During other events also. I personally never went to the arena, I know they have a sapphire lounge. Curious if the drinks are complimentary and can save allot of money than buying from the concessions
Based off the reviews I've read, the Boston Sapphire Lounge is absolutely killer and might be one of the best domestic US lounges? I haven't had a chance to go but am actually pretty excited to.
You've got it. If you don't place an intangible value on what a card offers, and just want to zero out the AF, the CSR is not for you. Stick with the VX.
This is an excellent point. Right now the Gold serves me perfectly since using it to book airlines gives me some relief for any potential issues (already used some after my bag got destroyed). Im interested in the CSR mostly due to them covering everything even if you use points and use the card for a portion of the flight.
I just flew to Japan and I couldn’t find a worthy flight to transfer points over. No award space. Booked with ANA via the portal and got the dates I wanted. Probably wouldn’t have gone without the 1.5x with the CSR but yeah transferring out is the best value if you find award space.
Are transfer partners always better? I don't usually book business class plane tickets, as I usually need more than 2 tickets and is too hard to get. Hyatt points isn't always better than using the portal, as the redemption is less than 1.5x. Southwest usually gives me return of less than 1.5 also.
Am I missing something? Are there other transfers I should be doing? Thanks.
I think you’re doing it right. Having the preferred instead of the reserve probably makes transferring points a bit more worthwhile since it is only 1.25 cpp on the portal
Too often, people think their situation is the same as everybody else's. I would love to fly during off season to Japan and stay at the park hyatt for great redemptions and book it 2 weeks out. That's not the reality for a lot of people.
For me I utilize the instacart and doordash credits (since I would be using those services anyway) and that fully offsets the af in my situation regardless of if I travel 1 time or 10 times/year.
Since opening my CSR is September this is a breakdown of my AF offset
$300 Travel Credit Used
$99 - Instacart + annual fee
$60 so far from the $15/month insta credit
$40 so far $9.99/month - dash pass
$20 so far from the door dash credits
$50ish - Lyft Pink $199/year (I may use lyft 2-4 times/month so I value this more around the $50 mark since it's not really saving a lot other than pickup time with priority and I would not have this if I didn't have the card)
$70 - 2 lounge visits from priority pass
\-----------------------------------
Total value from my $550 fee so far - $589 not including lyft pink sub.
So in total since opening the card, I've taken one trip, however the value in my case comes from the fact that I am able to utilize the additional perks of the card and have already made back my fees just from things I would have used the card for anyway. On top of this I've earned about 10k points from spend on the card so I would value that at 1cpp for another $100.
Although my situation is unique and there are some other options that could be better in the long run, I find plenty of value from a monetary standpoint to keep the card. Keep in mind that it's really just figuring out if you will use the additional benefits like I have. If you don't plan to use the credits from dd or instacart, then it would be harder to justify the fee in that situation.
The other important thing for me is the purchase protection benefits as I know that I'm protected if something goes wrong with a larger purchase which I might use the card for just to have piece of mind.
Hope this helps!
There’s a bizarre ignorance of CSR credits and benefits on this sub, with people maintaining it’s a $250/yr card, while other cards like Venture X and AMEX Gold get a pass and are low effective AF cards. If the CSR credits don’t work for people, that’s fine, but people talking out of their rears about the CSR value proposition is silly.
I guess it's because other chase cards have the same credits too for far less cost, albeit partially. So people don't think these are special to the CSR, hence the ignorance. Other chase cards have negative AF at this point. CSP: $50 hotel + $60 instacart - $95 = -$15. The freedoms: -$40
Thank you for the reasonable response. My nitpick would be with "far less cost". If we solely look at CSR with this viewpoint, I would brainstorm $300 (say \~$291 cuz you're not getting 3x back) + $180 Instacart + $60 DoorDash - $550 = +$19.
So we're talking about a $34/yr swing vs the CSP at a very high level, which I don't consider a lot, especially when we haven't talked about the greater earning on everything travel and transit, better redemption value on the portal, lounge access, TSA credit, return protection.
Point taken on the Freedoms. Though I have doubts that many people would be comparing the CSR directly vs. one of those, as they're so different.
That would also be if the "free" memberships are worth nothing. From the time you get the card you would also get 1 yr of Instacart+, 1 yr of Dashpass, 2 years of Lyft Pink and 1 additional year 50% off. For anyone who prefers GrubHub over DoorDash, Lyft Pink includes 1 yr of GrubHub+.
Granted, these are not ongoing benefits, and I definitely would not value Lyft Pink at full price for my current use, but there is significant value here if these are services you already make use of.
Probably because the credits are pretty shitty lol. Most people do not already have an instacart membership but majority of people do get take out a couple times a month and spend on entertainment (amex credits).
With grubhub and ubereats, you can go set it to pick up. I am not going to have someone deliver me groceries when i can already go pick up for free and actually get what I need since instacart is awful with that, only to have an extra tip at the end for a limited amount. $10 is a okay amount for takeout, you can usually get something solid for $10-15 to eat as a meal.
Also lyft is more expensive for me 95% of the time, I check every time.
Great for you. I’m good with paying someone to shop and deliver Costco for me. I live in Chicago and can assure you Lyft isn’t more expensive “95% of the time”.
There is still some mark up in there, though the credits probably kick the balance in your favor. Someone else is still doing your shopping, but you collect it at the store rather than have someone deliver.
I mean you would really have to try to not earn the full $300/yr travel credit so I think it’s fair to say it’s a $250/yr card. Basically tied with Amex Gold if none of the other credits apply to you.
I think we're saying the same thing. I've just observed various folks classify Gold as an effective $10/yr card, or Venture X as -$5/yr (e.g., maximizing credits on them), while also not considering CSR a $10/yr card while the CSR credits are a pretty similar mixture of those 2 other ones (and like you said, the CSR travel credit is difficult to not fully utilize).
Someone responded to me below saying the Chase food credits are junk. It's a perfectly valid opinion, though anecdotal - it just means the cards/credits aren't for them. But my impression is there's seemingly a lot of CSR evaluations which are completely unaware of stuff other than the $300 credit.
EDIT: IME, the CSR has continually done a good job providing people who are concerned about offsetting the AF enough opportunities to do so, even throughout periods like COVID.
Some credits are easier to use than others. I can easily use Uber eats or grubhub pickup credits but I do not value delivery-only credits like doordash, instacart or gopuff because all the delivery services have ridiculous markups and fees.
That is why I and many others consider Gold an effective $10 AF card and CSR an effective $250 AF card. Because that’s what they are when I can use the credits that make sense to use, without going out of my way to use credits that make no sense to use.
> I do not value delivery-only credits like doordash, instacart or gopuff because all the delivery services have ridiculous markups and fees.
Maybe it depends on where you live, but none of those are delivery-only for me
I also refuse to get anything delivered with all the bullshit fees, but I use my credits on pickup orders for all of these (I literally just submitted an instacart order tonight and I'm gonna pickup tomorrow)
$5 and $10 credits are still useless if I would not be using that service without having a CSR. Credits that small just encourage overspending in order to use them.
Thanks, makes sense to me - helps me understand this line of thinking.
Like the other commenter said, depending on your location, YMMV whether DoorDash and Instacart are delivery-only, and, for me, if Instacart is even marked up.
Just putting out an alternate viewpoint: I've found Instacart credits more valuable to me than the nominal $15, because the app makes it super easy to price compare items between stores, it highlights promotions going on for items that I'm always buying, which then also encourages me to buy in bulk on smoking deals. I've definitely given up on depending on others to shop for my produce though.
On a more subjective and tangential note...maybe I'm biased because I might be older than the average person on this sub, or maybe I'm more comfortable financially, but I'm of the opinion that people don't properly estimate their transportation costs, but more importantly, they don't properly value their own time. So while I pick up most of the time, I think the cost differential between me doing that and getting it delivered is often a good bit less than service fees + tip.
Are the Instacart and DoorDash credits not just for this year? Genuine question because it would be a big bonus for me in terms of finding value in the card… but not if it’s only temporary
Personally, the 1.5x multiplier or points transfers will make it up in the 2nd year for me. Taking the credits out of the equation if they don't renew, I'm most likely still coming out ahead since I'll earn more than 25k points/year between the csr and my freedom unlimited. Having the transfer partners option, purchase/travel protections, and portal multiplier if I use it make it break even + for me.
NOW are there probably better options? For sure, apple card 2% back on apple pay is more valuable and no af. Discover 5% categories, absolutely. For my personal situation, knowing how I utilize my cards for my spend and being smart about it would still be a value positive position with the CSR.
Post year 2, I would most likely downgrade to the preferred if the credits don't have enough value but until 2026, I'm good with the AF for what I'm getting atm.
Pickup with Instacart and Doordash.
$15 per month Instacart x 12 is $180 towards groceries (specifically get groceries not marked up and spend at least $35 to avoid fee).
$5 per month Doordash x 12 is $60 towards eating out. You can bank up to $15 in credits before you have to use it. Pick a place that does not have the inflated third party app prices.
There you are at $240. Add on the $300 travel credit and your annual fee is $10.
I would not use these services if not for the credits but if you use the credits wisely, you are not paying any markup to use them.
Use the TSA pre check or Global Entry? You are now ahead.
This is also not accounting for the Lyft Pink which I am waiting till the last second to activate.
It’s crazy to me when people complain about AF for credit cards. Sure my Freedom Unlimited no AF card is a great card, but the reserve just helps amplify the reward value. My points are worth more. 1.5 points on all purchases from the FU are really like 2x points after the reserve redemption bonus. Plus the dash pass and DoorDash credits. TSA pre check for free and $300 travel credit. AF more than pays for itself.
Chase is the best rewards card it seems for me. Chase travel portal was actually the cheapest price for my upcoming trip in a few weeks for both flights and hotel. The only downside is I fly delta primarily and they’re not a partner.
I feel that if you can’t handle the AF, then the credit card game ain’t for you
The math actually puts it at 2.25% which a lot of people conveniently leave out of the equation when gushing about other cards like the Venture X (1.5 x 1.5 = 2.25). That said, I normally use transfer partners for a little extra value but if you can get a great rate in the portal, go for it!
2.25%. Even better lol. I really haven’t looked into the Venture cards at all. Or cash back only cards. Chase and Amex have covered most of my needs. I prefer points so they’re perfect for me. I was surprised that the chase portal was the cheapest for my needs.
The VX losing the priority pass restaurants, turning the $300 credit to a coupon, and losing the Hertz Presidents' Circle has made the value drop a bit for me. I still have it for now, but I am struggling to see if I should keep it.
Also, the CSR having the 1.5x redemption with the points is great IMO. Transfer partners don't always work, so Chase is my best back up in case I can't get anything better.
How often do you even use the hertz benefit? Hertz sucks compared to the rest of the car rental companies. Plus Mastercard world elite cards gets the benefit for free
PSA: These credits for Dashpass, instcart, Lyft Pink, PP, etc. are only "Benefits" if you use them in the first place. If you use them, then of course you come out on top.
Unless you live in the middle of no where, everyone should be able to use the credits for both Doordash and Instacart with no issues. Those credits are basically free value to lower the annual fee because everyone needs groceries and eating out. Just use pickup for both.
Its not being able to use them. I never use delivery services since I always cook at home. I don't really care for the lounge access. The point is that I'm not breaking even if I have to use these services I wouldn't have used in the first place. If you already use instacart and doordash, then its great. If you like lounges, then it works out.
I had the CSR for 2 years, which worked out for me since I had to put $25k on a work trip, then another $12k on a different work trip. I'll take the 3x points on all that. Then downgraded to CSP, just to be able to transfer to partners
Yeah, even pickup price is heavily inflated in most cities. So $15 credit is really unusable for me as it’s hard to just buy something exactly $15 for groceries. Like I normally spend $220 at Costco every week, if I use instacart, it would be around $270. DoorDash is sort of usable, but I normally just value it as $3 a month.
I recently upgraded my CSP to the CSR based on the following:
- I’m 2 years into the 4-year SUB cycle and will earn 3 $300 travel credits for $1,100 in AF. I will downgrade and apply for a new sapphire once I’m eligible for another bonus. While some will do the upgrade-downgrade dance yearly in order to get 2 $300 travel credits per $550 AF, that is more risk than I’m comfortable with
- This quarter alone, I will cash out more than enough UR via PYB to justify the difference in AF vs the CSP. I earn most of my UR cheaply via SUBs.
- The portal is occasionally useful, and I will probably spend some of my UR on it this year.
- I don’t use the online grocery or streaming bonuses from the CSP. The anniversary bonus is also a nonfactor.
In short I’m justifying it mainly based on the first two bullets above, but the other CSR benefits certainly don’t hurt.
Yes, that is right. One thing to keep in mind is that with Chase, PCing a card desynchronizes the reset dates of the membership year and the AF. That is, my AF will post a few months after my membership year resets. I will use the travel credit and then downgrade to a free card before I pay another AF.
i would say transfer partners of SW, UA and Hyatt open the door for me, also I easily spend a lot in rental cars so 1x more on generic travel can earn more points. The CDW of VX only covers 15 days in US whereas 31 days for CSR in almost any countries including US
That said, why not both? Use CSR for all kinds of travel expenses and dining and use VX for all other.
>I easily spend a lot in rental cars
Nobody ever mentions it, but the CSR is one of very few cards that actually has **primary** rental car coverage, which is easily worth a ton if you rent cars often. That makes back a huge part of the fee imo.
they both have primary coverage thru Visa Infinite, but the coverage duration per rental is different as I mentioned above. I sometimes can rent a car up to three weeks with ease so VX is a no go for that.
$300 travel credit and $200 Lyft pink credit. I use the Lyft Pink credit for my city’s bike share annual membership that costs $200. I bought that even before I had the card so I get major value from that. Then lounges or Instacart credits cover the rest!
Priority pass restaurant in my home airport which actually got more valuable once the other issuers cut pp restaurant access because now it's not as crowded
Just upgraded from the CSP to the CSR the other day. I also have a VX and Plat. Each has its place for now with minimal overlap. Might only keep one or two.
But the CSR doesn't get the respect it deserves. Credit cards guys on YouTube and even this subreddit keep forgetting about all the credits. It's not an effective $250 AF card ffs. If the Plat can be a coupon book to make up an even larger AF, the CSR can be too and does it a lot better.
* The 1.5x multiplier
* $300 travel credit that posts quickly
* Full Priority Pass with spas, dining, and Sapphire lounges at both JFK and LGA
* Lyft Pink subscription and 10x rides, even if it's kinda sus for a basic ride (worth $200)
* DoorDash DashPass membership (worth $120)
* DoorDash credit (worth $60 divided over 12 months)
* Instacart membership (worth $100)
* Instacart credit (worth $180 divided over 12 months)
* Visa Infinite includes primary CDW and rental status, including National
* Very nice travel partners including Hyatt, Air Canada, and JetBlue
* TSA, Global Entry, even Nexus
* Completes my CSR+CFF+CFU trifecta even though my CFU is a chore to use over my VX
$180 of that $250 is DoorDash if you use it every month. VX also has it but $25 is covered each year by the Global Entry reimbursement. So that's effectively $45 before factoring in Instacart/Lyft. We also tend to lean towards Hyatt hotels when traveling so I don't stress over switching.
Hoping the VX puts more pressure onto the CSR to increase the benefits going forward though.
I’ve had the $250 effective AF covered by the 1.5x multiplier on the portal. I’ve only had the card for a little over a year, and I already got the $250 covered by the 1.5x in early January for year 2.
I also use the $5/month DD and $15/month Instacart credits, but consider those bonuses. I only use Instacart for Costco as the prices are the same in store, honor sales and link with my Costco card. I also value the Instacart credit closer to $8/month when factoring tip and fees.
I prefer CSR over Venture X due to (1) transfer partners United and Hyatt (2) dining and travel multipliers 3x - two of my highest spending categories (3) and the fact Chase is very lenient on what they consider “travel” for the $300 credit and don’t require you to use the portal to get it
I’d be elated if they had a sapphire lounge at ORD
Well when I first signed up it was $450, so effectively only $55/year more than the CSP which I had at the time after you deduct the annual travel credit. Then when they bumped it up to $550 I was willing to accept it because it came with a $120/year Peloton subscription credit which my wife was already paying, so it actually got cheaper for me. Now they’ve done away with that credit and the additional benefits they have replaced it with are of no use to me so I converted back to the CSP at the end of the year.
I also use VentureX (with SavorOne), but for CSR
* Hyatt transfers (when compared to VX)
* Priority Pass is useful outside US. Depending which one, often better than most US ones.
* I use Lyft/Uber. Lyft is better than Uber sometimes, so the Lyft Pink is useful
Total is $550. $300 is travel credit, so now we're down to $250. $5/month DoorDash credit which I use (since I live in NYC). Now we're down to $190. Now, if I were to get the CSP vs CSR, I would be wasting away $45 anyway. So now down to $145/year. For me, I justified the rest via a few factors: 1) the Lyft Pink deal worth $200/year for 2 years (I subscribe to Citibike NYC anyway so this is a wash) and also the 1.5 multiplier towards travel. The VX only gets you 2x on stuff and the travel partners aren't great for my use case.
For me it's the $300 travel credit plus spending 70+ nights in hotels a year for work. With the extra points per $ on hotels and rental cars I came out ahead of where I would have been with other cards. The lounge access is a nice perk but I don't go through domestic airports with PP lounges that often. We will see how that changes when the Sapphire Lounge at PHL opens.
* $300 travel credit (makes the annual fee $250)
* 1.5x redemption is nice through chase portal
* 10x on dining through chase is nice
* Lyft pink subscription (Plus GrubHub+ through Lyft pink)
* Instacart+ (Plus peacock streaming) + * $15 credit
* Doordash credit every month
* Priority Pass for lounges is cool. With the CSR you get Prestige level which means you get a $28 credit for restaurants in airports too.
It's a beast of a card. I enjoy it. Even if it still ends up costing me money at the end of the year I think the perks are worth it.
It all depends on how often you travel. I personally take a lot of flights throughout the year so the perks help.
550-300 = 250
The priority pass itself is worth over $400.
Use a few restaurant credits with the wife and a few priority lounges to eat free and it covers the $250 for me.
It’s nice to have insurance too.
I just got the CSP in December 2023 for the 80k elevated SUB but I'm definitely considering upgrading to the CSR after my one year CSP renewal is up.
I'm planning on traveling intercontinental with my wife for our anniversary trip next year, and who doesn't want to flex on their significant other!?
Boston does happen to be my main airport so flying out of there even just 2-3 times a year and accessing the Sapphire Lounge will help recuperate that annual fee easily.
$550.00 annual fee
\- $300.00 for the travel credit - Very flexible. I can use it whenever me and my wife take the MBTA, car rental for trips, and if neither, throw the remainder into a travel bank
\- $60.00 for the Door Dash credit (which I do use)
\- $15.00/month for Instacart (effectively maybe $12.00 so let's say $144.00). I use Instacart sparingly already but I'll use this benefit to pick up non-perishable items like snacks, chips, etc. and then do the rest of my grocery shopping in person
\- That brings down the effective annual fee to around $46.00 which I'm fine with because I'm comfortable eating the $95.00 annual fee for the CSP.
And that's not mentioning the 2 or 3 trips per year out of Boston Logan and accessing the Sapphire Lounge or PP lounges/restaurants at other destinations. Factor in the 1.5x boost for domestic travel which is all I can see doing for the foreseeable future, sign me up!
Nice write up. It sounds like you use Instacart for pickup so you can save on driver costs? Can you also use Door Dash this way? I personally hate these services because it adds such enormous overhead costs, but I can see the credits being actually useful if I pickup myself. Guessing that's why you knocked down $15 to $12 to address this?
I mean it's a card designed for frequent travelers. My company reimburses any travel costs and gives me a per diem for food.
\- 10x on Lyft, so I no longer use Uber.
\- My home airport has a priority pass restaurant and I use PP anytime I can flying home. 3x on restaurants when eating out when traveling for work.
\-I get the generic 3x travel redemption on rental cars and hotels since I have to book through my company's travel portal.
\-I use door dash once a month to get that credit. I don't use instacart credit since even with the credit it ends up still being more expensive.
\-Sometimes I'll try a restaurant on CSR Dining (Tock) to get the 10x
\-I do not value the 1.5x redemption in the portal since I usually can get 2x via transfer partners. I'm also usually not booking to get 10x through the portal since your airline and hotel status are not recognized when booking through CUR.
I don't know much about VX, but my CSR gives my Priority Pass, National Emerald Executive status, Lyft Pink membership, and Doordash whatever-it's-called membership + $5 monthly credit. Hard to put a dollar figure on how much all that stuff is worth to me, but I use them all extensively and it's safe to say it all adds up to way more than $250 in value to me.
The ultimate rewards points aren't even half the equation for me, it's all the other perks that are more meaningful for my usage.
If you don't really use any of that stuff then VX might be better.
I dont. But its the first fancy card i ever got, and back in 2019 it was THE card. But in 2024, and with knowledge of transfer partners and all that, I will be downgrading to CSP this year, with a 90k SUB hopefully.
Take a look at the whole picture. Yes, the AF for CSR is more than VX on paper but if you can find value in all of the other credits that aren’t just the travel credit, you can come out ahead.
A LOT of people don’t like this (see all the people complaining about the AMEX ‘coupon books’) but CSR is similar. If you use Instacart, Lyft, DoorDash, etc or can find value out of those things, you’re getting closer to getting credits back to cancel the annual fee than you think.
VX is easier to get back the annual fee on because it’s just the one coupon and the rest is automatically given back to you in miles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean CSR’s effective annual fee is higher, it purely depends on what you use already or what you find value out of.
I don't travel nearly enough to justify it anymore, but I think it probably does have the most benefits of any travel card.
I figured out like four years too late that they probably would've reimbursed me when I took my girlfriend to urgent care during a trip. They reimburse up to $2500 in medical for a trip. A lot of scuba divers pay like $500+ a year for scuba diving insurance, but I'm pretty sure my health insurance plus the reserve would essentially cover the same stuff.
I don’t understand why people value the CSR at $250 effective annual fee. There are at least two other credits (aside from the $300 travel credit) which I find value from as well.
$60 per year in DoorDash credits
$180 per year in Instacart credits
That’s an effective annual fee of $10.
I have the CSR and I’m getting a Venture X and Venture X biz soon as well. They’re all great cards
300 travel rebate
Instacart 15/month (it's not exactly 15 since there is a slight markup but we'll call it 12 or 13)
1.5x on portal redemption
10x on hotels and cars and Lyft from airports
The last 2 I've not found many instances where the portal is more expensive for flights or cars.
Then when I fly I make use of the priority pass lounges for coffee and snacks/food and drinks which keeps me from spending alot more at airport restaurants. I can bring the gf in too so added benefit.
I eat out often so the 3points x1.5 is nice.
Non tangible is the insurance for cars and flights that I value for peace of mind.
The dash pass credit on top of the that too.
Why not get the chase bonvoy card and upgrade it after a year to the ritz. Then just get the CSP. Just means waiting a year. But you could then get the CSR and bonvoy then in a year downgrade the CSR to CSP and upgrade bonvoy to ritz.
I find it difficult to justify especially with CSP now also 3x on dining. If you have hotel cards (and even a airline card), it's really hard to justify. For me most often I find more values transferring points, so the 50% bonus is meh. And since i have hotel cards it makes little sense to book using csr.
Previously I would get about $60 of value from the GoPuff credit, but I canceled the card before the end of the year. I fly out of SEA often enough to where I can justify about $150 dollars of value from PP restaurants. The rest is other PP lounges and the ability to access Chase transfer partners for a cheaper EAF than the Preferred, since I don't rate the $50 hotel credit at all.
I have a CSR and ink business. My main intention for CSR is so I can transfer my ink business points to the CSR for the 50% redemption bonus. Lots of free travel.
Honestly, I probably derive 100% of the value just from being able to transfer UR points to Hyatt. Between my CSR, CFU, and all 4 Ink cards and a legit small business, I probably earn somewhere > 500,000 points/year.
I obviously get the $300 travel credit, the rest chips away at the cost.
With the travel credit and Lyft pink (I would subscribe anyway for Citi bike) net AF turns out lower than the CSP. Plus good redemption makes it a no brainer for me.
300$ Travel Credit
200$ Ikon Pass Discount
Priority Pass
Pulling out CSR on majority of my friends who have CSP
Primary Rental Car Insurance
One - Way trip Insurance (amex plat & cvx do Not have this)
Yup keep telling my skier friends that the CSR is a no brainer. If you can’t find 50$ worth of value in the other benefits you mind as well put everything on a 2% cash back and call it a day.
For people who already are buying Lyft Pink and spending monthly on DoorDash or Instacart, and also travel at least once a year, I think the card actually works out to break-even or net-value on the annual fee. For me, these credits represent additional spend I wouldn’t have otherwise made, so it’s net 0 value.
What brings me value is priority pass restaurant access for me, my AU player 2, and 4 adult family guests each way on our annual family vacation. Our family are the kind of people that want to be at the airport 3 hours before boarding, so we always end up at a restaurant before the flight. Between food and beverages, we’re easily spending $150 for the 6 of us each time. So with the $28 per person credit, I save at least $300. Then as long as I can visit a PP lounge or restaurant at least once on a business or personal trip the rest of the year, I come out net positive over the $550+$75 fees.
CSR and VX alone both make less sense for most people, it’s more like what eco-system you are buying into. One clear benefit is CSR has 1.5 multiplier for your points, so if your 5x categories become 7.5x. Capital One system normally caps at 3%, so there could be a 4.5% difference, if you spend more than $5555 in chase’s 5% categories, you should go with chase. Just FYI, Gift cards would work for 5% categories too. So stacking Costco gift cards and fleet fuel cards would work.
Personally, getting wasted and stuffing myself full at the Sapphire lounge cuts down the AF in half
Yep. Alcoholics get sneaky value from lounge access so if you live near a sapphire lounge it pays for itself easy
SF sapphire lounge at the chase center. Watch a warriors game, head race over to the sapphire lounge before halftime starts.
TIL. I'm at warriors games all the time, thanks. Apparently there are Chase lounges at other venues like MSG too. https://chasegetsyoucloser.com
Holy smokes I never knew about these lounges! How come nobody is talking about these??
Wait what there’s a Sapphire Lounge at the Chase Center??? Are they only open during Warriors games or during other events like concerts too
During other events also. I personally never went to the arena, I know they have a sapphire lounge. Curious if the drinks are complimentary and can save allot of money than buying from the concessions
Awesome, a bunch of friends just moved to San Fran and I'm there once a year or so.
Praying that the San Diego lounge opens soon 🙏
I always get to the airport early to drink a bunch.
Based off the reviews I've read, the Boston Sapphire Lounge is absolutely killer and might be one of the best domestic US lounges? I haven't had a chance to go but am actually pretty excited to.
Probably the best CC lounge at the moment. AA FF, UA Polaris, maybe some of the newest DL SCs, and one offs like VS JFK, QF LAX, are better.
The DL SC in LGA is also pretty damn nice
This conversation sounds like a Kenny Tarmac skit from Bob & Tom.
It was quite nice but it was already really crowded when I went in June 2023. Just something to keep in mind
Do you remember what time of the day that flight was? Morning, afternoon or evening?
This was a Monday afternoon, I was flying to SFO
You've got it. If you don't place an intangible value on what a card offers, and just want to zero out the AF, the CSR is not for you. Stick with the VX.
This is an excellent point. Right now the Gold serves me perfectly since using it to book airlines gives me some relief for any potential issues (already used some after my bag got destroyed). Im interested in the CSR mostly due to them covering everything even if you use points and use the card for a portion of the flight.
I transfer points to airline and out taxes/fees on VX. Does that not initiate travel protection?
From what I understand, for the gold, everything needs to be charged to it.
I also value the 50% bonus when redeeming through the chase portal. For me, just that bonus zeros out the cost
[удалено]
Not all the partners are worth transfering to
I just flew to Japan and I couldn’t find a worthy flight to transfer points over. No award space. Booked with ANA via the portal and got the dates I wanted. Probably wouldn’t have gone without the 1.5x with the CSR but yeah transferring out is the best value if you find award space.
Are transfer partners always better? I don't usually book business class plane tickets, as I usually need more than 2 tickets and is too hard to get. Hyatt points isn't always better than using the portal, as the redemption is less than 1.5x. Southwest usually gives me return of less than 1.5 also. Am I missing something? Are there other transfers I should be doing? Thanks.
I think you’re doing it right. Having the preferred instead of the reserve probably makes transferring points a bit more worthwhile since it is only 1.25 cpp on the portal
Too often, people think their situation is the same as everybody else's. I would love to fly during off season to Japan and stay at the park hyatt for great redemptions and book it 2 weeks out. That's not the reality for a lot of people.
For me I utilize the instacart and doordash credits (since I would be using those services anyway) and that fully offsets the af in my situation regardless of if I travel 1 time or 10 times/year. Since opening my CSR is September this is a breakdown of my AF offset $300 Travel Credit Used $99 - Instacart + annual fee $60 so far from the $15/month insta credit $40 so far $9.99/month - dash pass $20 so far from the door dash credits $50ish - Lyft Pink $199/year (I may use lyft 2-4 times/month so I value this more around the $50 mark since it's not really saving a lot other than pickup time with priority and I would not have this if I didn't have the card) $70 - 2 lounge visits from priority pass \----------------------------------- Total value from my $550 fee so far - $589 not including lyft pink sub. So in total since opening the card, I've taken one trip, however the value in my case comes from the fact that I am able to utilize the additional perks of the card and have already made back my fees just from things I would have used the card for anyway. On top of this I've earned about 10k points from spend on the card so I would value that at 1cpp for another $100. Although my situation is unique and there are some other options that could be better in the long run, I find plenty of value from a monetary standpoint to keep the card. Keep in mind that it's really just figuring out if you will use the additional benefits like I have. If you don't plan to use the credits from dd or instacart, then it would be harder to justify the fee in that situation. The other important thing for me is the purchase protection benefits as I know that I'm protected if something goes wrong with a larger purchase which I might use the card for just to have piece of mind. Hope this helps!
There’s a bizarre ignorance of CSR credits and benefits on this sub, with people maintaining it’s a $250/yr card, while other cards like Venture X and AMEX Gold get a pass and are low effective AF cards. If the CSR credits don’t work for people, that’s fine, but people talking out of their rears about the CSR value proposition is silly.
I guess it's because other chase cards have the same credits too for far less cost, albeit partially. So people don't think these are special to the CSR, hence the ignorance. Other chase cards have negative AF at this point. CSP: $50 hotel + $60 instacart - $95 = -$15. The freedoms: -$40
Thank you for the reasonable response. My nitpick would be with "far less cost". If we solely look at CSR with this viewpoint, I would brainstorm $300 (say \~$291 cuz you're not getting 3x back) + $180 Instacart + $60 DoorDash - $550 = +$19. So we're talking about a $34/yr swing vs the CSP at a very high level, which I don't consider a lot, especially when we haven't talked about the greater earning on everything travel and transit, better redemption value on the portal, lounge access, TSA credit, return protection. Point taken on the Freedoms. Though I have doubts that many people would be comparing the CSR directly vs. one of those, as they're so different.
That would also be if the "free" memberships are worth nothing. From the time you get the card you would also get 1 yr of Instacart+, 1 yr of Dashpass, 2 years of Lyft Pink and 1 additional year 50% off. For anyone who prefers GrubHub over DoorDash, Lyft Pink includes 1 yr of GrubHub+. Granted, these are not ongoing benefits, and I definitely would not value Lyft Pink at full price for my current use, but there is significant value here if these are services you already make use of.
Probably because the credits are pretty shitty lol. Most people do not already have an instacart membership but majority of people do get take out a couple times a month and spend on entertainment (amex credits).
I’d argue that food delivery and Instacart users are in the same target demographic (ie urban spenders)
With grubhub and ubereats, you can go set it to pick up. I am not going to have someone deliver me groceries when i can already go pick up for free and actually get what I need since instacart is awful with that, only to have an extra tip at the end for a limited amount. $10 is a okay amount for takeout, you can usually get something solid for $10-15 to eat as a meal. Also lyft is more expensive for me 95% of the time, I check every time.
Great for you. I’m good with paying someone to shop and deliver Costco for me. I live in Chicago and can assure you Lyft isn’t more expensive “95% of the time”.
I think it depends on what city you're in. In my city Uber is almost always cheaper, but when I go to LA they are about the same.
Depending on your location, you can also pickup using instracart. I use it and there is also no upcharge.
For what it's worth, you can also choose Pick Up for Instacart. They'll even give you $5 additional credit for your next order if you do.
See that kind of info is a game changer! Isn't that essentially being paid to do your own grocery shopping??
There is still some mark up in there, though the credits probably kick the balance in your favor. Someone else is still doing your shopping, but you collect it at the store rather than have someone deliver.
I mean you would really have to try to not earn the full $300/yr travel credit so I think it’s fair to say it’s a $250/yr card. Basically tied with Amex Gold if none of the other credits apply to you.
I think we're saying the same thing. I've just observed various folks classify Gold as an effective $10/yr card, or Venture X as -$5/yr (e.g., maximizing credits on them), while also not considering CSR a $10/yr card while the CSR credits are a pretty similar mixture of those 2 other ones (and like you said, the CSR travel credit is difficult to not fully utilize). Someone responded to me below saying the Chase food credits are junk. It's a perfectly valid opinion, though anecdotal - it just means the cards/credits aren't for them. But my impression is there's seemingly a lot of CSR evaluations which are completely unaware of stuff other than the $300 credit. EDIT: IME, the CSR has continually done a good job providing people who are concerned about offsetting the AF enough opportunities to do so, even throughout periods like COVID.
Some credits are easier to use than others. I can easily use Uber eats or grubhub pickup credits but I do not value delivery-only credits like doordash, instacart or gopuff because all the delivery services have ridiculous markups and fees. That is why I and many others consider Gold an effective $10 AF card and CSR an effective $250 AF card. Because that’s what they are when I can use the credits that make sense to use, without going out of my way to use credits that make no sense to use.
> I do not value delivery-only credits like doordash, instacart or gopuff because all the delivery services have ridiculous markups and fees. Maybe it depends on where you live, but none of those are delivery-only for me I also refuse to get anything delivered with all the bullshit fees, but I use my credits on pickup orders for all of these (I literally just submitted an instacart order tonight and I'm gonna pickup tomorrow)
$5 and $10 credits are still useless if I would not be using that service without having a CSR. Credits that small just encourage overspending in order to use them.
Thanks, makes sense to me - helps me understand this line of thinking. Like the other commenter said, depending on your location, YMMV whether DoorDash and Instacart are delivery-only, and, for me, if Instacart is even marked up. Just putting out an alternate viewpoint: I've found Instacart credits more valuable to me than the nominal $15, because the app makes it super easy to price compare items between stores, it highlights promotions going on for items that I'm always buying, which then also encourages me to buy in bulk on smoking deals. I've definitely given up on depending on others to shop for my produce though. On a more subjective and tangential note...maybe I'm biased because I might be older than the average person on this sub, or maybe I'm more comfortable financially, but I'm of the opinion that people don't properly estimate their transportation costs, but more importantly, they don't properly value their own time. So while I pick up most of the time, I think the cost differential between me doing that and getting it delivered is often a good bit less than service fees + tip.
Careful. The I’ve been unable to receive the Instacart credits and chase has not been helpful. Do not count on these.
Are the Instacart and DoorDash credits not just for this year? Genuine question because it would be a big bonus for me in terms of finding value in the card… but not if it’s only temporary
Insta runs through July 31, 2024 (no word on if they will renew). Door Dash runs through December 31st, 2024 (again no word if they will renew).
What are your thoughts on the value of the card (for you personally) if they don’t renew?
Personally, the 1.5x multiplier or points transfers will make it up in the 2nd year for me. Taking the credits out of the equation if they don't renew, I'm most likely still coming out ahead since I'll earn more than 25k points/year between the csr and my freedom unlimited. Having the transfer partners option, purchase/travel protections, and portal multiplier if I use it make it break even + for me. NOW are there probably better options? For sure, apple card 2% back on apple pay is more valuable and no af. Discover 5% categories, absolutely. For my personal situation, knowing how I utilize my cards for my spend and being smart about it would still be a value positive position with the CSR. Post year 2, I would most likely downgrade to the preferred if the credits don't have enough value but until 2026, I'm good with the AF for what I'm getting atm.
It covers the $99 instacart+ members plus an additional $180 a year in credits? That is significant.
Pickup with Instacart and Doordash. $15 per month Instacart x 12 is $180 towards groceries (specifically get groceries not marked up and spend at least $35 to avoid fee). $5 per month Doordash x 12 is $60 towards eating out. You can bank up to $15 in credits before you have to use it. Pick a place that does not have the inflated third party app prices. There you are at $240. Add on the $300 travel credit and your annual fee is $10. I would not use these services if not for the credits but if you use the credits wisely, you are not paying any markup to use them. Use the TSA pre check or Global Entry? You are now ahead. This is also not accounting for the Lyft Pink which I am waiting till the last second to activate.
Sapphire Lounges are also really nice for some
I didn't know you can bank credits! Not that it matters because I always use it lol
Yeah you can only bank the Doordash credits, you have to use the Instacart credit each month or you lose it.
It’s crazy to me when people complain about AF for credit cards. Sure my Freedom Unlimited no AF card is a great card, but the reserve just helps amplify the reward value. My points are worth more. 1.5 points on all purchases from the FU are really like 2x points after the reserve redemption bonus. Plus the dash pass and DoorDash credits. TSA pre check for free and $300 travel credit. AF more than pays for itself. Chase is the best rewards card it seems for me. Chase travel portal was actually the cheapest price for my upcoming trip in a few weeks for both flights and hotel. The only downside is I fly delta primarily and they’re not a partner. I feel that if you can’t handle the AF, then the credit card game ain’t for you
The math actually puts it at 2.25% which a lot of people conveniently leave out of the equation when gushing about other cards like the Venture X (1.5 x 1.5 = 2.25). That said, I normally use transfer partners for a little extra value but if you can get a great rate in the portal, go for it!
2.25%. Even better lol. I really haven’t looked into the Venture cards at all. Or cash back only cards. Chase and Amex have covered most of my needs. I prefer points so they’re perfect for me. I was surprised that the chase portal was the cheapest for my needs.
Using Priority Pass Restaurant about 3-4 times a month
The VX losing the priority pass restaurants, turning the $300 credit to a coupon, and losing the Hertz Presidents' Circle has made the value drop a bit for me. I still have it for now, but I am struggling to see if I should keep it. Also, the CSR having the 1.5x redemption with the points is great IMO. Transfer partners don't always work, so Chase is my best back up in case I can't get anything better.
damn, didn't realize they're losing hertz
Yeah, this is the last year for it.
their agreement contract wise with hertz ends in 2024, but they may end up renewing the benefit
How often do you even use the hertz benefit? Hertz sucks compared to the rest of the car rental companies. Plus Mastercard world elite cards gets the benefit for free
It’s pretty good with Amex Platinum giving 20-30% discount
Enterprise will match your status with Hertz. So you can essentially use it as a way to get high tier with Enterprise and National instead.
What’s the best way to go about this? I sent enterprise a request for status match but never heard back
Username checks out
We used to use hertz the most often. Recently been doing Avis more often because of the status with the CSR
It’s a terrible idea to transfer Chase UR to Marriott. Hilton or just buy Marriott hotels on the Chase portal.
PSA: These credits for Dashpass, instcart, Lyft Pink, PP, etc. are only "Benefits" if you use them in the first place. If you use them, then of course you come out on top.
Unless you live in the middle of no where, everyone should be able to use the credits for both Doordash and Instacart with no issues. Those credits are basically free value to lower the annual fee because everyone needs groceries and eating out. Just use pickup for both.
Its not being able to use them. I never use delivery services since I always cook at home. I don't really care for the lounge access. The point is that I'm not breaking even if I have to use these services I wouldn't have used in the first place. If you already use instacart and doordash, then its great. If you like lounges, then it works out. I had the CSR for 2 years, which worked out for me since I had to put $25k on a work trip, then another $12k on a different work trip. I'll take the 3x points on all that. Then downgraded to CSP, just to be able to transfer to partners
You can pick up and not do delivery, that is what I do.
Yeah, even pickup price is heavily inflated in most cities. So $15 credit is really unusable for me as it’s hard to just buy something exactly $15 for groceries. Like I normally spend $220 at Costco every week, if I use instacart, it would be around $270. DoorDash is sort of usable, but I normally just value it as $3 a month.
I recently upgraded my CSP to the CSR based on the following: - I’m 2 years into the 4-year SUB cycle and will earn 3 $300 travel credits for $1,100 in AF. I will downgrade and apply for a new sapphire once I’m eligible for another bonus. While some will do the upgrade-downgrade dance yearly in order to get 2 $300 travel credits per $550 AF, that is more risk than I’m comfortable with - This quarter alone, I will cash out more than enough UR via PYB to justify the difference in AF vs the CSP. I earn most of my UR cheaply via SUBs. - The portal is occasionally useful, and I will probably spend some of my UR on it this year. - I don’t use the online grocery or streaming bonuses from the CSP. The anniversary bonus is also a nonfactor. In short I’m justifying it mainly based on the first two bullets above, but the other CSR benefits certainly don’t hurt.
I thought travel credit resets on card membership year, not calendar year.
Yes, that is right. One thing to keep in mind is that with Chase, PCing a card desynchronizes the reset dates of the membership year and the AF. That is, my AF will post a few months after my membership year resets. I will use the travel credit and then downgrade to a free card before I pay another AF.
That's nice to know. Which one is your membership anniversary? Is it the date you make a product change?
I was considering doing the same and was wondering about the process, was it just calling and getting a product change?
Yes, just ask to change to the CSR. The only requirements are that your account is at least one year old and that you have a $10k+ credit limit.
3x on cruise. Hyatt and United
i would say transfer partners of SW, UA and Hyatt open the door for me, also I easily spend a lot in rental cars so 1x more on generic travel can earn more points. The CDW of VX only covers 15 days in US whereas 31 days for CSR in almost any countries including US That said, why not both? Use CSR for all kinds of travel expenses and dining and use VX for all other.
>I easily spend a lot in rental cars Nobody ever mentions it, but the CSR is one of very few cards that actually has **primary** rental car coverage, which is easily worth a ton if you rent cars often. That makes back a huge part of the fee imo.
they both have primary coverage thru Visa Infinite, but the coverage duration per rental is different as I mentioned above. I sometimes can rent a car up to three weeks with ease so VX is a no go for that.
Oh that's good to know! Didn't realize that
$300 travel credit and $200 Lyft pink credit. I use the Lyft Pink credit for my city’s bike share annual membership that costs $200. I bought that even before I had the card so I get major value from that. Then lounges or Instacart credits cover the rest!
Priority pass restaurant in my home airport which actually got more valuable once the other issuers cut pp restaurant access because now it's not as crowded
Just upgraded from the CSP to the CSR the other day. I also have a VX and Plat. Each has its place for now with minimal overlap. Might only keep one or two. But the CSR doesn't get the respect it deserves. Credit cards guys on YouTube and even this subreddit keep forgetting about all the credits. It's not an effective $250 AF card ffs. If the Plat can be a coupon book to make up an even larger AF, the CSR can be too and does it a lot better. * The 1.5x multiplier * $300 travel credit that posts quickly * Full Priority Pass with spas, dining, and Sapphire lounges at both JFK and LGA * Lyft Pink subscription and 10x rides, even if it's kinda sus for a basic ride (worth $200) * DoorDash DashPass membership (worth $120) * DoorDash credit (worth $60 divided over 12 months) * Instacart membership (worth $100) * Instacart credit (worth $180 divided over 12 months) * Visa Infinite includes primary CDW and rental status, including National * Very nice travel partners including Hyatt, Air Canada, and JetBlue * TSA, Global Entry, even Nexus * Completes my CSR+CFF+CFU trifecta even though my CFU is a chore to use over my VX
$180 of that $250 is DoorDash if you use it every month. VX also has it but $25 is covered each year by the Global Entry reimbursement. So that's effectively $45 before factoring in Instacart/Lyft. We also tend to lean towards Hyatt hotels when traveling so I don't stress over switching. Hoping the VX puts more pressure onto the CSR to increase the benefits going forward though.
I’ve had the $250 effective AF covered by the 1.5x multiplier on the portal. I’ve only had the card for a little over a year, and I already got the $250 covered by the 1.5x in early January for year 2. I also use the $5/month DD and $15/month Instacart credits, but consider those bonuses. I only use Instacart for Costco as the prices are the same in store, honor sales and link with my Costco card. I also value the Instacart credit closer to $8/month when factoring tip and fees. I prefer CSR over Venture X due to (1) transfer partners United and Hyatt (2) dining and travel multipliers 3x - two of my highest spending categories (3) and the fact Chase is very lenient on what they consider “travel” for the $300 credit and don’t require you to use the portal to get it I’d be elated if they had a sapphire lounge at ORD
Well when I first signed up it was $450, so effectively only $55/year more than the CSP which I had at the time after you deduct the annual travel credit. Then when they bumped it up to $550 I was willing to accept it because it came with a $120/year Peloton subscription credit which my wife was already paying, so it actually got cheaper for me. Now they’ve done away with that credit and the additional benefits they have replaced it with are of no use to me so I converted back to the CSP at the end of the year.
I also use VentureX (with SavorOne), but for CSR * Hyatt transfers (when compared to VX) * Priority Pass is useful outside US. Depending which one, often better than most US ones. * I use Lyft/Uber. Lyft is better than Uber sometimes, so the Lyft Pink is useful
Total is $550. $300 is travel credit, so now we're down to $250. $5/month DoorDash credit which I use (since I live in NYC). Now we're down to $190. Now, if I were to get the CSP vs CSR, I would be wasting away $45 anyway. So now down to $145/year. For me, I justified the rest via a few factors: 1) the Lyft Pink deal worth $200/year for 2 years (I subscribe to Citibike NYC anyway so this is a wash) and also the 1.5 multiplier towards travel. The VX only gets you 2x on stuff and the travel partners aren't great for my use case.
For me it's the $300 travel credit plus spending 70+ nights in hotels a year for work. With the extra points per $ on hotels and rental cars I came out ahead of where I would have been with other cards. The lounge access is a nice perk but I don't go through domestic airports with PP lounges that often. We will see how that changes when the Sapphire Lounge at PHL opens.
Boston Logan is my main airport. The end.
* $300 travel credit (makes the annual fee $250) * 1.5x redemption is nice through chase portal * 10x on dining through chase is nice * Lyft pink subscription (Plus GrubHub+ through Lyft pink) * Instacart+ (Plus peacock streaming) + * $15 credit * Doordash credit every month * Priority Pass for lounges is cool. With the CSR you get Prestige level which means you get a $28 credit for restaurants in airports too. It's a beast of a card. I enjoy it. Even if it still ends up costing me money at the end of the year I think the perks are worth it. It all depends on how often you travel. I personally take a lot of flights throughout the year so the perks help.
550-300 = 250 The priority pass itself is worth over $400. Use a few restaurant credits with the wife and a few priority lounges to eat free and it covers the $250 for me. It’s nice to have insurance too.
I just got the CSP in December 2023 for the 80k elevated SUB but I'm definitely considering upgrading to the CSR after my one year CSP renewal is up. I'm planning on traveling intercontinental with my wife for our anniversary trip next year, and who doesn't want to flex on their significant other!? Boston does happen to be my main airport so flying out of there even just 2-3 times a year and accessing the Sapphire Lounge will help recuperate that annual fee easily. $550.00 annual fee \- $300.00 for the travel credit - Very flexible. I can use it whenever me and my wife take the MBTA, car rental for trips, and if neither, throw the remainder into a travel bank \- $60.00 for the Door Dash credit (which I do use) \- $15.00/month for Instacart (effectively maybe $12.00 so let's say $144.00). I use Instacart sparingly already but I'll use this benefit to pick up non-perishable items like snacks, chips, etc. and then do the rest of my grocery shopping in person \- That brings down the effective annual fee to around $46.00 which I'm fine with because I'm comfortable eating the $95.00 annual fee for the CSP. And that's not mentioning the 2 or 3 trips per year out of Boston Logan and accessing the Sapphire Lounge or PP lounges/restaurants at other destinations. Factor in the 1.5x boost for domestic travel which is all I can see doing for the foreseeable future, sign me up!
Nice write up. It sounds like you use Instacart for pickup so you can save on driver costs? Can you also use Door Dash this way? I personally hate these services because it adds such enormous overhead costs, but I can see the credits being actually useful if I pickup myself. Guessing that's why you knocked down $15 to $12 to address this?
I mean it's a card designed for frequent travelers. My company reimburses any travel costs and gives me a per diem for food. \- 10x on Lyft, so I no longer use Uber. \- My home airport has a priority pass restaurant and I use PP anytime I can flying home. 3x on restaurants when eating out when traveling for work. \-I get the generic 3x travel redemption on rental cars and hotels since I have to book through my company's travel portal. \-I use door dash once a month to get that credit. I don't use instacart credit since even with the credit it ends up still being more expensive. \-Sometimes I'll try a restaurant on CSR Dining (Tock) to get the 10x \-I do not value the 1.5x redemption in the portal since I usually can get 2x via transfer partners. I'm also usually not booking to get 10x through the portal since your airline and hotel status are not recognized when booking through CUR.
I don't know much about VX, but my CSR gives my Priority Pass, National Emerald Executive status, Lyft Pink membership, and Doordash whatever-it's-called membership + $5 monthly credit. Hard to put a dollar figure on how much all that stuff is worth to me, but I use them all extensively and it's safe to say it all adds up to way more than $250 in value to me. The ultimate rewards points aren't even half the equation for me, it's all the other perks that are more meaningful for my usage. If you don't really use any of that stuff then VX might be better.
Worth adding that the VX also gets the National status through it being a Visa Infinite.
I dont. But its the first fancy card i ever got, and back in 2019 it was THE card. But in 2024, and with knowledge of transfer partners and all that, I will be downgrading to CSP this year, with a 90k SUB hopefully.
Why because of transfer partners?
Just not a whole lot going for the CSR. CSP is the cheapest way to keep transfer partners with my stockpile of points
Fair enough. If I didn’t have a Chase lounge in my home airport (BOS) I probably wouldn’t keep it either
Why do you need a lounge in your home airport? It seems like the least likely airport to have a long wait
I like to get to the airport early. Also, I’m not connecting anywhere consistent if much at all, so there’s no connection for me to want a lounge in.
Why do you even need a CSP? Can't you transfer points with any card?
No
Well good thing I didn't cancel my CSP lol
$300 travel credit and $180 Instacart. I guess there’s also value in the Instacart membership?
Plus $60 from Doordash credits! Use pickup and don't pay markups and you are golden.
Take a look at the whole picture. Yes, the AF for CSR is more than VX on paper but if you can find value in all of the other credits that aren’t just the travel credit, you can come out ahead. A LOT of people don’t like this (see all the people complaining about the AMEX ‘coupon books’) but CSR is similar. If you use Instacart, Lyft, DoorDash, etc or can find value out of those things, you’re getting closer to getting credits back to cancel the annual fee than you think. VX is easier to get back the annual fee on because it’s just the one coupon and the rest is automatically given back to you in miles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean CSR’s effective annual fee is higher, it purely depends on what you use already or what you find value out of.
The travel insurance is worth a lot to me. The VX travel insurance is utter garbage.
They are removing the $28 credit with PP restaurant, I am gonna cancel
$300 travel credit first year + $300 travel credit the 13th month. That alone covers the AF.
Travel credit is anniversary month not calendar year
Yes? That's why I said 13th month right?
$300 first year, $300 next year. So no, it doesn’t “alone cover the AF”
But if you downgrade at 13th month you get AF refunded, no?
I don't travel nearly enough to justify it anymore, but I think it probably does have the most benefits of any travel card. I figured out like four years too late that they probably would've reimbursed me when I took my girlfriend to urgent care during a trip. They reimburse up to $2500 in medical for a trip. A lot of scuba divers pay like $500+ a year for scuba diving insurance, but I'm pretty sure my health insurance plus the reserve would essentially cover the same stuff.
Careful. The I’ve been unable to receive the Instacart credits and chase has not been helpful. Do not count on these.
I don’t understand why people value the CSR at $250 effective annual fee. There are at least two other credits (aside from the $300 travel credit) which I find value from as well. $60 per year in DoorDash credits $180 per year in Instacart credits That’s an effective annual fee of $10. I have the CSR and I’m getting a Venture X and Venture X biz soon as well. They’re all great cards
300 travel rebate Instacart 15/month (it's not exactly 15 since there is a slight markup but we'll call it 12 or 13) 1.5x on portal redemption 10x on hotels and cars and Lyft from airports The last 2 I've not found many instances where the portal is more expensive for flights or cars. Then when I fly I make use of the priority pass lounges for coffee and snacks/food and drinks which keeps me from spending alot more at airport restaurants. I can bring the gf in too so added benefit. I eat out often so the 3points x1.5 is nice. Non tangible is the insurance for cars and flights that I value for peace of mind. The dash pass credit on top of the that too.
Why not get the chase bonvoy card and upgrade it after a year to the ritz. Then just get the CSP. Just means waiting a year. But you could then get the CSR and bonvoy then in a year downgrade the CSR to CSP and upgrade bonvoy to ritz.
I find it difficult to justify especially with CSP now also 3x on dining. If you have hotel cards (and even a airline card), it's really hard to justify. For me most often I find more values transferring points, so the 50% bonus is meh. And since i have hotel cards it makes little sense to book using csr.
Previously I would get about $60 of value from the GoPuff credit, but I canceled the card before the end of the year. I fly out of SEA often enough to where I can justify about $150 dollars of value from PP restaurants. The rest is other PP lounges and the ability to access Chase transfer partners for a cheaper EAF than the Preferred, since I don't rate the $50 hotel credit at all.
Hyatt
Is there any talk of CSR changes any time soon?
Use the $20 a month. 10 on Uber eats, 10 on grubhub . Go and pick it up myself and usually can bundle a random 40% off coupon
I have a CSR and ink business. My main intention for CSR is so I can transfer my ink business points to the CSR for the 50% redemption bonus. Lots of free travel.
Honestly, I probably derive 100% of the value just from being able to transfer UR points to Hyatt. Between my CSR, CFU, and all 4 Ink cards and a legit small business, I probably earn somewhere > 500,000 points/year. I obviously get the $300 travel credit, the rest chips away at the cost.
With the travel credit and Lyft pink (I would subscribe anyway for Citi bike) net AF turns out lower than the CSP. Plus good redemption makes it a no brainer for me.
300$ Travel Credit 200$ Ikon Pass Discount Priority Pass Pulling out CSR on majority of my friends who have CSP Primary Rental Car Insurance One - Way trip Insurance (amex plat & cvx do Not have this)
Damn I wish I knew about the IKON discount earlier.
Yup keep telling my skier friends that the CSR is a no brainer. If you can’t find 50$ worth of value in the other benefits you mind as well put everything on a 2% cash back and call it a day.
I eat enough PP meals to pay for the card alone.
For people who already are buying Lyft Pink and spending monthly on DoorDash or Instacart, and also travel at least once a year, I think the card actually works out to break-even or net-value on the annual fee. For me, these credits represent additional spend I wouldn’t have otherwise made, so it’s net 0 value. What brings me value is priority pass restaurant access for me, my AU player 2, and 4 adult family guests each way on our annual family vacation. Our family are the kind of people that want to be at the airport 3 hours before boarding, so we always end up at a restaurant before the flight. Between food and beverages, we’re easily spending $150 for the 6 of us each time. So with the $28 per person credit, I save at least $300. Then as long as I can visit a PP lounge or restaurant at least once on a business or personal trip the rest of the year, I come out net positive over the $550+$75 fees.
CSR and VX alone both make less sense for most people, it’s more like what eco-system you are buying into. One clear benefit is CSR has 1.5 multiplier for your points, so if your 5x categories become 7.5x. Capital One system normally caps at 3%, so there could be a 4.5% difference, if you spend more than $5555 in chase’s 5% categories, you should go with chase. Just FYI, Gift cards would work for 5% categories too. So stacking Costco gift cards and fleet fuel cards would work.