Rumor Confirmed: Chase Eliminating Freedom Exclusives Program.
Post update #4: Just as a reminder, today is the final day to get a Freedom card and qualify for Chase exclusives. People are still having success confirming their enrollment in the Exclusives program by sending a secure message.
If you are not instantly approved for a Freedom card then you should call reconsideration right after applying at 888-270-2127 to get it approved.
Remember you generally only get 1 credit pull no matter how many different cards you apply for from the same bank on the same day.
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Post update #3: It may or may not be too late to join this party.
DDF member chff had success on his brand new Freedom account confirming that existing Freedom cardholders will still be linked for Exclusives within 1-3 months.
Read the comments starting from here along with my suggestions to someone else who had less luck with a secure message and later reports from several commenters who have opened both a Freedom card and a checking account and received positive responses as well.
So for now it seems you can still get in before the door gets shut for good on Sunday.
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Post update #2: My own Chase business banker has confirmed to me in writing that the Freedom Exclusives program is indeed ending and is being grandfathered for existing customers. The last day to have a Freedom card and a Chase checking account is 11/10. Chase has been very good with grandfathered programs, I still have Ink Bold with Exclusives from last year though that card is permanently discontinued for new customers (though some people have reported success enrolling in that program even after last year’s November deadline). And people still are earning United elite qualifying miles on the discontinued Continental Presidential Plus card.
If you want to have the best no-annual fee credit card on the market right now then grab the Freedom card and open a checking account with Chase ASAP before the Exclusives program goes away forever.
The original rumor I heard and reported back on 10/22 was that Chase might keep the Exclusives program for Freedom in some form but downgrade it, but at this point that remains unconfirmed.
Freedom with Exclusives makes any purchase under $90 more valuable to be put on Freedom than to be put on a great card like Starwood. Small purchases, like parking meters or a small pump of gas, become downright lucrative with Exclusives. And it makes almost all purchases more valuable on Freedom than they are on Sapphire Preferred, except for purchases made abroad and for 2.14 Sapphire point categories when they are not a 5 point category with Freedom.
If you do get a Freedom card and/or a checking account now I would recommend that you send a secure message from Chase.com to ask about the Exclusives program and if the linkage can be expedited. They’ll respond with details of the program and will say that they can’t expedite it, but you will have in writing that the link will happen within a couple months and you will be grandfathered.
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Post update, 10/30: While my previous source for this rumor requested anonymity, DDF user ahecht37 reports that his Chase private banker has informed him that these changes are true and will go into effect for cards opened on or after 11/11. Cards opened before then will be grandfathered.
Again, I have not independently confirmed this rumor nor can I confirm the 11/11 date, but all indications are that this rumor is unfortunately true and will be happening in November.
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This was originally posted on 10/22:
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