Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Worth It in 2026? 4 Reasons That Make It Worth a Second Look

Credit Cards
Written By Annie Hall

If you’ve been in the points and miles world for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself at some point:

“Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® actually worth the $795 annual fee?”

And for the past few years… my honest answer for a lot of families has been: it depends.

But in 2026, there are a few important updates that could make the Chase Sapphire Reserve® worth a closer look — even if you already have another Sapphire card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Here’s what’s changed this year 👇🏼

  1. New Sapphire Welcome Bonus Eligibility Rules

Chase has updated the welcome bonus eligibility rules for the Sapphire family of cards.

Previously, if you had earned a welcome bonus on any Sapphire card, you typically weren’t eligible to earn another bonus on a different Sapphire product.

Now, you can earn a welcome bonus once per Sapphire card — as long as you’ve never received a bonus on that specific card before.

This applies to:

That means if you currently have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — but you’ve never earned the welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — you may now be eligible to apply for the Reserve and earn its welcome offer too.

If you tried applying for the Sapphire Reserve after its benefits refresh last summer and were denied or found ineligible because you held the Preferred, it may be worth applying again in 2026!

More on Sapphire eligibility rules -> HERE!

2. Limited-Time $359 WHOOP Membership Credit (Includes Free Fitness Tracker)

There is currently an offer available through Chase Offers for:

$359 cash back on a WHOOP Life annual membership

Since the WHOOP Life annual membership costs $359 per year (and includes the fitness band), this can effectively make your first year free — as long as you:

  • Activate the offer in Chase Offers before purchase

  • Redeem it with an eligible Chase Sapphire Reserve® card

  • Purchase by May 12, 2026 when the offer ends.

If a fitness tracker like WHOOP has been on your radar, this could be a practical way to try it without paying for the annual membership this year!

More on Chase Sapphire Wellness credits -> HERE!

3. New Additional Hotel Credits for 2026

The Sapphire Reserve includes several hotel-related credits:

  • A $250 credit toward select hotel stays (available for 2026 only)

  • Up to $500 in The Edit hotel credits, issued as two separate $250 credits (one per booking)

  • A $300 annual travel credit

Depending on how you redeem them, these credits may be able to be stacked on a single hotel stay — potentially totaling up to $800 in statement credits!

That alone can offset most or all of the annual fee for the year!

More on Chase Sapphire Reserve hotel credits -> HERE.

4. Highest Ever Points Bonus!

This is the highest publicly available welcome offer we’ve seen on this card — and depending on how you redeem your points, those 125,000 points can go a long way toward flights or hotel stays for your family!

Bottom Line: Should You Open the Chase Sapphire Reserve® in 2026?

Between:

  • Updated bonus eligibility rules

  • A limited-time $359 WHOOP membership credit

  • New 2026 hotel credit

  • Current higher than ever welcome offer

  • 4x points earned on flights + hotels

  • Additional credits like the $300 annual Stubhub credit and $300 annual dining credit

…the Chase Sapphire Reserve® may be worth considering again this year — especially if you’re planning travel in 2026 or 2027!

As always, I appreciate it so much when you use my credit card affiliate links to apply for a new credit card! It supports my small business at no cost to you!

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Annie Hall
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Chase Sapphire Adds Limited-Time Wellness Credit (Up to $359 Back!)