What happened
Chase is emailing some Sapphire Preferred cardholders 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points to upgrade to Sapphire Reserve after $4,000 of spend by December 15, 2026. Frequent Miler reports the emails are going only to selected Preferred holders.
The 75,000 points post only after $4,000 of spend on the upgraded card. Last year Chase paid 25,000 points for the same upgrade after $3,000 of spend. 1:1 Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt now require a Sapphire Reserve.
Frequent Miler argues an upgrade can capture several years of calendar credits before a prorated downgrade. The post says the bonus and credits remain a reason to take a targeted upgrade even though the refreshed Reserve has been underwhelming. Consider the product change if the email arrived and the holder already had a Reserve or is over 5/24; anyone who never held Reserve and is under 5/24 should apply for a new Sapphire Reserve instead.
- Ends
- Dec 15, 2026
- Numbers
- 75,000 points: upgrade bonus
- $4,000: required spend to earn the bonus
- 25,000 points: prior-year upgrade bonus
- $3,000: prior-year required spend
- Who qualifies
- Targeted Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders who receive the email
- Takeaway
- If you got the email and already had a Reserve or are over 5/24, consider the upgrade; if you never had Reserve and are under 5/24, apply for a new Sapphire Reserve instead.