@Anonymous wrote:
I currently have the CSP and coming up to my first year with it (Nov). I haven’t paid an annual fee yet but I was wondering if upgrading to the CSR makes sense. I can justify the annual fee but was more concerned about this:
Will the clock on sign up bonus eligibility for the “SAPPHIRE” product be reset if I upgrade to CSR? I was thinking of holding CSP for 3 more years then cancelling and getting CSR for another SUB. But I wanted to know if the clock resets if I upgrade/downgrade the card in the coming months.
I see two questions here and I think there may be a little confusion mixing them up on the replies.
(1) Does upgrading to CSR from CSR at the one year point make sense?
(2) Will I reset my 48-month Sapphire clock with Chase if I do a PC, which will affect my ability to get a SUB until farther in the future?
My answers.
(Question 1): It probably makes sense, regardless what it does to your SUB.
So when wrote: "Sure, the SUB is nice but, it covers the cost of the AF and then a little bit more for travel cost reduction.... but, if you're spending enough the benefits make up for the loss of the SUB pretty quickly," I think he was saying that doing the PC now will reap enough rewards over the next few years that it will negate the effects of a potential loss of SUB. Because depending on spend level, the CSR is quite a bit more lucrative card than the CSP.
I have CSR and studied the CSP in comparison before applying. IMO, the CSR is probably more appropriate and attainable for a large part of the population that chooses to carry the CSP than they realize because they are scared off by the face-value of the $450 AF. In reality, the card can easily pay for itself and then some for the right consumer.
Read my CSR/CSP commentary at the link here:
(Question 2): Chase website says, "This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months." So the way I read that, with the current rules, you could hold the CSP (OR an upgraded CSR without a SUB) for 48 months, cancel it, and then reapply for a new card for the SUB. Personally I would never do that. It's blatantly obvious what you're doing and they know it. I know some like to churn SUBs but I value my CSR (and the associated quadfecta cards) and would never want to jeopardize my relationship with Chase over questionable pushing of the policy. Sure it's "legal" but it's right up to their limits. But nothing says they have to approve you for another card right away either. You could just be without any Sapphire card. And as some have pointed out, the policies can change over time, so the rules today may not be the rules tomorrow.
