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Chase Freedom Flex vs Sapphire Reserve

Both are Chase cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Sapphire Reserve 2.1% 1x base rate
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Dining

  1. Freedom Flex 7.0% 7%: 3% plus the rotating bonus this quarter
  2. Sapphire Reserve 6.2% 3x

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. Sapphire Reserve 2.1% 1x base rate

Travel · portal

  1. Sapphire Reserve · Chase Travel 16.4% 8x
  2. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex 3.0% 3%
  2. Sapphire Reserve 2.1% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Sapphire Reserve 8.2% 4x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Hotels

  1. Sapphire Reserve 8.2% 4x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Peloton

  1. Sapphire Reserve 20.5% 10x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Lyft

  1. Sapphire Reserve 10.3% 5x
  2. Freedom Flex 2.0% 2%

What the numbers are doing

Freedom Flex wins dining at 7% because the rotating calendar is on it this quarter, stacked on the card's own 3%. The quarter ends December 31, 2026; after it the card earns 3% there, and no later quarter in the published calendar brings it back.

Sapphire Reserve tops everything else at 2.1% only because this table values its points at 2.05 cents each. Value them at one cent and Freedom Flex wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Freedom Flex $0 and Sapphire Reserve $795 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseSapphire Reserve2.1%
DiningFreedom Flex7.0%
GroceriesFreedom Flex5.0%
Travel · portalSapphire Reserve · Chase Travel16.4%
DrugstoresFreedom Flex3.0%
FlightsSapphire Reserve8.2%
HotelsSapphire Reserve8.2%
PelotonSapphire Reserve20.5%
LyftSapphire Reserve10.3%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 2.1%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Dining

  1. Freedom Flex — 7.0%
  2. Sapphire Reserve — 6.2%

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex — 5.0%
  2. Sapphire Reserve — 2.1%

Travel · portal

  1. Sapphire Reserve · Chase Travel — 16.4%
  2. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel — 5.0%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex — 3.0%
  2. Sapphire Reserve — 2.1%

Flights

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 8.2%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Hotels

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 8.2%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Peloton

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 20.5%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Lyft

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 10.3%
  2. Freedom Flex — 2.0%
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