pointslip milestomorrow.com

Chase Freedom Unlimited 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 Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Dining

  1. Sapphire Reserve 6.2% 3x
  2. Freedom Unlimited 3.0% 3%

Travel · portal

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

Drugstores

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

Flights

  1. Sapphire Reserve 8.2% 4x
  2. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Hotels

  1. Sapphire Reserve 8.2% 4x
  2. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Peloton

  1. Sapphire Reserve 20.5% 10x
  2. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Lyft

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

What the numbers are doing

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 Unlimited wins that category instead.

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

Where they differ: Sapphire Reserve takes everything else, dining, flights and hotels, plus 2 more; Freedom Unlimited takes drugstores.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseSapphire Reserve2.1%
DiningSapphire Reserve6.2%
Travel · portalSapphire Reserve · Chase Travel16.4%
DrugstoresFreedom Unlimited3.0%
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 Unlimited — 1.5%

Dining

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 6.2%
  2. Freedom Unlimited — 3.0%

Travel · portal

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

Drugstores

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

Flights

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 8.2%
  2. Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%

Hotels

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 8.2%
  2. Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%

Peloton

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 20.5%
  2. Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%

Lyft

  1. Sapphire Reserve — 10.3%
  2. Freedom Unlimited — 2.0%
Add to Apple Wallet

This link hands the pass straight to Wallet, no app and no account — its first three rows; the app unlocks every row.

iPhone app · not yet released

Preview this set of cards. The first three rows are free, whatever cards you hold; every row and every feature is $9.99 once, in the app. See the free combos.

Open this ranking in the generator

A cheat sheet in your Wallet that tells you which card to use. No account, no bank linking, no subscription.