If you even rent a car several times a year, Chase SapphireReserve® (See rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business- (See rates and fees) offers excellent benefits.
Both cards can earn reward points on rental cars booked through ChaseTravel℠, and cardholders can take advantage of annual $300 travel credit and excellent coverage.
This is why making the sapphire reserve card the best premium card for renting a car, how to maximize its benefits and what exquisite prints to remember.
Why Sapphire Reserve Cards Are Great for Car Rental
Last June, it was launched Commercial sapphire reserves at the same time Sapphire Conservation Area Refreshed.
Three key benefits that make Sapphire booking an excellent choice for taxi include:
- Earn 8 points per dollar when booking a car by chasing travel
- Major car rental insurance can be used when you reject an agency’s collision loss waiver
- Discounts and privileges with Avis, Hertz or National when booking directly
Related: Save Money on Next Trip: Never Pay Full Price for Rent a Car with These Tips
Booking Maximum Reward Points by Chase Travel
Two sapphire reserve cards earn 8 points per dollar on all Chase travel purchases (including car rental). This applies to accounts opened on or after June 23 and existing cardholders starting on October 26.
In my experience, chasing the car rental price is competitive and sometimes lower than other institutions. Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuation, you will receive a return of approximately 16.4%.
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For example, when searching for rental cars in Chicago, Chase offers mid-range cars through Hertz for $95 a day. Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuation, you will receive 3,016 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points worth approximately $62.
By comparison, if I booked directly with Hertz, the prepaid rate was about $97 per day; however, the interest rate paid at the counter later was $135 per day. Chase Travel is slightly cheaper and, most importantly, it offers free cancellations until October 11, while direct bookings are not refundable after 24 hours.
Please note the cancellation policy or elite status allowance that can be provided to you before booking with Chase Travel or directly with a rental company. It can help you determine which channel to book.
I prefer booking through Chase Travel because 8 points per dollar earning is very good. Not to mention, Sapphire Conservation Area Unless you are an existing cardholder with an account before June 23, you can earn only 1 point per dollar on all other trips.
Maximize $300 travel credit
Both Sapphire Conservation Area and Commercial sapphire reserves Annual $300 travel credit is also available. Unlike other issuers’ travel credits, Chase’s broad definition of travel makes this credit applicable to any travel purchase, even if it’s a trip outside of Chase Travel.
Please note that you will not earn bonuses for any amount covered by the $300 travel credit. Last year, I booked a rental car directly with a business in Hawaii and a few days later, I got travel credit.
Related: How long does it take to get statement credit from Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi?
Maintain car rental insurance
Chase provides cardholders with major car rental insurance Sapphire Conservation Area and Commercial sapphire reserves. You must deny the collision loss waiver/loss waiver from the rental company to take advantage of the benefits and the coverage applies only to rents for 31 consecutive days.
Previously, this benefit had previously purchased rental agency insurance, saving me $35 to $60 a day.
The two sapphire reserve cards will repay up to $75,000 for damages caused by theft or crash and are covered worldwide. Please note that this covers rental vehicles and does not cover personal injury or damage from other vehicles or objects. Both Sapphire Reserve Master Car Insurance Policies have the same list of excluded cars and electric vehicles, and coverage does not extend to off-road vehicles, or if you are affected by anesthetics.
These two cards differ in applying insurance benefits. With the help of sapphire reserves for commercial purposes, the primary car rental insurance is only applicable to car rental for commercial or commercial purposes. If it is for personal use, coverage is any other insurance that the primary driver may have.
As a sapphire reserve cardholder, your car rental is covered whether it is for personal use or business use. For New York residents, coverage is the primary when renting a home in the United States unless you have personal car insurance, in which case coverage is unnecessary coverage.
Another advantage of the main insurance coverage of Sapphire Reserve Card is that there is no national exclusion list. Issuers like American Express have national exclusions that cover such as Australia, Italy and New Zealand.
Unlimited privileges for visas
Both Sapphire Conservation Area and Commercial sapphire reserves The unlimited visa name is included to provide cardholders with other benefits for rental car agents. These benefits include:
Considering the unlimited visa allowance for car rental, you can book directly. I have activated the benefits of being a sapphire reserve cardholder and have elite identities in Avis and National. Both sapphire reserve cards offer numerous privileges, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons.
Although you will get a discount with one of the institutions, compare the price to the price of the chase trip. If you are saving a lot of money and can get upgrades, return grace periods or other auxiliary benefits, go for it.
I prefer to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, so if the price difference is negligible, I would like to earn 8 points per dollar instead of spending 1 point per dollar.
Related: Roads on holidays? Everything you need to know about the status of the car rental elite
Bottom line
Both Sapphire Conservation Area and Commercial sapphire reserves Provides high income rates for car rental bookings, i.e. the ability to use travel credit to offset its costs and industry-leading major insurance coverage.
If you book a rental car frequently, consider one of these cards to help you earn a lot of reward points along the way.
To learn more, read our full review of Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve.
Apply here: Chatong Sapphire Reserve
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
