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Don’t Downgrade Your Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not Yet, Anyway.
UPDATE 2: Chase recently changed it’s annual fee refund policy for product changes from 60 days for a full refund to about 40 days. The premise of this post still works, just mind the timing if you choose to downgrade/product change. UPDATE: It’s now mid-December and I’ve seen enough positive data points to completely discredit this comment that concerned some readers. The premise of this post works as described. One year ago, Chase introduced the Sapphire Reserve to it’s stable of credit cards. It carries a hefty $450 annual fee, but it also offers a myriad of travel benefits that offset that fee. These include an annual $300 travel credit, complimentary Priority…
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New Amex Platinum Benefits–What You Need to Know.
Last month, American Express announced Changes to its Platinum Card, including uew Uber benefits, 5x Membership Rewards for certain hotel bookings, and a new metal Card design. Along with the new perks, the annual fee was increasing to $550 for new applicants. All these changes are now live. Here’s what you need to know. New Annual Fee For new applicants, the annual fee for the Platinum Card is now $550. For Existing Platinum Card Members, the new annual fee will take effect on their annual renewal date if it is after September 1, 2017. If your annual fee renewal date is prior to September 1, 2017, you will be billed $450, and the new annual…
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American Express Announces Changes to its Platinum Card
American Express today announced its anticipated refresh of benefits for the Platinum Card. The changes include new Uber benefits, 5x Membership Rewards for certain hotel bookings, and a new metal Card design. But the accompanying annual fee increase casts a rather large shadow over what are only marginal new benefits. The new perks will kick in on on March 30, 2017. At that time, the annual fee will be increased to $550 from $450 for new applicants. For existing Platinum Card Members, the new annual fee will take effect on their renewal date on or after September 1, 2017. Back in October, Amex announced its last set of enhancements to Platinum Card benefits and…
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Limited Time 50k Signup Bonus for BarclayCard Arrival+
For a limited time, you can get a 25% higher signup bonus for the BarclayCard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard. Instead of 40,000 “miles”, new cardholders who meet the spending requirement will receive 50,000 “miles”. As I wrote in my full review of the BarclayCard Arrival Plus, the word “miles” is only a marketing gimmick. The “miles” are really just points that you can redeem for statement credits against certain travel expenses. Effectively, it’s a cashback credit card with limitations on how you can redeem your points. Card Details Earn 40,000 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days Earn 2X miles on all purchases Get 5% miles back after each redemption…
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Double-Dipping the Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit
NOTE: For applications after May 21, 2017, Chase has changed the date that the Reserve’s annual travel credit resets from each December to the first statement after your account anniversary. If you applied prior to May 21, 2017, the information in this post still applies. For those who applied more recently, please refer to the double-dipping information in this updated post. One of the most generous benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is its $300 annual travel credit. Even better, during the first year you have the card, you can receive the full travel credit twice–that’s $600–while paying only one annual fee of $450. You will have more…
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Primer on Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 Travel Credit
The annual $300 Travel Credit is easily the most lucrative benefit of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Questions about what it covers and when it resets have been plentiful. It’s important to understand the benefit to know if and/or when you should apply. Fully monetizing the credit each year will effectively reduce the annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve from $450 to a net $150. And since this benefit resets every December–not on your account anniversary– you can receive this benefit twice in the first year. Get the card now and use this year’s $300 credit. And next year you’ll have a fresh $300 credit to make use of before…
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Amex Announces New Platinum Card Benefits
After recent buzz about potential new benefits coming to the Platinum Card, today American Express announced the changes. Beginning October 6, consumers with a Platinum Card from American Express will receive 5X Membership Rewards points on airfare booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. Also, Business Platinum Card Members will now earn 50% points back (up from 30%) when using Membership Rewards Pay with Points through American Express Travel to book an economy flight with their selected airline or a first or business class ticket with any airline. In addition, Business Platinum Card Members can earn 1.5X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on any individual purchase of $5,000 or more. “Our new…
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The New Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Looks Fantastic!
UPDATE: The 100,000 point signup bonus offer for online applications will be reduced to 50,000 on January 12, 2017. Chase has introduced its new premium travel credit card, Sapphire Reserve, and it looks fantastic! Loaded with benefits, it carries a hefty $450 annual fee. This new addition to its lineup finally gives Chase a direct competitor to The Platinum Card from American Express and Citi Prestige. Sapphire Reserve offers a myriad of travel benefits that more than make up for the annual fee, including an annual $300 travel credit, complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA Pre✓ credit. Unfortunately, this card is subject to Chase’s restrictive 5/24 rule. Last week, I wrote…
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More Negative Changes to Citi Prestige Coming
In an earlier post, I wrote about Citi’s plans to discontinue complimentary American Airlines Admirals Club lounge access for Prestige cardmembers. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. More Citi Prestige changes have been announced and they’re all bad. In addition to the loss of Admirals Club access, Citi is reducing the value of ThankYou points redeemed for flights, discontinuing the Complimentary Golf benefit, and reducing the value (in some cases substantially) of the 4th Night Free hotel benefit. All these changes are to take effect July 23, 2017. Citi Prestige Changes Access to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges will no longer be offered. After July 23, 2017, current cardmembers will…
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Hot: Amex Personal Platinum Card 100k Bonus
UPDATE: This offer is no longer available. Thanks to ChetHazelEyes over at Reddit Churning for the alert about this fantastic offer. Apply now for the Personal Platinum Card from American Express and get 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3000 with the card in the first 3 months. This offer is not available to applicants who have or have had this product in the past. The link to this offer can be found here. It takes you to the landing page with all the offer terms spelled out. Note that, as usual, the $450 annual fee is not waived the first year. Main Platinum Card Benefits I consider the Platinum Card to be…
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