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Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?

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longtimelurker
Epic Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@Anonymous wrote:
As others have said, it all depends on your travel Spend.

Ask yourself these questions:

Can you utilize the $300 Travel Credit?
Does a good chunk of your annual spend go towards Travel? (For redeeming the UR)

And is a $900 AF over 2 years too much? Vs. a $95 AF over 2 years?

For me I spend at least 4k annually on dining but not much on Travel. And my Amex gives me 3% on dining Year round with No AF. So for me personally it wouldn't work right now, but everyone is different.

Also it looks like they cut down the sign up bonus for CSR so low what's up with that wasn't it 70/80k just a month ago?????

For the first few months, CSR was 100K (hence the excitement) then it 50K online/100K branch and now 50K everywhere.

Message 11 of 32
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?

I don't see many people app'ing for it over the CSP since the sign up bonus is the same. Hopefully they do a period again with the increased sign up bonus or waive the first AF which would be about the same amount as having the 100k vs. 50k.
Message 12 of 32
red259
Super Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@xgac12x wrote:
I currently have the Trifecta except with the CSP. I just read something on wallaby that saying that even without spending a dollar more that the CSR would still be the better card? What would be the better card?

I have had both with the travel credit I think there are only a few reasons why someone would go for the CSP over the CSR. If someone doesn't have decent spend in the bonus categories such as restaurants or travel and they don't use the perks of the CSR like PP lounge acccess etc AND they don't have an ink card so they need a card to transfer points to travel partners then I can see the CSP making sense. Another scenario when doing a no card app is this. The CSR is more likely than the CSP to have a large signup offer in the future, so if I was only going for one now I would probably consider the current bonuses and if I think the CSR 100k may come back I might just go for the CSP in the meantime unless I had an urgent need for the CSR (ie, I need the benefits or have large amounts of upcoming spend in CSR bonus categories). 

;
Starting Score: EQ: 714, TU 684
Current Score: EQ: 725 7/30/13, TU 684 6/2013, Exp 828 5/2018, Last App 8/5/17
Goal Score: 800 (Achieved!) In garden until Sepetember 2019
Message 13 of 32
red259
Super Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@K-in-Boston wrote:

As Revelate said, it comes down to spend and perhaps sign-up bonuses.  If you travel, eliminate $300 of the annual fee from travel credit and you're comparing $150 to $95 AF.  If you spend a lot on dining and travel, you're getting 3x points instead of 2x points on those with CSR.  

 

If you are going to be redeeming your UR points through Chase for travel the CSR is a no-brainer due to the 1.5 multiplier instead of the 1.25 one for CSP, as this what your perfect spending allocation (using the right card for every purchase) would net you in travel per dollar spent:

 

Freedom (5% categories) - CSP=6.25 cents, CSR=7.5 cents

Dining/Travel on CSP or CSR- CSP=2.5 cents, CSR=4.5 cents

Freedom Unlimited (everything else) - CSP=1.875 cents, CSR=2.25 cents

 

That adds up quickly!


It all gets rather complicated when you add in other cards. For example on restaurant and travel spend there will be freedom quarters that will divert spend from the CSR to those for 3 months. Also, if someone has an ink plus/bold card then they dont need a CSP or CSR in order to transfer points and can downgrade to a CS with no AF and still get 2x at restaurants. Then you need to look at your other cards, because many of us don't focus on just one program. For example I currently have the amex business blue which gives me 10x Amex MRs per $1 on restaurant for the first six months on my first 2k restaurant spend and it gives me 2 points per dollar on everything else for the first year (seriously an awesome no AF card). Clearly that is impacting my restaurant spend on the CSR and it has delayed me in switching my CS to the freedom unlimited. At least for the next year.  

;
Starting Score: EQ: 714, TU 684
Current Score: EQ: 725 7/30/13, TU 684 6/2013, Exp 828 5/2018, Last App 8/5/17
Goal Score: 800 (Achieved!) In garden until Sepetember 2019
Message 14 of 32
wilmer007
Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?

Even with the 100k bonus drop to 50k the CSR is still the way to go. the 50% bonus in points is enough to have it. I would say if you can get both that would best as you can PC the CSP after the sign up bonus down to either another Freedom (if you find yourself spending more than the quarterly caps) or to a Slate if you plan on paying interest (rather pointless) or you would like to monitor your Experian FICO score for free. I doubt they will PC to something like the Amazon cards but if they do you definately wanna PC to those instead.


*****|$15,200|********|$13,500|***********|$5,000|*********|$25,000|***********|$500|
Highest Scores: Transunion 08: 821 | Equifax VantageScore 3.0: 780 | Experian 08: 804 | gardening until May 2018 or longer.
Message 15 of 32
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@Anonymous wrote:
I don't see many people app'ing for it over the CSP since the sign up bonus is the same. Hopefully they do a period again with the increased sign up bonus or waive the first AF which would be about the same amount as having the 100k vs. 50k.

Well you're talking bonus chasers and FOTM types who shouldn't rationally be picking up either if they stopped to do the math outside of the bonus; for the forum people who would use the card, we already have it and this forum is so far outside the general population anyway.

 

On that point, when I got denied from 5/24 for the CSR, I PC'd my CSP to it with a quickness.  If your spend and needs do align, well, frankly in my opinion it's nothing short of brilliant.  I did a bit of math on my lounge use vs. airport food and drinks over the last two months including dragging my not so well prepared coworkers in there as guests, and it's probably more than covered the $150 residual AF and that's before my actual spend on the card which while not godlike, isn't trivial.

 

Also now that I've experienced other cultures, likely going to start travelling more personally (if I don't up and move outright to Singapore haha) anyway; I'll be fine with the CSR long-term even if I do manage to start cooking someday.




        
Message 16 of 32
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?

Revelate -

I wouldn't say it's for bonus chasers, but bonuses are a large factor when signing up. To me a "bonus chaser" is someone who signs up for a card for the sole purpose of getting the bonus then PC'ing it. When I look for cards yes I do look at the sign up bonus as playing a factor in if I app for it, but I also look at long term factors as well. I'm just saying that IF I were looking between CSP and CSR right now I personally would pick CSP as I don't travel more than 3-4 times a year through airlines. I, being a rational person would wait until mid summer when they will likely again increase the sign up bonus at least to 80k or if we're lucky to 100k.

In order to make up those lost 50k UR you'd have to spend $50,000 on regular spend or at the very lowest $17,000 purely on Dining/Travel.

I'm just saying that at this particular moment in time it's not good to apply for CSR over the CSP.

In the future it may be better, and it appears that your circumstances are different than a lot of people (PC'ing the CSP because of denial).
Message 17 of 32
red259
Super Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@Anonymous wrote:
Revelate -

I wouldn't say it's for bonus chasers, but bonuses are a large factor when signing up. To me a "bonus chaser" is someone who signs up for a card for the sole purpose of getting the bonus then PC'ing it. When I look for cards yes I do look at the sign up bonus as playing a factor in if I app for it, but I also look at long term factors as well. I'm just saying that IF I were looking between CSP and CSR right now I personally would pick CSP as I don't travel more than 3-4 times a year through airlines. I, being a rational person would wait until mid summer when they will likely again increase the sign up bonus at least to 80k or if we're lucky to 100k.

In order to make up those lost 50k UR you'd have to spend $50,000 on regular spend or at the very lowest $17,000 purely on Dining/Travel.

I'm just saying that at this particular moment in time it's not good to apply for CSR over the CSP.

In the future it may be better, and it appears that your circumstances are different than a lot of people (PC'ing the CSP because of denial).

+1 in terms of the bonus being a major factor of when to apply. I have some cards that I hold on to for the benefits and as of right now I think I may keep the CSR beyond the first year assuming the benefits stay consistent. That being said I will often wait for a good bonus on a card I may want for the benefits. For example. once my marriott status expires I will likely want the amex business plat to get that status back. I will not apply for the business plat card though until A. there is a great signup, or B. I  really need to in order to use the benefits on an upcoming trip. 

;
Starting Score: EQ: 714, TU 684
Current Score: EQ: 725 7/30/13, TU 684 6/2013, Exp 828 5/2018, Last App 8/5/17
Goal Score: 800 (Achieved!) In garden until Sepetember 2019
Message 18 of 32
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?

Red - Exactly.
Message 19 of 32
longtimelurker
Epic Contributor

Re: Chase Trifecta - CSP or CSR?


@Anonymous wrote:
 I, being a rational person would wait until mid summer when they will likely again increase the sign up bonus at least to 80k or if we're lucky to 100k.

In order to make up those lost 50k UR you'd have to spend $50,000 on regular spend or at the very lowest $17,000 purely on Dining/Travel.

I'm just saying that at this particular moment in time it's not good to apply for CSR over the CSP.

In the future it may be better, and it appears that your circumstances are different than a lot of people (PC'ing the CSP because of denial).

What aspect of your rational personality tells you that the CSR bonus will change over the summer.   CSP bonus has been pretty stable for years and I see no reason for CSR to be different.

 

While I don't know about Rev's plan: many people who PC to CSR are banking on the rule of one bonus per 24 months.  So you can get the CSR via PC now, and once you are under 5/24, PC the card to something else and then app for CSR for the bonus, so there isn't (at least in theory) a 50K UR lost.

Message 20 of 32
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