Breaking Down the New $300 Dining Credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The *chase sapphire reserve* recently got a major facelift. On top of the long-standing $300 annual travel credit and lounge access (Chase Sapphire and Priority Pass), the bank added a slate of new perks to help justify the card’s new $795 annual fee – headlined by a $300 annual dining credit aimed squarely at food lovers.

It sounds simple: eat out, get money back. But as with most premium card perks, the fine print matters. To actually unlock this benefit, cardholders need to know where and when it applies.

Here’s how it works … and how to maximize it.

Related Reading: A Full Review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

How the Dining Credit Works

Sapphire Reserve and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders can now get up to $300 in statement credits each year for dining purchases. But the credit comes with two important twists:

• It’s split in half: up to $150 back from January through June, and another $150 from July through December. You can’t spend it all at once.
• It only works at restaurants that offer Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables through OpenTable’s Sapphire Reserve Dining Collection.

If you dine at one of these exclusive tables with your Sapphire Reserve, Chase will automatically apply statement credits until you hit the $150 cap for that six-month window. The benefit then resets for the next half of the year.

What Counts … & What Doesn’t

While the setup is straightforward, there are restrictions to keep in mind:

• Only Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables qualify. Critically, restaurants in the Visa Dining Collection without the exclusive “Sapphire Reserve” badge won’t trigger the credit.
• The terms are unclear whether delivery and takeout will count, though recent data points suggest they will. Additionally, if your order runs through a third-party app, a digital wallet, or even a mobile card reader, it may not post as eligible dining. But again, it looks like the credit has posted for some when using a mobile wallet like Apple or Google Pay.
• Gift cards and merchandise are excluded. While this is the stated policy, it will likely depend on how each specific restaurant processes these transactions. 
• Credits can take up to six to eight weeks to appear.
• Chase may reverse credits if you cancel, refund, or modify a purchase – or if you close your account within 90 days of receiving a credit.

In short, you’ll need to pay attention to those Sapphire Reserve exclusive badges on OpenTable.

Where You Can Use It

This isn’t a nationwide benefit. As of publication, Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables are only available in select U.S. cities, including:

If you live in or travel through one of these metro areas, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. But if you’re based in a smaller city or rural area without any participating restaurants, the benefit may be much harder to use, which could limit its overall value.

I live in Minneapolis, one of the cities where Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables are available. In my case, there are only three participating restaurants in the Twin Cities. That means if I want to use the $150 credit for the first half of the year – and again for the second half – I’ll need to plan a couple of nights out at one of these spots … or use it during my travels.

For me – and for foodies in the right cities – this benefit is a valuable way to chip away at the card’s steep $795 annual fee, but it will certainly require some planning ahead. It's much more restrictive if you live in a smaller market. Unlike the card's $300 travel credit, which is almost impossible not to use, this dining benefit may take some effort (or repetition) to maximize outside of bigger cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

How to Add Your Sapphire Reserve to OpenTable

Before you can book exclusive tables or start earning dining credits, you’ll need to connect your Sapphire Reserve card to your OpenTable account. The setup only takes a few minutes:

• Visit OpenTable.com, or open the OpenTable mobile app.
• Sign in to your OpenTable account, or create a free one if you don’t already have one.
• Add your Sapphire Reserve card to your OpenTable account.

Once that’s done, you’ll see Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables appear when you search participating restaurants. Just make sure you use your Reserve card to pay for your meal.

Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables on OpenTable

Alongside the $300 dining credit, Sapphire Reserve cardholders also get access to exclusive reservations and special events on OpenTable through June 30, 2026. These primetime tables are held back for cardholders and can be booked once you’ve added your Reserve card to your OpenTable profile.

It may not save you money directly, but if you’ve ever tried and failed to snag a Friday night table at a buzzworthy spot, its a nice perk.

When the Dining Credit Kicks In

Not every cardholder has access to this benefit yet. Chase is rolling it out on a staggered schedule:

• New cardholders who opened a Sapphire Reserve on or after June 23, 2025, already have the dining credit available.
• Existing cardholders who had the card before that date won’t get access until October 26, 2025.

So if you’ve been carrying the card for years and don’t see the credit listed in your benefits yet, don’t panic – it’s coming soon.

Bottom Line

The Sapphire Reserve's new $300 annual dining credit is a nice perk for foodies in major U.S. cities – but it won't be useful for everyone. You’ll need to book Sapphire Reserve exclusive tables in OpenTable’s Dining Collection … and time your spending across both halves of the year to unlock the full value.

For those who can, it’s a powerful way to take a bite out of the Reserve’s $795 annual fee – and enjoy some great meals in the process.

Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.