I called their credit card customer service to tell them I want to keep my Chase MasterCard and was told all Chase cardholders are being automatically upgraded to the Chase Sapphire card. There has to be a reason benifitial to Chase that they are pushing this card on thier existing cardholders without a choice.

I think I’ve found it. Notice there is no VISA or MasterCard logo on the front of the card? Chase is keeping your account number the same so it appears to all credit card terminals as a VISA or MasterCard account number. I’ll bet they are intercepting these Sapphire card authorizations and not passing them to the VISA or MasterCard network, approving them at Chase. This has the effect of saving them millions in credit card network fees. I believe that is the hidden benefit to Chase that they refuse to disclose to their cardholders, even when asked what the benefit is to Chase.

Remember, no business does anything if it does not benefit them. Otherwise how will they stay in business?

What is not clear to me what happens to my consumer protection from VISA and MasterCard on this private credit card?

Chase did tell me if I did not like their Sapphire card, I could call back and they would see what they could do to get me into another card. After 33 years with this bank (all good up until now), I may be done with them. I’m writing a letter to their President of the Credit Card division to see if I can get a straight answer to my questions and possibly stop the automatic upgrade to the Sapphire card.

It is poor customer service to force your customers into a product without a choice. Oh, I do have a choice, as the customer service representative told me, I can close my Chase MasterCard and go somewhere else.