italdesign

Do Authorized Users get the same benefits? For example, if my AU pays for a rental car using my CSP, would he get what is now primary coverage? If he pays for award travel tax and fees using my CSP (I believe the language says you have to pay all or part of the cost; correct me if I'm wrong), would he get trip interruption coverage?

augustus21

Yes, AUs get the same benefits.

kenshinluo

Can you please advise where you got that info from? I secure messaged Chase and they told me to call VISA because VISA provides the benefits. I prefer not to do that if someone has confirmed info here

beltway

From the official benefits brochure, here's the CDW language
and the trip cxl/interruption language:
Wiki created with relevant links.

cc0818

Hey all,

Quick question about points for booking travel through the UR portal. I've seen some people saying that they have received 3x when they book travel through the UR portal. I just double-checked a plane ticket purchase I made in June through the UR portal and I only received 2x. So with the new guidelines, starting in 2016, will we be earning 2x for travel booked through the portal, or 1x? And if some of you have been earning 3x, why did I only receive 2x on a UR travel purchase in June?

Thanks!

highops

I don't have it open in front of me, but typically a statement says:
1 points per dollar on all purchases xxx
+1 point per dollar on travel purchases yyy
+1 point per dollar on Ultimate Rewards travel zzz
There are a few other categories.

Portal travel purchases will show up in all 3 categories leading to the 3x. I assume the one in red will just go away leaving the usual 2x for travel.

kenshinluo

if i redeem UR points to rent a car, but leave, say 10 dollars and pay with the CSP, do I get primary insurance on the rental?

beltway

No. See the benefits guide (link in wiki) for terms/restrictions.

Ed Janowsky

Here's the latest on Chase Ultimate Rewards Program changes.


REWARDS PROGRAM CHANGES
Getting cash. You can continue to redeem your points for cash through a statement credit or direct deposit into an eligible checking or savings account. However, Pay Yourself Back will no longer be available after 10/25/2014, and paper checks will no longer be available after 11/15/2014.
Earn on travel. You will continue to earn an extra point for each $1 of airfare and hotel accommodations booked through chase.com/UltimateRewards until 12/31/2015. After that, you will no longer earn an extra point. We may periodically offer you ways to earn bonus points through the program.

Other changes.

We've modified existing features:

•Merchandise may be offered directly through Chase or third-partymerchants

•The Ultimate Rewards Mall will be referred to as Shop through Chase℠

We're discontinuing underutilized features:

•Auctions
•Purchasing Ultimate Rewards points

Ultimate Rewards Program Agreement.
Effective 10/26/2014, we've changed the name of the agreement and clarified how the program works. The new version can be found here or by calling the number on the back of your card to get a copy. Along with the other changes mentioned in this communication, we have added details about how we will tell you about changes, what points are worth, when your use of Ultimate Rewards may be suspended, how you can lose your points, responsibilities related to the rewards you obtain, and the law applicable to the agreement.

wise2u

Got a mailer from chase today and it seems they are gutting the rewards program.
Pay yourself back is no longer available after 10/25 and paper checks will be no longer available after 11/15. It goes on to say they will no longer give an extra point for airfare or hotel after the end of the year.
They also changed the name of the ultimate rewards mall to "shop with chase" and added that merchandise may be offered by third party merchants...so chase is stepping back on this avenue too.
If this weren't enough bad news, it goes on to say they are discontinuing underutilized features like autions and purchasing UR points.
Effective 10/26 they change the T&C...the new version can be found here: WWW.Chase.com/INK9
I don't like the new changes on many of their cards, my wife just liquidated her UR points to Hyatt before paying $95 for another year....I may just cash mine out in a check while it's still an option.
I know some of you would scold me for it not getting enough return, and I may split my remaining 200K by getting Hyatt with half of them. the wife and I still haven't got the Hyatt cards yet.
I have plenty of UA, SW, and Marriott points, so am I wrong to redeem for a check on half of them?
They didn't mess with the 5% bonus, but hinted at periodic bonuses, which sounds to me, like they may start rotating bonuses.
All in all, a bad day for UR

mia

The changes to Ultimate Rewards (for all cards) have been announced in waves of mailings. You may wish to look in this thread, beginning about post 1266.

bobbyt1

Given all these changes, if you were applying for a new card (Visa or MC based) which would it be? I already have an Amex SPG that I primarily use, but like all Amex holders, need an Visa or Mastercard alternative.

EVA777

Take a look at the Barclay's Arrival.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...l-credits.html

anime333

My thoughts:

I never really got the hype with the CSP card. IMO, its the travel blogs that have really made it so popular. Plenty of other cards offer higher sign-up bonuses and equivalent or superior categories. Considering that the dining bonus with the CSP is hard to use, I would say that their main benefit is 2 points per dollar of travel. But, I can get 3 Amex rewards/$ on an AMEX Gold card for flights, and for hotels I can use the associated brand card for a much greater return. Other than that, its really tours/trains that the CSP will be unique for, and how frequently does one need the card for that? Even then, the Barclay regular card has 2.2 cents/$ on travel with no annual fee and simpler redemption options, even if I'd value 2 UR points at 3-3.5 cents. Even if one doesn't like those particular cards, most airline cards offer 2-3 points/$ on flight spending, and the United cards offer 2/$ on restaurants and gas as well along with the other benefits of using those cards on flights.

The 7% bonus did make it slightly nicer than some other cards, especially if you put a lot of travel spending on the card. But just not worth it for me as a long-term card.

On the UR mall changing:

Buying points and auctions were certainly very underutilized. I can see the benefit of topping off with buying points (which I am sure is why it was canned), but really it is a tiny loss. Travel booked through the UR mall was often more expensive than booking it elsewhere; much more so than the extra point/$.

roki

The biggest (and sometimes overlooked) benefit of the CSP comes from pairing it with the Chase Freedom. The 1:1 transfer partners (most notably UA and BA) essentially turn the Freedom card into a 5 UA mile per $1 spent card, in the 5% categories and up to the quarterly cap. Put it this way:

I usually hit around $1250 of the $1500 quarterly cap on the Freedom, which is 25K UR points a year from the Freedom. That's $250 cash. If I pair it with the CSP, I can throw those points into BA, and book a RT flight from LAX to HNL that would cost me $500-$600, which is a whopping 10%-12% on the original spend of $5,000. The benefit of having the CSP more than doubled the value those same points without, and added $200-$300 in value. This alone more than offsets the annual fee, IMO.

Note: The same holds true for the Ink cards, which are substantially more valuable than the CSP, in my opinion. However, not everyone has an Ink, is able to get an Ink, or is comfortable with getting a business card if their business is, say, selling items here and there on eBay.