CSP and CSR free for two years

[Anonymous]

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@NRB525 wrote:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has no AF for the first year. One cannot upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve until after 12 months. Generally the advice here is to upgrade just after 12 months pass.

End result should be two years without AF, and 3UR earning the rest of the year. Going forward I expect to keep the card as is, but a nice “bonus” for a bit more free time.

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So would you say that between 15-18 months is about the right timing for an upgrade, given that you can take the travel credit?

Also any travel would have to be done by the end of the year I assume, not the account anniversary date.

@coreysw12 wrote:

 Chase probably decided that more SUB points sounds more enticing than a waived 1st-year AF.

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I prefer the waived AF, as it gives me that time to evaluate whether or not I can justify it. If teh perks/spend cancel out the AF, then I feel it's worth keeping. Especially on $450. The CSP @ $95 isn't as bad, because if you're only bale to cancel out half of it, it's still under $50.

ATM I could never offset the CSR AF, I just don't travel or spend that much to take advantage of the credits. Having an extra 10K MR but not getting the AF waived, is essentially like paying for them. IMO

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@NRB525 wrote:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has no AF for the first year. One cannot upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve until after 12 months. Generally the advice here is to upgrade just after 12 months pass.

End result should be two years without AF, and 3UR earning the rest of the year. Going forward I expect to keep the card as is, but a nice “bonus” for a bit more free time.

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So would you say that between 15-18 months is about the right timing for an upgrade, given that you can take the travel credit?

Also any travel would have to be done by the end of the year I assume, not the account anniversary date.

@coreysw12 wrote:

 Chase probably decided that more SUB points sounds more enticing than a waived 1st-year AF.

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I prefer the waived AF, as it gives me that time to evaluate whether or not I can justify it. If teh perks/spend cancel out the AF, then I feel it's worth keeping. Especially on $450. The CSP @ $95 isn't as bad, because if you're only bale to cancel out half of it, it's still under $50.

ATM I could never offset the CSR AF, I just don't travel or spend that much to take advantage of the credits. Having an extra 10K MR but not getting the AF waived, is essentially like paying for them. IMO

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Right, but AFAIK, the CSR AF was never waived, and I think this is pretty common with cards of that AF level.   (I think one of the Amex Plat varients does or used to waive the fee the first year, but most do not)

[coreysw12]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@coreysw12 wrote:

 Chase probably decided that more SUB points sounds more enticing than a waived 1st-year AF.

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I prefer the waived AF, as it gives me that time to evaluate whether or not I can justify it. If teh perks/spend cancel out the AF, then I feel it's worth keeping. Especially on $450. The CSP @ $95 isn't as bad, because if you're only bale to cancel out half of it, it's still under $50.

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That's probably why they changed it, they didn't want the people who were just signing up for the SUB and then canceling it right before the first annual fee.

CSR AF is only $55/yr more than the CSP. Of course that assumes you spend over $300/year in travel, but that should apply to everyone who has that card since it is a travel card after all - people who don't even spend $300/year on travel really don't have any business getting a CSR card.

[Anonymous]

Generally I do have at least $300 a year in travel expenses, except for this year as my Japan trip was canceled do to a medical precedure. 

Even still, I also usually spread out the cost of travel across several cards to lessen impact of util. And to take advantage of certain travel coverages per card. I just don't want to work that hard or spend the time trying to find ways to offset AF on too many cards. lol

Amex Gold, CSP, and AAdvantage are enough for me right now.  Not to mention the recently acquired Bonvoy Biz that starts billing next year.