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)
Feb 13, 2019, 5:34 pm
#991
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,755
My old Ink Cash 3x is over 10 years old and it wasn’t even a UR earning card at the time. It was a MC and earned points redeemable for gift cards or cash. They then converted it to the UR point earning program a couple of years ago and then converted all MC versions to Visa at the same time they converted remaining Ink Bold cards to Ink Plus.
When I downgraded my Ink Preferred to Ink Cash 5-2-1 they never sent me a new card, so I still have the Preferred card which acts as the Cash.
Both reps (on my downgrade and husband's downgrade) claim while the card numbers remain the same, they would have different expiration (as if anew from the day of downgrade) and therefore different CVV. Both Reps said the replacement would arrive in 10 to 14 days.
I keep my Ink Plus and hope Chase does not change it in near future. I use it for independent hotels and also for gas on international trips.
Mar 1, 2019, 10:15 am
#992
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,944
Currently have the CSP as I generally don't have enough bonus spend to justify the CSR. However in the next year I will have enough bonus spend to justify the CSR, although I don't anticipate this to be the case every year going forward. Just trying to figure out whether it is worth it to upgrade or if it is more trouble than it is worth. Would I be able to downgrade back to the CSP at some point? How long after? Does chase ever offer an incentive to upgrade?
Mar 1, 2019, 10:35 am
#993
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Mar 1, 2019, 10:37 am
#994
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 48
yes, after the travel credits (which are SO easy to use), the $55 difference is a pretty easy no brainer in my book.
Mar 1, 2019, 10:42 am
#995
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,210
Mar 1, 2019, 11:51 am
#996
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,944
Don't have global entry, but do have precheck. That said, that is only once every five years or something like that.
Mar 2, 2019, 4:50 am
#997
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
My wife and I share each other's cards on mobile payment platforms (Apple Pay in our case). Neither of us is an AU of the other. Of course, that doesn't mean we both get the other's cards' benefits, but we can both put our spend on each other's cards.
Mar 2, 2019, 9:37 am
#998
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
Without chiding you in any way, I ask, "Is that legal?" I have thought about doing that and have held back because of legal and ethical concerns. Is there any drawback you have encountered or considered?
Mar 2, 2019, 10:02 am
#999
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K (OW), SK Silver (*A), UR, MR
Posts: 3,341
Mar 2, 2019, 11:57 am
#1000
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 925
How Long Do I Have To Pay Annual Fee or Cancel?
I'm having trouble deciding if I want to keep my United Club card. I was just billed the $450 annual fee. How long to I have to pay it or cancel and not be charged? I have heard everything from 30 days to 90 days.
Mar 2, 2019, 4:15 pm
#1001
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
30 days from date of fee charge.
Mar 3, 2019, 6:09 pm
#1002
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
It's legal and ethical. Apple gets Chase's OK to activate the card on my iPhone before I can use it. Heck, spouses often use each other's physical cards. Chase knows that. This is just a high-tech alternative. That's the idea.
Mar 4, 2019, 7:50 am
#1004
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
In general, it allows the AU to use the account in a broader range of circumstances where a borrowed card would be rejected and contactless payment is not accepted.
For this specific card it provides the AU with her own Priority Pass membership, and perhaps other benefits.
For this specific card it provides the AU with her own Priority Pass membership, and perhaps other benefits.
Mar 4, 2019, 12:25 pm
#1005
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Marriott Business Card
So, have my AF ($99) posted and I use it minimally. What are the recommended downgrade options before I close this (seems not much) ?