UPDATE to this thread: I decided to heed the forum's advice and went ahead and applied for the Chase Freedom card last night (about 2 weeks after applying for and receiving my CSP). My plan was to go through my private banking channels at J.P. Morgan to apply, but first went into my local Chase branch with the intent of simply asking some questions. I ended up getting into a lengthy discussion with the Chase branch manager about a number of things and she eventually said it would be best to just apply for the Freedom card right then and there since they could make sure I received the signup offer ($100 bonus and 0% APR for 15 months) and 10 & 10 functionality.
So I went ahead and applied at the branch (using their online system), figuring if things went awry I could still go back through the PB to override. I completed my application and, to my disappointment, received a "Pending" notification - no instant approval. Uh oh. I went home second guessing myself, wondering if I should have just applied the way I originally planned.
Being the impatient person that I am, I called the automated application status number this morning (thanks MF forums for the number!), and I was notified that I had been approved for the Freedom card... great! But for only a $3k credit line... not so great. So I hit 0 to bring up an executive services rep and explained the situation. She conferenced me in with their lending department and after a little back and forth they agreed to bump that measly $3k to a more respectable $15k, matching the CL on my CSP.
So now I finally have the Chase trifecta: Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature ($15k), Chase Freedom Visa Signature ($15k), and Chase Premier Platinum Checking (soon to be upgraded to J.P. Morgan Private Checking). 
A few interesting things I discovered through the process:
1. The warnings I received from MF forum members about Chase giving you the maximum credit line possible when you get your first card from them is obviously not true (at least without exception). Not only was I given a $3k credit line for the Freedom card no questions asked (didn't have to cannibalize my CSP's $15k line), but they bumped it up to $15k with a simple phone call and no hard inquiry. They did mention early in the phone call that I could reallocate my CSP line, but I said I'd prefer them to do a CLI and match my CSP's CL instead. Maybe I'm just really charming over the phone? 
2. For those with J.P. Morgan private banking relationships, the 10 & 10 bonus supposedly still works with the new J.P. Morgan checking accounts that launched earlier this year (I'm still waiting for written verification though).
3. You do in fact have to specify that you want the 10 & 10 Freedom card. If you don't bring it up you might miss out on the bonus. (At least according to my local Chase branch manager.)
4. Apparently all new Freedom cards are now issued as Visa cards. I was told I can call in 6 months from now to request a MC version (my CSP is already a Visa Signature card, so I'd like an MC Freedom to cover my bases), but no guarantees they'll be able to do it.
I'm pretty happy with my CC collection at this point, and will garden for the next 6 months after which I'll apply for an AmEx card.
Sorry for the lengthy post. Hope this helps others!
@Anonymous wrote:UPDATE to this thread: I decided to heed the forum's advice and went ahead and applied for the Chase Freedom card last night (about 2 weeks after applying for and receiving my CSP). My plan was to go through my private banking channels at J.P. Morgan to apply, but first went into my local Chase branch with the intent of simply asking some questions. I ended up getting into a lengthy discussion with the Chase branch manager about a number of things and she eventually said it would be best to just apply for the Freedom card right then and there since they could make sure I received the signup offer ($100 bonus and 0% APR for 15 months) and 10 & 10 functionality.
So I went ahead and applied at the branch (using their online system), figuring if things went awry I could still go back through the PB to override. I completed my application and, to my disappointment, received a "Pending" notification - no instant approval. Uh oh. I went home second guessing myself, wondering if I should have just applied the way I originally planned.
Being the impatient person that I am, I called the automated application status number this morning (thanks MF forums for the number!), and I was notified that I had been approved for the Freedom card... great! But for only a $3k credit line... not so great. So I hit 0 to bring up an executive services rep and explained the situation. She conferenced me in with their lending department and after a little back and forth they agreed to bump that measly $3k to a more respectable $15k, matching the CL on my CSP.
So now I finally have the Chase trifecta: Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature ($15k), Chase Freedom Visa Signature ($15k), and Chase Premier Platinum Checking (soon to be upgraded to J.P. Morgan Private Checking).
A few interesting things I discovered through the process:
1. The warnings I received from MF forum members about Chase giving you the maximum credit line possible when you get your first card from them is obviously not true (at least without exception). Not only was I given a $3k credit line for the Freedom card no questions asked (didn't have to cannibalize my CSP's $15k line), but they bumped it up to $15k with a simple phone call and no hard inquiry. They did mention early in the phone call that I could reallocate my CSP line, but I said I'd prefer them to do a CLI and match my CSP's CL instead. Maybe I'm just really charming over the phone?
2. For those with J.P. Morgan private banking relationships, the 10 & 10 bonus supposedly still works with the new J.P. Morgan checking accounts that launched earlier this year (I'm still waiting for written verification though).
3. You do in fact have to specify that you want the 10 & 10 Freedom card. If you don't bring it up you might miss out on the bonus. (At least according to my local Chase branch manager.)
4. Apparently all new Freedom cards are now issued as Visa cards. I was told I can call in 6 months from now to request a MC version (my CSP is already a Visa Signature card, so I'd like an MC Freedom to cover my bases), but no guarantees they'll be able to do it.
I'm pretty happy with my CC collection at this point, and will garden for the next 6 months after which I'll apply for an AmEx card.
Sorry for the lengthy post. Hope this helps others!
Congratulations! Out of curiosity, and assuming that you don't mind sharing, what exactly did you say to them to convince them to raise your freedom cl to match your sapphire cl? I'm considering doing the same when my freedom ages to one year. When I applied for my freedom, they asked me how much I needed, and I responded with a conservative $2500...obviously I low balled myself.
@Anonymous wrote:UPDATE to this thread: I decided to heed the forum's advice and went ahead and applied for the Chase Freedom card last night (about 2 weeks after applying for and receiving my CSP). My plan was to go through my private banking channels at J.P. Morgan to apply, but first went into my local Chase branch with the intent of simply asking some questions. I ended up getting into a lengthy discussion with the Chase branch manager about a number of things and she eventually said it would be best to just apply for the Freedom card right then and there since they could make sure I received the signup offer ($100 bonus and 0% APR for 15 months) and 10 & 10 functionality.
So I went ahead and applied at the branch (using their online system), figuring if things went awrTwy I could still go back through the PB to override. I completed my application and, to my disappointment, received a "Pending" notification - no instant approval. Uh oh. I went home second guessing myself, wondering if I should have just applied the way I originally planned.
Being the impatient person that I am, I called the automated application status number this morning (thanks MF forums for the number!), and I was notified that I had been approved for the Freedom card... great! But for only a $3k credit line... not so great. So I hit 0 to bring up an executive services rep and explained the situation. She conferenced me in with their lending department and after a little back and forth they agreed to bump that measly $3k to a more respectable $15k, matching the CL on my CSP.
So now I finally have the Chase trifecta: Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature ($15k), Chase Freedom Visa Signature ($15k), and Chase Premier Platinum Checking (soon to be upgraded to J.P. Morgan Private Checking).
A few interesting things I discovered through the process:
1. The warnings I received from MF forum members about Chase giving you the maximum credit line possible when you get your first card from them is obviously not true (at least without exception). Not only was I given a $3k credit line for the Freedom card no questions asked (didn't have to cannibalize my CSP's $15k line), but they bumped it up to $15k with a simple phone call and no hard inquiry. They did mention early in the phone call that I could reallocate my CSP line, but I said I'd prefer them to do a CLI and match my CSP's CL instead. Maybe I'm just really charming over the phone?
2. For those with J.P. Morgan private banking relationships, the 10 & 10 bonus supposedly still works with the new J.P. Morgan checking accounts that launched earlier this year (I'm still waiting for written verification though).
3. You do in fact have to specify that you want the 10 & 10 Freedom card. If you don't bring it up you might miss out on the bonus. (At least according to my local Chase branch manager.)
4. Apparently all new Freedom cards are now issued as Visa cards. I was told I can call in 6 months from now to request a MC version (my CSP is already a Visa Signature card, so I'd like an MC Freedom to cover my bases), but no guarantees they'll be able to do it.
I'm pretty happy with my CC collection at this point, and will garden for the next 6 months after which I'll apply for an AmEx card.
Sorry for the lengthy post. Hope this helps others!
You mentioned tour csp is a signature card? What is special about signature cards? I just got approved for the Citi honors signature visa so I am curious. Also I didn't know there were different freedom cards. Can you tell me about this?
@alovingmommyof3: Visa Signature includes some additional perks (many related to insurance coverage) and an enhanced concerge. And the logo is nicer.
There are MC and Visa version of the Freedom card, and regular vs. "10 & 10" cards. The regular and 10 & 10 cards look the same, but have different functionality.