How couples can combine the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve

Getting two players into the world of points and miles is an excellent way to quickly collect points, stack benefits and share perks.

Couples who hold the two Chase Sapphire personal cards — the $95 annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and the $795 Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) — could get a lot of use out of combining each card's respective powers.

This is especially true since the Sapphire Reserve's 2025 changes have widened the differences between these two products.

Do you both have excellent credit scores and good financial habits? Are you and your partner ready to go all-in on Chase Ultimate Rewards? If so, here's how you can get maximum value from the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve together.

Earn 2 valuable welcome bonuses

Perhaps the most important action you'll take with any new rewards card is earning the welcome bonus, since you'll receive a huge chunk of points from doing so. If you and your partner are thinking about going in on both of the Chase Sapphire cards, now is an excellent time to apply. The bonuses are high compared to their offer history.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 100,000 bonus points plus a $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. According to TPG's July 2025 valuations, this offer is worth $2,550 (including the Chase Travel credit), which makes it the best in the card's history. According to the terms for the travel credit, this promotional credit is only valid for one-time use. So, if you apply the promotional credit to a transaction less than $500, you will forfeit the remaining balance.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening. TPG's valuations deem this offer as worth $1,538.

If you're able to combine the value of these two high bonuses, you could end up with 175,000 Chase points, worth a whopping $3,588 per our valuations, and a $500 Chase Travel credit.

Consider your eligibility

With the Sapphire Reserve's update came a change in Chase's bonus eligibility requirements.

While you can now hold both Sapphire cards, if you've previously held a Sapphire card and earned a welcome bonus on it, you're likely not eligible to receive a bonus on that product.

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If you currently hold a Sapphire card, you're likely not eligible to receive a bonus on the other. If you've previously held both Sapphire cards, you most likely won't be eligible for a bonus.

This is one of the ways that a two-player setup could be advantageous. If your partner has never held a Sapphire card, getting them involved by applying for the Sapphire card you don't have is a great way for you both to earn one of these bonuses.

Also, remember to be under Chase's 5/24 rule any time you're applying for a new card with the issuer.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

Earn bonus points in multiple categories

You'll be eligible to earn bonus points across multiple categories when you and your partner hold both Sapphire cards. If you want to maximize the categories across both cards, here's a breakdown of which one you should use for each purchase.

In general, if you're booking through Chase Travel, buying flights or hotel rooms directly or making an eligible Peloton purchase, the Sapphire Reserve is the card you should use. Streaming purchases and online grocery orders should go on the Sapphire Preferred. If you're dining or taking a Lyft, you could go with either card.

The Sapphire Reserve lost its general travel bonus category with its update, so you can no longer earn 3 points per dollar spent on all travel purchases made with the card. The Sapphire Preferred has a bonus category that earns 2 points per dollar spent on general travel, so that is now the best card to use for those purchases.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve: With new changes in effect, which card is best for you?

Share lounge access and other perks

The Sapphire Reserve charges a much higher $795 annual fee than the $95 Sapphire Preferred, but it also includes more perks to help offset it.

One of the most useful perks for couples to maximize is the Sapphire Reserve's lounge access, which includes the eight gorgeous Chase Sapphire airport lounges currently open and three more locations on the way.

The Sapphire Reserve cardholder won't have to add their partner as an authorized user to grant complimentary access. That's because cardholders can bring up to two guests per visit at no additional cost, so just one person in the couple having the card will get both into the lounge.

The card also comes with a Priority Pass membership, which grants access to more than 1,700 Priority Pass lounges worldwide. Finally, this card lets you get into over 20 Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges when traveling on a Star Alliance airline.

While you won't need to add an authorized user for lounge access if you're traveling as a couple, you may want to pay the extra $195 authorized user fee to get your partner their own Priority Pass membership for when they travel solo.

Authorized user spending will also count toward the Sapphire Reserve's flexible $300 annual travel credit, so couples could maximize this more easily if they add an authorized user to their account.

Along these lines, it may be easier to maximize the Sapphire Reserve's Edit credit and its multiple lifestyle credits when two people are spending on the account.

While being an authorized user on a partner's Sapphire Reserve shouldn't affect your ability to obtain a Sapphire Preferred, you may want to wait until after you apply for, accept and maybe even earn the welcome bonus on the Sapphire Preferred to be added as an authorized user on the Sapphire Reserve, just to be safe.

Related: 5 ways to ensure you have lounge access before your next flight

Move points to maximize Points Boost

Chase rolled out Points Boost as a new way to redeem points through Chase Travel. This perk will replace the flat redemption that allowed Sapphire Preferred cardholders to redeem for 1.25 cents per point and Sapphire Reserve cardholders to redeem for 1.5 cents per point through the portal.

Cardholders who held or applied for the Sapphire Reserve or the Sapphire Preferred before June 23, 2025, can still redeem for this original value until Oct. 26, 2027, as an alternative to Points Boost.

Now, Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem for up to 2 cents per point for select hotels and flights with select airlines. Sapphire Preferred cardholders can only receive Points Boost offers up to 1.5 cents per point on select hotels and 1.75 cents per point on flights with select airlines.

So, if you're hoping to redeem your Chase points through Chase Travel, moving points to the Sapphire Reserve account unlocks the most Points Boost opportunities.

Couples can move points into each other's Ultimate Rewards account if they're in the same household.

Related: How (and why) to combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points into a single account

Get the highest levels of travel and purchase protections

Both cards have solid travel insurance and purchase protection, but the Sapphire Reserve outpaces the Sapphire Preferred in terms of coverage.

With the Sapphire Reserve, you'll receive trip interruption and cancellation coverage of up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip. Plus, trip delay coverage kicks in after six hours.

The Sapphire Preferred comes with the same amount of trip interruption and cancellation coverage, but you'll have to wait 12 hours for trip delay coverage to kick in.

Purchase protection on the card covers items against theft or damage up to 120 days out and up to $10,000 per item, which is better than the Sapphire Preferred's protection cap of $500 per item.

So, if you have the option to book travel or make a large purchase with either card, the Sapphire Reserve is the more secure choice.

Related: 7 Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits you might not know about

Bottom line

Like the perfect couple, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred make a great pair. Having both cards together can supercharge your Chase points-earning, help you collect two big welcome bonuses and unlock a suite of benefits for both of you.

Plus, there's more value to be unlocked with the ability to move points over to the Sapphire Reserve account, since you can capitalize on Points Boost opportunities.

If you and your partner are serious about Chase points, coupling the two personal Sapphire cards is a great choice.

To learn more, see our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card