The Ritz Carlton Card from Chase has fantastic benefits! I always compare a card's annual fee to the card perks to evaluate whether holding the card benefits me. I want the annual fee to be equal to or less than the value I would gain from those benefits. I only count the benefits I would use. The perks of this card easily surpass the annual fee for me.
Annual Fee: $450
Benefits
85,000-point yearly free night certificate
You can add up to 15,000 of your points to get a room for up to 100,000 points for the night.
$300 annual air travel credit for travel incidentals like checked baggage fees, seat assignments fees, airport lounge access, etc.
$100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
$100 hotel credit on paid stays of 2 or more nights, which can be used for hotel incidentals like parking, breakfast, and spa services.
3 Ritz-Carlton Club upgrades each year for eligible paid stays
Priority Pass lounge access for primary card members and authorized users.
Allows you to bring unlimited guests into the lounge free of charge.
Includes the $28 per person priority pass restaurant credit.
Authorized Users can be added for free.
15 Elite Night credits every calendar year toward Marriott Bonvoy status.
Complimentary Marriott Gold Status.
Travel Insurance Benefits
However, the Ritz Carlton card is no longer available for new applicants. The card can only be obtained by product change from a Chase Marriott Bonvoy Card after you've held that card for one year. The card must have at least a $10,000 credit limit to qualify for this product change.
When I became aware of this card, I had a significant problem. I was past 5/24 status, meaning I had opened more than five personal cards in the past two years. In addition, I wanted to get my Marriott card opened as I'd have to wait a year for a product change to the Ritz Carlton card. Logic told me that the 5/24 rule is in place to prevent people from abusing sign-on bonuses for new cards. My question: If I don't qualify for the sign-on bonus, will Chase allow me to open the card past 5/24? I searched all over the internet and social media, trying to get this question answered. When I didn't see the question, I asked it. The only opinion I got in response was a resounding NO WAY!
After opening an American Express Business Marriott Bonvoy Card and obtaining the high bonus, I became ineligible for another Marriott Bonus. I went back to my original question. Will Chase allow me to open a card past 5/24 if I am ineligible for a sign-on bonus? I decided to answer my question and apply for the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold, as this card has no annual fee. Before the final submission of my application, a pop-up window appeared to inform me that I was ineligible for the sign-on bonus and asked if I wanted to continue my application. I was surprised as my prior understanding was only American Express provided such a pop-up. My answer to Chase was, "Yes, submit the application."
My application went into review, and when I called, I was told I'd have to wait to hear. I couldn't escalate and talk to anyone. Another call resulted in the same answer, and I assumed they would be mailing me a denial soon. I received a message in my email about a new letter from Chase. I logged in and went to read the letter. The letter explained that my application had been APPROVED, but I would not be eligible for the sign-on bonus.
I'm looking forward to my product change in a year.
If you'd like to start your journey to the Ritz Carlton Card by opening a Chase Marriott Bonvoy Card, please consider using our referral link.
If you want an American Express Marriott Bonvoy card, here is our referral link. The link can be used for the personal or business cards. If you'd like to open a different Amex Marriott card, click on the "View all Cards with a Referral Offer" in the top left. You can toggle between the personal and business cards on the next screen.
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