As you likely know, a brand new credit card product just arrived on the scene. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card may be the best credit card product of all time if you travel frequently. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why.
- 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3X Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining purchases, and 1X points on all others.
- A $300 annual travel credit.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. ($100 value every 4 years)
- Airport lounge access through the Priority Pass Select program.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
- Primary auto rental collision damage waiver.
- Emergency evacuation & transportation coverage.
- Trip delay reimbursement.
All of this (and I haven’t listed every benefit) makes the card well worth its $450 annual fee. The $300 travel credit effectively brings the annual fee to $150. This coupled with the impressive 100,000 point bonus and 3X points earning for travel and dining expenses and superior travel protections make this one of the best, if not the absolute best, credit cards for travelers I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I think it’s that good, yet I am not applying for it.
Wait. What?
You read that right. I am not applying for the best credit card for travelers ever. If you’ve read me before, you might remember that I’m in a year of financial conditioning and card cleansing. I’ve been more focused on keeping my expenses in check and cleaning up my balance sheet than on flipping credit cards. That hasn’t changed. I’m almost where I want to be, and frankly, I’m close enough that in a normal year I would probably go ahead and apply for this card, yet I am not going to.
Why on earth not? If you’re Facebook friends with me, you already know this, but I haven’t announced it here until now. MJ has a new job and the MJ on Travel team is beginning the process of relocating to a new city. Along with relocation comes something else – a new mortgage. With a credit score of over 800 and no credit card debt, I’m not horribly concerned about my ability to get another mortgage. I have no idea if a new credit application at this time would really impact our new mortgage or not. I also know that I’m not one to take unnecessary chances, even for 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points that might still be available in a few months anyway. And if that incredible bonus points offer is gone by then, I’ll live. Something else will come along. I think it’s just best to wait. I’m fine with being the only person on earth who is not applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card this week.
-MJ, August 23, 2016
Mazal Tov!
Self control love it!
MJ, the internet is very disappointed in you for not applying for the CSR… 🙂
MJ,
Make that 3 not applying. My wife and I are doing the same, cleaning up, no more applications. Retiring though and trying to make life a bit easier.
I’m in the same boat MJ! Very tempting, but priorities.
-P