Feb 12, 2016, 8:56 am
Last edit by: beltway
This is the general 2016-2019 thread for weighing the relative merits
of keeping, downgrading, or canceling Chase-issued credit cards.
Post-2019 discussion continues in this thread.
of keeping, downgrading, or canceling Chase-issued credit cards.
Post-2019 discussion continues in this thread.
What's the main reason people product change (PC)?
The benefits offered by a particular card, might suit you better than the card you are holding. Many people, unable to qualify for a new Chase Sapphire Reserve application, upgraded from the Sapphire Preferred to the Sapphire Reserve, because the benefits of the CSR's cash reimbursements made the annual fee a nominal difference the first year. And vice versa- the onerous $450 yearly fee of the CSR makes an appealing case to downgrade to the Sapphire Preferred, and eventually to the no-fee Sapphire or a Freedom card.
Many people product change to avoid the annual fees on the premium versions of the card. Keeping the card open, via a product change, keeps the account open. This allows you to retain the seasoned account, and the banking relationship that the older card has established with Chase.
Why not just cancel the card and be done with it?
This may be the right choice for you, but others want some of the card benefits without having to reapply. Also, Chase has become very restrictive for new card applicants. For Chase cards, you must wait 24- 48 months since the last time you received a bonus before reapplying. Please see the threads on the individual cards for updated overlay rules.
An additional (and more stringent) overlay is the infamous 5/24 rule, which Chase instituted in May 2016 as a counter-measure against churning, or, as they refer to it, "Serial Starters." The 5/24 rule is that you won't be eligible for most Chase card products if you've opened more than 5 credit cards in 24 months. For more on this and other application-related issues, see the current "Applying for Chase Credit Cards " Master thread.
Finally, canceling certain cards--those earning Chase Ultimate Rewards--may deprive you of the ability to exchange UR for miles/points in air & hotel programs. See Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, times & rules.
Is there any way I can keep a card without paying the annual fee?
See Chase Retention Bonuses: June 2015-Present
Are there any restrictions on product changes?
Product changes are only allowed within the same card "family," and are not permitted between business and personal cards. Also, Chase cites the federal CARD Act to deny product changes on any account less that one year old.
Will a product change count as a new card?
No, you will keep your same card number, "opened on" date, credit line, automatic payment arrangements, etc. A product change does not count against Chase's 5/24 limitations on new cards.
Will I get a signup bonus when I change?
No, product changes do not result in point bonuses. Signup bonuses are reserved for new applicants only. For the complete list of public sign up offers, check the Chase sitemap here: https://creditcards.chase.com/sitemap
Is there a place I can look to compare cards?
Go here: https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...D=177087865887
Click: All cards
Place a checkmark in the Compare box for up to three cards.
Click: Compare cards...and you should see a side-by-side display.
I've figured out what I want to switch to. How do I product change my card?
Call the number on the back of your card.
Product changes for the Ultimate Reward Business and Personal Card Family
The UR family of cards includes the Chase Ink business cards, the Freedom Unlimited, the Freedom Card, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Reserve and Sapphire.
The Slate (personal) card is also available to downgrade to. It has no annual fee and does not earn any type of reward points. It offers a low fee (currently 0% for the first 60 days) balance transfers and APR.
Personal Cards
- Freedom: 5X points in rotating quarterly categories up to $1500 spend per quarter. If you max out the $1500 every quarter, it totals 7500 UR per quarter, or 30,000 UR per year.
- Freedom Unlimited: 1.5X for all spending, no bonus categories. $20,000 in spend would net 30,000 UR per year.
- Sapphire Reserve: $450 annual fee, $300 annual travel credit, 3X points for travel and dining. Books travel through the UR portal for 1.5 per dollar. Lounge access and other goodies. See the thread here for details.
- Sapphire Preferred: $95 annual fee, 2X points for travel & dining
- For discussion specific to the Sapphire Preferred Card, see Chase Sapphire Preferred - Keep, Downgrade, or Cancel?
- Sapphire: Not available to new applicants. Available as a product downgrade/change only, must tier down from the Sapphire Reserve to Sapphire Preferred to Sapphire or Freedom cards. No annual fee. Some Customer Service Reps are citing that the original product (i.e., the CSR), must be held for one year before downgrading. Please provide data points in the thread if this happens to you.
Business Cards
- Ink Plus: $95 annual fee, 5X office supplies, 5X cellular/landline/cable; 2X gas and hotels
- Ink Preferred: 3x on travel, shipping, internet/phone/cable, & some online advertising.
- Ink Cash: No annual fee, 5X office supplies, 5X cellular/landline/cable; 2X gas and restaurants
If you still have a legacy Ink Classic or Ink Bold business card, neither of which is available for new signups, you can product change to one of the other Ink cards.
Considerations for downgrading/upgrading:
Can I combine my UR points?
Yes, UR can be combined freely across the cardholder's own personal and business accounts.
What about transfering my UR to another person's Chase UR account? To their air/hotel partner account?
With restrictions, UR from a personal card can be transferred to a person living at the same address. Business cards allow transfer to owners of the company listed as authorized users.
However, be warned that there are transfer restrictions. Unauthorized transfers have resulted in shut-downs. Review the Chase T&C for details before planning a transfer. For discussion, see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chase...-accounts.html.
The Freedom cards, no-fee Ink Cash, and no-fee Sapphire cards do not allow UR transfer to airline/hotel partners. If you are downgrading from a premium UR card and will only have no-fee cards left, it may be prudent to transfer your points to the partner of your choice beforehand.
I know I can use UR to pay for travel directly (as opposed to transfering points into a travel partner program). Do the Chase UR cards differ on this?
Only the Sapphire Reserve books travel on the UR portal for 1.5. So you can stack your card bonus opportunities when your UR points are combined into your CSR account and used for booking travel. If, for instance, you earned 5x on your Ink Plus on your phone bill, and combine those 5x Ink earned points into your CSR's UR account, you'll now get an additional .5 in value when you redeem them on the travel portal.
Product Changes for United Airlines Cards
There are options to downgrade or upgrade UA cards.
- United Mileage Plus Card- no annual fee, 1 UA mile per $2 in spend
- United Mileage Plus Explorer Card- $95 annual fee, 1 mile per dollar earning, additional award inventory on UA, free checked bag, 25% bonus on the shopping portal.
- United Plus Club Card- $450 annual fee, 1.5 miles per $1, many additional premium card benefits
- Business Cards for the Mileage Plus and Club Card give you a choice to upgrade or downgrade between those two.
Southwest Airlines Cards
The difference here is a nominal $30/3000 points per year.
Personal cards
- Plus Card- $69 annual fee, 3000 bonus points upon renewal
- Premiere Card- $99 annual fee, 6000 bonus points upon renewal
Chase Product Change/Card Conversion: Downgrade, Upgrade, Keep or Cancel? (2016-2019)
Sep 3, 2016, 5:55 pm
#241
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,933
Apply for an CSR & Ink Cash now. Downgrade your current Ink Plus to another Ink Cash after you get the applied for Cash.
Sep 3, 2016, 7:14 pm
#242
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, AS, UA, WN, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 88
I would just downgrade the Ink Plus to Ink Cash within 60 days of the annual fee posting for a full refund. Go for the CSR now. I personally would not apply for the Ink Cash since the bonus is so small.
Sep 3, 2016, 9:12 pm
#243
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: GE
Posts: 247
Do you mean the interest free period between your purchase and the date that the statement closes? That would be the same as usual, you would not pay interest on the balance if you pay it in full, on or before the due date.
If you're asking whether or not the 0% balance transfer offer has moved from your Slate card to the new CSR card, I would think it wouldn't. That particular Slate offer is a moot point for you, because you've paid it to zero.
I've never seen a data point on this question, though. I would imagine that anybody doing a product change that includes a balance transfer offer with an outstanding balance, should double or triple check (because of the margin of error with Customer service information) to make sure that offer migrates, along with the balance, to the new product.
Many FTers don't carry a balance on their cards, ever, because the fees/interest charged offset the benefits of the points or rewards. Minimal fee balance transfer offers or checks drawn on the credit card accounts do have a place in financial arbitrage. I've used them myself occasionally.
If you're asking whether or not the 0% balance transfer offer has moved from your Slate card to the new CSR card, I would think it wouldn't. That particular Slate offer is a moot point for you, because you've paid it to zero.
I've never seen a data point on this question, though. I would imagine that anybody doing a product change that includes a balance transfer offer with an outstanding balance, should double or triple check (because of the margin of error with Customer service information) to make sure that offer migrates, along with the balance, to the new product.
Many FTers don't carry a balance on their cards, ever, because the fees/interest charged offset the benefits of the points or rewards. Minimal fee balance transfer offers or checks drawn on the credit card accounts do have a place in financial arbitrage. I've used them myself occasionally.
Chase told me on the phone the 0% balance transfer offer was still valid, but the AF would post as a purchase, so I just paid the balance that day to be rid of it. But I forgot to ask about the grace period.
Sep 5, 2016, 8:33 pm
#244
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Differences between benefits of Sapphire Preferred and Ink Bold
I have both Sapphire Preferred and Ink Bold.
Is there any reasons to keep both in terms of benefits? Since moving out from US average spend on both cards yearly does not exceed $3000. CHP is primarily used for car rentals while Ink bold for everything else.
Is there any reasons to keep both in terms of benefits? Since moving out from US average spend on both cards yearly does not exceed $3000. CHP is primarily used for car rentals while Ink bold for everything else.
Sep 5, 2016, 9:04 pm
#245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,079
I'd drop the Ink. CSP covers all car rentals not just business trips, like the Ink. No need to have both.
Sep 6, 2016, 1:13 am
#246
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
T&Cs of many business cards indicate clearly that business cards are not eligible for typical consumer protection from the law.
If you have a choice, unless it is truly for a business, drop the business cards first.
Sep 6, 2016, 2:52 am
#247
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
If you wanna, I can arrange an appointment for one of them. 
Clear then. Is there anything Ink has Sapphire does not?
Clear then. Is there anything Ink has Sapphire does not?
Sep 6, 2016, 6:59 am
#248
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
If you're not benefiting from the 5 points/$ categories for the Ink Bold, I'd drop it.
Sep 6, 2016, 9:15 am
#249
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,933
Sep 6, 2016, 12:37 pm
#250
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: UA, TY
Posts: 9
I need some input as I want to limit the amount of Chase cards I have to potentially set myself up to other offers in the future.
I have the following cards.
United Mileage Explorer (No AF) opened in 2005
United Mileage Plus Explorer opened in 2012
Hyatt opened in 2014
CSP opened in 2014
CSR just opened
Would I be able to shift the credit from my MPE to my MP and then close that account while at the same time upgrade my MP to a MPE so that I am able to keep my oldest credit line opened? Is that even feasible or would I be issued a new account number?
After that, should I PC my CSP to FU or just close that account so that I don't hold onto too many Chase CC. I'm currently 1/24 so I have lots of options moving forward.
I have the following cards.
United Mileage Explorer (No AF) opened in 2005
United Mileage Plus Explorer opened in 2012
Hyatt opened in 2014
CSP opened in 2014
CSR just opened
Would I be able to shift the credit from my MPE to my MP and then close that account while at the same time upgrade my MP to a MPE so that I am able to keep my oldest credit line opened? Is that even feasible or would I be issued a new account number?
After that, should I PC my CSP to FU or just close that account so that I don't hold onto too many Chase CC. I'm currently 1/24 so I have lots of options moving forward.
Sep 6, 2016, 12:49 pm
#251
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,933
Call the number on the back of the card and ask what options are available for those cards.
Sep 6, 2016, 1:00 pm
#252
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, AS, UA, WN, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 88
I need some input as I want to limit the amount of Chase cards I have to potentially set myself up to other offers in the future.
I have the following cards.
United Mileage Explorer (No AF) opened in 2005
United Mileage Plus Explorer opened in 2012
Hyatt opened in 2014
CSP opened in 2014
CSR just opened
Would I be able to shift the credit from my MPE to my MP and then close that account while at the same time upgrade my MP to a MPE so that I am able to keep my oldest credit line opened? Is that even feasible or would I be issued a new account number?
After that, should I PC my CSP to FU or just close that account so that I don't hold onto too many Chase CC. I'm currently 1/24 so I have lots of options moving forward.
I have the following cards.
United Mileage Explorer (No AF) opened in 2005
United Mileage Plus Explorer opened in 2012
Hyatt opened in 2014
CSP opened in 2014
CSR just opened
Would I be able to shift the credit from my MPE to my MP and then close that account while at the same time upgrade my MP to a MPE so that I am able to keep my oldest credit line opened? Is that even feasible or would I be issued a new account number?
After that, should I PC my CSP to FU or just close that account so that I don't hold onto too many Chase CC. I'm currently 1/24 so I have lots of options moving forward.
Keep the Hyatt forever.
Never close a UR card. PC the CSP to a regular Freedom rather than a FU. Regular Freedom is more valuable with 5X categories, and nobody knows if it's going to go away at some point, while FU is here to stay.
Hope this helps!
Sep 7, 2016, 9:28 am
#253
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
I'm currently at 6/24 and have been denied for a CSR. Anyone have any thoughts about whether it would be worth to product change from a CSP to CSR? I would still be eligible to recieve a new card member bonus at some point; correct? provided that I wasn't a current card holder (could PC again?)... I got to 4/24 in March of next year. I could get the travel credit both this year and next and my dining/travel spend is about 20K per year....
FDW
FDW
Sep 7, 2016, 9:31 am
#254
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 581
I'm currently at 6/24 and have been denied for a CSR. Anyone have any thoughts about whether it would be worth to product change from a CSP to CSR? I would still be eligible to recieve a new card member bonus at some point; correct? provided that I wasn't a current card holder (could PC again?)... I got to 4/24 in March of next year. I could get the travel credit both this year and next and my dining/travel spend is about 20K per year....
FDW
FDW
Sep 7, 2016, 11:16 am
#255
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Used to have a branch about 5 miles from my house but it closed....
West Virginia is probably the closest and I have no reason to be there...
FDW