I applied for the Chase Sapphire Card primarily – okay, solely – for the $100 sign-up bonus. But when I called with a question about how to redeem, I was actually startled that a human being picked on the second ring. No phone tree to navigate, no punching in my dang 16 digit number first… I didn’t even have to press 0 several times.
Now that I read their website again, I do see the sentence mentioning “direct access to dedicated live advisors”. It appears I’m not the only one to notice this:
When a Sapphire cardholder calls Chase, “a specially trained advisor picks up the phone – with no need to navigate a voice-response system.” These specially trained advisors have the goal of resolving the customer’s need on the first call. (Chase didn’t say anything about the empowerment to do so, but perhaps that’s a picayune quibble). No phone tree has to be worth at least a ten point reduction in blood pressure. Can one really put a price on health? Perhaps not, but Sapphire seems to have given it an annual fee…
Actually, that last part is true for the Sapphire Preferred, but the regular Sapphire has no annual fee, and I still get zero hold times. Hey, a new feature that’s actually useful. If only the rewards structure were better.
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I didn’t get the sign-up bonus because Chase converted my Freedom Card to Sapphire. I don’t like the rewards program!
I used to get cash back on my statement each month. Obviously simple and straightforward. Now I am part of a super-special rewards program with dedicated advisors.
Guess what? None of these wonderful awards are worth more than 1 cent per point (i.e., my old cashback) unless I use their advisors as my travel agent. Has Chase heard of the internet? I shop for my travel online where the prices are better than yours.
I can only get the equivalent of cashback by ordering a check from Chase – which involves SNAIL-MAIL – or giftcards – YUCK! And only in multiples of $50 for cash, or $25 for giftcards.
Or I can hunt through my statement and apply for my points to be used to pay off a specific purchase, within 60 days after the purchase is made. Can anybody spell COMPLICATED?
As I explained to my “advisor” from Chase, the Sapphire card now sits behind my CapitalOne card in my wallet, and CapitalOne is my primary card. If I ever need a second card, I’ll pull out the Sapphire. Until then – I’ll make a small purchase each month just to keep the card active.
I guess they hate customers that actually cash in their rewards. Much cheaper for them to make it cumbersome and difficult so people don’t use the awards.
I’m happy with my Chase Freedom card. I hope I don’t get converted to Sapphire.
I also don’t see the $100 bonus offer.
They tried to convert my Chase Signature Rewards card to Sapphire, I fortunately had the opportunity to stop it, without fear of immediate cancellation of my current card. I still get 5pts on grocery, gasoline and pharmacies (1pt on everything else) with this thing, so I’d be dumb not to try and keep it. Everything that can be charged every month is charged on that card. I’ve always been happy with the reward, just wait until I qualify for a $100 check and they mail it to me. I average about 1 check every other month, I guess I don’t care that they mail it to me, being that it is the best value per point.
I hope you report on what you can get with your points. It doesn’t look like I can find out without signing up for the card.
@benk – If I was getting all those extra points, I wouldn’t mind either!
Do you have to phone and ask for your $100 check or do they do it automatically? (On Sappire it is not automatic!)
10,000 points = $100 in cash. Technically, it’s two $50 checks. In my opinion, this is the best reward. You must call in to redeem, it is not automatic.
There is an ad on TV for this card where the husband on a gondola calls customer service and a human answers and his wife loses a bet to massage him later !
Hook me up!
Mark – I have to log in to my account then I choose my reward ($100 check is always the best pts/$ in my plan) and then they mail it to me, usually takes about 5 business days. I snagged this card in the good old drunken sailor days of credit card offers. I had almost $70,000 in arbitrage going at the time too. Heady days.
Benk – thanks for confirmation. Validates my opinion. CapitalOne applies my newly earned reward to my balance at the end of each month vs. Chase makes me ask for it, receive a check in the mail, and deposit the check. If the rewards were higher I would go to the trouble, but they’re not, so CapOne gets my business.
if you open a credit card account and get the rewards, and then close up the account…doesn’t that hurt your credit score? or is the damage to the credit score so minutely small that this tactic is worth it?
or do you simply hold on to the credit card at a small balance?
i’ve always been afraid to move on to other credit cards because i figured it my hurt my credit score. i’m really good with credit cards, i always pay on time, and i don’t spend more then i earn…but i was leery of getting rewards but then closing out accounts and in turn hurting my credit score. any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Chase will decline your app as duplicate if you have any other chase visa or mastercard. They a really trying hard to not pay $100 bonus to the people who already have a chase card
Can Having Too Many Credit Cards Hurt Your Credit Score?
https://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2007/08/can-having-too-many-credit-cards-hurt-your-credit-score.html
I have finally paid off all my credit cards from college. All 5 of them. I have no desire for a live person to pick up the phone without great rewards. I guess i’ve gotten used to bad service from chase. I actually don’t even use my chase card anymore because i’ve got a better deal with my american express.
The part I like is when the rewards check arrives in an envelope designed to attract no attention. Or worse, to make you think it’s junk mail that goes into the trash unopened.
@MM – I don’t think that is true at all, I have several other Chase cards and they let me have this one.
@Jonathan
My current credit score is 614. I got my first credit card in march of 2009, second Jan 2010. I have never gone over the limit, and always made my payments on time.
Q1. What steps can I take to increase my credit score?
Q2. I am planning on cancelling my first credit card due to annual fee. Smart idea?
Thanks
PS. Thanks for your recent Sprint post.
“No phone tree to navigate, no punching in my dang 16 digit number first… I didn’t even have to press 0 several times.” – LOL This is rare indeed. Maybe Chase is trying to keep their customers happy… unlike many other leading banks!