Climbing credit card annual fees place extra emphasis on the value of its benefits. The Chase Dining credit, but it’s my favorite now – when it’s available.
In a prior version, this post contained an error that American Express required use of Resy to qualify for the credit rather than any charges settled at a restaurant found on the app, the same as Chase’s Open Table process.
What Is The Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables?
The Chase Sapphire dining credit is one of those benefits that sounds straightforward until you read the fine print. As it stands, this perk applies to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, not the Sapphire Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve for business cards Cardholders can receive up to $300 per year in dining statement credits, split into two use-it-or-lose-it windows (up to $150 from January through June and up to $150 from July through December). Credits apply automatically once an eligible charge posts, with no activation required, but unused portions do not roll over into the next period.
The catch is that this is not a blanket dining credit. Eligible purchases must be made at participating restaurants tied to Chase’s Sapphire Reserve dining programs, such as Exclusive Tables or the Visa Infinite Dining Collection. In practice, that limits where the credit can be used, particularly outside major cities. When it works, the credit offsets charges dollar for dollar until the semiannual cap is reached. But it’s when and if you can apply it.
Why I Love It
While Chase would prefer that you made reservations through Open Table and the Chase program, it’s not required in the same way that American Express’ has forced through its subsidiary, Resy. As such, any food and beverage charge incurred at a participating restaurant is valid for the credit, even if you don’t have a reservation first.
“Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can receive up to $300 annually in statement credits for dining at restaurants participating at the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program. The credits are distributed as follows:
- Up to $150 as reimbursement for eligible dining from January through June
- Up to $150 as reimbursement for eligible dining from July through December
Cardmembers can use the credit at multiple restaurants within each 6-month period. For example, if the cardmember spends $80 at a participating restaurant in February and another $70 at a different participating restaurant in May, both purchases are eligible for reimbursement through the first $150 statement credit.” – Chase
The credit is incredibly useful. When compared with the AMEX version which offers $50 bi-annually for American Express Gold card members, or $100 quarterly for American Express Platinum card members, it’s slightly less generous at $150 bi-annually for Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders. However, psychologically (or perhaps anecdotally) the $150 credit which could be used in part or in whole leads to a better experience. When I have $150 to spend instead of $100, dessert or an appetizer that wouldn’t necessarily be ordered is added. I enjoy it more.
I also don’t necessarily want to chase those experiences quarterly, but bi-annually I am more likely to use it fully.
Limited Availability
The real issue with the benefit is that it is limited in scope. In the United States there are 52 markets for these dining experiences and while that seems like a lot (and in many cities there are plenty of options), smaller markets have few options or are excluded altogether. Card holder friends of mine in Omaha, Nebraska would have to drive three hours to Kansas City to access just four restaurants on the list despite having James Beard finalists in their home town. Columbus adds another four, Milwaukee has just two, Tampa has four, but those are all mid-level markets. However, even the home to JP Morgan Chase and culinary event icon, New York City, has just 53. For context, the five boroughs have more than 18,000 restaurants on Open Table alone.
Restaurants participating with the program were already popular upscale restaurants like Momofuku, so reservations can be hard to come by even with some reserved solely for qualified chase account holders. On a quick three-day trip to New York, we were able to find reservations but not at times and venues we wanted to utilize.
My Experience
We found one to try in Fort Myers, Florida – the only one on the list. Our experience was exceptional. That comes down to the restaurant, Oise Ristorante, a unique take on Italian and Japanese fusion. It’s a marriage that shouldn’t work but does, blissfully. Chef Brad Kilgore (with restaurants elsewhere) found opportunities of conversion. The truffle carbonara features pappardelle in a cream sauce, but rather than bacon or guanciale, it utilizes fried pork belly prepared in a Japanese style. Instead of pork filling in gyoza, it’s spicy Italian sausage. It shouldn’t work but it’s absolutely incredible.
Of note, when I dined toward the end of last year, other checks were paid in front of me and, of course, the card attached to the check was a Chase Sapphire Reserve. The honest truth is that we would not likely have found nor selected this restaurant without the credit and its introduction. But as such, I and other diners clearly patronized (at least initially) because of the distribution through the network.
Conclusion
I am leery of new benefits that result in ever-climbing annual fees. This is a rare case of one where I used the benefit for its full value and felt like I got the better end of the deal. The problem with the benefit is its limited utility and coverage area. Hopefully, this will grow over time.
I’m surprised you’re raving about the CSR benefit compared to the AX Resy benefit. Honestly MUCH harder to find a participating restaurant even if you don’t need a reservation to get the benefit. as Resy has so many more restaurant options.
@Christian – I feel like I stated that pretty clearly considering the title highlights where it’s available and then I mentioned just how much greater the selection is on Resy than Open Table.
Yeah, but it still sounds weird to rave about how incredible the Chase dining program is when it’s a clear number 2. I would guess that you wouldn’t have written this the same way if you had realized in advance that AMEX doesn’t require reservations for their program.
Your point about the $150 x 2 v $100 x 4 is interesting. I would counter in favor of $100 x 4 because it makes it nore likely that I will use the credit naturally, without forcing dessert or extra drinks.
This. Didn’t make it to $150 on my first try with Chase. Not that it mattered – didn’t credit anyway. Meanwhile there are thousands of Resy restaurants and if you live in a major city it’s beyond easy to spend $100 with Resy restaurants a quarter – no reservation required!
I live in Chicagoland is it’s still a 45 min drive plus paid parking. Might as well cook at home
Really should of just made an open table credit.
FYI – correction on one point. You don’t need a reservation to earn the Amex Plat credit. The restaurant just needs to be one that accepts Resy reservations.
“Eligible Resy purchases include purchases made directly from U.S. restaurants that offer reservations on Resy.com and the Resy app and accept American Express® Cards, purchases made directly on Resy.com or in the Resy app, and purchases made via Resy Pay. Restaurants must be live on Resy.com or the Resy app at time of purchase to be eligible for the statement credit and are subject to change at any time. Purchases of Resy OS restaurant management software, and Resy-branded American Express® Gift Cards are not eligible. Gift cards purchased at restaurants or purchases made on-site at events when the restaurant uses a third-party to process or submit the transaction to American Express (e.g. restaurant invites an outside merchant/non-Resy restaurant to sell goods at the event) also may not receive the statement credit.”
@Greg – Absolutely fair, I updated the post and thank you for clarifying my misunderstanding.
AX Gold does not require a res. Auto credits after any charge as long as the restaurant is on Resy.
Corrected the post, thank you for the clarification.
Yeah as @Greg said you don’t need a reservation – no clue what you’re talking about. And Amex at least tracks – only one of my two Chase benefits has tracked so far. The follow up is awful. Wrote Chase a message – said they’d get back to me in one business day, then said five business days, no one ever got back to me. Called afterwards and they said “we’re sorry, we’ll get back to you in 10 business days.” This is premium? Barely 50 restaurants now participate in NYC. Complete joke.
Phoenix Palace worked for me; waiting on Casa Mono.
I’ve used the credit twice in Las Vegas. Paid the bill and as soon as it posted, it was refunded. Very handy if you have participating restaurants in your area.
This article is extremely poorly written and a contradiction in terms.
As stated above, Amex does not require a reservation through Resy. So that’s just wrong.
Amex’s restaurant footprint (through Resy) is significantly higher than Chase’s. And it offers 400 USD a year versus 300 USD a year.
@John – As stated in the title, “if you can find them” is clear that Open Table with the Chase Sapphire Reserve tables are drastically lower than the AMEX and Resy. I corrected the note about needing to book a reservation to qualify for the benefit. But I also made clear that while more nominal dollars ($300 vs $400) the benefit is quarterly vs bi-annually and thus a user is more likely to lose the benefit if they do not use them regularly. Further, the lower per-use credit ($100 quarterly vs $150 bi-annually) is more likely to lead to exceeding the benefit in active users.
For me, a perq like this can be a great “freebie,” but doesn’t really factor in my valuation of the card. The two places in Cincinnati, for example, are places that wouldn’t be on my radar. But, I’m guessing I could have fun with a “free” $150. Try one each 6 months.
Orange County California has 3,000,000 residents, but no eligible restaurants to use the Chase dining credit.
I appreciated your article and we found the same benefits and challenges trying to use our Chase Reserve dining credit. As we continue trying to justify the annual cost of the Chase Reserve card, we run into quirks or snags. For example, this past week, we were travelling and had a long mid-day layover at IAH. We attempted to use our Priority Pass benefit at one of the lounges in Terminal D and both lounges said they were no longer allowing entry to Priority Pass customers during the day. One said only after 3:30 and the other said not until 6pm. We actually had chosen this connecting city because we knew there were a couple of lounges there. There were other Reserve customers and PP holders at the counter who were as upset as we were. So, to add to your point about the limited restaurants for the Chase dining credit in some areas, the Priority Pass benefit also has limited use. Disappointing for such an expensive card.
I have both the Platinum card, Gold card and CSR so get both dining benefits. IMHO the Amex one is much easier to use. However, I travel quite a bit and can easily use the one from Chase. I live in Charlotte and originally there were no restaurants here. Now we have a few listed. One happens to be a mid level, well regarded restaurant near me so easy to grab lunch 3-4 times and use the credit. However, I prefer to use it on restaurants I wouldn’t otherwise go to. For example, I’m flying to LA this weekend then on to Japan and Korea. I booked a really cool restaurant in Santa Monica for lunch Saturday and an Italian restaurant in West Hollywood on the way back. Likely will blow past the $150 in total but I was going to eat at a nice restaurant anyway so, for me, I value this (and the Amex Resy credits) at full value. Of course that depends on your tastes and lifestyle.