We have incredibly mixed feelings about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card.

Objectively, this card offers an incredible value.  We estimate, assuming an annual card purchases of $15,000, a return of $1,518 in year 1 and $693 every year thereafter.

However, a bulk of this value is in the form of a Priority Pass™ Select membership (a global,  virtual airport lounge network – advertising access to over 1,300 partner lounges across 600 cities in 148 countries around the world). Unfortunately, Priority Pass™ has lost some of its luster over the past few years as many users have reported being denied access to affiliated lounges at airports worldwide, especially during peak hours.  Without the membership considered, the value that this card offers is just about average, even when you consider the $300 in annual travel credits, the TSA Pre credit and estimated purchase yield of 1.74%.  That’s because of the $450 annual fee (plus $75 per authorized user).

If you are considering this card, we encourage you to learn more about Priority Pass™ including its many benefits and some of the challenges encountered by fellow travelers.  If you are an existing fan of Priority Pass™ or travel to cities not often impacted by access denials, then the value of this card is undeniable.