Originally Posted by
gaobest
So the UC membership starts at $500. Chase Club card is $395. What is the "catch" that makes the Chase card cheaper? Or rather, why would people pay the $500 membership as opposed to getting the Chase card? Is it the loss of RDM when using a UA CC to pay that $500 membership?
There is no catch really. The Club card is even $5 cheaper than the $400 fee for a 1K member. It simply is less expensive than a standalone Club membership.
I suppose some people prefer to use other Chase cards for their mileage accruals and don't want to add the Club card to their portfolio. I happen to think the Club card is great given that it provides 1.5 miles for each $1 spent on anything. And there are no foreign exchange fees as well as primary car rental collision coverage. That the annual fee is less than a standalone club membership is just a bonus to me.