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)
May 26, 2016, 5:19 am
#106
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Gold (again), US/UA/DL non-elite, ZE Presidents Circle, WN reluctant no fee convert.
Posts: 1,449
Ripe for a lecture, I know...
I made a foolish decision a few weeks back in reference to a SW Visa (Premier) that I applied for while booking a WN reservation for a trip that I would likely have to pay full freight for the ticket. I was under some duress with the trip planning and the reason I needed to travel.
Was not auto approved and immediately regretted. Since I already had a WN Visa Plus, was not surprised as I was rejected last July for a Hyatt Visa and had enough inquiries with Chase already.
I had been waiting for the anniversary of July to try again for a Chase card and was considering something like Freedom Limited with a promotion cash back bonus. (Should have stayed with that plan).
Lo and behold, I logged in this morning and saw I was granted the SW Visa Premier with a 20+K CL. Shocked was my reaction as it had been over 3 weeks ago and my trip was taken and over.
Waited til almost 7am EDT to call Chase as I was hoping to speak to someone in a specialty dept. that could offer me some options. Basically, I wanted to thank them for the card and CL but realized I didn't need another SW card. Was hoping to "negotiate" keeping the CL or a portion of it and see if I could "switch" to the Freedom Limited or a recommendation without going through a HP process again. I can't imagine they would waive the $99AF to keep the account open under these conditions.
I was basically told I could close and be done with it OR transfer the CL to another open Chase account and then close it. I didn't realize the options would be so narrow.
Does anyone think I should bombard the phone until I get a better option? Any advice on what I should say to shake the tree? Thanks in advance.
Was not auto approved and immediately regretted. Since I already had a WN Visa Plus, was not surprised as I was rejected last July for a Hyatt Visa and had enough inquiries with Chase already.
I had been waiting for the anniversary of July to try again for a Chase card and was considering something like Freedom Limited with a promotion cash back bonus. (Should have stayed with that plan).
Lo and behold, I logged in this morning and saw I was granted the SW Visa Premier with a 20+K CL. Shocked was my reaction as it had been over 3 weeks ago and my trip was taken and over.
Waited til almost 7am EDT to call Chase as I was hoping to speak to someone in a specialty dept. that could offer me some options. Basically, I wanted to thank them for the card and CL but realized I didn't need another SW card. Was hoping to "negotiate" keeping the CL or a portion of it and see if I could "switch" to the Freedom Limited or a recommendation without going through a HP process again. I can't imagine they would waive the $99AF to keep the account open under these conditions.
I was basically told I could close and be done with it OR transfer the CL to another open Chase account and then close it. I didn't realize the options would be so narrow.
Does anyone think I should bombard the phone until I get a better option? Any advice on what I should say to shake the tree? Thanks in advance.
Last edited by jan_believes; May 26, 2016 at 5:20 am Reason: time addition
May 26, 2016, 6:21 am
#107
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
Extremely unlikely Chase will switch you from a WN card to a Freedom card (or any UR-earning card). They don't allow product changes of that nature, which is basically what you're asking for. They won't waive the AF either. If you didn't get 50k points on sign up, ask to match to that offer and get some good use out of those points!
May 26, 2016, 6:24 am
#108
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Gold (again), US/UA/DL non-elite, ZE Presidents Circle, WN reluctant no fee convert.
Posts: 1,449
Thank you. Especially for skippin' the lecture.
Appreciate the advice. Have a great day!
(Note: I have had the 50k bonus already with the Premier within the last 24 months).
Appreciate the advice. Have a great day!
(Note: I have had the 50k bonus already with the Premier within the last 24 months).
Last edited by jan_believes; May 26, 2016 at 9:29 am
Jun 4, 2016, 9:20 pm
#109
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
UA Baggage if Downgrade Card?
Purchased tickets on my Presidential Plus card. Want to downgrade to Explorer (can't justify the AF anymore). Will I lose all baggage allowance by downgrading or will it just adjust to the allowance on the explorer card. This will be a product downgrade and not a cancel and new application (due to 5/24).
Jun 4, 2016, 10:36 pm
#110
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,933
You'll get the MileagePlus Explorer benefits.
I would ask about any retention offers first.
I would ask about any retention offers first.
Jun 4, 2016, 11:11 pm
#111
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Programs: IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 87
+1 on retention offers. Before cancelling anything you have even the remotest desire for, ask for the retention dept. I've gotten plenty of sweet deals that way.
Jun 5, 2016, 12:05 pm
#112
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Will adjust allowance to explorer card.
Generally the retention offer on the club Card and Presidential plus card is garbage. They've only given me max $150 or 15k miles.
Spending was 500k+ annually/
Generally the retention offer on the club Card and Presidential plus card is garbage. They've only given me max $150 or 15k miles.
Spending was 500k+ annually/
Jun 6, 2016, 8:02 am
#113
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: COS - Colorado Springs, CO
Programs: Hilton Diamond. National Biz Exec. AMX Plat. CSR. Bonvoy Brilliant. Delta Reserve.
Posts: 162
Ouch! $500k on a United card and only offered 15k miles? I'd switch that to a general travel reward card like CSP or even AMX Plat.
Jun 8, 2016, 12:35 pm
#114
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
Which Chase cards have no AF but gives 5x at office supply?
I was not able to find an answer in this forum for this.
I already have
chase united
chase ink
chase ink business
chase sapphire
chase ink cash
But they all have AF after 1 year.
Please share your thoughts
I already have
chase united
chase ink
chase ink business
chase sapphire
chase ink cash
But they all have AF after 1 year.
Please share your thoughts
Last edited by misterno; Jun 8, 2016 at 1:10 pm
Jun 8, 2016, 1:09 pm
#115
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 485
Chase Freedom with quarterly rotating 5x categories.
Jun 8, 2016, 1:21 pm
#117
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: LAX
Posts: 51
For the consumer cards:
Freedom has 5x rotating categories, 1x on everything else
Freedom Unlimited has 1.5x on all spend
Sapphire Preferred has 2x on Travel and Dining, 1x on everything else and a $95 fee
Jun 8, 2016, 2:00 pm
#118
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
The Ink Cash does not have an annual fee.
Jun 8, 2016, 2:12 pm
#120
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
But there is the Chase Ink Cash Business Credit Card.
You're needlessly splitting hairs. The question has an answer, but you're ignoring it.