5 Little-Known Perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Some credit card perks stand out right away. For the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, that includes its $300 annual travel credit and airport lounge access. If you're thinking about applying, you'll probably also notice the sign-up bonus: 75,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Features like these can help outweigh the $550 annual fee.

I'm a long-time cardholder, and those benefits are favorites of mine, too. But this Chase card also has several little-known, but still useful perks.

1. Spending credits at airport restaurants through Priority Pass

As a cardholder, you get a complimentary Priority Pass membership. This gets you access to over 1,300 airport lounges. It's a great benefit, but it's also not that unique. Many popular travel credit cards have this -- with one key difference.

A Priority Pass membership also includes spending credits at over 50 airport restaurants partnered with the program. But the Priority Pass membership you get through most travel credits doesn't include that benefit. You can access the lounges, but you don't get spending credits at the restaurants.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an exception. It includes the restaurant benefit. I've used it multiple times to save $28 per person for myself and my wife at airport restaurants. The credit amount varies by restaurant, but $28 is common, and you also get it for up to two guests.

2. Primary rental car insurance

Lots of credit cards include complimentary rental car insurance, but it's usually secondary insurance. That means you need to file a claim with your own auto insurance first, which could raise your rates. The credit card insurance only kicks in for what your own insurance doesn't cover.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has primary coverage with a high coverage limit. It provides reimbursement of up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the United States and abroad. You can file a claim with this insurance first, so you don't need to involve your own car insurance company.

3. Return protection of up to $500

Return protection is a useful benefit if a merchant won't accept a return. With eligible items you pay for using the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can be reimbursed if the store won't take the item back within 90 days of purchase. The coverage limit is $500 per item and $1,000 per year.

This is the best return protection I've found on a credit card. While some other cards offer this benefit, most have a coverage limit of $300 per item, $200 less than what you get from Chase.

4. Access to special events and experiences

Cardholders get access to live entertainment, sports, and dining events through Chase Sapphire Experiences. While you might not always find something you're interested in, Chase has a variety of events available.

For example, Chase offers tickets to invite-only events and a Chase Sapphire Lounge at Miami Art Week and Sundance Film Festival. You can access the lounges if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® or a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. But certain areas and lounge events are only open if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Chase and Visa will also be offering special benefits for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. These are just a few examples -- there's usually plenty you can book in Chase Sapphire Experiences.

5. Visa Infinite Concierge service

Since this is a Visa Infinite card, you can call in for Visa Infinite concierge service. Concierge agents can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, event tickets, and much more. Now, I'd guess that only a small portion of cardholders have actually used this perk. I've been a cardholder for over seven years and had never tried it until recently.

I figured that now was as good a time as any to try it out. I also had a good reason to use it, as I recently moved to a city in France, and I need a place to get my hair cut.

I was very impressed with the service. When I called, I was prompted to enter my card number and make two selections for the automated menu. After that, a concierge agent picked up right away. I explained what I was looking for, and they asked a couple of questions, including my budget. Less than three hours later, I had an email providing three well-reviewed hair salons, all within a 10-minute walk from my home.

Because there are so many Chase Sapphire Reserve® benefits, it's easy to overlook some of them. The ones you just read about may not get as much attention, but they're all valuable benefits.