More Rumored Information About Chase Sapphire Reserve/Elite

In case you’ve missed it, Chase will be launching a new premium credit card (projected to) launch on August 21st. The original Flyertalk user has shared some additional information, some of it we already knew, but some of it is new:

$450.00 Annual Fee
100K UR Sign up Bonus
$300.00 Airline Credit
Priority Pass Select
3X Points Travel
3X Points Dining (Yes 3X for Dining)
Visa Infinite

We were already knew about it being a Visa Infinite card, offering a 100k UR sign up bonus and offering 3x points on travel. Offering 3x points on dining, the airline credit (we knew it would offer an airline credit, but not the amount) and priority pass select membership plus the exact annual fee are new. Personally I hope this isn’t all Chase has planned for this card, because it’s not a very attractive prospect for keeping long term.

It’s likely that the airline credit will be for incidentals only, but even if we value it at $300 you’re still paying an additional $55 per annum for an extra 1x on travel & dining compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred (to be fair, you also get the priority pass select membership and extra Visa Infinite benefits, but to say that $300 in airline incidentals is the same as cash isn’t even close to being true). I wouldn’t think about keeping this card long term, I don’t highly value lounge access and already get better access from other cards. 3x on dining is great, but not that much better than what other cards offer. Juggling airline credits is a real pain and only something I find worth the effort if the card offers other significant benefits.

To me this just screams get the bonus, use the airline credit (hopefully it’s based on a calendar year so you can get it twice) and then cancel the card. There isn’t anything inventive about this card (unlike the Citi Prestige with their 4th night free benefit and free golf rounds – although these benefits are being cut back).

It’s important that this is only rumored information, I haven’t been able to confirm any of this new information with my sources and it’s also not clear yet if these are all the benefits that Chase will offer. I certainly hope that this isn’t the case, but at the same time most people won’t really care due to the Chase 5/24 rules anyway.

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DogsOfWar
DogsOfWar (@guest_279740)
July 30, 2016 10:08

I’m thinking of getting this one and product changing my CSP into a Freedom Unlimited since the paying the annual fee on both the CSP and this card would be pointless. I fly enough to use most of the $300 on incidentals or maybe just stock up on AA 500 mile certs.

RS_WI
RS_WI (@guest_280085)
August 1, 2016 10:25

DogsOfWar–
Think carefully about whether a Freedom Unlimited or regular Freedom would be more lucrative for your (non-dining, non-travel) spending habits.

You’d have to spend $20k to achieve 30k UR points, vs. $6k in the Freedom bonus categories each year. (I’m of course assuming you can/would max the bonus categories.)

If you’re thinking of the CFU for unbonused category spend, I’d look at steering other lucrative non-bonus miles/points that way… e.g. Alaska, SPG, etc. Take the regular Freedom route, have 30k UR AND $14k of capacity for other points.

ed
ed (@guest_279678)
July 29, 2016 23:25

Disappointed if it won’t include a credit for Global Entry like the Amex Plat does.

For the fat $450 annual fee, they should allow applications from those outside the 5/24 rule. That annual fee is gravy for them and they just have to make it so it can’t get credited if someone tries to get the points but cancel to get the fee back. Doing that to Chase is crazy anyhow, like slapping a mean bear.

Ctownbin
Ctownbin (@guest_279735)
July 30, 2016 09:07
  ed

“That annual fee is gravy for them”
I only wish that were true, but it simply isn’t. If Chase thinks that people outside 5/24 will not be profitable, long-term customers, then it doesn’t make sense to approve them, even if they keep the card the full year and pay the annual fee. Think about it- 100k UR is WAY MORE than the $450 annual fee, never mind the cost to Chase of the other benefits (airline credit, Priority Pass, etc). It’s really only profitable for them if people keep the card for multiple years, paying the hefty fee each year, and maybe even putting some spend on it earning only 1x (gulp!). This is not the people reading this blog. If Chase has figured out a method to weed those people- namely, 5/24- it’s actually a decent way on their part to curb our hobby and stop the bleeding. And it sucks for us.

What we have to hope is that other issuers don’t catch on and follow suit. AmEx already has with their once-lifetime rule, which is in some ways worse and some ways better then 5/24, though I suspect that they will eventually modify that rule. However, with 5/24, it feels like that one is here to stay.

chad
chad (@guest_281208)
August 4, 2016 13:46

It seems like your analysis disregards the swipe fees that a credit card issuer receives . . . . Perhaps Chase’s data shows that people that get these cards typically spend a lot anyway (regardless of any promised bonus), and so Chase predicts that they will recoup the cost of the benefits with a combination of the annual fee and swipe fees

NinjaX
NinjaX (@guest_279636)
July 29, 2016 17:09

we should just wait and see. no need for speculation because there are only 2 paths for people.

1) under 5/24 or rule doesnt apply to CSR then who cares what the card offers, youre gonna get it for 100k UR. you will end up churning it anyway… nothing to think about here

2) over 5/24 and rules apply. you cant get this card so move along. sorry man.

james
james (@guest_279658)
July 29, 2016 19:32

Agreed 100%. Thanks for setting it straight

Mike
Mike (@guest_279617)
July 29, 2016 15:43

The fact that the Citi Prestige and now this card will have generous bonus spending categories makes me wonder whether or not this is going to force AmEx’s hand in offering them on the Platinum. Those two categories are two of the biggest, if not the biggest, categories Platinum cardholders spend money on.

LRM
LRM (@guest_279590)
July 29, 2016 13:54

While not official, AmEx’s incidentals credits generally reimburse airline gift cards/online credits, so why do you see that as not the same as cash? If AmEx can’t distinguish these purchases from actual incidentals, is there a reason to believe that Chase would be able to?

Ryan
Ryan (@guest_280558)
August 2, 2016 15:18

Everyone that flies needs airline gift cards. ;P

Johnny
Johnny (@guest_279576)
July 29, 2016 13:21

The 3x dining is huge for me. Living in NYC, a large part of my monthly expenses are restaurants. Visa Infinite is already a huge perk imo, and if they increase the redemption rate (sapphire at 1.25c to 1pt), that would be the cherry on the cake for this card.

Mark O
Mark O (@guest_279555)
July 29, 2016 11:33

I wonder if GC will work for the credit. Do they for the Ritz Card.

Also I did a contact us about wings day but here is a good link if you want to write an article:

http://www.ibtimes.com/national-chicken-wing-day-2016-freebies-deals-promotions-spicy-holiday-2395373

Dave
Dave (@guest_279541)
July 29, 2016 11:01

How do you know the $300 airline credit is for incidentals (like AMEX Plat) and not for everything (like Citi Prestige)?

Another thing to keep in mind is that Chase *may* give more retention offers for a $450 card than a $95 card. The CSP is notoriously hard to get any offers, probably harder than any other card. I would be a little surprised if the Reserve card is as bad.

LarryInNYC
LarryInNYC (@guest_279537)
July 29, 2016 10:39

Credit for airline incidentals (as on the AMEX card) is not as good as cash. But credit for airfare (as on the Citi card) is, to me anyway, pretty much the same thing as cash.

Andy
Andy (@guest_279594)
July 29, 2016 14:05

If you take advantage of getting gift cards for the airline with the AMEX card then to me it is as good as cash for the AMEX card. it is a process and obviously citi is easier but it does work for now. it will be interesting to see if there is a way around airline incidentals for the new Chase card.

Gary
Gary (@guest_279837)
July 31, 2016 00:09

Think about the credit on the Ritz, because that’s what it’s gonna be. No need to conjuncture when you already have a Chase card with the airline benefit. Expect to have to get the credit manually applied often.

Personally, I consider the amex credit, the prestige credit, and the Ritz credit all to be cash.

c
c (@guest_281205)
August 4, 2016 13:35

For some of us, the airline credits are as good as cash. Particularly for traveling contract workers whose clients give travel allowances and/or reimburse airline ticket purchases. Using the gift card for the travel allows the travel allowance or reimbursement to essentially be cash inflow

ANON
ANON (@guest_279536)
July 29, 2016 10:35

Those currently with Visa Infinite (CNB) know that VI has plenty of perks and some would argue that VI alone is worth the annual fee.

I’m not going to go on the blogger bashing rampage but all I will say is do your homework and stop scraping off useless info from FT/other bloggers.

Be original – you are actually one of the few bloggers I can stand

Kent
Kent (@guest_279629)
July 29, 2016 16:41

It’s free info. Don’t understand the pomposity of some.