Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card ($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.
Strongest in travel at 4%. 8x on Chase Travel, 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x on dining.
Perfect if: You book through the issuer's own site and want premium perks to offset the fee.
Apply Now5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.
Perfect if: You want solid rewards without paying an annual fee.
Apply Now| Feature | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Discover it Cash Back |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $795 | $0 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 100,000 points after $6,000 spend in 3 months | None |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1% |
| Travel Rewards | 4% | 1% |
| Dining Rewards | 3% | 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 and hotels booked direct, 3x on dining. | 5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year. |
Chase Sapphire Reserve pulls ahead for travel, dining spending.
The $795/year fee difference means Chase Sapphire Reserve needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
Chase Sapphire Reserve carries $2,418/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.