I just received a letter from Chase telling me “CONGRATULATIONS” and that my account has been approved for an “upgrade” to the Chase PRESTIGE Credit Card!
What’s all the big fuss? Well, the letter said that I will become a Charter member in the new elite-level credit card program and enjoy an array of 18 valuable services and benefits available only to those who hold the Chase Prestige Credit Card! Wow!
So to cut to the chase, here were the list of benefits :
Membership in Rewards Network - which gives 20% off your entire bill (food, beverages, and even taxes and tip) at more than 7000 participating restaurants (sounds great, but you need to have restaurants that are signed up in your area)
A VIP-Members-Only-toll-free number to call to make all your travel reservations at the guaranteed lowest fares then available - OK - this sounds like a pretty good deal
5% cash back on all US hotel rooms, airline tickets, car rentals and cruises - Now this sounds more like a great deal and frequent travelers would love this
Credit Card protection service for every card you carry (often a $49.00 a year service - yours completely free) - Hmmm, this sounds like the identity theft protection.
Computerized trip itineraries, plus local maps
$2,500 emergency cash wired to you anywhere in the US
Emergency airline tickets - not too sure what this is all about
Guarantee of non-responsibility for your limited liability if your cards are used fraudulantly from the instant you make a toll-free phone call - nothing new here - all cards have this and I would not call this an extra benefit!
$250,000 flight insurance
Discounts at major car rentals - this is a good feature
A toll-free number that lets you save money by locating the nearest Chase ATM - don’t think anyone would actually use this
A toll-free weather number that gives you current conditions and forecast for the city/town you are traveling to! - I think most would use our iPhones!
Free additional Chase Prestige credit card status for family members - thought this was to be expected
So it all sounds great until I read a paragraph or two below. Here is what it says : Yet the cost for your elite card upgrade is just $79 , automatically billed to your account annually for as long as your account is in good standing……………..And if you are not satisfied with your “upgrade”–for any reason– call 1-888-326-7157 and we’ll give you a refund, no questions asked.
In my opinion, the best feature is probably the 5% cash back you get from the US hotel rooms, airline tickets and car rentals. If you travel a lot, I can see how this card will benefit you. For now, I will just leave this as it is but I am tempted to give this a go for a year and see how it works.
If you have been upgraded, I would like to hear your experiences.
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on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 11:13 pm and is filed under Chase Manhattan Bank Credit Cards.
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April 17th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Congratulations, you’ve been upgraded!! For $80 a year…hmmm. Sounds fishy to me. While many of those features sound great, how many of them can you see yourself actually using? I agree that this card sounds pretty handy for a frequent traveler. But if you travel infrequently or not at all, it sounds like a waste of money to me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 am
My grandmother had her Chase Card automatically “upgraded” to Prestige status. Unfortunately for her she is 93 and has absolutely no need of this upgrade, didnt ask for it, didnt approve it and suddenly has this charge on a credit card that she normally keeps under 300 dollars in charges. She lives on a fixed income and luckily has a daughter and granddaughter that look out for her. Shame on Chase Bank and every other company that operates this way. It is usually the elderly or those that can least aford this kind of charge that get screwed by these companies. It is like survival of the fittest with the strong preying on the weak.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
“Chase Prestige” and Chase Bank aren’t affiliated, even though they want you very much to think so. According to their own fine print, “(c) 2008 The Reunion Group is the exclusive provider of Chase Prestige Card Services and assumes responsibility for the provision of, or failure to provide, services. Chase and The Reunion Group are not affiliated.” Seems like old school (via snail mail) phishing to me!
August 21st, 2008 at 6:12 am
“Chase Prestige” and “Chase Bank” may not be “affiliated, but you can bet Chase Bank is making money on the deal.
Check out the Reunion Group, “provider of the Chase Prestige Card Services” under the “Our Products” tab:
“All of our programs must survive our rigorous testing criteria and ultimately become significant sources of revenue for us and our marketing partners.”
http://reuniongroup.com/