Update: If you have a current Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, but have not received a signup bonus in the past 48 months, right now is your last chance to downgrade those cards to make yourself eligible to apply for the 80,000 point Sapphire Preferred signup bonus!
This offer ends on 5/25 at 9am, but it can get pulled earlier, so be sure to apply now to take advantage of this limited-time offer!
For a limited time only, Chase is offering a whopping 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points if you open a $95/year Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and spend $4,000 in 3 months. Those 80K points are worth $800 cash, $1,000 towards travel, $1,200 if you or a spouse also have or will have a Sapphire Reserve, or $1,600 or more as potentially lucrative airline miles or hotel points.
Plus the card now offers benefits like an annual $50 hotel credit, a 10% annual points dividend, added bonus points on dining, travel, streaming, and grocery shopping.
Here are some of the most common questions.
Table of Contents
Am I eligible to sign up?
Q: Can I signup if I currently have a Sapphire card?
A: No, you won’t be approved if you have an active primary Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve card. If you are rejected due to being ineligible due to this rule, there won’t be a hard credit pull.
Q: I currently have Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve card open. Can I still get the bonus if I open a Sapphire Preferred?
A: You won’t be approved if you have any of those cards currently open. However you can call Chase to cancel or to change those cards into cards like Chase Freedom Visa, Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard, or Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa and then you apply for a Sapphire Preferred after waiting for 2-3 days after you change to those cards. You can read more about those card options here and more about creating a Chase Quinfecta here. Note that the 2-3 day waiting period only applies if you apply online, if you apply in a branch you’ll have to wait a month after changing to another card.
Q: I already have a Sapphire Reserve, Chase Freedom Visa, Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard, and a Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa, can I still open a Sapphire Preferred?
A: Sure, you can change the Sapphire Reserve to any of those cards, there is no limit to how many of the same card you can have. It’s more advantageous to have multiple Freedom or Freedom Flex cards than Freedom Unlimited cards as Freedom/Freedom Flex have quarterly 5x categories that max out at $1,500 in spending per quarter.
Q: I recently received a Sapphire bonus, am I eligible for this offer?
A: No. You must wait 48 months since you last received a bonus on a Sapphire card.
Q: How do I know if it’s been 48 months since I last got a Sapphire bonus?
A: If you still have the card open as a Sapphire card or if you downgraded it to a Freedom card you can go back to your old statements on Chase.com and check when you got the last signup bonus.
If you have closed the card, you can send a secure message to Chase with your closed account number and ask when you got the signup bonus on the card. If you have paper statements, you can find your card number printed on those.
If you don’t have the old card number you’ll just have to apply and see if you get approved. If you are rejected due to being ineligible due to the 48 month rule, there won’t be a hard credit pull.
Q: How do I know if I’m eligible to open a card due to 5/24 restrictions?
A: Normally, you need to be under 5/24 limits to get approved for Chase cards, which means that you have been approved for fewer than 5 new consumer credit cards in the past 24 months.
Chase has been approving some Sapphire card applications from people who are over the 5/24 limit. The only way to know if those limits will apply to you is if you apply for the card.
The automated system seems to be much more likely to bypass 5/24 restrictions than a reconsideration agent, so let that process play out before calling reconsideration for an approval.
Q: How do I know how many consumer cards I have opened in the past 24 months?
A: Only cards that you were approved for count towards the 5/24 number, denied applications and other hard pulls do not count.
Business cards from most banks, including Chase (Discover and select Capital One cards are the notable exceptions) don’t count towards your 5/24 count. Y
You can check all 3 of your credit reports (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion) for free every week on annualcreditreport.com. You can scroll through your open card accounts and see how many cards have been opened within the past 24 months.
Be sure to check if some of those cards are Authorized user cards or store cards that are only good for use in a single store. The system may also deny you for 5/24 as it counts those cards, but if you call Chase you can explain that you are not financially responsible for the authorized user card or that the store card only works at a single store and they can manually exclude those from your 5/24 count.
Q: How can I improve my odds of getting approved?
A: If you have a Chase checking account, you are MUCH more likely to get approved for this offer.
Improving your credit score using methods like paying off most of your credit card balance on consumer cards before the statement closes will also help. I like to have my consumer cards close with a $1 balance as this helps maintain my credit score about 800. The closing balance doesn’t matter for business cards.
Q: My application is pending, now what?
A: There are different schools of thought. Some people like allowing the system a couple weeks to determine if you are approved. Others like to call business reconsideration at 800-453-9719 to see if you can get approved on the spot by answering questions or offering to shift credit lines from other Chase cards, or close other Chase cards to get approved.
On the one hand, the easiest path is to ride it out and wait for a system approval or denial. You can still call reconsideration after a denial.
On the other hand, Chase is approving applications at a higher rate currently and we don’t know how long that will last. That would make the case for calling in stronger than waiting. While some DansDeals readers have been denied for 5/24 by reconsideration reps, several others have been approved, so you can always HUCA (hang up and call again) if you are denied.
Anecdotally, the automated system is more likely to bypass 5/24 restrictions than an agent, so waiting for an approval or denial before calling may be the way to go currently if you’re over 5/24.
Q: I got denied, now what?
A: Try calling Chase at 888-270-2127 to see why you were denied and if you can get approved. Offer to shift credit lines from other Chase cards or close other Chase cards to get approved.
Q: Can 2 spouses both apply for this offer?
A: Of course! 2 player mode is why my wife and I got married at 21 and 23 😀
Q: I’m an authorized user on someone else’s Sapphire card, can I still get the bonus if I open a Sapphire card?
A: Sure!
Q: Is there a minimum credit score required to get approved?
A: Your credit score is one of the factors that banks use to determine card approvals, but they don’t publish what the minimum score is and their requirements are constantly changing.
Offer details:
Q: When will this offer end?
A: For now, all we know is that this is a limited time offer. Sometimes the end date will be announced, but often that end date won’t be announced.
Q: I was approved for the Sapphire Preferred card. If I spend $4,000 in 3 months will I get the 80,000 point bonus?
A: Yes. If you are not eligible for the bonus you won’t be approved, so if you’re approved you will get the bonus!
Q: Is there a fee for additional users?
A: No.
Q: Is there a fee for foreign transaction fee?
A: No.
Q: How do I spend $4,000 in 3 months?
A: Here are just a few ideas aside from your regular purchases:
- Pay your regular charges and bills.
- Prepay upcoming bills or pay your utility bills in advance.
- Make a charity donation.
- Pay your tuition bills.
- Pay your rent or mortgage.
- Negotiate to pay for part of a car with your card.
- You can pay your federal taxes for a 1.85% fee. If you overpay your taxes you can request a refund or apply it to your next year’s taxes. You can even overpay your taxes to gain an additional $5,000 annual allowance of I Bond purchases!
Q: Will opening cards hurt my credit score?
A: When you apply for a card from most banks (AMEX is a notable exception for existing customers) you get a hard credit pull. That pull only makes up a very small part of your total credit score. These inquiries fall off your report after about 2 years and most banks only look at the number of inquiries you have within the past 6 months. So yes, in the short term your score may drop a few points, but it won’t have a lasting effect on your score.
Chase card conversions/product changes:
Q: Which Chase cards allow product changes and how often can you change?
A: You can switch between a Sapphire Preferred Visa, Sapphire Reserve Visa, Sapphire Visa, Freedom Flex Mastercard, Freedom Unlimited Visa, and Freedom Visa as often as you want, but if you just opened your card within 12 months then some reps won’t allow you to change until 12 months have passed. Read more here.
Q: Is there a credit pull for changing from Freedom to Sapphire or vice versa?
A: No.
Q: If I change my Sapphire Reserve card to a Freedom card, will I get a refund of the annual fee paid?
A: You will get a pro-rated refund based on when your annual fee was charged. In other words if your annual fee posted 5 months ago, you would get back 7/12ths of the annual fee.
Q: Can I downgrade my Sapphire Preferred card to a Freedom card after getting the bonus?
A: Some reps may allow this, but it’s a good idea to keep new cards open for at least 12 months as banks frown upon people that open and close cards right after getting the bonus. Banks have been known to take adverse action, like shutting down all of your accounts if you do that. You can always just wait until the 2nd annual fee is posted after a year and decide what to do at that point as you have 30 days to cancel from when it’s billed and still get a refund of the fee.
Q: Can I get a signup bonus if I upgrade from a Freedom card to a Sapphire card.
A: No, you need to apply for a new card to earn a signup bonus.
Q: If I change my Sapphire Reserve card to a Freedom card, will I be able to change it back to Sapphire Reserve?
A: Sure, the only requirement is that you can’t open a Sapphire card if you have an existing Sapphire card open. Once you are approved for a Sapphire Preferred card you can change the Freedom card back to another Sapphire Reserve card and hold multiple Sapphire cards. The annual fee will be charged when you upgrade, so you save on the annual fee for the time it was downgraded.
Q: I didn’t wait 2-3 days between changing my Sapphire card to a Freedom card and applying for a Sapphire Preferred card. What do I do now.
A: Just wait 2-3 days from when you changed cards and then apply again.
Q: What happens to my Sapphire Ultimate Rewards points if I change to a Freedom cash back card?
A: The Freedom cards are marketed as cash back cards, but they actually earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be cashed out at 1 cent each. When you change cards your points remain the same Ultimate Rewards points, except that Freedom cards don’t have the ability to transfer points into airline miles or hotel points. However you can always transfer your points from a Freedom card to any other Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points or you can call Chase to transfer points to a spouse’s card.
Q: Will my credit card number change if I switch from a Sapphire Reserve card to a Freedom card?
A: Sapphire Reserve cards are Visa cards, so if you switch to a Freedom Visa or Freedom Unlimited Visa your number won’t change. If you change to a Freedom Flex Mastercard your card number will change.
Q: If I change my Sapphire Reserve card to a Freedom card, will I still be able to get a Freedom bonus in the future?
A: Yes. The rules for the Freedom Flex Mastercard and the Freedom Unlimited Visa are that you can’t currently have that exact card type and you didn’t get a bonus on that exact card type in the past 24 months. If you change a Sapphire Reserve card to a Freedom Flex Mastercard and decide you want to open a Freedom Flex Mastercard in the future, you would just need to change your existing Freedom Flex Mastercard into a different Freedom or Sapphire card. There are no “family” rules when it comes to Freedom cards like there are with the Sapphire “family” where you can’t have any existing Sapphire cards or can’t have gotten a bonus on any Sapphire card within 48 months.
Q: If I earned 3 points per dollar for travel on Sapphire Reserve purchases and downgrade to Freedom in middle of a billing cycle, will I lose those triple points?
A: No, points are awarded for what the card was at the time of the charge.
General Chase card info:
Q: Is there a limit on how may Chase cards you can have?
A: I currently have 20 personally, I’ll let you know when I figure this one out!
Q: How do I combine my Chase consumer and business card logins?
A: Just give Chase a call and they can be merged.
Q: Can I transfer the 80,000 point Sapphire Preferred bonus to my spouse’s Sapphire Reserve card where they will be worth more?
A: Sure, just call Chase to make that transfer. Or you can both get a Sapphire Preferred by changing the Sapphire Reserve to a Freedom card and upgrade back to Sapphire Reserve later on.
Q: I was told that Chase will let me know if I’m approved for the Sapphire Preferred card, now what?
A: You can either wait and see what they say, typically within 2 weeks, or you can call Chase to see if you can expedite the process. If you do call Chase be sure to explain why you want a Sapphire card (it’s great for travel!) and that you’re willing to close an older card or shift credit lines from an older card to get approved. There is no credit pull to shift over credit lines to get a new card approval.
Q: If I apply for a Sapphire Preferred card but get denied as I got a Sapphire bonus within 48 months or currently have a Sapphire card, will that hurt my credit?
A: No, as Chase will not pull your credit in those cases and will automatically deny you.
Q: How do I combine my Chase consumer and business card logins?
A: Just give Chase a call and they can be merged.
Q: Can I use this card to transfer Chase points to programs like Air Canada, Air France, BA, JetBlue, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, or Hyatt?
A: If you have or will get a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Preferred you can transfer points from all of your Chase cards to airline miles and hotel points.
Q: Can I apply for 2 Chase cards on the same day with 1 credit pull?
A: Yes, and there are lots of great options, including British Airways, IHG Premier, United Explorer, United Quest, United Club, World of Hyatt, and many more.
When you mix consumer and business cards, you may have 1 or 2 pulls. Business card options include Chase Ink Cash, Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Ink Unlimited, United Business Card, World Of Hyatt Business, Chase Southwest Performance Business, Chase Southwest Business Premier, and more.
Q: Do the points ever expire?
A: As long as you have an open Chase card with Ultimate Rewards points, your Ultimate Rewards points will never expire. If you want to close a card you can transfer your points over to any of your other Chase cards with Ultimate Rewards points or to your spouse’s Chase cards with Ultimate Rewards points to keep them alive.
Have more questions? Hit the comments!
Will you signup for a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card card?
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33 Comments On "Right Now Is Your Last Chance To Make Yourself Eligible For Sapphire Preferred’s 80,000 Point Sign Up Bonus!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Solid sign up bonus. But let’s get real, it’s no longer 2018. The 25% added value for Preferred and 50% for Reserve when booking travel through the Chase portal just isn’t there. Ticket prices purchased through the chase portal are almost always more expensive than a purchase directly from the airline.
If you find that they’re charging more and won’t match the direct price, just book it, cancel the ticket with the airline for airline credit, and rebook it direct.
Interesting, thanks. How does one go about requesting that “they” (I assume you mean Chase portal) price match? Online chat? Phone call?
Try calling.
will they give you a future travel credit or a refund to the credit card? because I did that with Amex, and on united it said I would get a future flight credit, and when I canceled I had to call Amex and they said it would be a refund. the refund amount was minus all the taxes and fees, so I ended up losing money.
Cancel over the phone for a future flight credit, travel bank credit, or travel certificate depending on the airline.
You can cancel a ticket this way and they automatically give you airline credit?
I did not have this experience just now with elal. tickets were a drop cheaper on chase than Elal direct and I used my reserve account which gave me 1.5 value. I saved a lot.
Awesome!
How do u pay your mortgage to freedom mortgage with a credit card?
Should be doable via Plastiq with the Mastercard.
I downgraded my Sapphire to Freedom Flex, but the rep told me my Sapphire account will remain open for 60 days or until I receive my new card. Do I have to wait to apply for the Sapphire again to get the sign up bonus? Or just the the 2-3 days you mentioned?
PS – I have not received a sign up bonus for my CSP card since 2016, so I should be eligible.
Apply for it in 2-3 days.
Thanks Dan!
So i signed up for the card and THINK I am more than 4 years since last bonus. I saw They pulled my credit (as I got around 6 alerts from various companies that monitor it) So I assume I surpassed that 48 month period. I did not get approved but it is in review, so I guess I will have to wait and see.
btw @Dan great podcast on Kosher Money!
Yes, you are outside of 48 months in that case. You can call Recon if you want to try to expedite approval or just wait and see what happens.
Thanks!
Got my last Sapphire signup bonus on a statement that closed May 9th 2019, downgraded the sapphire card to freedom a month ago. Am I safe to open a new account and get a bonus on May 9th 2023? (not within 5/24 for chase as well) just nervous the 48 month to the day will cause an issue..but have a big trip next week I want to use the card for. Thnx for advice
That should work, keep us posted.
Can you downgrade a Reserve card shortly after renewal, use your $300 refund on travel related charges. Then downgrade to a freedom and get the renewal fee prorated fully refunded?
Hi dan, my wife currently has a sapphire reserve card which I’d like to downgrade to a freedom flex and then apply for the Saphirre preferred to get this signup bonus. In the next 6 months, it will be more beneficial for me to have the preferred over the reserve for the extra 25% redemption rate. Can I upgrade my card from the preferred to the reserve after I get the bonus or will the bank frown on it the same way the frown on closing cards after receiving a sign-up bonus? thanks so much for your insightful posts
They usually require a year before you can upgrade to reserve
thanks for your help!
Interesting, I didn’t realized I’d need to wait but already downgraded. I suppose travel this year is going to cost me a little more with only 1.25 instead of 1.5.
Any other cards you’d recommend as a premium card to add to my collection?
I was approved! I have not been approved for a Chase card in 3 years due to 5/24
Congrats!
Are you still over 5/24?
is this card good for cashback as well or only travel points?
Good for cashback, but much much less value
i am looking to open a cc to earn points/benefits as i am about to do a big home reno and plan on making large charges. would this be my best option?
This would be a good choice because it’s a large sign up bonus, but it will only give you 1 point per dollar on your typical transactions, consider the capital one venture card, which has a similar sign up bonus, and a 2 point/cashback on all charges.
Mine was approved (a day after I applied, not instantly). Thanks as always Dan!
i just applied and i was declined. how long do i need to wait to try applying again?
Thanks Dan! I took your advice, and dropped my wife as an authorized user of my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and waited two weeks for the change on my credit report. Then my wife applied for her own card, and was immediately approved. It may have also helped that we have a Chase Checking account.
Congrats!