CSP Cardholders Who Are NOT Applying for a CSR

[Anonymous]

Well not right away. I guess. I applied for CSP in JUNE. Had I known about the CSR I would have waited, but alas I am at 5/24 til November. They say the mega-bonus of 100K is only good through September....

Ugh.

[trnl2016]

I'd like to apply, but I'm sorta at 6/24 (3 of which are AU cards) and my husband is at 5/24... we're both actually at 6/9 and 5/9... all new cards acquired in the past 9 months, so we are far away from getting this card. We travel quite a bit -- domestically, about 10 times per year, internationally 1-2... would love to take advantage of the travel credits and 3x points, among all of the other benefits that would be useful or fun for us, but looks like we'll just have to wait. :-/

[Revelate]

I'm not currently; however, I'm a starving college student for the next 2 years and it's doubtful I'd be using the travel credit.

I know the 100K offer is admittedly tempting, but I'm not really in a position to do that and if the card makes sense in 2ish years (and I think they'll keep it actually) post graduation assuming I go back to my former income strata then non-zero chance I'll pick it up.

For now though the CSP is fine, and will be kept unlike most of the other AF cards that I have.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

If you travel and dine enough to justify having a CSP, then you probably should have a CSR instead, either always (if you have no AUs) or unless you spend a very specific amount on travel and dining (if you have AUs).

If you have no AUs, your effective AF is $150.  The following chart compares three cards: CSR ($150 AF, 3x travel/dining, no FTF), CSP ($95 AF, 2x travel/dining, no FTF), and QS ($0 AF, 1.5% everythng, no FTF).  Given a range of plausible UR point values, it compares the yearly travel/dining spend required for CSR or CSP to beat QS.

http://imgur.com/4TH7sCF

This chart shows that for any valuation of UR, CSP always loses to QS (if you're a light spender) or CSR (if you're a heavy spender).  For example, if you think UR are worth 2cpp, then QS is the best card if you spend less than $3333.33 on travel/dining per year, and CSR otherwise.  CSP also overtakes QS at $3800 yearly spend, but CSR is already better than both at that point.

On the other hand, let's say that you have one AU; in that case, CSR's AF increases to $225.  The following chart compares that CSR with CSP and several other no-AF cash back cards: QS (1.5% no FTF), DC/Fido (2%), BofA TR with maximum relationship (2.625% no FTF), and Costco (3% travel/dining).  (This chart generally ignores the FTF issue since it's not really the point.)

http://imgur.com/8Fu1y3T

In this case, depending on what other cards you have access to (and whether you care about FTF), CSP might be your best option, but only for a narrow range of annual spending.  Continuing the above example of 2cpp and QS, we see that this version of CSR now requires $5000 spend to beat QS, so CSP would in fact be the best option if you spend between $3800 (where QS>CSP) and $6500 (where CSR>CSP) on travel/dining per year.  Alternatively, comparing against DC, the sweet spot for CSP is reduced to $4750-$6500.  For that matter, against BofA TR or Costco, the spending thresholds are once again high enough that CSP loses to the free card or CSR at all levels of spend.

Under this model, CSP's winning range is at most a few thousand in comparison to QS, and less in comparison to DC.  Against the Costco card, CSP loses for pretty much every reasonable valuation of UR.

As the number of AUs increases, however, CSP performs much better than CSR.  With 2 AUs, CSR requires a total of $10250 spend to overtake CSP (at 2cpp); with 3 AUs, that number is $14000.

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I was originally going to app for the CSR (and PC my CSP to FU) but now I'm not so sure. For the places I'd like to eventually go to, I would only get ~1.7cpp in value for economy tickets; based on my dining spend and the above chart the CSR would narrowly edge out the QS. There's also the thing with my spending $450 up front to get $300 back that bugs me a bit and more importantly, me being unsure I'll make the minimum spend in time.

I'm almost tempted to just spend the UR that I have and just get a 2% cash back card for all of my spending. It seems like I got into travel rewards too late considering the much higher valuation that people have gotten in the past.

[Anonymous]

I have JUST got back from a 2 week vacation overseas. So I really wish this has been released like 6 months ago!

I am saving every penny I make right now for a house downpayment and a wedding, so dropping $4K would be unrealistic.

However, next year before my wedding/honeymoon and moving into our first house I think I could see myself dropping $4K pretty easily. It would be a perfect replacement for my Prestige and I would also be at 4 accounts in 24 months at that point.

It would be a nice honeymoon gift from Chase too

[Chickenpotpie]

I dont have either but thats kinda moot  

I get reimburssed for Global Entry through my work so I'm good.   If I thought I could justify the fees I would have gone with an amex plat (they keep throwing the darn thing at me)  but for me, none of them make a lot of sense.  I'd have to travel a lot more than I do.

[Anonymous]

I have the CSP and will not be applying for the CSR.  The first day I had my CSP I was shopping at Lowes Home Improvements.  Went down an aisle and for some reason we decided to backtrack down the same aisle.  We came upon a credit card in the floor.  I said "ma, look there's a credit card in the floor".  Then I said "and it's got my name on it".  The thing was so heavy it would fall out of the wallet I carried with my cell phone in my hand.  Had to start using rubber bands wrapped around my wallet.

[370Z]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I have the CSP and will not be applying for the CSR.  The first day I had my CSP I was shopping at Lowes Home Improvements.  Went down an aisle and for some reason we decided to backtrack down the same aisle.  We came upon a credit card in the floor.  I said "ma, look there's a credit card in the floor".  Then I said "and it's got my name on it".  The thing was so heavy it would fall out of the wallet I carried with my cell phone in my hand.  Had to start using rubber bands wrapped around my wallet.

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What CSP? I can only see a Centurion and two rectangular nondescript items below it.