The only surefire way to get the $550 annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Reserve waived is if you’re an active servicemember. As long as Chase can confirm your active duty status, they won’t charge you any fees. Otherwise, your odds of getting a Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee waiver are not very high. However, it’s worth trying.
There are a few details you should be aware of before calling and asking for a fee waiver, though. And in the likely event that you don’t get one, you’ll need to know what perks are available to determine whether Sapphire Reserve is worth it.
Here’s what you should know about Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee waivers:
- If you’re in the armed forces full-time, you may be eligible to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee waived. You can get this benefit by calling Chase Military Services at (877) 469-0110. Chase will have to verify your status.
- If you want to try for a fee waiver or reduction, you can call the number on the back of your card or the general Chase customer service line: (800) 432-3117.
- According to people who’ve had luck with fee waivers on other credit cards, having a high income and spending a lot can help. Since the bank is already making a lot of money from the fees it charges merchants when you make purchases, they might be more willing to give you a break.
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve initial bonus is worth a lot more than the annual fee. If you’re a frequent traveler, you should always get more than $550 in value per year, between the $300 annual travel credit, free airport lounge access, 3 points per $1 spent on travel and more benefits.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll get the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee waived, you might as well try. The worst that can happen is Chase will say “no.” But if you do have to pay $550 every year, just make sure you take advantage of the card’s huge list of benefits in order to get your money’s worth. Otherwise, you can get one of the many credit cards with no annual fee available.
This answer was last updated on 07/16/24 and it was first published on 05/14/18. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.
