Can You Churn the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Other Chase Credit Cards?

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

3. This is where the call may get interesting. Some have been able to have their Sapphire Preferred Visa converted to Mastercard without a hitch, but others have flat out been told that they cannot have the same product, in this case a Sapphire Preferred card in both Visa and Mastercard versions, per Chase policy.

If you get the latter answer, thank the rep politely, hang up, and call again…a few times, to see if you can get a different answer. If you are finally able to get it switched over, even if to a Sapphire Mastercard non-preferred version, take it.

Previously it was possible to apply directly for the Chase World Mastercard Preferred, but this is no longer possible (even at Chase branches).

4. Then, you can go ahead and reapply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Yes, you still run the risk of getting it rejected, or getting it but being told you won't get the bonus, but it has worked for Dan and others.

5. Actual Churning

There are a number of non-Chase cards where you can get the bonus again and again, for example the Alaska Airlines Visa, the Citi AAdvantage cards (although you typically do need to wait 18-20 months between applications) and even AMEX cards, subject to terms that typically prohibit you from getting the bonus if you've had the exact same product within the past 12 months or any other AMEX consumer card within the past 90 days.

Chase is stricter, although some have managed to get the bonus again, including for branded cards such as the British Airways Visa and Hyatt card. I personally do *not* advocate doing what those managing to get the bonus again typically do, which is to leave their frequent flyer or loyalty number blank, get the bonus in a new account, and later merge the accounts. To me, that crosses a line, but everyone has their own comfort level.

Keep in mind: as with everything, your mileage may vary. No one gets all the bonuses all the time, so don't push your luck at the expense of ruining your relationship with Chase, which does, after all, have most of the great credit card bonuses these days.

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