Click below to explore how Pierson uses his
Chase Sapphire Reserve card to maximize experiences
Maximizing The Everyday
Finding Unique
Food Experiences
Uncovering
Inspiration
“It was so fun and so meaningful to me as a Japanese-American.”
Restaurants are central to Pierson’s social life. He’s also passionate about spotlighting Asian-American creators and cuisine within his content to highlight his heritage and support local businesses. Having a Chase Sapphire Reserve card has enabled him to do that in new and interesting ways, like discovering specialty shops with a 12-months free subscription to Instacart+. “I try to look for Asian grocery stores with that and just support them any way I can with my card,” he says. Instacart+ members also earn up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024.
His favorite example happened earlier this year, when he attended an event that’s part of the Hit List Dinner Series in San Francisco. The unique dining experience available for purchase to Reserve cardmembers offers exclusive access to new restaurants across the country. Pierson attended one of the Hit List events at Chef David Yoshimura’s Restaurant Nisei. “It was so fun and so meaningful to me as a Japanese-American,” says Pierson. “It feels so exclusive, but anyone with a Sapphire Reserve card can sign up. The drinks were amazing. The music was awesome. I made friends with the people at my table! I’m a social butterfly, and it just felt like this new dining experience.”
“I’m so frugal; if I have the
choice between paying for parking
or walking, I’ll always walk.”
Pierson is currently working on a memoir to share his life stories, and he says he draws writing inspiration through travel. Earning 5x total points on flights booked through Chase gives him the financial freedom to do that much more. “I want to go back to Bali. I want to go to Japan for cherry blossom season,” he says. On international trips, Pierson especially appreciates having zero foreign transaction fees on Sapphire Reserve card purchases made outside of the U.S., as well as fraud monitoring for any suspicious activity while he’s abroad. “I generally don’t carry any other cards with me except that one, and then my phone. So it’s just been easier and lighter on my mental health when I travel.”
Pierson also enjoys using points to enhance existing vacation plans. “I’m going to St. Louis, Missouri, for one of my best friends’ weddings next month. I booked a really nice hotel [with my] Sapphire Reserve card, which allowed me to get an upgrade,” he says. “It makes traveling more exciting, because I get to have upgrades without spending a lot of extra money.”
“It makes traveling more exciting, because I get to have upgrades without spending a lot of extra money.”
Pierson believes in spending responsibly regardless of his success. “I’m so frugal; if I have the choice between paying for parking or walking, I’ll always walk,” he says. Using his Sapphire Reserve card has allowed Pierson’s money to go further. For example, one card benefit offering 10x total points on Lyft rides made Pierson realize it was more economical to use rideshare services in his home base of New York City than to continue paying for his car—so he sold it.
Pierson also hopes to buy a house in the near future, and is always looking for ways to get more value for his money. Chase Sapphire’s Pay Yourself Back program, which gives eligible cardmembers the ability to redeem points for a statement credit to cover certain expenses—has been helpful in allowing him to set financial goals. “This credit card has been the most beneficial for me in this time period of my life. Not only am I able to redeem so much with my spending, but I’m also building credit, which can help me in the future.”
