Some readers have asked if it's possible to churn Chase credit cards, specifically the Chase Sapphire Preferred. For example, if you had the Chase Sapphire Preferred previously, then closed it, can you apply again and again receive the 40,000 bonus points?
Generally, the answer is no: Chase does not allow you to get the bonus again for the same credit card product.
That said, there are a number of people who have managed to get another bonus from Chase. Here are the main situations where this has happened:
1. It's Actually a New Card Product
This is a legitimate way to get the bonus twice: apply for a given card product, then, if/when Chase changes the product, reapply for the new offering. A recent example of this is the Ink Bold Business card. The prior version of the card charged foreign transaction fees and had bonuses for meeting certain spending thresholds. In contrast, the new Ink Bold has no foreign transaction fees and offers 2x points for hotels, travel agencies (including TravelSort! See Chase Ink Bold Benefits Include 2x points for TravelSort, Travel Agencies) and gas stations, and 5x points for spending on wireless/telecom services, cable TV/satellite services, and office supply stores.
So if you applied and received the “old” Chase Ink Bold, you are still eligible to apply and receive another 50,000 bonus for the *new* Ink Bold.
2. Make a Compelling Case for Why the Products Are Different and Both Are Needed
This isn't churning, but it does amount to getting the bonus again for a very similar card. I've seen at least one person report that they were able to apply for and get the Chase Sapphire World Mastercard Preferred card *on top* of the existing Chase Sapphire Preferred they already had, because only the Mastercard version offers the CDW coverage when renting a car in Israel, and there was demonstrated significant spend in Israel.
3. Long or Deep Chase Relationship (and Perhaps Lucky)
There are people who have successfully closed a Chase card account, and later applied for and received a bonus for the same Chase credit card, but not many, judging from forum posts:
“I have [churned the Chase Sapphire Preferred]. But I don't remember exactly how long I waited in between apps”
–Yellow, Dans Deals Forums
“…I've churned dozens of Chase cards successfully and have a ton of credit with them.”
–Dan, Dans Deals Forums
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2071.msg36281#msg36281
4. Switched Existing Chase Card to a Slightly Different Product, Then Reapplied
This is probably the most interesting situation. Here's how it can work, with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa and Chase Sapphire World Mastercard Preferred (note that this only works if you already have a Sapphire Preferred MasterCard or if it was the last Sapphire Preferred card you had, since the MasterCard has been discontinued and all current Chase credit cards are Visas):
1. You already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa
2. You call Chase and ask if you can change your Sapphire Preferred Visa to a Sapphire World Mastercard Preferred. A few possible reasons:
- You shop at Sam's Club, which takes Mastercard, but not Visa.
- You'd like to be able to participate in some of the “Priceless” experiences offered by Mastercard, which are only available to Mastercard holders
- You'll be traveling to Israel, the the Mastercard version of the Sapphire Preferred provides CDW coverage, while the Visa version does not
Need Award Booking Help? Our fee is as low as $75 per ticket if you book your hotel through us.
If you enjoyed this, join 150,000+ readers: please follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book Your Hotel with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred VIP Amenities!