One perk I actually use is the Chase Sapphire Reserve dining credit.
You get $300 a year. Two batches of $150. January to June. Then July to December. It only works if you eat at “Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.”
That name sounds exclusive because it kinda is. These are the hard-to-get reservations on OpenTable. The places where people camp out in line. The program gives you early access, sure, but the real draw is the free dinner money.
Who Gets This?
If you have the Sapphire Reserve. Or the J.P. Morgan Reserve. Even the business version works for reservations.
The J.P. Morgan card details are third-party data, not from Chase directly. Keep that in mind.
The program curates a list of US restaurants. Special time slots. Events you can’t book otherwise. Personal cardholders get the money credit too. Business cardholders just get the booking access. No cash back.
Where Can You Go?
Chase won’t give an exact number. Reports say somewhere between 360 and 400 spots.
Fifty US cities.
– New York
– Los Angeles
– Chicago
– Miami
– San Francisco
– Boston
And so on. It’s small. American Express partners with 25,0 claiming Resy. That’s a massive footprint compared to this.
If you live in the sticks? Your options are thin.
I live in upstate South Carolina. Three restaurants qualify. One of them is my favorite spot, though. So I’m covered. If I travel to a big city, the pool expands. If I stay put, I hit my local regular. It’s not ideal for everyone. Is it fair? Maybe. But it’s the rule.
How To Actually Use It
You can’t just swipe the card at any bistro.
- Link your card to OpenTable.
- Log into your Chase account. Click “Benefits.”
- Find the $300 dining credit tracker.
- Hit “Go to OpenTable.”
Create an account if you need one. Add your Sapphire Reserve as the payment method. That’s it. Activation is sticky. You don’t need to do it every month.
You can now book those exclusive tables.
Crucial detail: You don’t have to use the exclusive table booking to get the credit. You just have to eat at an eligible restaurant. Any reservation method works, as long as the place is on the Sapphire list.
I redeemed mine earlier this year. Spent nearly $200. Got 590 points. The card earns 3x on dining anyway, so you earn on the whole bill. The credit posted the next day. Sometimes Chase is fast. Sometimes it takes a cycle. Don’t panic.
The Fine Print
- Eligible restaurants only.
- $150 per half-year. No rollover. Use it or lose it.
- Gift cards count.
This last part is huge.
TPG contributor Matt Moffitt buys gift cards to use the credit. He stacks his visits. One dinner. Two credits triggered. $300 value. Technically legal. Ethically questionable to some, but Chase hasn’t banned it yet.
You earn points on the pre-credit amount too. But watch the dates. Merchant processing can shift transactions to the next billing cycle. If you buy on December 31st, that $150 credit might vanish into the ether. Wait a week to reset the period if you can.
What Real People Eat
We asked the team. Here’s how they cashed out:
- Emilie ate small plates and wine in NYC’s Lower East Side.
- Zoe hit the big names in NYC. Una. Casa Mono. Jeffrey’s Grocery.
- Andy went to Sailor in Brooklyn.
- Emily had a birthday dinner at BondST. Japanese food. Good time.
- Eric ate at Anajak in California. Thai. Michelin starred. He called his wife and his babysitter and finally had a night out. $300 bill. $150 on the card. $75 for two people. Not bad.
- Stephanie bought a gift card at Rich Table in SF because she couldn’t book a last-minute seat. Smart play.
- Brooke had oysters in Charleston.
The Takeaway
It’s a great perk. If you’re in a metro hub.
If you aren’t? You have to plan. Or use gift cards. Or accept that three local restaurants might have to suffice for six months.
Chase makes you work for it a little more than Amex. The inventory is limited. The geography is tight. But $300 free every year?
Hard to say no. Even if it means booking months in advance.
