Update: Official application link with landing page is out. This offer pays me commission (though I posted direct link as soon as it became available). Â Unfortunately, it appears that 5/24 rule does indeed apply. đ
First, let me say that I hate myself a little for adding yet another post on this card. Even though the sign-up bonus is magnificent, I’m sick and tired of hearing words Chase. Sapphire. Reserve. Let me see if I can find a stock photo image to convey my emotions. Here we go:
Image courtesy of num_skyman at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Someone on Reddit has called this card Chase Sapphire Schizofrenia, and I concur. Apparently, few folks stayed up all night waiting for the link to hit the web first thing this morning (it didn’t). Others have been refreshing Chase page like maniacs all day long, and few have been calling non-stop for updates. It’s at times like these I seriously think about quitting the hobby for good, but we all know it’s not going to happen, so…
Anyway, on Sunday the card became available inside Chase branches but not online. I’m sure some will need therapy and meds to get over this horrible betrayal. For  the rest of you semi-normal folks, here are a few answers to your possible questions. Do keep in mind that  this post was published on Sunday, so things may have changed since then. I plan to update it on Monday as soon as I see new information.
1) Does 5/24 Â rule apply to CSR?
Update on Monday: It appears that 5/24 rule does apply.
We don’t know yet. Data on this Reddit thread seems inconclusive so far, at least the way I’m reading it. Be aware, there is a survey on Reddit where you can leave your own data point if you just applied for CSR. Consider doing it  to help others. My gut feeling is that 5/24 rule will be enforced once application link hits the web, but we’ll see. Comments on this DoC post are not super encouraging.  My opinion is that if 5/24 rule is hardcoded for online apps,  it will be this way from the very beginning. I plan on waiting a day or two before deciding on whether to apply.
2) Will applying inside Chase branch improve my chances of approval?
It might. Some have indicated that they were pre-approved by the banker before applying. Several were way over 5/24 limit. Once again, it’s hard to say for certain because some of these commenters might be trolls messing with unsuspecting folks in the hobby. As I said, IMO there aren’t enough data points to say one way or another.
Supposedly, the online application link will be available on Monday, but it could take longer if hobbyists crash the system. Seriously, the level of madness is mind-boggling. I don’t think Chase has anticipated how insane our brethren really is!
3) How long will 100K bonus be around?
We don’t know for sure, but someone on Reddit was told by the banker that it will stick around through  at least the end of September. Sounds plausible, but once again, it’s coming from one person. Take it with a grain of salt. I tend to think that this one is probably true. I doubt Chase will continue handing out such large quantities of points indefinitely, but it’s unlikely that the bonus will be reduced in a matter of days.
4) If I’m nowhere close to 5/24 limit, is it critical for me to apply as soon as the card is available online?Â
Heck no! Ignore the madness, none of this applies to you. I wouldn’t wait several months, but waiting a few days or even weeks is unlikely to make a huge difference.
5) If I don’t get approved for CSR, is my life still worth living?
Yes.
Readers, please, share your thoughts!
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
With the name of the United card I mean. So between the banker and my wife, it was quite the collaboration. Yikes.
@Cheapblackdad NOOOO!!!! What in this world? I’m so sorry to hear it. I don’t blame your wife, I just can’t believe the banker was so clueless. Please, let me know how this turns out. At the very least, you should get matched to 50K United offer, thought it’s a small consolation, I suppose. Crazy!
Wife was pre approved. Just got it. $35k credit line. More details later.
@Cheapblackdad Yay!!! Congratulations, I’m so jealous but happy for you. What a nice windfall! Sometimes being conservative in this hobby can pay off big time.
And a tragic twist. After she and the banker walked trough how great the card was, the banker somehow switched apps and signed her up for the United card. My wife even signed the papers with the name of the card across the top.
And it was the 35k offer not the 50!even.
So. She’ll be on the phone tomorrow. no clue if this can be fixed.
But, for others, go see if you are pre approved.
Do you think there will be link soon that has the 100,000 bonus on there? I’m paranoid and don’t want to apply (husband is under 5/24) unless I see that in writing. I know others say it’s legit, but still…
@Jennifer I’m certain there will be an official link with a landing page available very soon. If your husband is under 5/24, I wouldn’t sweat it. I doubt Chase will change the bonus this quickly. Obviously, I don’t know this for a certainly, but Chase made this huge announcement via a major miles and points blog citing 100K points bonus.
It would be a PR disaster if they changed it right before the official launch. Basically, right now, it looks like they are waiting to activate bloggers’ afilliate links to make sure everything tracks (my guess). Of course, I’ve updated with direct link as soon as I saw it, giving my readers the option to apply right now. But I don’t believe it’s an emergency.
I went into a Chase bank today to see if I was pre-approved. I was not. I asked about my husband, and she said she couldn’t tell me unless he came in himself. So, I think I’m moving on.
@Nancy That’s a bummer! It does appear that 5/24 rule is in effect, unfortunately. Not sure how far Chase branch is from where you live, but I would try to bribe hubby to stop by. It’s a no-go for me because we live in the middle of nowhere. Well, there will be other good deals.
I was declined online due to 5/24. I’m at 9/24. Who knew your heloc counts against you?
That doesn’t sound right? They only count credit card accounts. Not things like home loans? You sure about that?
@Cheapblackdad If they do end up counting your mortgage and it will put you right at 5/24 limit, I would call and plead my case. I think you might have a decent shot at reversing the denial because they are looking to weed out folks who like to churn credit cards. Applying for mortgage shouldn’t have any bearing in this case.
@David T I’m very sorry to hear it! That’s what I was afraid of. Thank you so much for leaving data point. It doesn’t look like getting CSR is in the cards for me, unfortunately. I’ll be going by Chase branch in the next few weeks and will try to get pre-approved. You might want to consider doing it at some point as well.
Is removing your spouse as an authorized user a good idea? Will it hurt their credit score or help? Will it help them with the 5/24 rule?
@rjdwigg Removing authorized users should help with Chase card approvals, yes. Chase counts those toward 5/24 limit. It shouldn’t hurt the credit score, no. Also, if you or your wife are denied due to being an AU, you should call and plead your case. Many times, Chase rep will reverse the denial.
It is now very early Monday on the east coast and in the central time zone and no CSR online app yet! :/ I am stood up again, but for 100k UR points I can forgive CSR! đ
I think people are afraid that the unknown Chase approval requirements will get harder as time goes on or that the offer will be lowered after Chase sees a huge interest in this card. It sounds like many people will try to product change if the 5/24 rule is enforced so they can earn 3% on dining and travel and use 1.5 cents per UR point on travel through CSR portal. I feel bad for those Chase workers on the phone lines this week!
I have not signed up for any other big offers with large annual fees before because I don’t need lounge access, global entry, and airlines fee credits. It sounds like any travel should work toward the CSR $300 credits per year so for me this card is a great deal (at least for the first year). I could also transfer the 300k UR points I have been hoarding to the CSR and try to book a good economy international airfare for my family of five through the CSR travel portal.
I should meet all the CSR approval requirements, so I am just looking forward to getting the CSR quickly and using it for everyday expenses to reach the $4000 spend! I have a large insurance bill due in 3 weeks so I want to put that on the CSR. The closest Chase to me is an hour away in another state. If Chase doesn’t get the CSR app online by Tuesday afternoon I will take a roadtrip for CSR!
@iLoveCSR You, sir, are a little obsessed with CSR! đ But I do understand, because the sign-up bonus is incredible. And yes, the fee is definitely worth it in the first year due to travel credits. I don’t recommend taking a road trip in order to apply, I’m sure it will be out online by the end of the week. Few days shouldn’t make a tremendous difference. You can always prepay your power bill and so on. Usually, Chase cards come in within a week after approval, so you have plenty of time to take care of your insurance bill.
You hit the nail on the head with points 4 and 5. I honestly don’t understand the Chase Sapphire Schizophrenia – in the same way that I don’t understand why someone would wait outside an Apple store for days to be the first person to buy a new iPhone. Are people that narcissic that they want to be the first to show their FB, IG, Twitter and blogger friends that they have the CSR? It. Is. A. Freaking. Credit. Card.
I mean, I know it’s been a boring summer in the miles/points world and it looks like a good card, but the hype for CSR has been on overdrive more than any per topic in quite a while. It would be hilarious if the flood of applications caused Chase’s servers to go down, or they can’t make enough cards to meet the demand, or something similar. Then you’ll be hearing from the same people about CSR-gate and their random conspiracy theories about why it happened.
@Erik I definitely think part of it has to do with having bragging rights and impressing your friends.. Even though ours is an online community, it really is no different from real life. People love to be perceived as the coolest, smartest, etc. Also, and I hate to be mean, some folks have no life. They live in mom’s basement, have no wife/kids or real friends. This hobby becomes their life. Frankly, I have a problem in this area myself, except I have to remind myself that I do have a life. My house needs to be cleaned, my kids and husband need attention etc. The earth will not stop spinning if I don’t post the latest update on CSR saga.
P.S. I’m glad we don’t live near Apple store because I’m afraid my husband would be camping out! đ
The hype is too much. For sure. But…for those of us doing this for awhile? There’s only so many cards accessible for us. Even under 5/24 you have to be mindful of when you opened/closed/got that bonus for which card, and that limits what you can apply for. And 100k UR points so so valuable. Also, transferable point cards are really limited now given the changes citi, Amex, and chase have in place for limiting bonuses.
I’m trying to think of how I could get the equivalent value of this card without paying the fee. Some combo of Amex everyday cards which neither of us has, the Alaska cars, cash back cards? But then you are spread across so many programs it’s hard to get scale. I need scale for my
Fsmily of 4.
My wife and I are at 4/24 in October minus AU accounts.
$900 for $3000 in flights that I can use on tickets on one flight where we all sit near each other as opposed to spreading us across multiple flights because or points are across programs?
Count me in.
One/few programs. Many points. That’s the way for families.
Someone tell me how to get this cards value without spending 900$ for the the two of us and I’m in.
@Cheapblackdad I agree, the value proposition is very strong, hence the insane hype. On annual fees: even though it stinks to shell out this money upfront, it is most definitely worth it. You’ll each get $300 travel credit this year and $300 next year. If everything goes according to the plan, you’ll end up with $1,200 in travel credits in exchange for paying $900. A great deal! You should be able to buy Southwest gift cards, as those are coded as travel. Of course, things change, so it might pay to buy a small amount and see if Chase reimburses it. The calendar travel credit is cumulative, it doesn’t have to be all in one transaction. Obviously, you need to be diligent and remember to take advantage of the credit (Chase counts on folks to be sloppy and forget about it). I don’t believe you’ll have a problem in this area.
I think tomorrow when online apps are supposed to be up we’ll find out more. Fingers crossed.
Wishing I was a chase private client.
Or at least was ever pre approved for cards. I wonder if I ever got on some opt out lost or something??
My wife is actually at 4/24 excluding AU cards. Kinda exciting. But well slow roll this one. We’ve spent a lot of cash since buying the house and having longer commutes and less time for home cooked meals so I’ll be holding off on high AFs for now. We do have a 10 yr anniversary trip in a year and a half that I could use 1500 in cash for as we will be bringing the kids to Hawaii with us. The AA executive taught me the value of 100k of any currency so we’ll get to it.
This is most definitely a terrific offer, no question about it. I doubt I’ll get approved, otherwise, I would be all over it. Just about anyone can maximize the $300 calendar year travel credit. Even if you buy Southwest gift cards and sell them, you’ll recoup the $450 fee. Honestly, I’m surprised Chase is so generous. They probably would have a lot of sign-ups even with 50K bonus.
That was me. Clicked too Soon? Mobile decides.
@Cheapblackdad No worries! I figured it was you. I don’t require commenters to leave names. Sometimes people prefer to remain anonymous, and I respect that.
Nancy, definitely do what works for you! Reportedly, getting pre-approved inside the branch right before applying helps, but it’s impossible to say for sure. It won’t hurt, I know that. If you have a savings account with Chase, it could also work in your favor. A lot of it is guesswork, unfortunately, because we don’t know all the details of those who have applied so far. Let me know of the outcome if you do go this route.
I might pop in a bank tomorrow if the consensus is that it’s more probable to get approved. Or I might just focus on the US Bank Flexperks card. Today has been a let down for sure! I was already spending my 100k points in my head, LOL.