Ritz Card -- first year AF waived?

[cmm89]

Hi all,

I've seen a couple people refer to the Ritz Card as an app-and-see-how-you-like-it card... I don't see anywhere that they waive the AF for the first year. Is it just not advertised?

Thanks!

[wasCB14]

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@cmm89 wrote:

Hi all,

I've seen a couple people refer to the Ritz Card as an app-and-see-how-you-like-it card... I don't see anywhere that they waive the AF for the first year. Is it just not advertised?

Thanks!

---

They may mean the big bonus and $300 airfare extras credit makes the $450 first-year AF less significant.

[cmm89]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@cmm89 wrote:

Hi all,

I've seen a couple people refer to the Ritz Card as an app-and-see-how-you-like-it card... I don't see anywhere that they waive the AF for the first year. Is it just not advertised?

Thanks!

---

They may mean the big bonus and $300 airfare extras credit makes the $450 first-year AF less significant.

---

Gotcha. Perhaps the AF is charged at the end of the year instead of upon account creation? Probably not, but maybe?

[K-in-Boston]

The fee is charged up-front.  But taking out all of the (many) Ritz-Carlton perks and sign-up bonus, it still pays for itself for the first two years if you get Global Entry:

$100 Global Entry

$300 Travel Credit x 2 years

$100 Visa Infinite discount on flight with 2 or more passengers x 2 years

------

$900 = $450 AF x 2 years

It's a great card, I just value my Amex Platinum/SPG combo (with their not-insignificant higher combined AFs) more for their significantly higher earning in the Marriott ecosystem than the Ritz-Carlton card.  Ritz-Carlton is certainly on the table for 2019, though, depending on how the Marriott-SPG merger goes.  With my spend, it would also give me Platinum Elite status, which I currently have no other way of achieving.

[Anonymous]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

The fee is charged up-front.  But taking out all of the (many) Ritz-Carlton perks and sign-up bonus, it still pays for itself for the first two years if you get Global Entry:

$100 Global Entry

$300 Travel Credit x 2 years

$100 Visa Infinite discount on flight with 2 or more passengers x 2 years

------

$900 = $450 AF x 2 years

It's a great card, I just value my Amex Platinum/SPG combo (with their not-insignificant higher combined AFs) more for their significantly higher earning in the Marriott ecosystem than the Ritz-Carlton card.  Ritz-Carlton is certainly on the table for 2019, though, depending on how the Marriott-SPG merger goes.  With my spend, it would also give me Platinum Elite status, which I currently have no other way of achieving.

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An amazing combo indeed.  The 1:3 transfer and higher tier is valuable.  I also fear the merger, for at that point in time, I don't feel the need for Plat should SPG go away.  I have been keeping a soft ear to the ground for other options.  Marriott is 5/24, so I'm stuck till late 2018 anyway even if I wanted that sweet bonus.  Ritz does seem like a heavy contender, huh.

[Anonymous]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

The fee is charged up-front.  But taking out all of the (many) Ritz-Carlton perks and sign-up bonus, it still pays for itself for the first two years if you get Global Entry:

$100 Global Entry

$300 Travel Credit x 2 years

$100 Visa Infinite discount on flight with 2 or more passengers x 2 years

------

$900 = $450 AF x 2 years

It's a great card, I just value my Amex Platinum/SPG combo (with their not-insignificant higher combined AFs) more for their significantly higher earning in the Marriott ecosystem than the Ritz-Carlton card.  Ritz-Carlton is certainly on the table for 2019, though, depending on how the Marriott-SPG merger goes.  With my spend, it would also give me Platinum Elite status, which I currently have no other way of achieving.

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Just curious why that combo has 'significantly higher earning in the Marriott ecosystem'?

[wasCB14]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

The fee is charged up-front.  But taking out all of the (many) Ritz-Carlton perks and sign-up bonus, it still pays for itself for the first two years if you get Global Entry:

$100 Global Entry

$300 Travel Credit x 2 years

$100 Visa Infinite discount on flight with 2 or more passengers x 2 years

------

$900 = $450 AF x 2 years

It's a great card, I just value my Amex Platinum/SPG combo (with their not-insignificant higher combined AFs) more for their significantly higher earning in the Marriott ecosystem than the Ritz-Carlton card.  Ritz-Carlton is certainly on the table for 2019, though, depending on how the Marriott-SPG merger goes.  With my spend, it would also give me Platinum Elite status, which I currently have no other way of achieving.

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You're presenting the $100 VI flight discount as a once-per-calendar-year perk. It may be used an unlimited number of times.

"How many times may I use the discount in any given year?

Eligible cardmembers can use the discount an unlimited number of times, as long as they remain eligible as defined by Chase and as long as they meet the offer terms and conditions."

https://www.visadiscountair.com/ritzcarltoncard/faq.aspx

[Anonymous]

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@cmm89 wrote:

Hi all,

I've seen a couple people refer to the Ritz Card as an app-and-see-how-you-like-it card... I don't see anywhere that they waive the AF for the first year. Is it just not advertised?

Thanks!

---

You can try look up on flayertalk for more details on the 'clever trick' to force chase to refund your first year AF (has to do with credit limit).

But as mentioned above, the card is a good value even without resorting to such 'tricks' and is eitherways not a keeper if you really need to use that to make the first year worth it.

(a side note, if you value any other chase card(s) at all, I'd not risk doing that and having it backfire)

[K-in-Boston]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

You're presenting the $100 VI flight discount as a once-per-calendar-year perk. It may be used an unlimited number of times.

"How many times may I use the discount in any given year?

Eligible cardmembers can use the discount an unlimited number of times, as long as they remain eligible as defined by Chase and as long as they meet the offer terms and conditions."

https://www.visadiscountair.com/ritzcarltoncard/faq.aspx

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Wow, best correction in ages, wasCB14!!!  Now I need to try not to app for the card.

[Anonymous]

Free nights and upgrades X 3  pretty stellar too.

My annual.fee hit again, still was the 395. Was watching to see if they honoured my old annual fee, yep. 😄