Is Chase Sapphire Reserve worth $550?
Jul 20, 2021, 1:22 pm
#76
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Manhattan, Palm Beach Island, San Francisco, Boston, & Hong Kong
Programs: Lifetime United Global Services, Delta Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador, & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,165
Also, there are multiple designs for the customized cash so it's easy to remember which cards are locked into which categories!
Jul 21, 2021, 2:59 pm
#77
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NW Iowa
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum Elite, Delta Silver Medallion
Posts: 378
I think the rental vehicle insurance is worth $95 on the CSP. Even though the 2x for travel/ dining is crap nowadays. So by that logic, I am paying $55 extra for CSR which is justifiable to me.
However, their peloton credit is a waste for me and I will not be okay with $550 AF. Rather downgrade to CSP and keep it for car rentals only.
Amex Gold is great with 4x on dining + Amex offers. But they have butchered this card lately and increased AF as well. Will be getting rid of it when AF hits.
Tbh, after I cancel AMEX Gold and CSR, what would be my go-to cards? Citi double cash?? Kindda at loss right now... not finding a lot of value in my cards anymore. Race to premium cards has made all cards expensive and full of junk services.
However, their peloton credit is a waste for me and I will not be okay with $550 AF. Rather downgrade to CSP and keep it for car rentals only.
Amex Gold is great with 4x on dining + Amex offers. But they have butchered this card lately and increased AF as well. Will be getting rid of it when AF hits.
Tbh, after I cancel AMEX Gold and CSR, what would be my go-to cards? Citi double cash?? Kindda at loss right now... not finding a lot of value in my cards anymore. Race to premium cards has made all cards expensive and full of junk services.
Other than that...I've been mainly spending on my CFU and Hyatt card. Hyatt has hard some good promos lately and the CFU is solid at 1.5% plus 3% on dining.
Not really sure I want to change to a different card ecosystem as I'm pretty invested with Chase and having too many cards across different point spectrums seems more of a pain than it is worth. I think 2022 may be the year I start downsizing my card base to a few core cards and getting rid of those that give negligible value. Even IHG and Marriott's free night certificates have been getting frustrating to use as many of the hotels I'd stay at are now above the maximum category because of the dynamic pricing. Just very frustrating.
Jul 27, 2021, 2:11 am
#78
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 72
I'm running into a similar issue as mentioned by previous posters. I think I'll do the following set up and dump the CSR once the $550 AF hits on March 2022.
1. Ink Business Preferred - 3x travel/internet/phone/car rental
2. Ritz Carlton - PP, $300 incidental travel credit, free 50k night, Global Entry
3. Freedom Unlimited - 3x Dining, catch all card
4. Citi Custom - 5x gas
5. Hyatt - 2x Everything. I'll use it for groceries.
1. Ink Business Preferred - 3x travel/internet/phone/car rental
2. Ritz Carlton - PP, $300 incidental travel credit, free 50k night, Global Entry
3. Freedom Unlimited - 3x Dining, catch all card
4. Citi Custom - 5x gas
5. Hyatt - 2x Everything. I'll use it for groceries.
Last edited by sleepy3192; Jul 27, 2021 at 2:24 am
Jul 27, 2021, 12:37 pm
#82
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,290
Jul 27, 2021, 5:44 pm
#83
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: The place where it gets so hot in the summer some planes can't take off.
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium, WoH Globalist, National EE, United Platinum
Posts: 1,446
I was going to keep my CSR for the GE credit, but just realized I renewed Precheck a few years ago and burned the credit there. Don't see much value now that I don't use rental cars on regular basis.
Will downgrade to CFU to keep my 3x on dining (biggest expense), use Hyatt card for catch all until I get my 60 nights at Hyatt this year through spend or travel, and open a CSP for SUB and transfer capabilities.
The SUB will more than make up for any loss I would have in travel bookings through Chase portal @1.25c vs 1.5c.
Will downgrade to CFU to keep my 3x on dining (biggest expense), use Hyatt card for catch all until I get my 60 nights at Hyatt this year through spend or travel, and open a CSP for SUB and transfer capabilities.
The SUB will more than make up for any loss I would have in travel bookings through Chase portal @1.25c vs 1.5c.
Aug 3, 2021, 9:28 pm
#84
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), ANA (Plat), Club Carlson (Gld), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Plat), SPG (Gld)
Posts: 447
If you hate annual fees and just want solid return on spends, consider a Bank of America set up (with a Citi Custom Cash thrown in).
Ideally, a 5 card setup would look like this:
Preferred Rewards Platinum 75% bonus
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Online Shopping, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Dining, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Gas, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards OR BoA Premium Rewards: 2.625% Everything, Premium Rewards- 3.5% Travel
Citi Custom Cash: 5% Groceries
You could get both the Travel Rewards or the Unlimited Cash. Unlimited Cash has no AF but a FTF. The BoA Premium Rewards has a $95 AF, $100 travel incidental credit, Global Entry credit, and no FTF.
You can change the customized cash categories between these: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. I don't know what you spend your money on and just picked categories that I think would apply to most people. The limit on each customized cash is $2500 per quarter (and $1500 per quarter on the Citi Custom Cash) so it may be worth doubling down on a single category that you spend a lot on.
I think this is the best cashback setup on the market rn.
Ideally, a 5 card setup would look like this:
Preferred Rewards Platinum 75% bonus
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Online Shopping, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Dining, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Customized Cash: 5.25% Gas, 3.5% Groceries/Wholesale Clubs
BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards OR BoA Premium Rewards: 2.625% Everything, Premium Rewards- 3.5% Travel
Citi Custom Cash: 5% Groceries
You could get both the Travel Rewards or the Unlimited Cash. Unlimited Cash has no AF but a FTF. The BoA Premium Rewards has a $95 AF, $100 travel incidental credit, Global Entry credit, and no FTF.
You can change the customized cash categories between these: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. I don't know what you spend your money on and just picked categories that I think would apply to most people. The limit on each customized cash is $2500 per quarter (and $1500 per quarter on the Citi Custom Cash) so it may be worth doubling down on a single category that you spend a lot on.
I think this is the best cashback setup on the market rn.
They define select travel as "Eligible travel merchants include: (a) Airlines (individual major airline carriers, Airlines/Air Carriers); (b) Car Rental Agencies (individual major agencies and Automobile Rental Agencies); (c) Hotels, Motels, Inns and Resorts (individual major hotel/motel chains and Hotels/Motels/Resorts); (d) Steamship/Cruise Lines; (e) Travel Agencies; and (f) Rail Transactions (representing Commuter Transport/Ferries & Passenger Railways)and AAA purchases, "
Last edited by Joe1690; Aug 3, 2021 at 9:35 pm
Aug 7, 2021, 10:34 pm
#85
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
My annual fee was just charged (1 August) and it was $450 (just $450, not $550 and a $100 credit) rather than the $550 I was expecting. I'm not complaining of course, but I'm surprised. Did this happen to anyone else?
Last edited by Daneel; Aug 7, 2021 at 11:03 pm
Aug 7, 2021, 11:04 pm
#86
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,347
Did you get a letter notifying you that your next annual fee was going to be $550? I might be wrong but I think the increase to $550 was pushed off to 2022. My spouse got a letter that his annual fee in 2/2022 would go up to $550. Will most likely downgrade unless something changes to make it worthwhile to keep (or they give retention offer).
Aug 7, 2021, 11:07 pm
#87
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
Did you get a letter notifying you that your next annual fee was going to be $550? I might be wrong but I think the increase to $550 was pushed off to 2022. My spouse got a letter that his annual fee in 2/2022 would go up to $550. Will most likely downgrade unless something changes to make it worthwhile to keep (or they give retention offer).
Aug 9, 2021, 6:09 pm
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
Did you get a letter notifying you that your next annual fee was going to be $550? I might be wrong but I think the increase to $550 was pushed off to 2022. My spouse got a letter that his annual fee in 2/2022 would go up to $550. Will most likely downgrade unless something changes to make it worthwhile to keep (or they give retention offer).
Aug 9, 2021, 6:10 pm
#90
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: AA Gold, HIltonHonors Diamond, KrisFlyer Silver, BW Diamond
Posts: 109
Nope. My CSR renewal is 9/1/21. They have sent an email outlining the new fee and what I can do if I want to cancel. No hint it will be delayed. The fee is 550.00.
Then today I received via USPS a summary of all the benefits I have received from my CSR over the last year.
I will be cancelling as I no longer think I will receive enough value. Nice while it lasted...
Then today I received via USPS a summary of all the benefits I have received from my CSR over the last year.
I will be cancelling as I no longer think I will receive enough value. Nice while it lasted...