[Originally posted in 2017. Update 6/2/20: Milestomemories has verified with some data points that you can upgrade to a Sapphire card (e.g. Freedom/Slate to Sapphire Reserve) even if you currently are a Sapphire cardholder (e.g. you have a Sapphire Reserve card). You just can’t apply for a second Sapphire card.]
A Chase insider sent over an important memo which Chase is sending out to their employees that as of August 27 it’s no longer possible to get more than one Sapphire card. (It’s now official on the Chase site.)
There are three Sapphire products: plain, Preferred, and Reserve. If you hold the Reserve or plain, you won’t be able to apply for a Preferred. If you hold the plain or Preferred, you won’t be able to apply for the Reserve. If you hold the Reserve, you won’t be able to apply for the Preferred or the Plain.
No changes will take place at all for existing Sapphire cardholders. If you have two or three Sapphire cards, you’ll continue to hold them all.
The idea behind Chase’s Sapphire rule is somewhat similar to Citi’s 24-months rule, yet different. Citi allows us to hold multiple ThankYou cards and even earn the bonus on multiple ThankYou cards, it just requires a 24-month ThankYou-family break before getting a new bonus. Chase is going to the next level and disallowing us to get more than one Sapphire card at all. On the other hand, Chase’s rule is easier than Citi’s in the sense that closing or downgrading a card won’t reset the 24 months clock for the bonus.
Just be sure that: (1) you haven’t gotten any Sapphire bonus within 24 months (now 48 months), and (2) you don’t currently hold any Sapphire card, and then you’ll be able to both apply and get the bonus for a new Sapphire card. Out of caution, it might be worth waiting 24-months (now 48 months) from the date bonus was received and not from the application date.
On a practical level that means if you have a Sapphire card or two and you haven’t gotten a Sapphire bonus in the past 24-months (now 48 months), you can product-change your Sapphires to become one of the Freedom cards and then apply right away. Might be smart to give a few day break to allow them to update their system.
The memo recommends product changing your current Sapphire card to the version you want (e.g. Preferred to Reserve or vice versa), but – assuming it’s been 24-months (now 48 months) since your last Sapphire bonus – it could be smarter to downgrade to a Freedom card and then apply for the new Sapphire card directly to get the signup bonus (currently, 50,000 points on each).
It’s surprising to me that Chase has not updated the verbiage in the terms of the Sapphire cards to indicate that all Sapphires are considered one product.
I suspect that they first sent this out to bankers to make everyone aware of it, and soon they’ll make it clearer in the terms. For now, maybe they can claim that both are included in ‘current cardmembers of this credit card’, but it seems a bit of a stretch.
The bottom line here is two negative changes:
- You can’t hold more than one Sapphire card (this change I think most of us can manage)
- You have to wait 24 months (now 48 months) from getting the bonus on either card before getting it again on another card (big negative change)
Huge thanks to reader D. for sending this our way.
What’s the maximum number of cards you can have for Chase Sapphire Reserve when you do the product change method? Can you have more than 3 CSR cards? (Apply for CSR, apply for Freedom then product change it to CSR, apply for Slate then product change it to CSR, repeat Freedom and Slate p/c?)
What if the sapphire was closed more than 2 years ago and nothing is in the chase login about this old card but the old bonus is not at past the 48months mark?
Can I apply and they will tell me if I get the bonus or can I ask before somewhere?
Secure message they don’t find any information.
Is it possible to change the application to a freedom caed if they say sapphire is not eligible for bonus, or is that a new application?
With Chase, if you’re not eligible for the bonus you won’t be approved for the card. In my experience (admittedly 3 years ago), they denied me before they did a HP based on internal records about Sapphire cards.
PC won’t cut down your waiting period, but could be adding to the confusion with SM reps. I’ve never heard of them changing the product you applied for.
I have the CSR. AD military, so no annual fee for me. Would it make sense for me to apply for the CSP now so that I can product change in a year to another CSR and essentially have 2x $300 travel credits annually? Any downside?
They wouldn’t approve you for the CSP because you already have a Sapphire. You could apply for a Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, or Slate and product change in a year (provided you have at least a $5k credit limit by then). No real downside if you have the annual fees waived. You’d also get the second DoorDash credit, second DashPass, second Lyft Pink, and second Priority Pass (might be useful for restaurants). You could likely use the membership benefits (e.g. rental car loyalty programs) for somebody else, too.
Thanks for the reply! Curious – Will I be able to PC the Freedom to a Sapphire in a year with this new guidance that starting in Aug a customer cannot have more than 1x sapphire product? Is it saying that you cannot apply for new sapphire? I’m a little confused and appreciate the help!
Yes the PC won’t count for the 1x Sapphire product limitation.
“you can upgrade to a Sapphire card (e.g. Freedom/Slate to Sapphire Reserve) even if you currently are a Sapphire cardholder (e.g. you have a Sapphire Reserve card). You just can’t apply for a second Sapphire card.”
Also, the new guidance doesn’t start this Aug, it has been in effect since Aug 2017.
Another tip: if you want to go ahead and apply for the CSP right now, one option would be to downgrade your CSR to a non-Sapphire product and then go for it (although you’ll only receive the signup bonus if it has been 4 yrs since your bonus on the CSR).
Ok, that makes sense. Thank you, Kafka and TB for the help/clarification 🙂
What’s the maximum number of cards you can have for Chase Sapphire Reserve when you do the product change method? Can you have more than 3 CSR cards? (Apply for CSR, apply for Freedom then product change it to CSR, apply for Slate then product change it to CSR, repeat Freedom and Slate p/c?)
You don’t get a UR SUB if you PC from a CF/CFU to a CSR, right?
No SUB for PCs.
I can confirm this too. I upgraded my freedom to CSR on 5/29 while I am holding a CSP.
same. did this today
If I have a CSR, Is it possible to upgrade and have two CSRs instead of a CSR and a CSP?
Yep, reports indicate that works. I tried to indicate this scenario in my wording in today’s update.
But why? two $550 fee better than one?
As mentioned by some other folks on here, this can be advantageous for those who get the AF waived.
What is the benefit of having more than one household CSR especially a SUB-less PCd CSR – given that travel is almost non-existent these days? Yes, you are getting 5x a month on VGC but thats only for this month and capped at $1500. Even with that the $450 fee – $300 credit – $75 earning does not make sense… a net loss of $75. What am I missing here?
Not everyone has to pay the AF.
And why would they not have to pay the AF?
Active duty military.
Fixed, thanks
Not fixed on the Facebook post.
We don’t really, it’s just an automated system
I was thinking to apply for the sapphire again after downgrading the sapphire I had 24 months back. So now im not eligible for the saphire bonus again ?
Whether or not you’re eligible for another bonus has to do with whether you have received a Sapphire bonus in the last 48 months. If you haven’t, you’re eligible. If you currently hold a Sapphire, you would need to downgrade it to Freedom first, then apply directly for the Sapphire you want. Definitely wait a few days in between to make sure the downgrade completely went through. It would also probably look a bit better if the Sapphire type you apply for is different from the one you just downgraded out of.
Yes, they did change it to 48 months unfortunately. But its 48 months from when you last got any Sapphirre bonus, not from when you last cancelled/downgraded. So it doesn’t matter when you downgraded/cancelled, as long as you do it more than a few days before reapplying.
You need to wait 48 months between Sapphire signup bonuses https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-sapphire-cards-new-48-month-signup-bonus-limitation-instead-of-24-months-temporary-workaround/
That thread doesn’t really have any updated information. What about the old sapphire was cancelled more than 2 years ago. And they can’t seem to find information?
You need to wait 48 months between Sapphire signup bonuses