Active duty military can now get the most popular Chase personal travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for free!

While the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) prompted a couple of credit card companies to waive annual fees and cap interest rates under certain conditions for their cards, most credit card companies did not provide any special benefits to the members of the military.

The game changed dramatically in 2017 when Congress implemented additional provisions to the Military Lending Act (MLA). Because of MLA, Chase is waiving the annual fees for members of the military and their dependents.  This doesn't just apply to a select few cards, it includes the most valuable products in Chase's portfolio of personal credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® For Military

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® launched in August 2016 and quickly became the latest must-have card despite its $550 annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, the most valuable and flexible travel reward currencies available. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® card are worth at least 1.5 cents per point when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. With the current sign-up bonus of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points, the bonus is worth at least $900 toward travel.

Besides its lucrative sign-up bonus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®'s other benefits have made it worthy of the high annual fee. The card's other features are:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• An easy to use, annual, $300 travel credit
• Priority Pass lounge access
• 5X points on air travel and 10X on hotels and rental cars when purchased through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 spent on travel purchases annually.
• 3X on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
• 50% more value when you redeem through Chase Travel℠
• TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry statement credit, up to $100 once every four years
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance coverage
• $550 annual fee

Don't worry, when Chase waives the fees under MLA for military members, the card’s benefits remain exactly the same.

Avoid confusion. There is another Sapphire card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s a great card as well, and it may sometimes offer a higher sign-up bonus. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns points at a somewhat lower rate, the points aren’t worth quite as much, and it does not include a travel credit.

Between the two Sapphire cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a top recommended card for military. Annual fees for both would be waived, but the perks associated with the Reserve are greater.

Chase also restricts the number of Sapphire cards you can have at any time to one, so it’s not possible to get both cards. Additionally, a Sapphire product sign-up bonus can only be earned every 48 months.

Please note, Chase does not apply MLA benefits to their business credit cards. 

How Chase Cards Make Military Travel Easier

Besides the points and miles active duty service members can earn with Chase cards, the other benefits these cards offer can make travel easier and more comfortable.

Annual Travel Credits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card offers a highly versatile and easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit annually. This credit posts to your account automatically anytime a qualifying travel charge is made. Qualifying charges include airfare, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours, tolls, parking, and more.

Airport Lounges

Traveling can be a stressful experience. Between crowded gates and expensive airport food, a long layover can feel like torture. Having access to an airport lounge makes the entire ordeal much more pleasant and less expensive.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card grants access to the Priority Pass network of airport lounges and restaurants, while the United Club Card grants access to the cardholder and eligible companions to the United Club when flying on United.

Not only are lounges a quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of the terminal, but they offer food and drinks, free WiFi, and plenty of outlets for charging devices. A military family can save a bundle just by being able to grab meals or snacks between flights. Some lounges even have playrooms for kids, complete with books, toys, and video games.

TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry

Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® include statement credits to cover the application costs for expedited screening. Every four years, the account is eligible for a TSA or Global Entry statement credit.

When you have TSA Pre-Check, you can skip the long lines at security. Those with TSA Pre-Check can keep their shoes, belts, and jackets on, and won't need to remove items from their carry-on bags, making the entire line move more quickly.

For active-duty military, the Common Access Card (CAC) number can be used for the Known Travel Number (KTN), so a TSA Pre-Check credit card benefit may be used for another family member. Kids 12 and under may go through the TSA Pre-Check lanes with a parent, making traveling with little ones easier. However, the CAC does not give military service members access to Global Entry, the trusted traveler program that provides expedited entry into the US. When reentering the United States from overseas, Global Entry recipients visit a kiosk at Customs and Immigration, avoiding the regular lines, and complete the process with far less time and effort.

When considering which program to apply for, you should know that Global Entry recipients also receive a KTN. This makes Global Entry the better option as it includes all the benefits of both programs. However, everyone going through Global Entry is required to be enrolled, regardless of age, so children will need to enroll as well. Luckily, there are plenty of cards currently offering this benefit, so there are opportunities for the entire family to enroll and skip the lines at the airport.

Chase And The Military Lending Act

Chase has the most liberal interpretation of the law but is only waiving annual fees for credit cards opened after the MLA effective date of Oct 3, 2017. Annual fees on credit cards opened prior to that date will not qualify. Instead, the account has to be closed before you can reapply. The new account will qualify for MLA benefits.

There have been some data points suggesting some have been successful when asking Chase to apply MLA to their credit cards opened prior to Oct 3, 2017. Those appear to be rare exceptions, but it never hurts to ask! For many military members, Chase automatically applies MLA benefits. Eligibility confirmation may be triggered when “Military” is selected as the source of income during the application process. You should receive a letter informing you that MLA benefits have been applied without having made the request. If not, you can always call Chase using the number on the back of your card and request MLA benefits.

Chase will not waive fees under SCRA unless the credit card was opened prior to entering active duty. Reserve and National Guard service members can make the SCRA request if activated. Likewise, they may apply for a Chase card while activated for more than 30 days and have the fees waived under MLA.

What Exactly Is The Military Lending Act?

The Military Lending Act (MLA) is a law designed to protect “covered borrowers” from predatory lending practices like payday loans, vehicle title loans, and tax refund loans. On October 3, 2017, Congress expanded the Military Lending Act (MLA) to include certain protections involving credit cards. MLA defines covered borrowers as:

• Full-time active duty service members (and those under a call or order of more than 30 days)
• A covered member dependent:
• Spouse;
  • Children under age 21;
  • Children under age 23 enrolled full-time at an approved institution of higher learning and dependent on a covered member (or dependent at the time of the member’s or former member’s death) for over one-half of their support
  • Children of any age incapable of self-support due to mental or physical incapacity that occurred while a dependent of the covered member under the preceding two bullets and dependent on a covered member (or dependent at the time of the member’s or former member’s death) for over one-half of their support

As with other military benefits, a covered borrower’s eligibility is confirmed through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), so be sure all dependents are in DEERS before applying for a new credit card.

What MLA Does

The protections MLA provides include a 36% APR cap on interest incurred while on active duty, but the law factors in fees and other charges when calculating that cap. Here’s where things get a little murky. Bonafide fees can be excluded. That begs the question, what is, and what isn’t a bonafide fee?

Chase 5/24 Explained

Several years ago, Chase implemented a rule regarding the number of new credit card accounts an applicant can have recently opened. It’s not found in the terms and conditions of the card agreements, nor is it publically published anywhere. Those in the travel rewards game commonly refer to it as 5/24.

The 5 refers to the applicant’s number of newly opened personal credit card accounts. This means any personal credit card, not just those issued by Chase. The 24 represents the previous number of months.

An applicant who has opened three personal credit cards in the past 24 months is said to be at 3/24. Once an applicant has opened five personal credit cards in the past 24 months, they are at 5/24 and will no longer be approved for any Chase credit cards.

It’s important to note that most business cards are not reported to the consumer credit bureaus and will not count against your 5/24 status as long as the business account is in good standing. The exceptions are Capital One and Discover. Both issuers report business account activity to the consumer credit bureaus.

What About Other Credit Card Companies?

Credit companies have had to interpret MLA for themselves and decide how to implement it for their products. Unfortunately, not all have come to the same conclusion regarding whether an annual fee constitutes a bonafide fee.

American Express

American Express has been waiving the annual fees for military under SCRA on its product lineup for quite some time.  As a result, they've built up a loyal military following, particularly with its top cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express.

For service members just starting out with travel rewards; resist the urge to immediately apply for The Platinum Card® from American Express. While Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an incredible and valuable card, Chase also has an amazing collection of cards. Additionally, Chase’s 5/24 rule means that everyone, military included, should focus on applying for Chase cards first.

Capital One

Capital One waives annual fees under SCRA, but only if when opened prior to entering active duty. The request can be made online here or by calling 1-866-516-4023.

Capital One doesn’t have a huge portfolio of credit cards, and that’s okay since they limit you to holding just two of their personal credit cards. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card miles can be redeemed for flights, car rentals, hotels, ride-sharing apps, cruises, or transferred to travel partners.