5. And once your account is overdrawn by that much, making additional purchases will result in more overdraft fees: $34 each time, no matter how small the transaction is. You can be charged a maximum of 3 Chase overdraft fees per day. But those fees will be refunded if your account balance is overdrawn by $5 or less at the end of the business day on which the overdraft occurs.
However, if your account is overdrawn for 5 consecutive business days, even by $5 or less, a $15 “extended overdraft fee” will be assessed.

For more information, including how to avoid fees, check out WalletHub's article on overdraft protection.