@SRT4kid93 wrote:
im not interested in travel, but I am interested In multiple freedom unlimited/freedom flex, mostly because they started me with a low limit, so if they won't raise it, getting several unlimited/flex's and then moving the credit limit to my original card will be my only play. (I don't want to end up having a ton of cards, I'm thinking 5 total, so hanging onto the chase cards may not be for me I would rather have 1 card with a high limit over 5 cards with the limits spread across them. And honestly, it shouldn't matter to chase either. Whether they give me 50k all on 1 card, or 10k on 5 different cards. They are still extending 50k credit line. And then they don't have to worry about paying out the sign up bonuses, or worry about me having 5 flex's all with different categories, giving me 1 larger limit card will save them money.
Chase's often gives out higher starting limits on their travel cards (Sapphires, airline/hotel co-brands) compared to their general spend core cards (Freedoms). Applying for multiple Freedoms is likely to result in multiple small SLs.
The most common reason for having more than one Freedom is to increase the overall cap on 5% quarterly categories for Flex. The other common reason is that people have downgraded from Sapphire Preferred/Reserve and are looking to keep the account open without the annual fee.
Thats too bad as I literally never travel by plane, I guess maybe chase will never be a bank that gives me a high limit, I'll have to look elsewhere. Unfortunately my other cards are also cards that will never give me high limits. Which means at some point I will have to add another 3-4 cards.
im Holding out for Amex as my next card cause I know they are good with limits. I'm also holding out hope for navy fed. Discover can be good but right now they are only offering me the secured card when I check.
@SRT4kid93 wrote:
Thats too bad as I literally never travel by plane, I guess maybe chase will never be a bank that gives me a high limit, I'll have to look elsewhere.
You don't have to keep a travel card for the long term. Just think of it as opening a general credit card. Use it for general spending for a year, and then either downgrade or reallocate the credit limit to another existing card which better matches your spending. The point is to get a card product which increases your chances for a higher starting limit. This strategy might not give you the best rewards returns for your immediate spend, but it will likely give you higher overall credit limits over the long run. You have to decide what primary goal you want to achieve first: higher limits vs rewards.
@NoHardLimits wrote:
@SRT4kid93 wrote:
Thats too bad as I literally never travel by plane, I guess maybe chase will never be a bank that gives me a high limit, I'll have to look elsewhere.
You don't have to keep a travel card for the long term. Just think of it as opening a general credit card. Use it for general spending for a year, and then either downgrade or reallocate the credit limit to another existing card which better matches your spending. The point is to get a card product which increases your chances for a higher starting limit. This strategy might not give you the best rewards returns for your immediate spend, but it will likely give you higher overall credit limits over the long run. You have to decide what primary goal you want to achieve first: higher limits vs rewards.
^ ^ ^ ^ This, @SRT4kid93. @NoHardLimits has some great points.
I've written a lot on My FICO about aspects of higher limits. (You can read some of my older posts if you start >HERE< and go back with the links to older threads.) Some variables besides those connected to profile and income are related to the lender and the particular credit card in question. Part of my "theory" of card limits is that, when a new card program is designed, each issuer decides what range of limits *MOST* consumers will fall within for THAT card. (There may be exceptions on the high end due to outsized income and/or assets deposited with the lender, but most approvals will fall in this range.) If you don't meet the lower end for that card, it's denied. You might -but rarely- exceed that window. I've noted that the majority of approvals for particular cards fall within a defined window.
My general hierarchy is:
(1) Subprime profiles approved for subprime cards - often the "toy" limits we see of maybe $1000 or less. Chase doesn't play in this category.
(2) Secured cards, "student" cards, "beginner" cards like the Chase Freedom "Rise"
(3) Generic basic cards with lower APR and typically no AF, but no rewards. For Chase, this would be a card like the Slate Edge.
(4) Rewards Cards with no-AF, and the "better" rewards often come with stricter underwriting and from more desirable lenders but also potentially higher SLs. Chase cards included would be the Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, or Amazon Prime.
(5) Lower AF travel cards, generally in the $50 to $150 AF range. For Chase, cards like the Sapphire Preferred, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier, or United Explorer.
(6) Higher AF travel cards, generally in the $250+ range. The higher fees may get the highest approval limits. For Chase, this would be cards like the Sapphire Reserve, Ritz Carlton, or United CLUB, all Visa Infinite cards.
From my experience with five spaced out but back-to-back applications with Chase, my travel cards got the highest limits and non-travel cards were lower. (See THIS POSTING where I summarized those cards and limits.) The lowest limit was also not the last approval.
CITI approvals have typically been considered "low" by many of our members. But I noted that the higher AF AAdvantage Executive WEMC had a higher SL than most CITI cards. So while some on the forums applied for the Custom Cash and got $5K -$15K limits, myself and several other members got higher limits on the AAdvantage Executive. My SL? $30.5K, which I was able to almost immediately recon into a $5K increase, albeit with another HP. Within 45 days of the application, I had a $35.5K card which was $500 higher than the similar SL for my Chase Sapphire Reserve ($35.0K). You probably couldn't have done that with a Custom Cash. See THIS POST for several other members who got the identical $30.5K SL on the AAdvantage Executive! Coincidence? I think not. We all apparently had a strong enough profile to get the top limit so that odd number repeated itself. And I wasn't seeing any higher approvals on the card. Barclay's approved my AAdvantage Aviator Red WEMC at $22K. Not a bad limit but I also reconned it. Barclays being Barclays, like CITI they wanted to do another HP which I allowed. BOOM. CLI to $50K two days later. 
Worth the second HP. If these weren't AF-travel cards, I believe those SLs and quick growth would have been very unlikely.
So yes, the travel cards will likely give the most generous limits available.
You say you almost never travel by airplane. That's fine, but you're thinking most likely of an AMEX Platinum, a card that you discussed as a previous goal card in another thread. AMEX Platinum makes the most sense for consumers who buy a lot of airfare (and can reap the benefits of higher earnings on that category) and who therefore spend a lot of time in airports where they will take advantage of the Platinum's industry-leading airport lounge access. Also, Platinum may make sense for even occasional travelers if their natural spending patterns easily recoup the steep AF on the narrowly-focused "coupon credits" on the AMEX charge cards. Beyond those two groups of people, Platinum is a ridiculously large hole in your pocket to keep for the long term. That's why I've never desired or applied for one, and I also realize that the "prestige" for that card is far overblown. My Chase Sapphire Reserve was much more difficult to attain than a Platinum would have been.
The Chase Sapphires, on the other hand, are more balanced travel cards and don't rely on traveling by air. However, they do make sense if you travel or aspire to travel in the future. Chase's definition of "travel" is quite wide, and I believe is only surpassed by Bank of America's definition.
For Chase, merchants in the travel category include:
- airlines,
- hotels,
- motels,
- timeshares,
- car rental agencies,
- cruise lines,
- travel agencies,
- discount travel sites,
- campgrounds
... and operators of:
- passenger trains,
- buses,
- taxis,
- limousines,
- ferries,
- toll bridges and highways and
- parking lots and garages.
For more about that and a lot of details about the Chase Sapphire Reserve's value, see THIS POSTING. I've made many postings about the CSR over the years. The posting also details how the travel protections on the CSR and its sister Visa Infinite card, the Ritz Carlton, are the best-in-class for premium travel cards, far surpassing the AMEX Platinum even after AMEX made some improvements to it a few years ago.
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) and Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) can be downgraded to the Freedom Unlimited Visa or Freedom Flex Mastercard. You (may) still be able to downgrade to an "original" Freedom which is a Visa. That is a factor for some of our members who prefer that network, for example for shopping at Costco. I believe they will also allow you to downgrade to the "original" no-AF Sapphire card, but a Freedom is a better choice.
The SUB on both the CSP/CSR right now is 60,000 UR (Ultimate Rewards) points. You can cash those in at a penny-a-point or $600. That fully reimburses the $550 AF on CSR plus puts $50 back in your pocket if you downgrade after a year when the next AF posts, but before you pay it. Or, if you elect the CSP, you would pay the $95 AF only once, leaving $505 in your pocket. Just keep in mind that the CSR would likely get you a higher SL if you qualify ($10K is minimum approval.) Also, if you plan to use the cards at all beyond the SUB, the CSR earns higher in some categories such as direct travel purchases (outside of Chase portal.) While CSP earns 5x points for in-portal travel purchases of hotel, rental car, or airfare, the CSR earns the same 5x points on airfare but 10x points on rental car or hotels.
The CSP has a $95 AF with an automatic $50 hotel credit. So if you book one night with the card anytime during the year with any hotel-coded MCC charge exceeding $50, your effective AF is $45 if you decide to keep the card. If you redeem points in-portal for travel, CSP gives you a 25% bonus on points value.
With the CSR, the AF is $550, but *any* of the above travel categories automatically credits the first $300 in travel charges to your card, making the effective AF $250. CSR also reimburses TSA Global Entry/Precheck once every four years ($100/4 years, so a $25 annual value.) CSR also included Roadside Assistance that not only coordinates assistance like a "Roadside Dispatch" plan, but also pays the first $50 up to 4x annually, equivalent to a roughly $60 basic AAA plan. CSR also includes some great shopping perks like Extended Warranty extensions, Return Protection, and Purchase Protection. Right now, there is a complimentary Door Dash "DashPass" membership with $5 monthly DashPass credits ($60 annually), complimentary LyftPink with 10% discount, and the Priority Pass airport Lounge perk among others. There are additional DoorDash credits (up to $20 on CSR) for non-food deliveries. There's a lot more value-added to the card than I'm even summarizing here. Depending on how you value or use all the added perks, the AF could eventually become completely irrelevant, and all without having to set foot on an airplane.
CSP offers similar perks although often not quite as generous as on the CSR. Both cards have PRIMARY rental car CDW, which means the claim is handled without involving your insurance company, paying a deductible, or affecting your insurance rates.
You may decide to keep one of these cards after the first year, but you can always downgrade it. With the SUB, there is no financial risk and you'll probably end up at least a little ahead.
