Sep 2, 2017, 7:31 pm
Last edit by: kerrigjl
In 2017, at the first renewal of the 2016 Chase Sapphire Reserve card,* no retention offers have been forthcoming. It appears that Chase is not offering retention bonuses on this card at this time, and will cancel the card at the cardholders request without further ado.
*A retention offer has been reported (though it's minimal): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28917524-post376.html
Posts 333 and 327 discuss a fee credit issued by Chase when cancelling the card. These have been called both "Annual Fee Refund" and "Membership Fee Credit."
This thread discusses the timing of both cancelling and product changing (downgrading to Sapphire Preferred) in order to 1) Keep from paying the $450 annual fee, and 2) possibly get a 2018 $300 travel credit before cancelling.
The rules changed for the travel credit on cards issued in May 2017, making the travel credit a calendar year issuance rather than a Dec statement to Dec Statement issuance.
The nuances discussed within this thread include changing your billing date, fees posting on the 1st of the month, and the 30 day window to cancel/60 day window to product change.
09/03/17 - 72k spend, no offer.
09/03/17 - 30k spend, no offer.
09/04/17 - 25k spend, no offer.
09/05/17 - 10k spend, no offer.
09/06/17 - 24k spend, no offer.
09/06/17 - Maybe 4-5K spend. No offer, closed.
09/06/17 - Spend unspecified, no offer.
09/07/17 - 10k spend, no offer.
09/12/17 - 15k annual spend, no offer, downgraded to Chase Freedom to preserve cl
09/18/17 - No offer.
09/22/17 - 25k spend, no offer.
09/29/17 - 17k spend, no offer.
10/02/17 - 64k spend, no offer.
10/10/17 - 16.5k, 2,500 point offer, declined.
10/13/17 - 165k, no offer.
10/13/17- No offer. ~$25k
10/21/17 - No offer, maybe $10k spend, transferred CL, cancelled.
03/02/18 - No offer, ~$13.5k spend
*A retention offer has been reported (though it's minimal): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28917524-post376.html
Posts 333 and 327 discuss a fee credit issued by Chase when cancelling the card. These have been called both "Annual Fee Refund" and "Membership Fee Credit."
This thread discusses the timing of both cancelling and product changing (downgrading to Sapphire Preferred) in order to 1) Keep from paying the $450 annual fee, and 2) possibly get a 2018 $300 travel credit before cancelling.
The rules changed for the travel credit on cards issued in May 2017, making the travel credit a calendar year issuance rather than a Dec statement to Dec Statement issuance.
The nuances discussed within this thread include changing your billing date, fees posting on the 1st of the month, and the 30 day window to cancel/60 day window to product change.
09/03/17 - 72k spend, no offer.
09/03/17 - 30k spend, no offer.
09/04/17 - 25k spend, no offer.
09/05/17 - 10k spend, no offer.
09/06/17 - 24k spend, no offer.
09/06/17 - Maybe 4-5K spend. No offer, closed.
09/06/17 - Spend unspecified, no offer.
09/07/17 - 10k spend, no offer.
09/12/17 - 15k annual spend, no offer, downgraded to Chase Freedom to preserve cl
09/18/17 - No offer.
09/22/17 - 25k spend, no offer.
09/29/17 - 17k spend, no offer.
10/02/17 - 64k spend, no offer.
10/10/17 - 16.5k, 2,500 point offer, declined.
10/13/17 - 165k, no offer.
10/13/17- No offer. ~$25k
10/21/17 - No offer, maybe $10k spend, transferred CL, cancelled.
03/02/18 - No offer, ~$13.5k spend
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Renewal & Retention
Nov 6, 2017, 11:24 am
#496
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Last edited by Happy; Nov 6, 2017 at 4:59 pm
Nov 6, 2017, 2:19 pm
#497
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Programs: UA Platinum 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 632
There is indeed no real DPs on an offer being extended other than some hear-say.
There are, though "accidental" credits given by mistakes from the phone reps who manually entered a membership fee credit or something similar to that.
Chase system would automatically issue an annual fee refund / adjustment when the card is closed within the 30 days after fee billed. However occasionally the phone reps would manually enter a refund when customer ask about when to see the annual fee reversal. When the system generated refund kicks in, the card then has 2 refunds.
Sometimes the system catches the double-refund later and self-corrected. Sometimes the system never catch it and the credit stays. Almost safe to say once the credit balance passes 2 billing cycles, the system would not ever catch it unless someone manually looks into the transaction details of previous cycles. Therefore we have a few DPs on a "full refund" of the membership fee on this thread, as well as on other sites.
It also seems if the credit balance stays thru 2 billing cycles on the closed card, the credit balance would be auto-refunded by the system, and the credit balance erased by entry "credit balance refund" - the cardholder then would theoretically receive a refund check in next 7 to 10 days after such entry is made by the system. I have read such DP on a non-English site. Personally might be able to verify whether this is the case a week or two from now.
However those "credits" are all flukes, mistakes inadvertently made by phone reps, and by no means a real retention offer even if the cardholder decides to keep the card as the latest post indicated.
There are, though "accidental" credits given by mistakes from the phone reps who manually entered a membership fee credit or something similar to that.
Chase system would automatically issue an annual fee refund / adjustment when the card is closed within the 30 days after fee billed. However occasionally the phone reps would manually enter a refund when customer ask about when to see the annual fee reversal. When the system generated refund kicks in, the card then has 2 refunds.
Sometimes the system catches the double-refund later and self-corrected. Sometimes the system never catch it and the credit stays. Almost safe to say once the credit balance passes 2 billing cycles, the system would not ever catch it unless someone manually looks into the transaction details of previous cycles. Therefore we have a few DPs on a "full refund" of the membership fee on this thread, as well as on other sites.
It also seems if the credit balance stays thru 2 billing cycles on the closed card, the credit balance would be auto-refunded by the system, and the credit balance erased by entry "credit balance refund" - the cardholder then would theoretically receive a refund check in next 7 to 10 days after such entry is made by the system. I have read such DP on a non-English site. Personally might be able to verify whether this is the case a week or two from now.
However those "credits" are all flukes, mistakes inadvertently made by phone reps, and by no means a real retention offer even if the cardholder decides to keep the card as the latest post indicated.
Nov 6, 2017, 5:05 pm
#498
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I can verify that my wife did cancel her CSR in Sept and received credit twice for the $450 fee billed (first one was "annual fee refund" and the second one hit a day later and was "membership fee credit"). Last Thursday her account showed a credit balance refund transaction and today we received a $450 check from Chase. What a deal!! Now she needs to wait to next Aug/Sept and apply again to get whatever bonus is being offered at that time.
Last edited by Happy; Nov 8, 2017 at 1:45 pm
Nov 7, 2017, 2:08 pm
#499
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 1,386
Exactly. Those who have gotten the windfall are by sheer luck and should not fool themselves such are "retention offers". Because, there are cases that the cards are actually Xed, yet it still has a credit balance from "membership refund"...
Have DPs from other sites that some are indeed not being billed even on the 1st of the 14th month. Must be a bug that only strikes occasionally. Count your blessing if your card happens to be struck by such bug.
Have DPs from other sites that some are indeed not being billed even on the 1st of the 14th month. Must be a bug that only strikes occasionally. Count your blessing if your card happens to be struck by such bug.
Nov 7, 2017, 6:51 pm
#500
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I dont have a theory on this because the AF billing is done completely automatically versus the AF refund does have some human elements involved. Actually if the phone reps dont do anything, the system would take care of the reversal... some phone reps use wrong code / field to process the reversal thus some folks have a nice windfall... But I honestly cannot fathom why some dont get their AF billed on the correct interval, unless these folks have requested change on their statement / payment due date and that somehow "mess up" the calculation of anniversary month...
Nov 8, 2017, 2:15 am
#501
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 1,386
Let's see if you are still not being billed on Dec 1st, you may get a free year... I dont have a theory on this because the AF billing is done completely automatically versus the AF refund does have some human elements involved. Actually if the phone reps dont do anything, the system would take care of the reversal... some phone reps use wrong code / field to process the reversal thus some folks have a nice windfall... But I honestly cannot fathom why some dont get their AF billed on the correct interval, unless these folks have requested change on their statement / payment due date and that somehow "mess up" the calculation of anniversary month...
I dont have a theory on this because the AF billing is done completely automatically versus the AF refund does have some human elements involved. Actually if the phone reps dont do anything, the system would take care of the reversal... some phone reps use wrong code / field to process the reversal thus some folks have a nice windfall... But I honestly cannot fathom why some dont get their AF billed on the correct interval, unless these folks have requested change on their statement / payment due date and that somehow "mess up" the calculation of anniversary month...My annual fee notice on the past statement, however, did include the correct total fee including his card. He has since issued his own Amex Platinum and therefore no longer requires Priority Pass through my account, so I called up Chase upon seeing the notice and cancelled his card. I have a feeling that between never getting billed for his card and then subsequently cancelling it, perhaps my billing criteria was somehow effected.
Nov 8, 2017, 7:38 am
#502
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1
Called 11/8/17 - 30k Spend - No offer - Renewed
Nov 8, 2017, 1:46 pm
#503
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 65
I didn't change my payment date or add/sub an AU. The only change I have made to my account is to transfer all but 2K of my CL to a different card, ~6M ago. My use of the card has been very low since making the initial bonus spend and getting the 2 travel credits. I'm not a particularly good customer. Still waiting for the Nov 1 AF to post...
Nov 8, 2017, 5:48 pm
#504
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,193
I didn't change my payment date or add/sub an AU. The only change I have made to my account is to transfer all but 2K of my CL to a different card, ~6M ago. My use of the card has been very low since making the initial bonus spend and getting the 2 travel credits. I'm not a particularly good customer. Still waiting for the Nov 1 AF to post...
Nov 8, 2017, 8:30 pm
#505
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 1,386
Nov 9, 2017, 7:22 am
#506
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,193
Nov 9, 2017, 10:45 am
#507
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: DFW
Posts: 675
It's possible, but it can cause Chase to blacklist you for trying to avoid the AF.
Nov 20, 2017, 1:29 am
#509
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Delta SM, ICH PLAT
Posts: 1,188
I just read this entire thread, and the nice write up at Pointsyak. Some questions:
I was approved last November some time. First billing date was Dec 6 2016. My first annual fee appeared on Dec 1.
Also noteworthy is that I had the CSP and Freedom card. Both cancelled. I'm way over 5/24 limit. I have other Chase cc and checking account. My UR points balance is under 500 points now. (Transferred out)
1. Based on the info here, I should see the $450 AF on Dec 1. I have until Jan 6 to cancel and get a full refund. (Jan 1 would be safer). Or, I have until Feb 6 to change to Freedom or FU. So essentially, I have ~1 month to trigger my $300 travel credit before cancellation or 2 months if I downgrade. Is that correct?
2. Do I have to call to downgrade? Previously, I've always cancelled by SM. Perhaps I will call them anyway, on the off chance that I might get the AF waived...
3. Since I've had the Freedom before, do I still 'qualify' for the downgrade to a Freedom? Also, will this affect my 5/24 count? Will it affect my ability to apply and gain any signup offers (for Freedom or Freedom Unlimited) in the near future?
4. Does the Priority Pass membership 'expire' immediately after cancellation? Or do I get a free year since the membership card would be mailed to me before my cancellation? I don't plan on using it much, but it is nice to pop in and grab a water if one was on the way. I'd hate to get a $50 charge or get denied entry when they swipe the membership card...
I was approved last November some time. First billing date was Dec 6 2016. My first annual fee appeared on Dec 1.
Also noteworthy is that I had the CSP and Freedom card. Both cancelled. I'm way over 5/24 limit. I have other Chase cc and checking account. My UR points balance is under 500 points now. (Transferred out)
1. Based on the info here, I should see the $450 AF on Dec 1. I have until Jan 6 to cancel and get a full refund. (Jan 1 would be safer). Or, I have until Feb 6 to change to Freedom or FU. So essentially, I have ~1 month to trigger my $300 travel credit before cancellation or 2 months if I downgrade. Is that correct?
2. Do I have to call to downgrade? Previously, I've always cancelled by SM. Perhaps I will call them anyway, on the off chance that I might get the AF waived...
3. Since I've had the Freedom before, do I still 'qualify' for the downgrade to a Freedom? Also, will this affect my 5/24 count? Will it affect my ability to apply and gain any signup offers (for Freedom or Freedom Unlimited) in the near future?
4. Does the Priority Pass membership 'expire' immediately after cancellation? Or do I get a free year since the membership card would be mailed to me before my cancellation? I don't plan on using it much, but it is nice to pop in and grab a water if one was on the way. I'd hate to get a $50 charge or get denied entry when they swipe the membership card...
Nov 20, 2017, 4:06 am
#510
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
...
4. Does the Priority Pass membership 'expire' immediately after cancellation? Or do I get a free year since the membership card would be mailed to me before my cancellation? I don't plan on using it much, but it is nice to pop in and grab a water if one was on the way. I'd hate to get a $50 charge or get denied entry when they swipe the membership card...
4. Does the Priority Pass membership 'expire' immediately after cancellation? Or do I get a free year since the membership card would be mailed to me before my cancellation? I don't plan on using it much, but it is nice to pop in and grab a water if one was on the way. I'd hate to get a $50 charge or get denied entry when they swipe the membership card...
