Chase Sapphire Reserve Application turned down for weird reason

[sghosh5]

Applied for Chase Sapphire Reserve today and was told my application is declined due to i already have a CHASE Sapphire preferred card and have to pay off the balance and close that card first to open a Reserve. Has anyone exeperienced this? Is this really the true reason? 

[Anonymous]

Yes and yes.

[Adkins]

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@sghosh5 wrote:

Applied for Chase Sapphire Reserve today and was told my application is declined due to i already have a CHASE Sapphire preferred card and have to pay off the balance and close that card first to open a Reserve. Has anyone exeperienced this? Is this really the true reason? 

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They changed the rules early this year, now cardholders can have one or the other but NOT both. (Unless you already have both). Some people have gotten away with getting one by applying in branch but it seems to be getting rare to get an approval that way. 

[Anonymous]

Chase is basically considering Sapphire cards (at least CSP and CSR) as the same product, and won't allow you to get another one since you "already have that product". This is a new rule this year.

As for the Sapphire card in your signature, is that a $95 annual fee CSP or the no-annual-fee and no-longer-accepting-new-applications Chase Sapphire?