Check out our Top Rewards Cards to boost your points earning and travel more!
I took one more in-branch stab at the Chase Sapphire Reserve, acting upon the glimmer of hope from Adam’s experience yesterday.
Unlike Adam, I had no pre-approved offers of any kind, through still tossed out the app. It was quickly denied and when I called a credit analyst I got the curt, frustrated response of an agent who has head it too many times over this card.
Since I already had a hard credit inquiry today, I went to plan b, one of the cards not impacted by Chase 5/24. The same-day inquiries should merge into one, so I get something out of it for the cost of an inquiry.
Cards Not Impacted by Chase 5/24
I already have Fairmont, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott Business.
I have no need for AARP, Amazon, or Disney.
That left British Airways and Ritz-Carlton. I previously held both cards though have not received the bonus in the past 24 months. Under current offers I am eligible for either.
I will get Ritz-Carlton if a good points offer comes around. I have little use for free night certificates with an expiration date, and a program that won’t provide breakfast for me on those stays. The card’s benefits are useful to some, not much to me.
British Airways 50k
British Airways it is. The current offer is 50,000 Avios after $3,000 spend. Sounds pedestrian though our UK friends probably are envious.
Offers have come and gone with an additional 25,000 Avios at account anniversary for total $10,000 spend, and another 25,000 Avios for reaching a total of $20,000 spend. Even if that offer were available, with my current limited spend generation capacity, and better uses for spend, I would stop at $3,000 anyway.
I submitted the app and was told to call in to verify information. Unlike the credit analyst for Chase Sapphire Reserve, I was greeted cheerfully. No questions beyond verifying me and reallocating credit. I moved $5,000 credit from my IHG card. Approved.
I’ll take it.
My Chase Sapphire Reserve Strategy
I have 2 Freedom cards. After I max out first quarter gas stations and second quarter drug stores, I may upgrade one to Chase Sapphire Reserve because I do not have any Chase card that can transfer Ultimate Rewards to airlines. My wife loves to fly Korean and I highly value United MileagePlus. I’ve been limping along without having a UR transfer-eligible card.
Maybe I’ll see if I can get lucky and convert the BA instead.
p.s. I am way, way, way over 5/24.
Check Out Our: Top Rewards Cards ¦ Newsletter ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Instagram
I like those 2 free Hyatt nights also. But I really enjoyed the two free nights, with suite upgrade and breakfast voucher , on the Fairmont Card. Any chance we’ll see that card available again?
I don’t see that as likely, though that is pure speculation. At a panel at the Loyalty@Freddie’s conference an Accor representative said they are still trying to sort through how to handle all the brands they have been buying and that it may be next year that we start to see announcements on how things will change or not, and the direction presumably is integration with Accor than expanding the Fairmont program on its own. The Fairmont card was an odd one, only a few hotels in the US and its own points program since Fairmont itself only has a… Read more »
According to Credit Journey on the Chase portal, I’m at 4/24. So I went to a Chase bank yesterday to apply for the CSR. To my surprise I was instantly denied. The banker put me on the phone with a Chase rep. She told me that I’m exactly at 5/24 and cannot approve my application. When I got home I checked creditkarma and sure enough I’m at 5/24. Lesson learned, Creditkarma is more accurate than Credit Journey.
It is good to check the actual credit reports from the bureau Chase uses directly, for instance in my state Chase uses Experian while Credit Karma gets data from TransUnion. There can be, and often are, discrepancies.
Amex is getting my business that the CSR would be getting.
Business is the operable word I think, I until Amex hurts the Business Platinum.
Yeah, did the same thing and was denied. I think I’m at 14(!)/24 so wasn’t expecting an approval but was hoping for a pre-approval. Went ahead and applied for the IHG about 2 hours later….and had no pushback at all after moving some credit around.
I’m just going to keep limping along with our Ink + Freedom + CSP forever, apparently. Unless I can justify upgrading the CSP to the CSR in my head (which seems a little silly to me since I carry the Amex Plat and find value in the SkyClub access and premium cruise benefit).
No offers at all huh? How far above 5/24 are you?
No offers for several years, across most banks, could be due to prior credit freezes, which automatically removes you from offers for 5 years, after I unfreeze I try to opt back in bit never seems to do the trick. I want junk mail!
I have not had any offers in several years, I think tied to prior credit freezes, which automatically opt you out of credit card offers for 5 years, when I lift the freeze I have tried multiple ties to opt back in and I still don’t get any junk mail.
Does removing a credit freeze automatically remove your name from the opt-out list (and subsequently opt you back in)? I had frozen and unfroze my EX recently when applying for Citi cards due to double pulls with EQ. Not sure if that’s why I have no preapprovals as well….
Nope, it is 5 years unless you do something. I have tried to get back in using OptOutPrescreen.com and it has not worked, despite multiple attemps over past couple years. On Citi I only get the Simplicity or Diamond Preferred offers. Creditcards.com I get scraps. No mail. I don’t know fore sure on some of these because all the big banks I have or have had many cards so maybe they are tired of me.
I think Chase has a way to red flag you. Same with me, I used to get sooo many offers in the mail. Now I am not pre-approved for anything or get any offers. I am good with all the other banks and credit institutions
I get the United and Marriott offers… way over 5/24.
Sometimes I’m tempted to try… Chase only recently seems to be willing to “move the needle” for any CLIs.