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)
Jul 6, 2017, 3:53 pm
#496
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
Ok, my SO downgraded her CSP to Plain Sapphire, as they did not allow a product change to CFU. I guess it was because the downgrade happened before the 1 year anniversary (tried at 11 and a half months). After receiving the plan Sapphire told to SM Chase and product change the Sapphire to CFU, now that 13 months had passed since opening the CSP. Well, today we found out there is a Hard Pull from Chase that exact day the product change happened to the CFU and of course, I am not happy with what happened.
Anyone else got hard pulled on a Chase same family product change? Anything to do or is living with the HP for 2 years what s going to happen? and of course, without even getting the 30,000 UR signing bonus I was targeted for on the CFU (could ask for it for my SO, LOL).
Anyone else got hard pulled on a Chase same family product change? Anything to do or is living with the HP for 2 years what s going to happen? and of course, without even getting the 30,000 UR signing bonus I was targeted for on the CFU (could ask for it for my SO, LOL).
Jul 7, 2017, 6:48 am
#497
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,265
Jul 7, 2017, 10:37 am
#498
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Amex gives upgrade bonuses in some cases--e.g., for upgrading the no-fee Hilton card to Surpass--but I don't recall ever seeing this for a Chase card. If they do it, it will be a targeted offer, not the default practice.
Jul 7, 2017, 12:05 pm
#499
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,265
How would I get a MPE sign up bonus in the future if I downgrade my current MPE to a the free one?
Jul 13, 2017, 8:35 am
#501
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,265
I've gotten conflicting/confusing replies.
I have the MPE now and got my bonus well over 24mo ago. Right now, I either want to cancel the card or downgrade it. Downgrading is preferred. I want to get a signup bonus again someday in the future. With the downgraded card, how do I get the bonus again?
Do I just apply again? I thought there was a limit of only having one UA type card at a time.
Do I call in and ask for an upgrade?
or do I have to cancel it?
I have the MPE now and got my bonus well over 24mo ago. Right now, I either want to cancel the card or downgrade it. Downgrading is preferred. I want to get a signup bonus again someday in the future. With the downgraded card, how do I get the bonus again?
Do I just apply again? I thought there was a limit of only having one UA type card at a time.
Do I call in and ask for an upgrade?
or do I have to cancel it?
Jul 13, 2017, 11:30 am
#502
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Apply again after the required waiting period. No-fee card is a separate product, so holding it is not a bar to getting MPE.
Jul 18, 2017, 6:05 am
#504
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 730
downgrading Sapphire reserve
Can you downgrade to a no annual fee card w/out losing your UR points?
Jul 19, 2017, 8:53 pm
#505
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,084
Sure. I downgraded CSP to freedom years ago and the points were kept. Then upon getting the CSR I just moved the points over to CSR to get flexibility back again.
Keep in mind that your URs will lose flexibility and redemption value if you downgrade. So you'd need to move the points to a fee version of a UR card if you want to transfer to partner airlines.
Keep in mind that your URs will lose flexibility and redemption value if you downgrade. So you'd need to move the points to a fee version of a UR card if you want to transfer to partner airlines.
Jul 20, 2017, 6:36 am
#506
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Tulsa, OK
Programs: United, American
Posts: 14
Greetings! Just one question I need help with now.
I've been calling to try and downgrade my United Explorer before the first annual fee hits, but there aren't any offers for a product change. Is it typical for offers to pop up after the first annual Fee is charged? Also in regards to the annual fee: If no product change is possible, and the annual fee charges, will I be able to get the fee refunded within 30 days? I believe I read that somewhere but want to be certain.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I've been calling to try and downgrade my United Explorer before the first annual fee hits, but there aren't any offers for a product change. Is it typical for offers to pop up after the first annual Fee is charged? Also in regards to the annual fee: If no product change is possible, and the annual fee charges, will I be able to get the fee refunded within 30 days? I believe I read that somewhere but want to be certain.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Last edited by TULflyer; Jul 20, 2017 at 7:10 am Reason: Found answer to 2/3
Jul 21, 2017, 6:37 pm
#507
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,084
Greetings! Just one question I need help with now.
I've been calling to try and downgrade my United Explorer before the first annual fee hits, but there aren't any offers for a product change. Is it typical for offers to pop up after the first annual Fee is charged? Also in regards to the annual fee: If no product change is possible, and the annual fee charges, will I be able to get the fee refunded within 30 days? I believe I read that somewhere but want to be certain.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I've been calling to try and downgrade my United Explorer before the first annual fee hits, but there aren't any offers for a product change. Is it typical for offers to pop up after the first annual Fee is charged? Also in regards to the annual fee: If no product change is possible, and the annual fee charges, will I be able to get the fee refunded within 30 days? I believe I read that somewhere but want to be certain.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Is this within the first year of the card ? I'd wait until the fee posts. You still have 30d to get it refunded.
Jul 22, 2017, 9:03 am
#508
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 495
Even if they allow you keep all your points you will lose "value". Note that the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a 50% bonus value on Ultimate Reward Travel Redemptions (the Sapphire Preferred has 25% bonus).
Jul 22, 2017, 10:07 am
#509
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BAY AREA
Posts: 1,125
I just got statement and the renewal notice is on it. I will get charged the annual fee next statement. I have no intention of keeping this card although it's the best travel card out there for people who travel a lot. I already have ink card for my business and CSU. What are my choices of PC the CSR to? Should I wait until my next statement hits or do it now?
Jul 23, 2017, 4:56 am
#510
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 730
so I guess its best to transfer the points to a FF program and cancel the card, thats usually my intentions, unless they give me incentive to retain the card