Chase Sapphire Reserved eligibility and general tips

[Anonymous]

Hi, I'm planning on driving 4 hours to go to the nearest Chase Branch to me to take advantage of their 100K miles offer by going into the branch. I wish I had noticed this offer 2 months ago, but I didn't, so now I have an excuse to go camping.

Before I make the drive, I'd like to get a little feedback on if I'll get approved:

AAoA: 9.25 (not counting an old Macy's card that they closed due to me not using it 5+ years)

FICO: 801

Income: $85K (Salary plus rental income)

Mortgage: $209K

Card Limits:

Chase United Visa 1: $5,500 I think (I couldn't find this one)

Chase United Visa 2: $8,000 (signed up for Continental's card after they announced the merger but before it happened)

USAA: $5,500

Macy's: $1,200

I typically only use Visa 1, and the balance got up to $5K this month, which I have now paid off. That concerns me a bit for the utilization ratio. 

So assuming I can get approved for the CSR, I'll plan on closing Visa 2 because it has an $85 AF and I am just wasting money on it right now. I'm also tempted to close Visa 1 and get the Chase Freedom Unlimited for everyday purchases and to transfer points. I believe it has a $60 AF, although I might see if I can just downgrade it to a free card. This is my second oldest account (after USAA) so it seems like it might be a good idea to keep it open.

Am I doing this whole thing right? Are there any suggestions for what I could be doing better or more effectively? Based on what I'm seeing on the forums, there are quite a few people here who are up against the 5/24 rule which makes me wonder if I'm leaving "points" on the table by having these old accounts that I keep open and don't do much with. Also, I do pay off my cards every month.

[newhis]

I don't see any Chase United card without AF, I hope there is an option for your card.

Most times Chase will report again (mid-cycle) when you pay your card to $0 balance, if you did that maybe your card is already reporting $0, so don't worry about it.

You don't have cards over 10K limit but if you have a good history with Chase you will get the CSR.

Because you are going to a branch 4 hrs away, I think it is better to ask if you can app for CSR and FU. Some people are getting $300 (30,000 UR) for FU if they app in branch for $500 in purchases.

If you want to close your Chase cards, ask them to transfer the limit to your new cards. If you close a card it will stay report for up to 10 years, no need to keep it open if it is costing you money and don't use it. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

That is good to know. Thank you for the heads up about the FU card. I'll definitely talk to them about that. 

I have 12.5 years of history with Chase so hopefully that works out just fine.  

[Anonymous]

What happened? Did you go?