On July 1, Chase activated a handful of new benefits for their Sapphire cards. Customers that are no longer reaping the cards’ travel benefits need reasons to keep spending on their travel cards and paying annual fees.
All the new benefits are automatic; no registration is required.
Instacart
Membership Statement Credits
Instacart, the grocery delivery service, charges delivery and service and fees. The monthly or annual Instacart Express membership wipes out delivery fees and reduces service fees. If you use Instacart regularly, as many more are during the pandemic, a membership will save you money.
- Monthly membership = $9.99
- Annual membership = 99
Both Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders will earn up to $50 in statement credit toward an Instacart Express Membership.
Benefit Validity Period: For Instacart Express Memberships paid with your card between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
More Points on Instacart Purchases
Earn 5 Ultimate Reward points per dollar spent via Instacart, on the first $3,000 in purchases.
Benefit Validity Period: For Instacart purchases paid with your card between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
More Points at Gas Stations
This is how Chase defines gas station: “Merchants in the gas stations category sell automotive gasoline that can be paid for either at the pump or inside the station, and may or may not sell other goods or services at their location. Merchants that do not specialize in selling automotive gasoline are not included in this category; for example, truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies.”
- Sapphire Reserve: 5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on a maximum of $1,500 in spending.
- Sapphire Preferred: 3 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on a maximum of $1,500 in spending.
Benefit Validity Period: For gas station purchases paid with your card between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
More Points on Streaming Services
Chase defines streaming services as Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube TV.
- Sapphire Reserve: 10 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on a maximum of $1,500 in spending.
- Sapphire Preferred: 5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on a maximum of $1,500 in spending.
Benefit Validity Period: For streaming purchases paid with your card between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
Don’t forget the already existing COVID-19 benefits!
Note that the 5x and 3x category bonuses at grocery stores for the Reserve and Preferred expired at the end of June, but there are other pandemic-centric benefits for the Sapphire cards that last later into/through the end of the year:
- Expanded point redemption opportunities for both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve explained in Should You be Tempted by Chase’s “Pay Yourself Back” Offer?
- All of the benefits listed for the Sapphire Reserve outlined in Premium Travel Cards Pivot Benefits in a Coronavirus World
Bottom Line
While travel has picked up recently from what it was at the beginning of the pandemic, it understandably pales in comparison to last year.
Banks are adjusting their travel credit card benefits accordingly so that, A) they won’t lose customers over annual fees that aren’t worth it, and B) customers whose spending habits have changed are still incentivized to spend on their cards.
Out of the major travel credit card issuing banks, I think Chase has made the most competitive moves to keep their customers. Are they swaying you to keep your card(s) open?
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