Chase Sapphire Reserve Business vs Discover it Cash Back: Which Card Wins for Your Spending?

Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business ($795/yr) and the Discover it Cash Back (no annual fee) comes down to where you spend most. Both cards can deliver real value. Let’s break it down, then run your numbers to find the winner.

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Meet the Contenders

Chase Sapphire Reserve Business

Strongest in travel at 4%. 8x on Chase Travel, 4x on flights/hotels direct, 3x on ads.

Annual fee: $795 Sign-up bonus: 200,000 points after $30,000 spend in 6 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You book through the issuer's own site and want premium perks to offset the fee.

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Discover it Cash Back

5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.

Annual fee: None Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You want solid rewards without paying an annual fee.

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Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature Chase Sapphire Reserve Business Discover it Cash Back
Annual Fee $795 $0
Sign-Up Bonus 200,000 points after $30,000 spend in 6 months None
Foreign Transaction Fee 0% 0%
Base Reward Rate 1.0% 1.0%
Travel Rewards 4% 1%
Rates with conditions
not counted in the rows above
8% through Chase Travel
Earns 8% only on travel booked through Chase Travel, Chase's own booking site. Flights and hotels booked direct earn 4%.
None
Key Benefits 8x on Chase Travel, 4x on flights/hotels direct, 3x on ads. 5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.

The Verdict

Chase Sapphire Reserve Business pulls ahead for travel spending.

The $795/year fee difference means Chase Sapphire Reserve Business needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Business carries $2,110/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.

Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.

See Which Card Wins for YOU

Enter your typical monthly spending and we’ll show you exactly which card earns more, including fees and bonuses.