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I noted several times last year that someone who applied for a Chase Sapphire Reserve card in November could get a $300 travel credit before their December 2016 statement posted, a $300 credit before their December 2017 statement posted, and a $300 credit after their 2017 statement posted. That’s $900 in travel credits in their first cardmembership year.
Effective for applications for the card that are submitted on or after 5/21/17, the annual travel credit will switch from being based on a calendar year to a cardmembership year. In other words if someone opens a card on 5/21 and their statement closes on the 1st of the month, they will get a $300 credit for all travel spending from 5/21/17 through 6/1/18. You can still double dip on the credit in you first cardmembership year by spending $300 on travel in June 2018 as Chase gives 30 days to close a card after the statement closes with an annual fee, but a triple-dip possibility has been eliminated.
Note that if you applied for the card before 5/21/17 that you will be grandfathered into a calendar year credit. It’s important to remember that Chase’s calendar year credit ends once your December statement closes, so a calendar year can end anytime from 12/1 through 12/28. Many people missed out on their 2016 travel credit as they only did their spending after their December statement closed, which means they effectively used up their 2017 credit. That same system will be in place going forward for grandfathered accounts.
Click here to view how much of your annual travel spend has already been credited:
There’s no strongly compelling reason to apply for the card now in order to be grandfathered. The signup bonus went down from 100K to 50K in March, but hopefully we’ll see a higher bonus from the card in the future. The triple dip option only works if you apply for a card with a calendar year credit in November or December, so there’s no longer any way to apply for the card with that option. Granted that it is easier to get 2 travel credits in your first cardmembership year when you have a calendar year credit. However as explained above, even with a cardmembership year credit you can get $600 in travel credits in your first cardmembership year.
Mind you, I get enough value on the Sapphire Reserve card to make it worth keeping. The annual fee is only $150 when factoring in the $300 travel credit. And the benefits (all Chase points are worth 50% more for travel, triple points on dining and travel, lounge access with unlimited guests, global entry fee refunds, primary car rental collision insurance everywhere in the world, roadside assistance, etc) more than justify that fee.
Wondering where you can use your travel credit? These categories have been confirmed as working for automatic travel refunds. If you know of others please post a comment!
Air:
-Airline tickets from any airline
-Air Canada Gift Cards
-Alaska Airlines gift cards
-American Airlines gift cards
-Baggage fees from any airline
-Delta gift cards
–Hawaiian Airlines gift cards.
-Online travel agencies (Including Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline)
-Seat selection or upgrade fees for any airline
-Southwest gift cards
-Retail travel agencies
-Taxes on award tickets for any airline
–United gift registry: Register and create a goal in order to contribute travel funds to your United account for future ticket purchases
Dining:
-Uber Eats
Lodging:
–Airbnb
-Airbnb gift cards
-Campgrounds
-Cruises
-Groupon Getaways
-Hotel stays
-Marriott gift cards
-Motel stays
-Norwegian Cruise Line gift cards
-Online travel agencies (Including Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Priceline)
-Timeshares
-Retail travel agencies
Theme Parks and activities:
–Disney Vacation account funding
–UndercoverTourist.com (Discounted Disney, Universal, Legoland, and SeaWorld tickets)
–Viator gift certifiates.
Transportation:
-Amtrak
-BART
-Bridge tolls
-Buses
-Car rentals
-Car2Go
-Eurostar
-Ferries
-Greyhound
-Jerusalem Light Rail
-Limos
-Long Island Railroad
-Lyft rides
-Megabus
-Metra Rail Chicago)
-Muni/parking meters
-NJ Transit
-NYC MetroCard
-Oyster card
-Parking garages
-Prepaid EZPass tolls loaded with the one-time payment option online or over the phone. If the system auto-loads then it may not count as travel.
-Prepaid I-Pass tolls loaded via one-time payment
-Prepaid FasTrak tolls loaded via one-time payment
-Prepaid SunPass tolls loaded via one-time payment
-Prepaid Washington DOT Good to Go tolls loaded via one-time payment
-Postpaid 407ETR Toronto tolls
-Subway travel
-Taxis
-Tolls
-Trains
-Trenitalia
-Tunnel tolls
-Uber gift cards only if they are bought from the MileagePlusX app for iOS or Android
-Uber rides
-Ventra Chicago
-Zipcar
Were you refunded from other purchases? Hit the comments!
HT: mdrills, via DDF and DoC
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33 Comments On "Sapphire Reserve’s Annual Travel Credit Is Being Tweaked, Here’s What You Need To Know"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
I don’t think its grandfathered in forever. Only until 2018 for people who applied before 5/21/17. Correct me if I am wrong!
Does ‘grandfathered’ in mean that if I applied and received the card in say October 2016 – will I get a new $300 credit in October 2017 even though I already received the $300 when opening and at the start of 2017?
@Ben B:
My understanding of the terms as they are published is that you are wrong.
@Jimmy:
No.
Grandfathered means you will continue to get 1 credit per calendar year.
I was credited for the maintenance fee of my time share. Very helpful.
For me auto load on ezpass worked on 2 cards
Some EV charging stations come up as transportation and get refunded
How does the travel credit work if I applied the first week of January 2017? Does my year 2 start in mid-December 2017?
@Davidthebest:
Always been YMMV.
@Levi:
Nice.
@Steve:
Yes.
I received the travel credit for the hall I booked in Israel for my son’s bris!
Hi @dan, thanks for all of your help! How does it work with the primary insurance on the CSR? When renting a car, you deny all offered coverage and as long as you pay with CSR you are covered? Thanks
Just wondering if you can explain “triple dipping”
Any updates on what qualifies for the travel credit on the amex platinum?
Have the reserve card and love it!
@ck:
Cool!
@RentalCar:
It covers CDW (collision damage waiver).
If you deny it then the card will cover it.
@Spenser:
It’s the first paragraph of this post. Getting the $300 credit 3 times in your first cardmembership year.
@charlie:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/101316
So based on this upcoming change, would you recommend signing up before the 21st to get 2 credits over the course of the year (one now and the next in May of 2018), or wait and hope that they’ll be a bigger sign up bonus that would trump the advantage of signing up now?
@Now or later:
read the post
@Dan:
Not mentioning that in your post …
No JetBlue gift card?
Possible to buy credit with jet blue?
Would it be included in travel credit?
Thanks.
EZ Pass auto loads for the past few months have been applied to the credit, from my experience. (For a few months at the end of 2016, they indeed did not go against the credit)
@Dan:
I got the travel credit by preloading my EZ Pass from their website 🙂
It appears that auto-reloads when you have a low balance do not qualify for travel credits though.
i used my card in the skyline restaurant in yerushalayim, and i got credited as travel because the restaurant is in a hotel, and gets billed as a hotel stay
Thanks for everything. In plain English when do I need to spend on travel if I used this year’s travel credit already? In December before my statement closes or AFTER my statement closes?
I know you explained numerous times but I don’ get it 🙁
RavKav (for buses and trains in Israel) generally works for the travel credit.
dan a random question but I wanted to catch your attention in order to hear your opionion a united flight landing after shavous on fri june 2nd at 520 pm in Newark from tlv would It be possible to make it t o far rockaway before Shabbos? no bags and global entry? meaning does united tlv to Newark known to sit on tarmacs or have delays before takeoff and after landings? thanks
Hey Dan,
Like to check with you if the Reserve card provides road assistance does it mean I can ditch my AAA membership? Thanks!
Hi! i don’t know if this question belongs here but anyway, could i use the 50% bonus (hyrbid points) on booking wow airlines?
thanks
@Anonymous:
No unfortunately, because in coach only your selected airline works to get the 50% points rebate, and you can only choose the selected airline from US airlines.
@CtownBin:
i’m not referring to amex hyrbid points i’m asking about ultimate rewards from chase
Received card 9/16
Credit received
When renew 9/17 is 2017 eligiable again for
300 travel credit?
Or only 2018?
Is af prorated?
how do i get $900 in 1 year i opened my card in November got $300 then And in January i got another $300 but that goes until next January?
Dan, I just got $300 on travel credit even though I already got at the beginning of 2017. Could be that it’s changed also for grandfathered cards? That’s already $900 since I applied.
I’m assuming since you didn’t write Gas, that this is not included in travel credit?
Correct; the travel credit doesn’t include gas.
Dan
can you write an article explaining how to double dip with a card member year in march 2018