Category Archives for Credit Cards.
Chase is revamping its Sapphire Reserve card. It’ll be more expensive, and the earning and redemption proposition will be different. There are a lot more credits than before. So what’s the next effect on cardmembers – are the changes to Sapphire Reserve good or bad?
Delta and American Express are working on a new premium credit card, positioned as higher-end than their current premium Delta Reserve card that comes with lounge access.
It seemed worth pulling out separately things like ‘what happens to my existing Sapphire Reserve points?’ and ‘when does this change actually go into effect for existing customers?’ And perhaps even more importantly, ‘is there a brief window for me to choose whether I like the old or new product better?’
Until now they haven’t had a business version of the popular Sapphire Reserve card. That’s surprising. Amex has the Business Platinum. Even Capital One has Venture X Business. Yet Chase’s small business cards focused on the entry-level Ink and the mid-tier product that was closer to Sapphire Preferred.
While some members will find reason to be disappointed, overall I think they’ve done a really great job re-engineering the economics of the card both to benefit their own book and to offer more value to cardmembers.
Chase has an ad campaign out that a refresh of their Sapphire Reserve product is coming, and that they will be introducing a business version of the card. Not to be left behind in the media buzz, American Express put out a release saying they, too, will refresh their personal and business Platinum cards “later this year.”
Chase is teasing changes to the Sapphire Reserve card with Claudia Schiffer. And they’ve also revealed that a business version of the card will launch, too.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Card announced lounge access changes. I think the extreme nature of the changes are a mistake for the card issuer, but they don’t affect me personally with the card. In fact I will come out ahead.
Competition in the rewards credit card market has gotten so intense that I believe the Sapphire Reserve card – the ‘it’ product when it was introduced just six years ago – has become passé. It was the most rewarding in the marketplace, and now merely a good card that I think has been surpassed in its rewards-earning.
But what if that card threw in a full United Club membership at no extra cost?
The card is worth getting, spurred on by the initial bonus offer. It’s worth using for my ongoing spend. And it’s worth having for the benefits.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
