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@K-in-Boston wrote:Many of the comparisons on dining for example fail to take into account that there are no foreign transaction fees to completely negate any dining earnings as is the case on the lower tier cards. They are after all travel cards.
Excellent point. My CSR actually gets all of my foreign spend (both for bonus categories and otherwise) simply due to no FTF, but it only barely beats my lowly Cap1 Quicksilver that also has no FTF and offers 1.5% back on everything. Which gives me another idea: 1.5x on all foreign spend would be a great CSP/CSR feature, even if domestic spend stays at 1x.
@coreysw12 wrote:
@Citylights18 wrote:10% on Lyft was supposed to be a game changer for the CSR. A $100 monthly Lyft spend with a 20% RTR coming back is $120 a year. But that fell through. I've only taken a couple of rideshare during COVID-19 and those were paid by my mechanic. There was no pick me up from the airport Lyft rides that I'd usually find myself taking. Times when I considered a Lyft ride I was outvoted and had to walk.
Ya, it was a great idea that just came at a really bad time. Sure would've been nice back when I had a $350 Lyft ride in NYC last fall! Hopefully that promo stays for a while longer, it seems like they've worked something out with Lyft through at least 2021 though.
A two year contract feels permanent to me.
These quarterly contract deals Chase has been throwing out during the Pandemic have been hard to stay on top of. Freedom finally has seemed to settle down with permanent upgraded categories and a sign up bonus for 5% Grocery up to 12k of spend.
Probably a lot more have cancelled their CSR than picked it up since COVID. Chase might not want to invest in revamping a failing product immediately. Instead they are doubling down on the CSP by offering a bigger sign up bonus.
Even though the CSR is a travel card these are different times hence them keeping the 450 AF for the foreseeable future, but you can bet once the traveling continues again it will be raised to $550 or whatever it might end up depending on buffs, etc. Whether permanent or temporary something else will be done until life is normal again to keep that AF coming in. I am thinking as mentioned something like 4/5 csp/csr respectively dining/travel credit and extensions on some of the other stuff such as gas(this is probably not costing chase that much as gas is fairly cheap right now and alot of people arent driving a ton compared to pre cv-19). Although my fuel spend personally has gone basically form several hundred a month to maybe 30 a month since I work from home permanently now as will alot of people as alot of companies realized teleworking works full time and why not get rid of some of that expensive office space (obviously this depends on the line of work you are in). With the CFF/CFU buff something will happen to the CSP/CSR although what it is we can just guess at this point and the lyft pink does need to be extended regardless as basically I lost a good 6+ months of it as lyft is still not really operating in my area so sure that is getting ironed out between chase/lyft, etc.
@coreysw12 wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:Many of the comparisons on dining for example fail to take into account that there are no foreign transaction fees to completely negate any dining earnings as is the case on the lower tier cards. They are after all travel cards.
Excellent point. My CSR actually gets all of my foreign spend (both for bonus categories and otherwise) simply due to no FTF, but it only barely beats my lowly Cap1 Quicksilver that also has no FTF and offers 1.5% back on everything. Which gives me another idea: 1.5x on all foreign spend would be a great CSP/CSR feature, even if domestic spend stays at 1x.
Plus in the case of "book through Chase" travel that will earn 5x on Freedom, Chase doesn't have to provide CSR-level travel insurances.
My wishlist for CSP/CSR revamp:
1. Let the CSP be different from the CSR. Right now the CSP is a junior (and much inferior) version of the CSR.
2. Add permanent reward categories for supermarkets and gas, preferably to the CSP. Supermarkets has to be generic, not merchant-specific. And not grocery delivery services.
3. Allow cardholders to hold both the CSP and the CSR.
A pony for CSP, horse for CSR
That's my final answer.
@coreysw12 wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:Many of the comparisons on dining for example fail to take into account that there are no foreign transaction fees to completely negate any dining earnings as is the case on the lower tier cards. They are after all travel cards.
Excellent point. My CSR actually gets all of my foreign spend (both for bonus categories and otherwise) simply due to no FTF, but it only barely beats my lowly Cap1 Quicksilver that also has no FTF and offers 1.5% back on everything. Which gives me another idea: 1.5x on all foreign spend would be a great CSP/CSR feature, even if domestic spend stays at 1x.
You can get 1% everything foreign travel on the CSR but you can do the same with the CSP.
CSP trifecta I've always said is the way to go over trying to eat the large CSR annual fee. I said it even before the CSR moved its AF to $550. The 1.5 redemption on travel portal purchases is overrated. A point is worth 1.33 cpp when redeeming that way. A CSP point is worth 1.20 ccp with the 1.25 redemption.
I opted to carry a CSP and an AMEX Green instead. Green has the 3x categories but one difference is it also generates a lot of cash back offers, not just at Starbucks or Krispy Kreme for 5% but solid $5 to $10 dollars off on local vendors and transit. Then there is no individual card utilization. A normal card you stick 10,000 on it and your score drops by 50 points.
@CreditCuriosity wrote:Although my fuel spend personally has gone basically form several hundred a month to maybe 30 a month since I work from home permanently now as will alot of people as alot of companies realized teleworking works full time and why not get rid of some of that expensive office space (obviously this depends on the line of work you are in). With the CFF/CFU buff something will happen to the CSP/CSR although what it is we can just guess at this point and the lyft pink does need to be extended regardless as basically I lost a good 6+ months of it as lyft is still not really operating in my area so sure that is getting ironed out between chase/lyft, etc.
The demand for commercial office space is going to drop but what that does is fuel a flight to quality. Companies will downsize office opperations and sign a lease in places like NYC or Chicago for half of what they could in 2019. The requirements for more space per employee have gone up as a counteracting force to demand more square footage.
I could see Chase going back to 5%/3% on Grocery spending with CSR/CSP for Q4 then rolling out 10%/5% for Instacart for a full year. Heavy into groceries for right now makes sense.
I did see an infographic where Chase Freedom Flex was compared to Discover and Capital One to try to be more competitive with their offerings. But where is the competition for CSR/CSP? There is more product differentiation between Chase, AMEX, Capital One and Citi at the travel tier. Chase might feel they stack up well with their travel partners.
Here is an article that talks about rewards trends and leaning toward grocery and delivery away from restaurants/travel.
https://www.cardrates.com/advice/how-the-pandemic-is-affecting-credit-card-debt/
@Citylights18 wrote:
@coreysw12 wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:Many of the comparisons on dining for example fail to take into account that there are no foreign transaction fees to completely negate any dining earnings as is the case on the lower tier cards. They are after all travel cards.
Excellent point. My CSR actually gets all of my foreign spend (both for bonus categories and otherwise) simply due to no FTF, but it only barely beats my lowly Cap1 Quicksilver that also has no FTF and offers 1.5% back on everything. Which gives me another idea: 1.5x on all foreign spend would be a great CSP/CSR feature, even if domestic spend stays at 1x.
You can get 1% everything foreign travel on the CSR but you can do the same with the CSP.
CSP trifecta I've always said is the way to go over trying to eat the large CSR annual fee. I said it even before the CSR moved its AF to $550. The 1.5 redemption on travel portal purchases is overrated. A point is worth 1.33 cpp when redeeming that way. A CSP point is worth 1.20 ccp with the 1.25 redemption.
I opted to carry a CSP and an AMEX Green instead. Green has the 3x categories but one difference is it also generates a lot of cash back offers, not just at Starbucks or Krispy Kreme for 5% but solid $5 to $10 dollars off on local vendors and transit. Then there is no individual card utilization. A normal card you stick 10,000 on it and your score drops by 50 points.
Huh?!? Not sure how you came up with those numbers. With the 50% bonus, URs are worth 1.50 cpp with CSR. With the 25% bonus, URs are worth 1.25 cpp with CSP. A $750 plane ticket is 50k with CSR and 60k with CSP; that's 1.5 and 1.25. While I've done Marriott and Virgin Atlantic transfers, I primarily use URs for travel portal airfare purchases. With the 50% multiplier and SkyMiles earned I'm at around 2 cpp net.
CSR makes much more sense if you're spending in the 3x categories. Since I do the travel portal most of the time, it's comparing 2.5% back to 4.5% back and that can easily overcome the difference in AFs after the travel credit is taken out.
As for score points, that's entirely dependent on profile. I can lose zero points or almost nothing by adding a $10k balance on most cards.
I have two potential options that i would personally really like to see happen
Option 1, which is simply a revamp of both cards:
CSR:
4x or 5x on dining
4x or 5x on all travel(personally i believe 5x is out of the question).
5x travel portal to match CFF/CFU
4x Groceries
CSP:
3x Travel
3x Dining
5x Travel portal to match CFF/CFU
2x or 3x on gas
People forget, when talking about point earning categories, to add in the 1.25 or 1.5 on these cards. Chase will NEVER include a permanent category above 5x on anything imo. Because 5x plus 1.5 on CSR is 7.5%. Which is why, i could see the CSP matching the CFF/CFU 3x dining, but it actually being 3x plus 1.25, which is 3.75%. So, it's better than the CFF/CFU and makes the $95 AF worth getting that extra point redemption.
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Option 2, which i don't think is possible but would be amazing, imo, and is almost a direct copy from Waller's Wallet. This includes killing the One Sapphire rule and allowing the CSP to piggyback the CSR just like Amex does with the Green/Gold/Platinum:
CSR:
4x Hotels
4x Airlines
4x or 5x dining
5x travel portal
CSP:
4x Groceries
3x All travel
3x Dining
5x Travel Portal
I would also like to see the CSR more intertwined with United. Like giving CSR card holders access to the United Lounge when flying a United flight. Priority pass is meh, imo, especially in the US and i'd love to be able to hang out in the United lounge on my flights home that the airport doesn't have a Centurion lounge.
This being said, i don't believe it would ever happen as it would almost make the UA Club card useless. But it would be nice!
I would definitely like to see Disney added back to the UR portal
Regardless whatever they do, i hope they actualy do something, and do it soon. I just PC to CSR a few months ago and i'm fortunate to live in a state that is mostly open so my dining spend has been able to take advantage of the 3x. However, now that the CFU has 3x dining, my CSR will be sock drawered until i travel again, and it actually upsets me that i PC from CSP to CSR now because it's a useless card to pay a $450/550 AF on now. Now, i am able to take advantage of the credits. So, my effective AF is only $30 or $130(depending upon which AF i'm charged. I'm not sure yet). And a $35 AF increase from the CSP to CSR is nothing when you factor in the 5x i recieved for groceries back in June, and the 3x i've been getting on dining now. But, there's no point in carrying the CSR in my wallet when my CFU literally at this time can do EVERYTHING now, and until travel returns.