The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been a popular choice for travelers seeking to maximize their rewards points. Since its introduction, cardholders have enjoyed significant benefits, including opportunities to travel using accumulated points. However, with the announcement of a new bonus offer, some cardholders are considering strategic changes to their accounts.
Chase recently announced an increased bonus for the Sapphire Preferred Card—100,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months of opening an account. This prompted one cardholder to take action in order to qualify for this offer again.
To become eligible for the new bonus while adhering to Chase’s policies, the cardholder decided to downgrade their existing Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to a no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited. “When I heard about the 100,000 bonus,” they explained, “I downgraded my existing Chase Sapphire Preferred to the Freedom Unlimited instead of signing up for a new card.”
This strategy aligns with Chase’s rule that allows earning a bonus more than once on its Sapphire cards but requires that bonuses cannot be earned if received within the last 48 months or if holding five or more personal credit cards across all banks in the past two years.
After confirming compliance with these rules and unfreezing their credit report as necessary, the individual successfully downgraded their card by contacting a Chase agent. The process included ensuring any applicable fees were prorated accordingly.
Following this downgrade and after receiving confirmation through their app, they applied for a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on April 25 and were approved immediately. With this approval came access to start accumulating towards meeting the spend requirement needed for securing those coveted 100,000 points by July 25.
This approach offers insight into how consumers can strategically manage credit cards to maximize rewards under specific conditions set by issuers like Chase.
