Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Now Worth 100,000 Points?

June 22, 2011 - Rick

I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night when I realized the email from Chase turning me down for the 50,000 point bump-the-bonus on the Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card may, indeed, be telling us a new application is really worth 100,000 points. Here is the denial of my bump the bonus request again:

Dear Richard,
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to assist you today. Thank you for your inquiry. With the continual changes and promotional offers for many credit card products we at Chase will always consider allowing the newest promotion to be applied to any qualified accounts that were opened within the previous 90 days of the offer. In reviewing the open date on the accounts, I regret to advise that the accounts are not qualified to participate in the new enrollment promotion and therefore we are unable to honor your request. Although we appreciate your loyalty, we ask that you trust that this decision is the same for all members whose accounts do not fall within this designated time frame. We feel that adhering to the same policy for all members outside of this designated time frame is the best way to remain fair and consistent.

If you have any further questions, please reply using the Secure Message Center.

If I am reading that correctly… If you apply for an offer and find an offer within 90 days of your acceptance that is better than the offer you signed up for:

“….Chase will always consider allowing the newest promotion to be applied to any qualified accounts that were opened within the previous 90 days of the offer….”

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and waddles like a duck… I think they just told us that if we find a better offer within 90 days of sign-up, they would bump the bonus. In this case it is SV6 promo code.

Here is my question to any of you who tried to bump the bonus on an account that was opened in the last 90 days: Were any of you refused the extra 50K? If you look at the comments from last Saturday’s post, it looks as if only those with old accounts were denied.

Maybe those of you without this card in your portfolio should reconsider. I carry the Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card now as my secondary card and when I’m traveling abroad because of the excellent customer service and no foreign transaction fees. We may actually have another 100,000 point card from Chase on our hands.

Remember a reader early this morning see you may be too late to get the extra 50K. YMMV

Carl

I have done one successful churn with the Alaska card 6 months after the first; have not tried a second time. I also have their business card. I needed the churn to get the necessary miles for the Cathay South Africa award in First Class via Hong Kong stopover. I also transferred SPG points with the 25% bonus to reach my goal. Recommend the Alaska miles for that award at 140k each. Good luck!
Nathan Ringger

Rick–Thanks for the post. Sorry there aren't any super offers out there this churn cycle. I had a quick question regarding the business credit cards and their impact on your credit score. Do they count as an inquiry?

Thanks!

Nathan
David

Rick, clicking through your Citi Preferred 'Thank you' (26K) card link does not show the 5 points earn for grocery stores. Do you have any documentation on that? That is critical to my signing up, thanks!
Larry

Rick, You mention that you got the Alaska card in February and are gong to try and churn it. Does that mean that you cancelled it right away after getting your points?
Anonymous

I jsut want to say u r undervaluing the chase sapphire preffered points in your post. as they can be transferred into hyatt points to get you a much higher value. lets say you stay at a park hyatt which is 800 a night for 22k points u will be getting a close to 4 cent per point value and that is without counting in your 7% bonus
Anonymous

The enigmatic Vantage Score…. My scores pulled from the big three are always in the mid-high 700s and my Vantage Scores always lag 80-150 points behind. I have dismissed Vantage Scores as useless for me, but think it has something to do with the Vantage Score algorithm regarding mix of credit. I don't have a mortgage or any loans, just credit cards, and I think that hurts the most on the Vantage system. It also always gives a bad grade on the number of inquiries but it only shows 7, which doesn't seem bad.
sortaconfused

I love seeing your final decision put a priority on protecting your credit rating. That's really walking the walk, Rick, and sends such a great message to the newbies and the veteran's alike.
sara

When you churn a card like alaska airlines for example does that mean you're applying for a card you already have or are you closing it first and then reapplying?
Cristina and Richard

I haven't been clear on what churning has entailed. Thanks for this detailed walk through. And here are more thanks: I applied about a 6 weeks ago for the BA visa card (miles posted already) and the Sapphire card two weeks ago. Incidentally I was able to get the 50k bump!

These are my first two forays into "the game" as you call it. Should I wait 90 days for a churn day or are these few enough requests that I can attempt one perhaps as soon as next week? Grandmothers keep asking for more baby time!
FrugalTravelGuy

Nathan: Yes biz card inquiries hit your personal score.

David: I am still fighting the same question. One offer showsbonus the other doesn't I hate to give up the 26K sign up for the 5 to 1 gas and groceries but that is what I am after.

Larry and Sara: I have NOT cancelled my previous Alaska card

Anon: Disagree. Not undervaluing the Sapphire card. I already have it an it is not in my equation today

Anon: Vantagescore scale: No mortgage for us either and our scores are way higher on the Vantage scor scale. It must be something else?
myb821

@rick that anonymous about the sapphire as me all i am commenting on is "The points do add up but are really only worth 1 cent each plus the bonus you get for using them on travel tickets so 1.25 cents." saying that that is all they r worth is def undervaluing them
Anonymous

Hi Rick. I was just wondering where in the T&C's (or elsewhere) you found that the Citi Forward 5-pts-per-dining-dollar-spent was only for the first year of card membership. It's my go-to card for dining (always nice to feel like I'm getting 5% off my meals) but I couldn't find anything about it having a one-year limit.
Anonymous

Rick, I assume you have both AmEx Gold Cards for personal and business? Given the recent chatter on both with 75k offers out there that are targeted (but which it seems most people eventually find a friendly MR CSR to add to their account after applying), that might be a good target. Especially since AmEx appears churnable on their cards after 2 years, and it's actually a bit fun to "bump the bonus" on these strategically.
Jim

Rick, excellent post. Thanks for the walk thru. It answers a lot of our questions. Interesting how the Alaska card has so much buzz.
Tammy

Rick – I seem to be missing something. Where do you see an AK Airlines Credit Card greater than 25,000 airline miles? Went to their website and I only see the 25,000 airline miles offer. Can you send me a link? Thanks!
Anonymous

My churn list from today .. all approved except amex hilton, still pending, have too many amex in past month (who knows?)

Chase Sapphire Preferred 50k
(1) Citi BUSINESS AMERICAN 75k
(2) Citi ThankU 50k PREMIER
BOA (Virgin Atl 50k)
BOA (Alaska Air 40k)
US Air – Barclays 40K
Amex Hilton (50k easy) no fee
Anonymous

Rick,
What's a good website to get my credit scores (VantageScore)?
Tx,
D

BTW, love your blogs.
Andy

Thank you, Rick. Your blog is probably the most informative of anything I read related to travel/credit cards/etc. Your thought-by-thought breakdown really helps me to understand why the play is what it is, not just knowing what the play is. Classic example of not just giving fish to a hungry man, but teaching him how to fish.

Thanks again!
tassojunior

I'll be interested as my scores and hits match Katy's.

I've only had the Chase BA 30 days so I have to wait a few more days on the Sapphire. I cancelled my Citi Biz AA to prepare for a churn there.

I'm torn between the Alaska 40K & Virgin Atlantic easy 50K BofA's. But both seem to repeat so it's a matter of which now, which later.
jackie

This FT thread has great information on all the credit card offering —

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1177334-special-credit-card-offers-master-thread.html

Sorry, I dont know how to make this a hyperlink by itself…
Anonymous

Rick,
This is an awesome post – very informative to get a peek at how you work.

Would you be kind enough to add some more detail on:
(1) Where you got the number of inquiries by credit bureau from?(Inquiries TU-3, EX-15, EQ-11)

(2) Which service you used to get Vantage score from? (VantageScore scale 852-862-814)
tassojunior

Well Anon's comment above makes me wonder if maybe I should apply for both Alaska and Virgin from B of A at same time.
FrugalTravelGuy

Tammy: 40K Alaska link is on the One Mile at a Time blog in mid June. Check his archives.

Anon: VantageScore website? I use truecredit.com

Anon # of inquiries comes from Truecredit.com in the credit report section at the bottom of your credit report.

Tassojunior I'm asking my self the same question but have 50+ emails to read and I got a delayed decision from B of A. Let me know if you win will ya?

And lastly Anon with Churn results: YOU did a terrific job. Congrtulations
doonya

Rick…post your results for the AS VISA Card, as I cancelled mine in march, but would love another 40K ( I do currently have the business version which only gave me 20K)
Anonymous

How will this Air Tran offer be affected by the upcoming merger with SWest

Will AirTran credits for a free flight translate into a free flight on SW

"""Barclays: This is the weakest offer but the Airtran Signature Visa card is one card that will soon be gone with the merger. Sixteen (16) credits on Airtran for a $59 annual fee is a round trip ticket. $750 spend. """

Thanks
Lookie

Newbie here and been reading about CHURN, if you keep your Alaska card open and then apply another one, will they close the first one or just leave it? what happen if you apply for the third time?
Anonymous

I posted my churn list earlier .. folks interested in the two BOA, go for it.. I used the two browser trick (simultaneous applications) that some other blogger posted for getting the two Citi AA cards but did it for BOA .. worked like a charm. both approved, both same credit limit so my take is that the computer system saw each app individually and approved both .. which is awesome coz all the inquiries from my churn hit experian (except the barclays card- transunion)
David

Rick, nice post. So when you say you churned the Alaska card even though you already got one back in February, you're basically hoping/expecting that BOA will issue you another card/account, under the same name/SS #? Just curious, because I always assumed that in order to churn, you had to *not* have the same card currently. Maybe I'm wrong?
geewhiz

How will this Air Tran offer be affected by the upcoming merger with SWest

Will AirTran credits for a free flight translate into a free flight on SW

"""Barclays: This is the weakest offer but the Airtran Signature Visa card is one card that will soon be gone with the merger. Sixteen (16) credits on Airtran for a $59 annual fee is a round trip ticket. $750 spend. """

Thanks
tassojunior

Thanks Anon, I be trying that.

Not sure if BofA always hits Experian in DC (AmEx & Chase always do). And at any rate two at the same time will count as one at the credit bureau so I may as well double up.
Tom

Rick or others,

I just recently (within the last 6 weeks) received the British Airways 100K card thru Chase and am looking at the 50K Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Do you guys think I have any luck in getting approved since I just got the BA card less than two months ago?

Credit Sesame score: 766
Inquiries: 5
Tom

Forgot to add some additional context… I also have a continental card with Chase with an $8k limit that I have zero use for and will most likely cancel before or after. Not sure which would be most beneficial.
DC

Can I get a business card without owning a business?
FrugalTravelGuy

DC: Read blog post in archives from August 13th 2008. That is 200eight. That whole week of post will be helpful to you
Carol in MN

I am preparing to do a churn within the next few days. I am wondering if there are some benefits that are unique to the Alaska Airline card?

Also – I checked my credit score on Creditsesame but am wondering how I can find out how many and the dates of inquiries I have with each of the 3 bureaus – ? Is there any way to do that without signing up for a credit monitoring service that has a fee – ?

Last ??? – How long should one wait after canceling some cards before applying for the same type of new ones ie, closing Citi AAdvantage cards and applying for Citi Thank You cards or canceling AMEX P.R. and SPG and applying for a Hilton AMEX?
Anonymous

To Anon, FTG, and tassojunior:

I would definitely reccomend a second BOA card(Hawaiian or Virgin Atlantic). I just got approved for the 40k Alaska card as well as the 35k Hawaiian card. This is the Hawaiian link:

https://www.applyonlinenow.com/USCCapp/Ctl/entry?sc=UABK3B&mboxSession=1308701192468-899003

Hawaiian miles transfer 1:2 to Hilton which means this could equal 70,000 Hilton points. If you have the Hawaiian card you can also transfer miles between Hawaiian accounts for free in the same household which is very useful.

There is also a 50k Citi Hilton card referenced in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1219687-50-000-citi-hilton-hhonors-visa.html

I have had the card before and still got approved so the card is definitely churnable, was also able to verify the bonus after approval via phone.

It should be no issue getting two personal Citicards approved on the same day and for 2 personal apps the inquiries get merged into one pull as well, but any more than 2 cards in one day and you will be declined.

There is also a targeted offer for the AMEX business Gold charge card for 75k meaning you could apply for the lower bonus version bump that bonus up to 75k.

Lastly, you should be able to bump the bonus on that Delta Gold Business card as there are higher targeted offers out there.
RES Library

Tom- I was successful getting the British Airways card and the Sapphire Preferred Card a month later. Although, they did originally reject the Sapphire. My credit score is just a tad lower than yours. The rep said because of my good standing and credit score they reconsidered and gave me the card. Thanks Rick for the recon #!Now I'm going to try to bump the bonus.
Anonymous

@Rick: "I bought a $3 app for my iPad that listed and mapped all the countries we've visited."

What was the name of this app? Thanks
FrugalTravelGuy

Anon; The travel app was called ww travelog. It is not worth $3 in my mind. Very hard to navigate
Miles

Rick, I really appreciate your 'multi-day thought process' approach for this blog posting. It helps clarify how my daughter and I should proceed…or should have proceeded a couple of days ago.

My wife is sitting tight, doing no apps right now. The reason is that early August will be 60+ days from her last triple-card request to Citi for AA cards, of which she got two. That leaves her 74,000 miles short of AA Gold, and we don't want to do anything to keep her from successfully re-applying for the denied Citi card.
Anonymous

You mentioned some time back that there would be a test churn for the Premier Rewards Gold card. Did that ever happen and what was the result?
Anonymous

just curious, I signed up for the 100,000 BA offer 1.5 months ago. I have the cards, but since I am currently traveling, can't start spending enough to reach the $2,500 amount until another 1.5 months when I am back home. Do they start counting the 3 months from the time the card arrives in your mail, or when you activate the card? thanks
Brian

Congrats on Katy's Citi 75K Business Visa – that is pretty exciting! Can you share any details such as if she has had that card before? if so, how long ago did you cancel it before applying again?
tassojunior

OK, so my BofA apps are about to come. Should I try for Virgin, Alaska, AND Hawaiian. I assume the credit bureau will combine all the BofA hits into one hit anyway. As I recall Hawaiian is not terribly useful for rewards.

Also, as Brian asked, I just closed my Citi biz AA- do I need to wait a certain time after closure of the biz card or will the date go only from my January application as personal does.
Cristina and Richard

Wondering if anyone has an answer to Anon's (posted 11:39pm) question: " Do they start counting the 3 months from the time the card arrives in your mail, or when you activate the card?"
Daraius

@Cristina & Richard – The clock starts ticking from when you are approved!
Suzanne

I have a question. I was considering applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card but hadn't done it yet. I was trying to give it some time since I got the Chase One Pass Card in March. My question is what are my chances of applying directly for the 100,000 card if I can tell them the offer code? Would they tell me at the outset that I was not targeted and therefore cannot apply? Or, would they do a credit check (my score is 800+) and then possibly tell me that I wasn't targeted and cannot have it. I am thinking to call the Chase no. listed on 100,000 app that was posted on Fat Wallet.

Thank you
Anonymous

Rick,

I too want to apply for the Alaska Air Visa on my next churn. On my last churn in May, I received the Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Air Visa. Obviously Bank of America will see this as a pull, do you think they will view it as credit extended by them. I ask because I'm confused by the relationship between B of A and B of Hawaii, they both offer Hawaiian Air cards and are both serviced by facardservices.com.

Thanks for all the info.
tassojunior

Anon-

BofA and Bank of Hawaii cards can both be gotten.
Faye

I really appreciate the specifics about adding new cards.

Do you have a standard procedure for when to cancel cards? I know it should be done before an annual fee kicks in but are there other triggers?
FrugalTravelGuy

Faye: Any other triggers for cancelling? Whenever they ask for money or I need to close out a card to leave room for another new one.
Anonymous

Quick question for your churning schedule. Is your churning day on 21st every 3 months? I've realized that your last time was February 21 this year and you waited 4 months (not 3) to June. Any special reasons?
FrugalTravelGuy

Anon: it is not always the 21st but at least 91 days after the last one. I waited an extra month to have a few inquiries drop off at the two year mark.

I like Tuesday or Wednesday mornings best as the apps from the weekend backlog have been cleared and hopefully all the pulls are on the same day.
Bob

Is it 91+ days since last time you applied or 91+ days since you got the latest approval?
Wolfgang

Would like to apply for the Citi 75k business card, but can't find the site or the FT thread you mentioned.
Is it too late?
Mike

Rick,
Thanks so much for this post. Really informative to learn your thought process and how you go about credit card applications. Great work!

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Now Worth 100,000 Points?

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