The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for travel directly through Chase or transferred to Chase’s partners, including United. With all of the rewards earning opportunities, miles will add up quickly.  The card also offers top-tier travel perks that make traveling more convenient.

Rewards: Cardholders will earn 5 points per dollar on air travel and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Annual Fee: $550

Bonus Offer: New cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The high annual fee is offset by $300 in travel credits that apply automatically to the first $300 in travel-related purchases made on the card each year.

The Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a Priority Pass lounge membership that includes airport restaurant locations. This grants access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide after enrollment. The United Club Infinite Card has a similar fee but only offers United Club membership, making it less versatile.

Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 rate to a large number of travel partners including United Airlines. Ultimate Rewards points can also be redeemed directly through Chase’s travel portal for 1.5 cents each.

Before you transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to United or another partner, check award availability and compare to cash flight prices. Keep in mind that when you redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.5 cents each through the Chase travel portal, you will earn miles when you take the flight.

This card has a slight edge over the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you spend money on travel and dining, redeem points through the Chase travel portal or value Priority Pass lounge membership. These benefits can easily make the higher annual fee worthwhile.

You can read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® here.