The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card Review

The Ritz-Carlton credit card is issued by Chase. All of our credit card reviews are unbiased because we don’t have any financial relationships with any of the card issuers, that means you can trust what we say. Other credit card review sites receive a large commission every time somebody signs up for a credit card, this means they are more likely to recommend cards that pay them a commission.

	Interest Rates	Fees	Card Pros High 140,00 point sign up bonus EMV chip + signature and no foreign transaction fee $300 Annual Travel Credit Card Cons High annual fee Low earn rate
	APR: 15.99%	Annual Fee: $395
	Introductory APR: None	Balance Transfer Fee: $5 or 3% whichever is higher
	Introductory APR Length: None	Cash Advance Fee: $10 or 3% whichever is higher
	Cash Advance APR: 19.24%	Foreign Transaction Fee: None
	Penalty APR: 29.99%	Late Payment Fee: 1
	Grace Period: 21 days	Over The Credit Line: 1
	Minimum Interest Charge: None	Returned Payment: 1

Application Information

What Credit Score Is Required

Credit Karma does not provide approved data for this card and the credit boards credit pull app does not have any data on this card either.

	Credit Boards	Credit Karma
Lowest approved score	N/A	N/A
Average approved score	N/A	N/A

 

 

Common Reasons For Denial:

If you’re denied by Chase remember to call the reconsideration line to try to over turn this decision, the reconsideration number for Chase can be found here. If you’ve never called reconsideration before, then read our tips first.

• Too many recent inquiries with Chase

What Credit Bureau Does Chase Pull For The Ritz Carlton Card?

The credit bureau that Chase uses is dependent on your location, I’d recommend using the Credit Boards credit pull tool to see information for your state or you can read this post by us.

 

What Credit Limit Will I Receive?

Minimum Credit Limit	Highest Reported Credit Limit	Average Credit Limit
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Rewards Program

This card earns Ritz-Carlton points, these points can be redeemed for Ritz-Carlton stays and can also be used interchangeably with Marriott points.

Earning Rewards

• 5x Ritz-Carlton points per $1 spent at Ritz-Carlton hotels
• 1x on all other purchases

Sign Up Bonus

Current Sign Up Bonus

• 140,000 points when you spend $3,000 or more in purchases within three months of account opening. Annual fee of $395 not waived.

Sign Up Bonus History

Note: At some stage the travel credit increased from $200 to $300, this is not reflected in the sign up bonuses below.

Public Offers:

• (possibly as early as May 26th) August 17th – September 24th, 2014:
  • 140,00 Points after $2,000 spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 not waived
  • 70,000 points after $2,000 spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 waived
• July 25th, 2012 – May 26th, 2014: 70,000 points after you spend $2,000 or more in three months. Annual fee of $395 not waived
• June 13th – July 25th, 2012: 70,000 points after first purchase spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 waived

Targeted Offers:

• May 27th, 2014: 70,000 points after $2,000 in spend in three months, annual fee of $395 is waived. Offer also came with a $200 Ritz-Carlton gift card. Highly targeted and only at people with a lot of recent stays at Ritz-Carlton.
• August 9th, 2013: 70,000 points after $2,000 spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 is waived.
• June 11th, 2013 – July 2013:
  • 140,00 Points after $2,000 spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 not waived
  • 70,000 points after $2,000 spend in three months. Annual fee of $395 waived

Redeeming Your Rewards

Benefits

• Lounge club access for you and a guest at no cost
• Gold elite status for you first year and subsequent years if you spend at least $10,000 per year
• Platinum status if you spend $75,000 or more in one year
• J.P. Morgan Premier Concierge
• Primary rental coverage
• Free roadside assistance
• Visa signature benefits (requires you to be approved with a credit limit of $5,000 or above)
• 10% annual points premium on all points earned through card purchases during the year
• 3 upgrades to Ritz-Carlton Club® Level on paid stays of three nights or longer
• $300 annual travel credit
• $100 hotel credit on paid stays of two nights or longer

Our Verdict

We Recommend This Card For:

We Don’t Recommend This Card For:

F.A.Q’s & Tips

Marriott Related Questions

Can you combine Ritz-Carlton & Marriott points?

Yes they are, you can only have a Ritz-Carlton or Marriott account at one time but you can log into either site using the same account number.

I am a Marriott member, can I apply for this offer?

Yes, just put your Marriott ID in the section it asks for your Ritz-Carlton membership id, these are the same numbers. You can also just leave the space blank and they’ll assign you a new Ritz-Carlton number (the points will still be usable with Marriott)

Can I apply for this card if I’ve had the Marriott cards in the past? Will I receive the sign up bonus?

Yes and yes.

Will this also give me gold status with Marriott?

Yes, whatever status you have with Ritz-Carlton will also be applicable to Marriott and vice versa (Platinum status is not transferable though, even if you hit the $75,000 spending requirement).

Can I apply for a Chase Marriott Card & Ritz-Carlton Card at the same time and get the bonus for both? 

Yes, you should be able to do this. Keep in mind it might be more difficult to get approved for two cards at the same time.

Will I get 5x points on Marriott spend?

No, only on spend at Ritz-Carlton properties.

Non Marriott Questions

Lounge Club Questions

How long does it take for the lounge card to arrive? Can I access the lounges before it arrives?

You need the separate lounge card to be granted access to the lounges, showing your credit card will not work. Some people have reported being told by the customer service representatives to just pay for lounge access (at one of the included lounges) using the Ritz-Carlton card and then call up to have it reimbursed if you lounge card does not arrive in time for your trip. You should confirm this yourself before doing it.

For some reason they are not  able to expedite delivery of these cards. The lounge card will arrive separately to your credit card, it usually arrives a week or so afterwards and is sent by USPS but the official documentation states that you’ll receive it within two weeks.

How many guests will be admitted free of charge using the club card?

This depends on the specific lounge you want to attend, it seems you can have as many guests as you like up to the lounge limit.

Is the travel credit based on a card member year or calendar year?

The fine print specifically states it’s based on a calendar year.

Maximum statement credit accumulation for this offer is $300 per calendar year

How long does it take for my Ritz-Carlton bonus points to post? 

Two days after the statement closing date.

How long does it take for my gold status to show?

Most people will see their status with Ritz-Carlton update to gold as soon as they are approved. It can take up to two weeks.

Travel Credit

Do I need to charge the ticket to my Ritz-Carlton card to be eligible for airline incidentals?

No, you don’t need to use your RC card to purchase your airline credit to be eligible for incidentals on that flight.

Status Questions

How long will it take for my account to show gold status?

It should update before your card arrives. It usually takes 1-2 business days after your approval.

Points Questions

Can I transfer these points?

Yes, but you must transfer them to a domestic partner or spouse. In practically usually if you live with somebody they will allow the transfer to go through.

Room Credit

What is the code to check for the $100 room credit? 

Z34 and this can be booked directly.

Upgrade Questions

What is the code to check for club level upgrades?

z38, but you cannot check for this on your own. You will need to call & ask.