topic Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR! in Credit Cards

STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 05:35:29 GMT

Well nothing good lasts forever. And now, at a time I was already considering downgrading my AMEX Platinum to Gold, THIS happens!

Head is spinning with scenarios but one is...

Spend UR pts on big flight to save massive money BEFORE new AF hits, then downgrade to CSP moving forward. I have decent earning from the Ink as well.

Then take a SUB for the AMEX GOLD and downgrade the Platinum to the Green. I think I see value in both of those cards now.

Then for any month on the calendar when I could really use platinum status, I could call customer service and switch one to a Platinum.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I love my lounge access. I love primary insurance. Do a ton of dining out and grocery spend.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

redpat — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 06:46:32 GMT

Apply for chase freedom $200 sub and keep your CSR for two years and also get Amex gold SUB.

You need to have an upgrade offer in order to switch from green to plat. You just can't go back and forth when ever you feel like.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 07:04:08 GMT

@redpat wrote:
Apply for chase freedom $200 sub and keep your CSR for two years and also get Amex gold SUB.

You need to have an upgrade offer in order to switch from green to plat. You just can't go back and forth when ever you feel like.

Amex told me by phone that I could go back and forth between Platinum and Gold as often as needed though. Does the Green play by different rules?

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

redpat — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 07:23:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@redpat wrote:
Apply for chase freedom $200 sub and keep your CSR for two years and also get Amex gold SUB.

You need to have an upgrade offer in order to switch from green to plat. You just can't go back and forth when ever you feel like.
Amex told me by phone that I could go back and forth between Platinum and Gold as often as needed though. Does the Green play by different rules?

I believe you have to wait a year between upgrades and downgrades. I could be wrong but I think it has something to do with the card act and annual fees. Are you thinking of upgrading and downgrading in the same year when you want plat for the perks?

All the Amex charge cards are treated the same.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 07:30:27 GMT

@redpat wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@redpat wrote:
Apply for chase freedom $200 sub and keep your CSR for two years and also get Amex gold SUB.

You need to have an upgrade offer in order to switch from green to plat. You just can't go back and forth when ever you feel like.
Amex told me by phone that I could go back and forth between Platinum and Gold as often as needed though. Does the Green play by different rules?
I believe you have to wait a year between upgrades and downgrades. I could be wrong but I think it has something to do with the card act and annual fees. Are you thinking of upgrading and downgrading in the same year when you want plat for the perks?

All the Amex charge cards are treated the same.

Same year, yes. They said they prorate the fees.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

wasCB14 — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 07:30:44 GMT

@redpat wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@redpat wrote:
Apply for chase freedom $200 sub and keep your CSR for two years and also get Amex gold SUB.

You need to have an upgrade offer in order to switch from green to plat. You just can't go back and forth when ever you feel like.
Amex told me by phone that I could go back and forth between Platinum and Gold as often as needed though. Does the Green play by different rules?
I believe you have to wait a year between upgrades and downgrades. I could be wrong but I think it has something to do with the card act and annual fees. Are you thinking of upgrading and downgrading in the same year when you want plat for the perks?

All the Amex charge cards are treated the same.

They can be somewhat flexible, but at some point you may attract the attention of Amex's Rewards Abuse Team. Don't put too much trust in a non-specialized CS rep making a general statement.

My suggestion is to always start with a nice bonus, try to get a retention offer when you can, and close or PC when a card no longer makes sense. Trying to keep a card's benefits while circumventing its AF in a way that could be construed as abusive can attract too much attention.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

K-in-Boston — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 16:14:33 GMT

Totally agree with that advice. CSR and Platinum either make sense, or they don't. I wouldn't risk going back and forth multiple times with either of them.

FWIW The CARD Act only prevents increases in AFs during the first year an account is opened. With PCs after a year, it doesn't matter.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 17:58:35 GMT

Not sure it’s a risk though if, as they pointed out, during the time I’d be with the platinum, i would be paying them more money for those privileges. 🐋

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

NRB525 — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 20:00:54 GMT

How often do you use lounge access during a typical year?

I also would be skeptical of a plan to up/down/up/down switch cards.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

KJinNC — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 20:55:15 GMT

I think I would at least call again and talk to another CSR to see if that's a widespread understanding or if you just talked to a CSR who made an assumption. It does not sound to me like something they'd want to encourage, but who knows.

I've been planning to get a CSR eventually, but I'm now questioning my math, and thinking I may just do Platinum instead. We're probably not the only ones having that thought process.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

woodyman100 — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 22:56:31 GMT

Be careful with that.

I went up and down a few times and ended up on the Amex naughty list as far as SUB's go.

They cited the number of times I had closed and opened Amex accounts.

I only apped for one charge card and moved up and down the ladder over several years.

2 years later, they finally let me have a sign up bonus for the new green

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 14:39:02 GMT

In that case it would be more advantageous to downgrade PLAT to GREEN and get the SUB on a GOLD. I THINK...

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 16:34:24 GMT

@woodyman100 wrote:
Be careful with that.
I went up and down a few times and ended up on the Amex naughty list as far as SUB's go.
They cited the number of times I had closed and opened Amex accounts.
I only apped for one charge card and moved up and down the ladder over several years.
2 years later, they finally let me have a sign up bonus for the new green

Com'mon @woodyman100 you know it is your magnetic personality!!!

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 17:06:24 GMT

In my case, I have no plans to close accounts. Most likely downgrade one and open another.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

wasCB14 — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 01:54:13 GMT

Hypothetically, could someone go to a Centurion Lounge right after upgrading a Green to Platinum, present the physical Green and ask them to "look it up"...or show the Platinum in the Amex app?

I don't expect that would fly so easily at a SkyClub or Escape lounge.

Just curious...not closing my Schwab anytime soon.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 01:56:32 GMT

I’d not upgrade same day. 😀

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

woodyman100 — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 02:26:54 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@woodyman100 wrote:
Be careful with that.
I went up and down a few times and ended up on the Amex naughty list as far as SUB's go.
They cited the number of times I had closed and opened Amex accounts.
I only apped for one charge card and moved up and down the ladder over several years.
2 years later, they finally let me have a sign up bonus for the new green
Com'mon @woodyman100 you know it is your magnetic personality!!!

Awe shucks!
my first Amex since I closed my Platinum in 2018

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

woodyman100 — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 02:28:05 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
Hypothetically, could someone go to a Centurion Lounge right after upgrading a Green to Platinum, present the physical Green and ask them to "look it up"...or show the Platinum in the Amex app?

I don't expect that would fly so easily at a SkyClub or Escape lounge.

Just curious...not closing my Schwab anytime soon.

I don't think so.

Centurion lounges are always crowded anyway

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

UncleB — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 04:28:27 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
In my case, I have no plans to close accounts. Most likely downgrade one and open another.

If I understand correctly, @woodyman100 didn't close any accounts either, but the Amex algorithm treated all the up/down PCing the same as closures for SUB purposes when he finally did apply for a new card.

As long as you don't plan to go for any sign-up bonuses for a while (years) it won't matter anyway.

Re: STRATEGY BUSTED!!! Thanks Chase CSR!

red259 — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 07:18:20 GMT

@woodyman100 wrote:
Be careful with that.
I went up and down a few times and ended up on the Amex naughty list as far as SUB's go.
They cited the number of times I had closed and opened Amex accounts.
I only apped for one charge card and moved up and down the ladder over several years.
2 years later, they finally let me have a sign up bonus for the new green

This is good to know. I have only been doing this with my hilton cards over the last two years. Then again I don't have many amex cards left that I can get a SUB for with a fresh app, so I guess it probably doesn't matter much. I hadn't thought about trying it with my gold card recently. It was my primary driver last year and I thought it would be this year until I rethought everything. Still they have me a retention offer and I took it so I probably shouldn't downgrade it to green for a year even thought the green card might be a better fit for my future plans. Do you go from plat to green to gold back to plat? Wondering if I have a gold and I move the plat to green if I will get a plat offer on anything.