So the AF just hit on my CSR card. I'm looking for opinions in my best move here. I have two amex plats and the aspire card so I am covered for lounge access. The business plat will be cancelled when the AF hits. I was going to keep the aspire card going forward, but now with the airline credit issues with Amex the value of their cards has taken a real hit and I am not so sure. My personal plat card I just got though so I have a year to go with that card.
I go under 5/24 in late april, so I was going to apply for a chase ink business card which would allow me to transfer chase URs and carry a lower AF and give me the bonus spend for travel.
The issues I have are these:
1. Are the Amex cards worth keeping beyond my first year over the CSR given that it is much harder for me to use the airline credit and maximize that?
2. I have travel booked for April and I was using the CSR to pay for the hotels. I am getting a 10% discount via ebates. If I cancel the card and change the credit card on file will I still get that discount or is it tracked based on the specific card I used to make the booking? If the ebates credit is linked to that specific card would making a product change to that card to something like the CS negate the discount?
3. My understanding is if I PC to the CS within 40 days of the AF posting I get a full refund on the AF is that correct? Also, I have read that if I cancel the card beyond 30 days I get zero refund but if I PC I get refunded the prorated AF (meaning I could keep the CSR until May [so I have it for my trip and can confirm i got the new ink approved before making a move] and then PC it once I have been approved for the chase ink and still get a pro rated AF)?
4. If I do PC the CSR to the CS will I be able to upgrade back to the CSR if I need to or do I need to wait a certain period of time to do that?
5. Any word on if Chase does retention offers on the CSR? I know they hadn't been previously.
Just trying to get a feel for what may be the best move here in the in both the short and long run. I have the amex gold card that gets all my restaurant spend so the only reason I have the CSR at this point is so I can transfer chase URs from all my non-AF cards and for travel purchases. I just don't want to be throwing money away and I feel like I am because I have too many cards with duplicative benefits. Its fine in the first year but going forward its a problem.
;Another thing just occured to me. My upcoming trip is international. If I get rid of the CSR the only non-FTF visa I have left would be my cap 1 venture card. All my other non FTF cards are Amex and it may not be a good idea to be down to just one Visa with no FTF while overseas. I guess a third option could be to PC to the CSP at least for the upcoming trip and then PC to the CS or cancel after I get back. I need to free up some chase credit but I like the idea of having a CS, so I always have the option to upgrade back to a CSR without wasting a new app, should I decide if I want to dump all the amex high end cards a year from now.
If you have a Chase biz card keep CSR. The only reason I’m keeping it is because of my ink plus.
In addition, right now Amex is worth keeping, I’m all in on MR points and shop Ebates now in-store and online. Plats and golds are the only cards I use now.
Personal Cards: Amex Plat | Amex Delta Res | CSR | Citi AA Exec Business Cards: Ink+ | Amex BGR
OP you do realize the CSR AF is not $450?
If you are considering any Sapphire or Ink for transfers that's a $95 fee, correct? So the actual decision value of the CSR is $150 - $95 or $55 marginal cost. For the in-hand overseas use (you will get UR points overseas which you will not get bonus MR) then it seems to me you'd want to keep the CSR as is indenfinitely.
Closing the second Platinum, on the other hand, is a very easy way to save a complicated AF outright.
@NRB525 wrote:OP you do realize the CSR AF is not $450?
If you are considering any Sapphire or Ink for transfers that's a $95 fee, correct? So the actual decision value of the CSR is $150 - $95 or $55 marginal cost. For the in-hand overseas use (you will get UR points overseas which you will not get bonus MR) then it seems to me you'd want to keep the CSR as is indenfinitely.
Closing the second Platinum, on the other hand, is a very easy way to save a complicated AF outright.
Yes I am aware of the travel credit. I have already used it this year. The math of $150-$95 doesn't really work for the first year since I would be getting the ink for the SUB no matter what, so in reality it still is a $150 extra I am paying to duplicate a lot of benefits. I probably would keep the ink card long term for the cell phone protection benefits.
If you arent getting the value out of CSR. I would downgrade it unless you need to lower your overall exposure with chase.
I don't really follow chase all that much as I will likely never be under 5/24 and honestly don't care. I think they are way overrated.
I know NRB525 brought up overseas use of the CSR and extra points but how much time/money do you spend overseas. You would need to spend quite a bit to justify the $150 net annual fee if you wouldnt use the card the rest of the year because the benefits/rewards are duplicated within the same point earning scheme.
@Shadowfactor wrote:If you arent getting the value out of CSR. I would downgrade it unless you need to lower your overall exposure with chase.
I don't really follow chase all that much as I will likely never be under 5/24 and honestly don't care. I think they are way overrated.
I know NRB525 brought up overseas use of the CSR and extra points but how much time/money do you spend overseas. You would need to spend quite a bit to justify the $150 net annual fee if you wouldnt use the card the rest of the year because the benefits/rewards are duplicated within the same point earning scheme.
Yes and it would only be for the upcoming trip so maybe a couple of grand on hotels, since airfare will be going on the plat. Still I have the whole concern about ebates and now I have spent money on marriott rooms and my status was just decreased by marriott today. I have heard if you booked a room with marriott you will be treated according to the status you had at the time of the reservation. However, if you alter the booking your status will get updated to your present status. I don't know if changing credit cards on the reservation will trigger that kind of update, but it may be worth holding the CSR through the upcoming trip to be safe or reducing it to a CSP assuming that won't change the numbers or expiration dates or anything that would require resevations to be realtered. It will likely be a PC no matter what because I have another two years before I can get the bonus again and in a year I will need to decide what I am doing with all these amex cards. The Amex biz plat will go in the next month or two but the aspire and personal plat I have not made a decision on and want to see how the cards work for the next year.
Since Amex made changes to their charge cards the ability to accumulate MR point has never been easier. Because of these changes I’m giving Delta a shot this year and having Biz plat w/ the 35% redeemtion rebate really helps reaching PM status.
Depending on how many MR points you earn annually having both Plats can really work together nicely.