Before we dive in, if you want to see the current offer on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, my best offers page is always up to date: See current best offers

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $795 annual fee. That is a real number and I am not going to pretend it is not. But here is what I want to show you in this post: with a little intention and a calendar reminder or two, most families who travel at all can recoup that fee and then some — without doing anything complicated.

I am going to walk you through the four easiest credits to use, show you the running math as we go, and then give you a specific action plan for the biannual credits that reset before June 30 so you do not leave money on the table.

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Start here: the credits that essentially pay for themselves

Credit 1 — The $300 annual travel credit

This is the easiest credit on any card I have ever had. The $300 annual travel credit applies automatically to the first $300 in travel purchases you make each year. You do not have to enroll. You do not have to submit a receipt. You do not have to book through a portal.

Travel purchases that qualify include flights, hotels, rental cars, Uber and Lyft rides, parking, tolls, taxis, and most travel-related charges. For families who travel at all — even one flight, one hotel stay, or a handful of Uber rides to the airport — this credit is gone within the first month or two of card membership.

The moment this credit posts to your account, your effective annual fee drops from $795 to $495.

Running total offset: $300. Effective fee remaining: $495.

Credit 2 — Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

The card reimburses the application fee for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck ($85) once every four years. Global Entry is the better choice because it includes TSA PreCheck as part of the program.

If you do not have Global Entry yet, apply as soon as you open the card. If you already have it and it is coming up for renewal, the credit covers that too. If your spouse or child needs it, you can use the credit for any authorized user’s application.

At $120 amortized over four years that is $30 per year in value. But in the year you apply or renew it is the full $120 credit applied to your statement.

Running total offset: $420. Effective fee remaining: $375.

Credit 3 — StubHub and Viagogo biannual credit

Here is where it gets interesting for families. The card includes a $150 biannual credit for StubHub and Viagogo, which means you get $150 twice per calendar year — once in the first half and once in the second half — for a total of $300 per year.

StubHub covers tickets to sporting events, concerts, theater, comedy shows, and more. If your family goes to any live events — even one NBA game, one concert, one school play your kid is not in but you want to see — this credit covers it.

Because of when the Chase Sapphire Reserve relaunched, new cardholders in 2026 receive three rounds of these credits in their first year: one before June 30, one between July 1 and December 31, and one that renews on January 1, 2027. That is $450 in potential value in your first year.

Running total offset (using both 2026 credits): $720. Effective fee remaining: $75.

Credit 4 — OpenTable dining credit

The card also includes a $150 biannual OpenTable dining credit — again twice per calendar year for a total of $300 per year. Same structure as the StubHub credit, same three-round opportunity for new cardholders in 2026.

OpenTable is accepted at restaurants across the country including many everyday dining spots, not just fine dining. If your family eats out — even occasionally — this credit applies at thousands of participating restaurants.

Using just one round of the OpenTable credit pushes you comfortably past break-even on the annual fee.

Running total offset (adding one OpenTable credit): $870. You are now ahead of the $795 annual fee.

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The math in plain language

Here is what the numbers look like if you use just the four most accessible credits:

$300 travel credit — automatic, no effort required
$120 Global Entry credit — one application
$150 StubHub credit before June 30 — one event
$150 OpenTable credit before June 30 — one dinner out

Total offset in year one: $720 before you factor in the second half of the year credits or the 150,000 point welcome bonus. Add the second round of StubHub and OpenTable credits in the second half of the year and your total offset is $1,020 — well past the $795 fee.

And that is before you count the welcome bonus, which at the World of Hyatt transfer rate is worth multiple nights at a luxury resort for your family.

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The action plan: what to do before June 30

The biannual credits reset on June 30 and December 31. This is the single most important thing to know about getting full value from this card. If you do not use a biannual credit before the reset date it is gone.

Here is exactly what to do right now:

Set a calendar event for June 15 with the title “Use Chase StubHub credit before June 30.” Put the reminder two weeks before the deadline so you have time to find an event. It does not have to be a big purchase. A minor league baseball game, a local concert, a comedy show — anything on StubHub that costs $150 or less is fully covered.

Set a second calendar event for June 15 with the title “Use Chase OpenTable credit before June 30.” Make a reservation at any participating OpenTable restaurant for your family and put $150 toward the meal. Date night. Family birthday dinner. A Friday out. The credit makes it essentially free.

Set both of those calendar events again for December 15 for the second half of the year.

This is exactly what I do. Two calendar reminders twice a year. Four events. $600 in credits that cover most of my annual fee before I even think about points.

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One more credit worth knowing about

The Edit Collection Hotel Credits give you two $250 hotel credits per calendar year for stays of two or more nights at Edit Collection properties booked through Chase Travel. These are typically boutique and upscale independent hotels. New cardholders in 2026 receive both credits — $500 total — before December 31, with two more available after January 1, 2027.

These credits are harder to use than the others because Edit Collection hotels tend to be pricier properties and a two-night minimum stay is required. But if you have a trip planned that includes a hotel stay, it is worth checking whether the property qualifies. Stacking an Edit Collection credit with the Select Hotels $250 credit (also available in 2026) can take $500 off a single two-night stay.

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The honest bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is not the right card for everyone. The $795 annual fee requires intention. If you are not someone who travels, goes to events, or eats at restaurants, the credits will not work as hard for you and the math changes.

But if you are a family that takes at least one trip a year, attends live events occasionally, and eats out from time to time, this card pays for itself before you ever redeem a single point. And then the 150,000 point welcome bonus — transferable to World of Hyatt for luxury hotel stays or to over a dozen airline partners for flights — is pure upside.

The key is the calendar. Set the reminders. Use the credits before they reset. Do not let June 30 sneak up on you.

If you are ready to look at the current offer, it is on my best offers page: See current best offers

And if you want to read about the five best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points as a family — including the Hyatt hotel stays that have taken us to Hawaii, London, New York, and Santa Barbara — read that post here: The 5 Best Ways to Use Chase Sapphire Reserve Points as a Family

Questions? My DMs are open on Instagram at @pointsandmilesteachers. I read every single one.

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The editorial content here is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone.