The Chase Ink Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve are two of the top travel rewards credit cards on the market. Both of them have some tremendous rewards and perks that you’ll want consider when deciding between these two credit cards.
This article will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each card and offer you some advice on which option might be best for you.
Table of Contents
Business vs personal cards
The first thing to note right off the bat is that the Chase Ink Preferred is a business credit card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a personal credit card.
This means that you’ll need to have a business in order to apply for the Chase Ink Preferred. But that doesn’t mean you have to have a traditional business — there are lot of different types of businesses and even things like selling items on eBay could be a sufficient business.
You can read more about how to get approved for business credit cards.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Sign-up bonus
Chase Ink Preferred
The Chase Ink Preferred comes with a very solid sign-up bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
This is one of the top sign-up bonuses offered by any credit card in the market. You can redeem these points for $800 in cash back or redeem your points for $1,000 worth of travel.
You can also transfer your Ultimate Rewards out to the Chase travel partners listed below.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways Executive Club
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
- Iberia Airways
- JetBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Chase Ultimate Rewards Hotels
- World of Hyatt
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Rewards
You can get much more value for your points when transferring your points out to these partners since you’ll be able to fly in some amazing first class and business class cabins.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a 50,000 point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Obviously this sign-up bonus is not quite as lucrative as the 80,000 point offer but with the Sapphire Reserve you can redeem your points in the Chase Travel Portal at a higher rate than you can with the Ink Preferred.
Bonus categories
Chase Ink Preferred
The Ink Preferred earns 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable and phone services
- Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 3X on dining
- 3X on travel
- 10X on Lyft (plus one free year of Lyft Pink)
If you’re a big diner, then you’ll likely want to go with the Chase Sapphire Reserve which allows you to earn triple the points on dining. The 3X on travel is also unlimited for the Sapphire Reserve compared to the Ink Preferred which is limited to 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases.
But if you’re hoping to run a business and utilize advertising, the Ink Preferred becomes one of the best cards out there.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Annual Fee
The Ink Preferred comes with a $95 annual fee that you can get waived. Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve comes with a $550 annual fee that is not waived the first year.
While the annual fee is not waived, The Sapphire Reserve has a $300 travel credit that allows you offset the annual fee by $300 pretty easily because it can be used at so many places. It also has a $60 DoorDash credit. Therefore, you can get this annual fee down to an effective $190.
If you are still not interested in paying a high annual fee, then you can consider the Sapphire Preferred which only comes with a $95 annual fee. Read more about that card here.
Primary rental car coverage
The Sapphire Reserve offers primary rental car coverage as does the Chase Ink Preferred. However, the big difference with the Chase Ink Preferred is that you only get the primary rental car coverage with the Ink if you are traveling primarily on business (exceptions apply). Thus, you need to really think about how you might use this benefit.
Priority Pass
The Sapphire Reserve offers a Priority Pass membership which gives you access to over 1,000 airport lounges located all around the world. These lounges provide you with a place where you can unwind and relax with free wifi, comfy seating, complimentary drinks and food, and sometimes even showers and spas.
The Chase Ink Preferred does not offer this same benefit so this is one of the major differences between these two credit cards. If you’re a frequent flyer, you’ll probably find the Priority Pass much more attractive. You can read about Priority Pass experiences at SFO, JFK, and LAX.
Cell phone protection
The Chase Ink Preferred cell phone protection will protect you against damage, theft, or involuntary and accidental parting of your cell phone when you use your Chase Ink Preferred to pay your phone bill.
The protection requires a $100 deductible per claim and allows a maximum of 3 claims per 12 month period. You will receive no more than the purchase price less your $100 deductible. The maximum coverage limit is $600 per claim and $1,800 dollars per 12 month period.
The Sapphire Reserve does not offer an equivalent protection.
You can read more about this perk here.
Chase application rules
Both of these cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule and because of that you will be denied for these cards if you’ve opened up 5 or more accounts within the past two years.
There are exceptions to this rule, though.
In addition, there are some other Chase application rules you might want to read up on to make sure that you’re not violating any of these rules.
Chase Refer a Friend
Both of these participate in the Chase Refer a Friend program (read more about that program here).
Chase Ink Preferred
The Chase Ink Preferred referral allows you to earn 20,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year. This is one of the best referral bonuses out there and gives the Ink Preferred an edge.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve referral allows you to earn 10,000 Ultimate Rewards per approval up to a maximum of 50,000 points per calendar year. These referrals are not currently available, however.
Chase Shopping Portal
Both of these cards give you access to the Chase Shopping Portal.
The Chase Shopping Portal is a special website open only to Chase cardmembers that allows you to earn additional bonus Ultimate Rewards when making purchases at various online retailers.
It’s a fantastic way to increase your earnings and rack up points — you can learn more about this portal here.
Chase Travel Portal
With the Chase Travel Portal, you can book flights, hotels, and more. Both of these cards will allow you to redeem your Ultimate Rewards through the Chase Travel Portal but as already mentioned, the Sapphire Reserve offers the better redemption possibility.
Find out more about the Chase Travel Portal here.
Final word
Both of these cards are top-notch credit cards for earning Ultimate Rewards. The first big question to answer is whether or not you’re able to apply for a small business credit card. The next question is what benefits or perks do you value and how do you plan on earning rewards via your spend. Once you know the answers to those questions, the cards that is best for you should be pretty easy.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.