The premium rewards card market is stuffed with choices. In the event you’re into maximizing transferable rewards or prepared to gather extra perks to make use of along with your favourite loyalty program, including a bank card could be a nice selection.
Two of our favourite choices symbolize every of those decisions. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) earns invaluable Chase Final Rewards factors you can switch to a number of applications, whereas the United Membership℠ Card (see charges and charges) is the top-tier selection for United Airways loyalists who need to earn extra with the airline.
Let’s stroll by incomes charges, advantages and lounge entry options with every of those premium playing cards that can assist you determine which is the very best so as to add to your pockets.
United Membership Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve comparability
| Card | United Membership Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | Earn 100,000 bonus factors plus a $500 Chase Journey℠ promo credit score* after spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening.
*Be aware that the phrases for the journey credit score state: The promotional credit score is legitimate for a one-time use solely, in case you apply the promotional credit score to a transaction lower than $500, you’ll forfeit the remaining steadiness. |
| Incomes charges
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|
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| TPG’s August 2025 valuation | 1.3 cents per mile | 2.05 cents per level |
| Annual payment | $695 | $795 |
| Lounge entry |
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| Different standout advantages |
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United Membership vs. Sapphire Reserve welcome supply
The United Membership Card is providing 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Primarily based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations, this welcome bonus is value $1,040 towards flights.
In the meantime, with the Sapphire Reserve, you possibly can earn a welcome supply of 100,000 bonus factors plus a $500 Chase Journey promo credit score after spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening. TPG’s August 2025 valuations place this bonus at $2,550 if you issue within the worth of transferring to Chase’s loyalty companions with the complete $500 credit score.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve.
Associated: Have a brand new bank card? Listed here are 4 ideas that can assist you earn your welcome bonus
United Membership vs. Sapphire Reserve advantages
In relation to advantages, these two playing cards present lounge entry and different invaluable perks. Let’s examine them.
Lounge entry
The United Membership Card presents a United Membership membership that grants the first cardholder, one grownup visitor and dependent kids beneath 18 years previous entry to greater than 45 United Golf equipment worldwide. This perk is valued at $750, which greater than offsets the cardboard’s $695 annual payment.
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Then, in case you spend $50,000 on purchases along with your United Membership Card in a calendar yr, you will obtain a United Membership All Entry membership. This upgraded tier contains entry to taking part Star Alliance lounges and the flexibility to convey an extra grownup visitor (for a complete of two) into United Golf equipment. You will additionally obtain 4 one-time passes to your approved customers annually.
The Sapphire Reserve offers entry to all eight (and rising) Chase lounges and a complimentary Precedence Cross Choose membership. Precedence Cross contains entry to greater than 1,700 lounges worldwide. Plus, cardholders obtain entry to over 20 Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges after they’re touring with a Star Alliance airline.
In the event you desire United Membership lounges or can spend to unlock All Entry membership, then the United Membership Card might be a better option for you. Nonetheless, Chase continues to increase its personal lounge footprint and comes with a broader perk with Precedence Cross, giving cardholders entry to the next variety of lounges throughout the globe. So, the Reserve would be the more sensible choice for somebody who is not so loyal to United.
Different advantages
The United Membership Card is a good choice in case you’re flying United and in search of premium perks, together with:
- The primary two checked luggage are free (for the first cardholder and a companion on the identical reservation)
- Premier entry: Precedence check-in, safety screening, boarding and baggage dealing with (the place accessible)
- Expanded award availability
- 25% again on United inflight purchases
With the cardboard, you will obtain as much as $200 in annual assertion credit to make use of on bookings with Famend Resorts and Resorts. That is United’s luxurious resort portal, which grants cardholders perks reminiscent of day by day breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi and room upgrades at check-in (when accessible).
You will additionally obtain credit on ride-hailing, JSX and Instacart purchases, plus Avis/Price range automobile leases booked by United’s automobile rental portal. To study extra, try our full overview of the United Membership Card.
With the United Membership Card, you possibly can spend your manner towards elite standing with United. You will obtain a lift of 1,500 Premier qualifying factors annually, beginning in 2026. You will additionally obtain 1 PQP for each $15 spent on the cardboard (as much as 28,000 PQP in a calendar yr). This may be utilized as much as and together with the Premier 1K stage.
As for the Sapphire Reserve, it presents one of many easiest journey credit in the marketplace: a versatile $300 assertion credit score in journey. This credit score routinely kicks in in your first $300 in journey purchases you make with the cardboard every account anniversary yr. Plus, Chase broadly defines journey, that means you will obtain it routinely on the primary $300 you spend on purchases for every part from flights and motels to tolls and parking.
Different standout Sapphire Reserve advantages embrace:
- As much as $500 in annual credit with The Edit, earned as two $250 biannual credit
- As much as $300 in annual StubHub and Viagogo credit (by Dec. 31, 2027), earned as two $150 biannual credit
- As much as $300 in annual eating credit score with Sapphire Reserve Unique Tables, earned as two $150 biannual credit
- As much as $250 yearly in complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions (by June 22, 2027)
- As much as $120 in annual in-app Lyft credit (by Sept. 30, 2027)
- As much as $120 in Peloton credit, earned as $10 month-to-month credit (by Dec. 31, 2027; activation required)
Each playing cards supply journey and buying protections and as much as $120 in assertion credit towards International Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus each 4 years. Additionally they each supply a free DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).
The Sapphire Reserve outshines the United Membership Card for many vacationers because of its versatile journey credit score and broad checklist of perks that may apply to a number of sides of journey and life-style purchases. Nonetheless, the United Membership Card is best for many who are extraordinarily loyal to United since its standout perks are associated to flying with the airline.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. It has broader advantages for cardholders to make use of when touring and making day by day purchases.
Associated: Helpful journey perks you can get with a bank card
Incomes rewards on the United Membership vs. Sapphire Reserve
If you pay with the United Membership Card, you will earn:
- 9 miles per greenback spent on United flights
- 5 miles per greenback spent on stays bought by Famend Resorts and Resorts
- 4 miles per greenback spent on all different United purchases
- 2 miles per greenback spent on eating and all different journey
- 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases
That is a close to 12% return if you use the cardboard to pay for United flights (primarily based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations), which is larger than every other airline bank card.
In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve earns the next:
- 10 factors per greenback spent on Peloton gear and accent purchases (by Dec. 31, 2027) of $150 or extra, with a most of fifty,000 factors
- 8 factors per greenback spent on purchases made by Chase Journey, together with The Edit
- 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft rides by Sept. 30, 2027
- 4 factors per greenback spent on flights and motels booked instantly
- 3 factors per greenback spent on eating worldwide
- 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases
The United Membership shines brighter if you make purchases with United and is the higher choice in case you incessantly ebook with the airline and need to gather United MileagePlus miles.
Nonetheless, with the Sapphire Reserve, you will obtain a greater return in a broader checklist of bonus classes, together with flights and motels booked instantly and eating. You will need to observe that the United Membership Card earns bonus factors on normal journey, whereas the Sapphire Reserve doesn’t. Nonetheless, you possibly can earn bonus factors for utilizing Chase Journey.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. The United Membership presents profitable earnings on United flights, however the Sapphire Reserve’s broader classes typically win out.
Redeeming and transferring rewards on the United Membership vs. Sapphire Reserve
The Sapphire Reserve presents extra versatile rewards than the United Membership Card, making it a greater choice for many vacationers seeking to maximize rewards. You will get essentially the most worth out of your Chase Final Rewards factors by transferring them to one among Chase’s 14 airline and resort companions.
Chase’s strong checklist of switch companions contains United, which suggests you possibly can nonetheless use your factors earned with the Sapphire Reserve towards United flights if you wish to fly the airline and its companions.
Plus, the flexibleness of Chase factors opens up the potential for unimaginable redemptions if you switch your factors. That is very true with the award-friendly World of Hyatt resort program.
For instance, you would keep on the luxurious Park Hyatt Sydney for 35,000 to 45,000 factors per night time, which might be a improbable deal to your factors.
With the Sapphire Reserve, it’s also possible to ebook journey by Chase Journey along with your factors for as much as 2 cents per level, because of Factors Increase, relying on the redemption. It is a nice choice for boutique motels that do not belong to a bigger model. It is also nice for reserving flights when money costs are low.
In the meantime, United miles are way more restrictive since they’ll solely be redeemed for United flights, flights with its companions and different United-related purchases. They’re additionally topic to devaluation. Dynamic award pricing additionally implies that redemption charges range considerably relying on the ticket you ebook.
Nonetheless, the MileagePlus program nonetheless presents good worth by candy spots. As an illustration, Katie Genter, TPG’s lead factors and miles author, redeemed 6,000 United miles per individual for a one-way flight from Amsterdam to Munich.
There are additionally different methods to seek out worth in this system, such because the United Excursionist Perk or reserving accomplice awards with United miles. For instance, Rachel Craft, a journey author at TPG, redeemed 88,000 United miles for a one-way business-class ticket on Ethiopian Airways from Denver to Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve. Its redemption and switch choices are way more versatile.
Ought to I get the United Membership or Sapphire Reserve?
The Sapphire Reserve is the higher all-around journey card, because it earns invaluable Final Rewards factors throughout a number of high-earning bonus classes. Plus, you possibly can switch these factors to United in case you’re actually into the airline. Nonetheless, the cardboard options a number of assertion credit that could be troublesome for some to totally use, and the $795 annual payment is larger than the United Membership Card.
The United Membership Card is the higher choice in case you are fiercely loyal to United, need entry to United Golf equipment and worth precedence perks when flying the airline. Plus, the annual payment is barely decrease, at $695.
Backside line
Each the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the United Membership Card are strong premium playing cards, however they serve totally different functions.
In the event you’re a United devotee in search of a collection of perks if you fly with the airline, the United Membership is the higher choice. For vacationers in search of broader luxurious perks, a number of credit to maximise and extra versatile rewards, the Sapphire Reserve is the selection.
Keep in mind that regardless of which card you select, they’re each issued by Chase and might be subjected to the issuer’s 5/24 rule. In the event you’ve opened 5 or extra private bank cards prior to now two years, you are unlikely to be authorised for both card.
To study extra, try our Chase Sapphire Reserve overview and United Membership Card overview.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply right here: United Membership Card
Associated: Why transferable factors and miles are value greater than different rewards
