A Reddit data point indicates that product changing a Chase Freedom card to become Freedom Flex does not reset the $1,500 limit on the 5% categories. Reader BN also confirms this that you don’t need to activate the categories anew, and everything just carries over and continues where you left off toward the $1,500 limit.
People were wondering whether to wait for mid-cycle to do the product change and double up on the categories, but apparently that’s not possible.
Related: Reader Question: Is Chase Freedom Flex Product Change Considered A New Account?
I’m in a pickle. Here’s my scenario:
I’m 5/24 and will fall to 4/24 on Dec. 13. I’m getting Chase Freedom Flex for sure but don’t know whether to apply on Dec. 13 or 14th. My 5/24 card was opened exactly on December 13, 2018. The last day to activate Q4 5% category is Dec. 14th.
Should I apply for CFF on Dec. 13 or 14th and hope 5/24 doesn’t affect me and if I can activate the quarterly category on time? Or should I just play it safe, forget the quarterly category and just apply on the 15th?
Cross posted on multiple threads to see opinions. Thanks.
can someone tell me the main pros and cons of switching?
The only con is that it becomes a Mastercard so you can’t use it at Costco if they have a 5x Warehouse Clubs category.
Do any of you with a ton of Chase application experience over the years have any sense of how long the introductory offer on the CF Flex will go for? I would think through at least the end of the year, not that I have much to base that on. I’d prefer to wait and apply for it in January but, obviously, really don’t want to miss out on the $200 bonus which, I assume, will be the first thing to get pulled from the offer. I’ve had the standard CF for well over a decade, and would almost certainly close it after having earned the $200 bonus on the Flex. The main reason I’d prefer to wait until January, is largely because I do most of my grocery shopping at WalMart. The standard CF will get me 5% back, in store, for the rest of 2020. Then in January, I’d probably get the CF Flex, as well as Capitol One’s WM card. Between those two, I will get 5% back on ALL grocery shopping for the entire length of 2021….assuming the planet is still in one piece.
One additional odd thing I noticed – when comparing the CF Flex and the CF Unl. directly, it appears the Unl can be used with Chase Pay (yes, I know that app is mostly dead….mostly) while the Chase Pay column under the Flex says, “No”. I know it’s supposed to be because Unl is a VISA, and the Flex is a MC. But my standard CF (also a MC) has always worked fine with Chase Pay…. most recently used it in conjunction with the My 76 app to get 25 cents off per gallon. BTW, that deal switched from Chase Pay as a source to Direct Pay (checking ACH) as of Oct. 1st.
Thanks for any insight.
Why do you want to close a no-annual-fee card you’ve had for “well over a decade?” That wouldn’t be good for your credit score.
…
I really would NOT recommend closing your old Freedom card, even after you get the Flex. It is an old card which helps your credit score more by keeping it open, plus it gives you an extra $1500 to spend in the bonus categories each quarter. Since there is no annual fee, what is the upside to closing it?
As for the length of the offer- as of now they haven’t released an end date. Often they will release one with notice, like they did with Sapphire 80k going on now, but there is a chance they won’t. End of the year is reasonable, but I think that would also be longer than most offers of this type have been available, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended much earlier. Though again, hopefully with notice.
Also of note: if you PC and continue to use your old Freedom card (you have 90 days), you still get immediate access to the 3% on dining, etc. on the new product. I was out of town and didn’t get to my new Freedom Flex right away, still earned in the 5% and 3% categories with the old card.
anyone know how to product change from sapphire preferred to the old freedom?
You can’t
This is exactly how it works when converting from Freedom to Freedom Unlimited. Why are people surprised?
… what kind of 5% categories with $1500 limit do you think Freedom Unlimited has?
Also note that it doesn’t fully deactivate the old card. I got an alert this morning that someone tried to spend about $650 on stubhub using my old Freedom card number. They did a smaller transaction last night too. I’ve had my FF for about 6 weeks now
I am debating if I should product change to flex from my freedom. Any advantages/downsides from coverting?
Pros – Flex has more benefits than Freedom
Cons – Only 1 Flex card allowed. If for some reason you want more than 1 Freedom card (to earn 5% on $3000 per quarter instead of $1500), you should keep your current Freedom and apply for a new Freedom Flex
I applied for a new Flex before PCing 3 old Freedoms into Flexs on the same phone call. I had already met the category bonus on each of the old Freedoms and was planning to try this. No issues having 4 Flexes.
Important Data point that you can have 4 Flexes, thanks.
Although I’m just wondering- what was the upside in converting all of those from Freedom? Whatever extra benefits the Flex has don’t have a spending cap, so you only need 1 Flex to get those benefits, there’s nothing gained by having more than 1. So why bother converting all those Freedoms over?
CtownBin Two reasons, I was attempting to be my own DP to reset the category spend counter. Second, the Flex offers 3% at drugstores, which I find valuable. No need to move credit around and can spread spend over multiple float dates.
I have freedom but I am saving it because you cannot get this in future. I am saving flex slot for either applying new app or future downgrade because you can have only one flex freedom.
Newbie You can PC as many freedoms as you have to Flex’s, I just did 3 last week after being approved a new Flex.
Flex is a Mastercard. When the quarterly bonus is gas (which it has been often) you cannot use it at Costco. This is where I buy gas 90+% of the time, so I won’t consider switching. If warehouse stores are the bonus category (which it rarely is), you cannot use the Flex instore (Mastercard is accepted online).
NK3
So just buy Costco cash cards online (or whatever they’re called now) and you can use them at the pump and in-store. It sucks to have to wait a week for the cards to come, but it doesn’t change much. Plus, you are wasting the 5% category if you’re spending it on gas. So many cards (Costco included) have great gas categories that you’re really only netting… 1%? I prefer to use it in-store at Costco where the best you’re really getting is ~2% so 3% net.
Why would anyone think that Chase would be so dumb as to allow such a gimmick to work?
Because it’s considered a different card family for the bonus.
So what? We’re not talking about new apps with signup bonuses. We’re talking about a product change from a legacy card to the card that was obviously designed to replace it.
At the end of the day, this community is all about being the data point you want to see. Great deals are almost always found on a no risk no reward basis. They don’t always work out, but then sometimes they do.
Charlie They’ve been dumb enough to allow more lucrative gimmicks than that to work.
But not this time?
Charlie Apparently not, but was worth a try.
lol you are giving them way too much credit…
Need I remind you:
1) Self-referrals was once a thing…
2) Editing URL on targeted SUB invite was once a thing…
But what if I cancel, call back to instead PC to a Sapphire, wait a month and a day, and then and only then, downgrade to a Freedom Flex? Can I double dip then?