Chase Sapphire Cards Temporary Enhancements: 2x/3x On Grocery; Travel Credit Additional Options

Now live. Chase announced today two enhancements to the Sapphire card lineup:

Sapphire Reserve link | Sapphire Preferred link

  • The Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards will earn a bonus multiplier at grocery stores on up to $1,000 per month. This benefit begins on November 1, 2020 and ends on April 30, 2021. Multiplier will be as follows:
    • 3x with Sapphire Reserve
    • 2x with Sapphire Preferred
  • The $300 travel credit will be able to be received from gas and grocery purchases through June 30, 2021 (in addition to travel purchases being an option as well).

Both of these are nice enhancements for the Sapphire Reserve card: aside from the 3x grocery earn being a nice category, it also stacks well with PayYourselfBack, and allows getting a bonus earn on the purchase you’re doing for PYB. Still not as good as the 5x grocery earlier this year.

The $300 travel credit enhancements are also terrific, and will be useful for more people due to the extension. I assume a lot of people will be able to use up two of their $300 travel credits on gas/grocery now. (People were asking about whether it’ll be possible to use the gas/grocery twice. I don’t see any reason not, and I assume that will work. With this extension, there should more people in the group who will be using it a second time.)

Hat tip to btr5017

 

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AllenW
AllenW (@guest_1089100)
November 11, 2020 23:00

I called chase and was told that since my CSR fee posted on 11-1 I have 41 days to PC it if I want and get the AF returned. So I figured I would cash out the bonus via PYB and go down to a no AF card. Is there any risk for a claw back on the travel credit or Bonus. I suspect no but figured I would ask.  William Charles

In hindsight I wonder if I should of done the 80K CSP then PC to CSR then to CF. BC the sub is bigger. Assuming you can get to the CF and have the Sub returned. Seems risky.

Avi
Avi (@guest_1089221)
November 12, 2020 06:43

AllenW Chase doesn’t claw back signup bonuses or statement credits like Amex does, so you should be fine.

Only issue with first signing up for CSP and PC to CSR is that you have to wait a year before you can upgrade.

AllenW
AllenW (@guest_1089229)
November 12, 2020 07:51

Ah good to know. Thanks. Let me ask you, is it worth it to keep the CSR for 1 year vs PC to CF? I’m bouncing it back and forth in my head but I fingered I would need 50K UR points to make it worth it from now till June or 10K spend on my INk.

Basically 10k spend Ink, using pyb = extra $250, make up the difference of the AF 550 minus 2nd travel Cr 300. I don’t think seems worth it. Maybe I’m missing something else? It’s 8k spend on ink to make up af for CSP.

Avi
Avi (@guest_1089336)
November 12, 2020 10:31

AllenW Doesn’t seem worth it to me to keep CSR just for future UR points that you’ll want to redeem for PYB. Just drain every last one of your current UR and move on, building a new stash of UR.

AllenW
AllenW (@guest_1089645)
November 12, 2020 17:09

Thanks, I’ll just PC and get the AF back and stash UR.

AllenW
AllenW (@guest_1108021)
December 12, 2020 21:27

PC’d to my first freedom card and a day later received $550 AF refunded and my Sub PYB credits. With some combined pt from my other cards turned this $500 bonus and perks into $1400 and a rotating card 5% categories. Not bad within 38 days.

Bill
Bill (@guest_1086343)
November 7, 2020 00:50

Crap, I thought that gas was still a 3x/5x category this month and used it the other day for a $30 gas purchase and could have used my Costco card (4x) instead. Time to take the card out of my wallet since it’s pretty useless at the moment. And you never want to say that about a card that you’re actually paying for.

Mat
Mat (@guest_1084156)
November 3, 2020 14:14

If i never had the CSR and upgrade my Freedom to CSR today, will it make me ineligible to apply for CSR OR CSP in near future with the 48 month rule?

Avi
Avi (@guest_1084168)
November 3, 2020 14:25

Mat You would still be eligible for the bonus (because you wouldn’t have received a Sapphire bonus in the previous 48 months), but you’d have to downgrade the CSR to a non-Sapphire card before applying for the CSR or CSP or they’ll automatically reject your application.

Mat
Mat (@guest_1084188)
November 3, 2020 14:50

Thanks, so would it be good to upgrade right now, considering these credits and keeping in mind thhefty e annual fee with this card, timing wise?

Avi
Avi (@guest_1084192)
November 3, 2020 14:53

Mat If you have a bunch of points you want to cash out with PYB, yes, but otherwise I don’t see a compelling reason to upgrade at this time.

Andy Li
Andy Li (@guest_1083977)
November 3, 2020 09:57

If I’m reading the terms per Chase’s website correctly:
1. Groceries still earn 3X WHILE counting towards the annual $300 travel credit (until June 2021)? Previously travel purchases din’t earn anything until the annual travel credit is eaten up.
2. The first $300 in travel purchases doesn’t earn 3X regardless if those travel purchases are credited from part of the annual $300 travel credit?

Basically if I spend $300 in groceries, I earn 3X on those and then fulfill the annual travel credit, but the next $300 in travel purchases still earn nothing?

Brad C
Brad C (@guest_1084313)
November 3, 2020 17:36

That’s correct. I did my $300 credit with groceries earlier this year. When I later got a hotel the first $300 got no UR at all.

Froide
Froide (@guest_1130534)
January 20, 2021 05:22

That does not compute. In actuality, whether groceries, gas, or actual travel purchases receive the $300 credit, purchase in all three categories, once the travel credit has been applied, should earn 3x UR. If they don’t, then you need to contact Chase to remedy that.

Craig
Craig (@guest_1083937)
November 3, 2020 08:19

By saying people will be able to use 2 of these travel credits, I assume you mean before and after their next AF hits. Or maybe if a person has both cards.

Aaron
Aaron (@guest_1083887)
November 3, 2020 02:27

Does anyone know if stuff like Amazon Fresh counts as grocery?

Ken
Ken (@guest_1083953)
November 3, 2020 08:59

Can confirm Amazon Fresh counts

Eric C.
Eric C. (@guest_1083877)
November 3, 2020 01:31

Good enough for 2 VGCs. I will take it.

slaven
slaven (@guest_1083697)
November 2, 2020 19:49

possible to triple dip on travel credit work while only paying 1 annual fee?
upgrade freedom on 12/30/20 to CSR and immediately charge $300 in grocery (credit #1); this followed by early 2021 grocery charge (credit #2); then on 1/1/22 do a regular travel charge (credit #3).
will downgrade CSR back down to freedom on 1/2/22.

Avi
Avi (@guest_1083705)
November 2, 2020 20:03

slaven Nope, it’s based on cardmember year, so you can only double-dip.

Ben
Ben (@guest_1083884)
November 3, 2020 02:12

How can you double dip if based on member year?

Avi
Avi (@guest_1083997)
November 3, 2020 10:12

Ben All cards based on member year can be double dipped. There’s a window of time after the credit resets and before you have to decide whether to pay the annual fee or cancel and get the annual fee refunded.

Ben
Ben (@guest_1084037)
November 3, 2020 10:58

Thanks for explaining! So I can use the whole credit and then downgrade the card in the 13th month and the travel credit won’t be clawed back?

Avi
Avi (@guest_1084186)
November 3, 2020 14:47

Ben Correct.

ymx
ymx (@guest_1083696)
November 2, 2020 19:49

Anyone know from past experience if Whole Foods pickup/delivery through Amazon will code correctly as groceries as part of the $300 travel/grocery credit?

WFM
WFM (@guest_1083941)
November 3, 2020 08:28

Looking at some of my statements with Chase Amazon card, it looks like WF delivery through Amazon is shown on the statement as “Groceries”. The description is “WFM Amazon*[some code]”. Lots of caveats of course: this is a different card, what is listed on the statement is not the MCC (The tip is listed as Shopping for example). But potentially hopeful!

Ray
Ray (@guest_1076467)
October 20, 2020 21:13

Effective 4.5% back which is good for CSR holders. This is good for me as I’m overseas and basically every single Amex perk is US stateside only, whereas the CSR is worldwide. Sure the CFU is 5%, but it has a foreign transaction fee, which makes it useless for me. I’m happy with this perk but I rather it be 4% or 5% when there free CFU card gives 5%.

Kafka
Kafka (@guest_1076669)
October 21, 2020 03:29

More is always better, but their free card by itself only gives 2% (5% minus 3% FTF). If you hold a CSR, they’re both effectively 4.5%, so you don’t have to reduce earnings to use PYB.
Basically it’s another 3x overseas grocery (Citi Premier, BoA Cash Rewards with Preferred, PenFed, Navy FCU, Andrews FCU), but with a better point value.

Justin
Justin (@guest_1076821)
October 21, 2020 10:41

Isn’t 5% on the CFU only a promotional offer on new cards for the first 12 months?