Will I get the CSR and is the Ritz Carlton card getting canceled?!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Definitely agree with you that Chase wants to keep the Ritz Carlton around so that they can still have a way to compete in the luxury Hotel Card game. Planning to get the Bonvoy Boundless this year, and am definitely considering the product change strategy to the Ritz Carlton Card after a year. Love the podcast recap Stan!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Thanks Matt! Ooh, that's very exciting! I think you got the Bonvoy Business card recently so just remember that you need to wait at least 24 months to get the welcome offer on the Boundless - which if you get it with an elevated offer can be very valuable! Unless you just want to start the clock on the Boundless to get the RC, but even then, I think waiting may be right move. Also, not completely sure if you got the Bonvoy Business card so I may just be making this all up in my head 🤣

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@TheCreditFrog Oh my gosh haha thank you for that reminder! I completely blanked on that 24 month rule. I did get the Bonvoy Business like 7-8 months ago, so in that case I'll be waiting until March 2025 for it haha.

[@SpartanOfFinance]

I bank with Schwab and don’t use a savings account. I like buying treasuries and treasury money market funds which are state tax free.

[@TheCreditFrog]

That's great! I think savings accounts are great to keep the money as liquid as possible, but certainly saving on taxes is such an important factor. Schwab is also a great bank, especially their debit card, which is one of the most flexible ones out there 👍!

[@DaveMartinez-o1s]

I buy mine through Treasury direct. And I have it set up that a 17 week T bill is maturing every month

[@guangzhaoyang8761]

I don't currently have the Ritz Carlton card, but I believe that other content creators have mentioned that RC does give you unlimited Chase Sapphire Lounge access, and has a slightly better Priority Pass access (unlimited guests) comparing to CSR. Therefore, it makes RC better than CSR in terms of lounge access.

[@TheCreditFrog]

Yeah, I heard that as well! I actually didn't realize that the CSR could get access to the Sapphire Lounges too! If that's true, you're totally right, the PP on the RC would be better than the CSR, which is crazy since the AF for the RC card is lower too!

[@crimsonk3178]

@@TheCreditFrog I found something on Chase's website as well, but for my circumstance, I am still planning to get the CSR card next year... I live in Boston and I have not tried to PC my boundless card to RC for at least a year or two. My PP from VentureX can only give me one access to the Sapphire Lounge per calendar year, hopefully, we can see some elevated SUB for CSR for the next couple of months...

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@crimsonk3178 That would be great! The CSR is a card that's seeing a resurgence recently and an elevated welcome offer would put interest in that card over the top!

[@tom_graber]

The Ritz card is actually the best card for the Sapphire lounge. It allows unlimited guests. CSR and JPMorgan Reserve allow 2 guests. The Ritz card's Priority Pass also allows unlimited guests.

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@tom_graber That is really great to hear! RC PP is very powerful. Thanks for confirming!

[@DaveMartinez-o1s]

I like how you decided what was the best luxury travel card for you. I fly out of SFO. My wife and I go to vegas five times a year. And I currently have the m s platinum. My decision was easy based on the lounge access in my area. Thank you for the video. You always apply a lot of logic and common sense to your reasoning

[@TheCreditFrog]

Thanks so much Dave! Yes, we're both on team MS Platinum, haha! Still a great card due to the free AU, which is now a $195 value, which is pretty nice. Works well for the P2. I go to Vegas around the same number of times as you do, and the Platinum is my go to for sure! Appreciate your support my friend!

[@John_Cannon]

Good stuff Stan. I love the CSR, but Chase has to step up the multipliers on their cards.

[@TheCreditFrog]

I agree John! CSR is a great card, but there's too much overlap, and there is certainly something left to be desired on their multiplier categories!

[@CoLittle0]

Not sure if you remember me mentioning the ritz giving sapphire lounge access on one of your shorts but it does! I’m proud I taught one of the goats something 😤 I think my Marriott strategy is getting the ritz and then eventually getting the bold and another boundless to then have 45 elite nights, 2 versions of FNCs, the best Marriott card around and access to PHX sapphire lounge, and then most likely stay 5 nights at a Marriott per year to total 50 to then maintain platinum status. The brilliant seems like a good card but idk if I want over $1000 of AF just from Marriott cards. Thoughts?

[@TheCreditFrog]

Yes! I'm hearing that from you and other people, so I think that I stand corrected! I didn't realize that the Sapphire lounge could be accessed by the RC, but this makes the RC card so much more powerful. In terms of elite nights, only 1 personal and 1 business Marriott can stack. So if you get those cards, you'll only have 15 elite nights. You'd have to get the Brilliant and Business combo to get the 40 elite nights (25+15). Other than that, staying within the Chase Martiott ecosystem is a pretty good move if you don't want to deal with Amex and the high AF associated with the Brilliant card. You have to weight the pros and cons of the AFs vs. the FNAs you get. If you can use all the FNAs up and use them well. It's just prepaying for your hotel stays, but with some value upside if you redeem them correctly!

[@CoLittle0]

@@TheCreditFrog ahh now that changes things, I wasn’t aware of only 1 personal card counting. Definitely gonna have to think this through and figure out what’s best for me. Appreciate the info Stan!

[@EricBurcham27]

Do I need to use my Marriot Boundless 5 free nights before I do a product change to Ritz? I’m 3/24 and my Boundless CL is above 10k

[@TheCreditFrog]

I don’t think so, if they’re already in your Marriott account, you should be good to PC with no issues. Haven’t been in this situation myself before though so can’t confirm.

[@patrickoneal8514]

I think it’s safe to say that I don’t think the Ritz Card is being cancelled. I received an email yesterday from JPM Chase that the Ritz Carlton card (by popular demand) is going back to an actual metal card, and RC cardholders will have their new metal cards in January! I thought I’d share that information.

[@TheCreditFrog]

Yes, that is such excellent news! I'm still waiting on my email, but I'm sure it will come eventually. It's very exciting that the Ritz card is here to stay! Thanks for the tip!

[@linsridesharehustle]

Question Stan. How can i get out of Amex popup jail fast cause the public offer for Platinum Card is 150k if you're in incognito mode!! thanks

[@TheCreditFrog]

Hi Lin! Unfortunately, I don't have a quick fix for you and how to get out of pop-up jail is still somewhat of a mystery. The most effective way I've seen people get out of pop-up jail is to spend your way out of it. Not sure how much time would be needed to gauge this, but in my mind, at least one statement period is probably necessary to get a full tally of that new spend to judge if you get out of pop-up jail or not.

[@DaIton-]

For the Ritz Card, is the only way to get it to product change specifically the boundless card or any Bonvoy Card with an annual fee or can you product change to it from the Bonvoy Bold card with no annual fee?

[@TheCreditFrog]

You can definitely PC this from the Bold card as that's exactly what I did! The only limitations are that you have to use a Chase card (Bold, Boundless, Bountiful), having this card open for at least 1 year, and ensuring you have at least a $10k CL on the card.

[@MARKA-dy8sz]

if my CSR anniversary is Jan 1. completed my spend on April and got the bonus in May. When does the 48 months start ? on my Anniversary as soon as I got approved or when I received the Bonus? Thanks A lot!

[@TheCreditFrog]

The 48-month timer starts after receiving the cardmember bonus. This is found in the offer terms. In your case, that means it's 48 months from May.

[@adrianvilchis8113]

they just announced the the ritz carlton card is getting turned back into metal, does that mean its not getting cancelled?

[@TheCreditFrog]

Pretty sure it won’t be canceled!! But I’m happy that it’s going full metal. Although some people have reported that it’s the same card.

[@livesayjd]

Stan: my wife (P2) has a Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU), which is a downgraded Sapphire Preferred. She received the welcome bonus on it as a Sapphire Preferred, then downgraded to CFU. She also has a Chase Freedom Flex--she earned the welcome bonus on it as a Freedom Flex. Now, we were interested in picking up a new CFU for her with its current welcome offer. My understanding is we can't do that as long as she currently has a CFU. Do you know if Chase would allow us to downgrade the current CFU to another Freedom Flex? In other words, would they allow her to have two Freedom Flexes? If so, I'm thinking we could wait a few days then apply for a new CFU for her. (She's never received a welcome offer for a CFU card, so I'm assuming she'd be eligible for the new welcome offer).

[@TheCreditFrog]

Hi Jim! So yes, in this situation, what you would need to do is product change that CFU to another card (could be CFF, CF, or even CSP/CSR, but prob not the best move to go up). They should allow her to have 2 CFFs. As she has never had a CFU welcome offer before, the only thing restricting her from getting a CFU welcome offer is if she is a "current cardmember of [the CFU]." Once she PCs, there should be no more issues! 👍

[@livesayjd]

Thank you!@@TheCreditFrog

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@livesayjd Of course Jim! And thanks so much for joining the membership!

[@livesayjd]

You're welcome! You've quickly become my favorite credit card KZbinr since I discovered you. :) @@TheCreditFrog

[@livesayjd]

Update: today my wife product changed her CFU to a Freedom card. We decided to ask for a change to the Freedom vs. another Freedom Flex, because we didn't really need the additional benefits of another Flex, and the regular Freedom gives us the additional $1,500 of category spending per quarter. Plus, importantly, it will be easier for us to distinguish between the two cards this way. :) Anyway, question for you: how long do you think we need to wait now before applying for a new Freedom Unlimited for her? 24 hours? 48? etc. (FWIW, the card is now showing as a Freedom in her online account). Note: her statement date on the CFU now Freedom card is actually today, January 2nd. So by tomorrow we should have a statement on that card. Thanks!@@TheCreditFrog

[@pannawatphijarnwanit6306]

do you get the 35k FNC for the Boundless after year 1, if you do the product change to Ritz after 1 year of holding Boundless?

[@TheCreditFrog]

Yes, but you should wait to have it show up in your account before you PC to the Ritz, just to be safe.

[@johnwick860]

hi, for hitting minimum spend on IHG and if I buy IHG pts with my Chase IHG Premier, will I get 26x per $1 for that purchase? thanks

[@TheCreditFrog]

I'm not completely sure about this, but I would bet that buying points (even IHG points) would not count towards the elevated multiplier on the card.

[@SledgeIncTeam]

I keep going back and forth on getting or not getting the Brilliant

[@TheCreditFrog]

It's a good question. If you can use like 3 or more perks on the card, then I'd say it would be worth it. Of course, you have to deal with that $25 dining credit, but at least it's a pretty flexible one!

[@SledgeIncTeam]

@@TheCreditFrog I think it's going to be the year of the Hotel credit card for me in 2024

[@Thecreditcardconnection]

I never thought of the point of view of getting the luxury cards depending on where you live! Thanks for that! As for the Founders Card, if you have any questions I have been a member for the past year and the value I have gotten from the membership has been huge. I think it is also a great compliment to the Platinum card. I have a video on that . Happy New Year Stan!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Hey Joe! Yeah, I think the lounges are pretty spread out between all the different luxury cards, but geographic location certainly plays a factor. That's awesome that you've gotten value from the Founders card! I'm going to check out your video since I'm a little intrigued by it, but still on the fence about it. Your endorsement means a lot! Happy new year to you too!

[@Thecreditcardconnection]

@@TheCreditFrog thank you so much Stan! By the way, the Founders Card gives you Caesar’s Diamond Status and you can also get 4 nights at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas for free. Not too bad! Happy New Year!

[@jenniferw8963]

The Ink Preferred, rather than CSR, seems like it'd be a great complement to your setup so you can redeem all those UR you've earned at 1.25+ CPP :) Huge sign up bonus of 100k points, only $95 AF. Currently only $8k spend requirement instead of $15k. No 5/24 hit. (Also a great card for primary car rental insurance coverage? I am not sure if the Altitude Reserve has that, I know the Amex Plat doesn't.)

[@TheCreditFrog]

That's very perceptive Jennifer! I have a video coming out soon about that card in particular and how it fits into my overall strategy! Love the CSR and what it can do, but the CIP is a great fit so I can at least get access to Chase's transfer partners. The CIP has primary auto CDW, but only for business rentals. Fortunately, I already have that covered on the USB AR!

[@jenniferw8963]

@@TheCreditFrog Thanks for the reply and look forward to your video. That's wonderful that the USB AR has that! Quick question on the USB AR regarding the annual fee. $325 of that $400 is very easy and automatic to do. Just wondering if there are any other credits the card has to help offset the remaining $75 other than the 3x on digital wallets with 1.5X RTR on travel purchases. Interested in the card, but I don't travel much and when I do, I try to use points instead of cash to pay for it. e.g. Chase UR & Amex MR points.

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@jenniferw8963 No other credits but that $325 credit is the easiest one to complete for me! Any travel or dining purchase 🙄!

[@jenniferw8963]

@@TheCreditFrog Yeah it's the best credit of all top tier travel cards.

[@DugrozReports]

Also, random comment about the Ink cards still having embossed numbers - I specifically remember the last time I used an old-fashioned "chunk-chunk" machine to read a card: it was in the Spring of 1999 in Colorado on a college trip!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Oh man, bringing back some old memories for me! I remember seeing my parents using their credit cards at stores and this was a super common practice back then. It's a relic of the past!

[@ethang7242]

* Cries in Chicago * with our absolute trash lounge situation for any of the luxury cards. Still have the platinum and the venture x bc I can use it when I do travel and I get enough tangible benefits

[@TheCreditFrog]

Dang, yeah! It's a lounge desert out there! But hey, if you can still get value from the Platinum credits elsewhere and use the C1VX for its other perks as well, you're right - there are still ways to make the card work for you!

[@De_Guatemala]

Wrong! My RC got me in to the BOS Sapphire Lounge 3 weeks ago. Speaking with no experience or knowledge is sad. RC grts access to Sapphire Lounge, not Terrace (AUS). Try calling the issuer before speculating. I was upgraded at the Maui RC 2 nights ago.

[@TheCreditFrog]

ok

[@johnwick860]

hi Stan, I heard funding a bank account count towards hitting min spend... what bank account do you recommend if I am hitting min spend with Chase cards? thanks

[@TheCreditFrog]

That's a good question to ask RJ. I'm not well versed in that use-case for minimum spend!

[@chrisv4920]

Hi Stan, which credit cards would be best for lounge access at LAX?

[@TheCreditFrog]

LAX is one of those weird airports that has a lot of lounges, but they're not easily accessible since LAX hasn't completed it's people mover project yet so a lot of terminals are just simply not accessible to the other. Ultimately, it's going to depend what airline you fly on. For domestic, United has United Explorer/Club cards, which work well as well as AA Executive card for Admirals club lounge access. The Delta cards/Platinum are good for SkyClubs and the Centurion lounge in Tom Bradley, with the caveat the SkyClubs are losing unlimited access on the Delta/Platinum cards soon and the Centurion lounge is hard to get to, unless you're taking an international flight out of TB terminal. I'll be honest, I try to avoid LAX as much as I can because the surrounding regional airports are a much nicer, less stressful experience!

[@hikintrailsndrinkinales]

I’ve actually never had a hard pull from Chase. I only have the Bonvoy Boundless and IHG Premier card though. I may take a shot at the World of Hyatt card in 2024 just to test my own luck when it comes to 5/24 rule and curious if I’ll get a hard pull then. I’m also working on the Marriott premium 4 card setup. I’m following the rules to get all the welcome offers I can from both Amex and Chase. I sure hope the Ritz Carlton card can still be changed to in the future 🤞 and curious if I’ll get a welcome offer on my second Boundless card. 🤔

[@TheCreditFrog]

Oh really? I'm actually surprised to hear that Daniel! I know they stopped doing hard pulls on CLIs, but I still thought every credit card application resulted in a hard pull! I haven't applied for a personal Chase card in a while though so maybe this has changed as well. Very cool you're working on the premium Marriott 4 card setup! I'm pretty sure the RC card is going to be available for the near future, and you'll definitely be able to get the welcome offer on the second Boundless card as long as you wait 24 months after you get the welcome offer on your last Amex Bonvoy card (and also have waited at least 24 months since your first welcome offer on the Boundless card)

[@crimsonk3178]

@@TheCreditFrog They did a hard pull on my Chase Boundless I applied for in mid-December. Yet again, in the credit card world, it's always YMMV, everyone is kinda different in this case.

[@tdo2952]

I’ll be under 5/24 end of January 2024 and plan on applying Chase Boundless or Bold, hold it a year and product change to Ritz C. Hopefully Ritz doesn’t get canceled! Fingers crossed

[@TheCreditFrog]

Awesome! The Boundless is a great card on it's own, but also is a great choice for PC'ing to Ritz Carlton. Sometimes there are elevated welcome offers on the Boundless so keep an eye out for those too!

[@tdo2952]

@@TheCreditFrog thanks for the helpful tip! I also have the Marriott Bonvoy from Amex (used to be SPG) since 2019. I don’t think that will be a problem to get the bonus since it’s been almost 5 years.

[@tdo2952]

Does the points from Marriott Chase and Amex combined into one account?

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@tdo2952 Yes! They both pool into your Bonvoy account, which you can access on the Marriott website.

[@jimmyjames6492]

🥇CHASE Ritz Carlton🥇 Thanks for the info + video!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Love that card! Appreciate it, my friend!

[@fogrunr5075]

When you go on your SE Asia trip, bring: Sapphire Reserve Grab 1 month subscription, Grab car rides, Grab food delivery, Dining out, Japan Rail Pass Capital One SavorOne Grocery delivery & shopping Wells Fargo Autograph Gas, Grab car rides, cell high speed data pass Capital One Venture X Retail shopping

[@TheCreditFrog]

Those are some great recommendations for traveling abroad! Unfortunately, I have none of these 🤣. I guess I have my work cut out for me!

[@fogrunr5075]

@@TheCreditFrog 😂😂

[@DugrozReports]

"The metric system is the tool of the devil. My car gets 4 rods to the hogshead, and that's the way I like it!!!" - Grandpa Simpson

[@TheCreditFrog]

Hahaha!! Great quote! The metric system makes too much sense. This is America! 🇺🇸

[@JuanGarcia-hr1wf]

If you ain't first you're last 😂

[@TheCreditFrog]

Haha! You can win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning!

[@ItsMeCJ]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JoseSantiago-yq7co]

Sometimes credit card strategies with overlap are not so bad, if there are enough benefits without the overlap to justify the annual fee... its often good to have options.

[@TheCreditFrog]

Yeah, I agree with that! In certain situations, having some overlap can be good! Especially if there are category limits or you just want to have the flexibility to earn different flexible point currencies. It's definitely dependent on what you're looking for!

[@JoseSantiago-yq7co]

@@TheCreditFrog The different flexible point currencies is what I was thinking. Transfer bonuses are often the best way to get maximum value.

[@MattClausen]

Number!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Probably the best way to go 🤣

[@MattClausen]

Had to. I think the only way the Ritz Card goes away completely is if Chase Lost ALL of Marriott. I know the IHG contract is up next year, no idea when Marriott’s agreement ends…but Marriott cards are just weird structurally. Huge advantages, weird rules and multipliers.

[@TheCreditFrog]

That's for sure Matt! Like I said in the video, I think Chase wants to keep this card open, and it's definitely a niche card since not everyone would benefit from Ritz perks, but because of the AF, 85k FNA situation, it actually turns out those features alone make this card incredibly desirable!

[@ratkungkat]

Last!!

[@TheCreditFrog]

You definitely are not last! 🤣

[@ItsMeCJ]

First!!

[@AhmadKhwajazada]

I beat you by 5 seconds 😱

[@ItsMeCJ]

@@AhmadKhwajazadayou edited your comment, so you’re disqualified 😂

[@AhmadKhwajazada]

@@ItsMeCJI misspelled first and added extra letters so I just got rid of them, if anything I typed more than I should have

[@TheCreditFrog]

Almost CJ! 🥈

[@TheCreditFrog]

Posting first is the most important! Even if you type adfaefaseg

[@AhmadKhwajazada]

First

[@ItsMeCJ]

Disqualified!!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Congrats Ahmad, you are FIRST today 🥇

[@TheCreditFrog]

@@ItsMeCJ Per the rules, technically CJ is right...

[@ItsMeCJ]

@@TheCreditFrog 😃😃