Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR): Ultimate Rewards Redemption Bonus on Apple 50%
+8Deal Score
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It's back! Limited Time Offer!
Your points are worth 10%-50% more
Until 11/30/22 or while supplies last, your Chase Freedom points are worth more when you redeem for any product on the Apple® Ultimate Rewards® Store.*
Chase Sapphire Preferred is 25% more.
Chase Freedom Unlimited is 10% more.
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I have a ton of CSR points (200k+). Was looking to buy an apple watch series 8 for my wife. For only 26,600 points i can have one. To me that seems like a good price instead of $400+ for the watch. Trying to see how this could be a bad choice given we have no travel plans at the moment.
Do you have, or will you have, $399 in recent dining expenses? When is your annual fee due? Both are eligible for Pay Yourself Back with a 50% bonus. So you have two options:
1) Use those 26,600 points to get an Apple Watch, saving $399. Understand there are some limitations based on the fact that you didn't buy it from Apple, so the return/exchange policy is different.
2) Use those same 26,600 points to get a $399 statement credit by applying them towards dining or your annual fee. Buy the Apple Watch like normal on your CSR from Apple, getting the normal benefits of such, which will counter the statement credit. Get an additional 399 UR points, valued at $5.99 or more.
Option 2 is both easier, gives you added benefits, and nets you an extra $5.99.
ALSO, and most importantly, buying Apple devices from Apple is almost always at full MSRP. Same would apply to devices through the UR store I assume. The only exception is student/military type discounts you wouldn't get unless buying direct. For most Apple devices, you can generally find them cheaper at third party resellers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. They will usually have promotions Apple doesn't do directly. Option #2 will let you take part in those and possibly save even more money on the device itself. Like this deal for $50 off MSRP: https://slickdeals.net/f/16182163-apple-watch-series-8-gps-41mm-midnight-aluminum-case-with-midnight-sport-band-s-m-walmart-com-349?src=SiteSearch
Do you have, or will you have, $399 in recent dining expenses? When is your annual fee due? Both are eligible for Pay Yourself Back with a 50% bonus. So you have two options:
1) Use those 26,600 points to get an Apple Watch, saving $399. Understand there are some limitations based on the fact that you didn't buy it from Apple, so the return/exchange policy is different.
2) Use those same 26,600 points to get a $399 statement credit by applying them towards dining or your annual fee. Buy the Apple Watch like normal on your CSR from Apple, getting the normal benefits of such, which will counter the statement credit. Get an additional 399 UR points, valued at $5.99 or more.
Option 2 is both easier, gives you added benefits, and nets you an extra $5.99.
ALSO, and most importantly, buying Apple devices from Apple is almost always at full MSRP. Same would apply to devices through the UR store I assume. The only exception is student/military type discounts you wouldn't get unless buying direct. For most Apple devices, you can generally find them cheaper at third party resellers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. They will usually have promotions Apple doesn't do directly. Option #2 will let you take part in those and possibly save even more money on the device itself. Like this deal for $50 off MSRP: https://slickdeals.net/f/16182163-apple-watch-series-8-gps-41mm-midnight-aluminum-case-with-midnight...
Yeah I ended up buying from that walmart+ deal and included another $10 off so total $60 off and delivered tomorrow. I'll just keep my points for my next vacation. Thanks everyone for the write up.
Why can't i just take it to an apple store assuming it's within 1 year of purchase? Does Apple treat this differently?
they shouldn't. My guess is they were referring to the extended warranty that comes with purchases on a CSR or CSP card. But you can also just buy applecare if you want a hassle free extended warranty.
This is not a good redemption rate for UR points IMO. It's bare minimum acceptable. Also you're not buying from Apple and you're giving up their return policy, plus waiting way too long for delivery.
Best redemption strategy for UR points is transferring to travel partners. Worst case scenario is redeeming via pay yourself back at the same rate as this deal (b/c it's literally a credit). Buying something from Chase gives up the vendor return policy and booking travel through the portal for 50% bump is fine if nothing goes wrong but a veritable NIGHTMARE when things DO go wrong. (To pre-empt the response to this, I understand some of you have used the portal with no issue. I did for years. Things don't go wrong until they do. And when they do, you will spend dozens of hours trying to recover your points. You'll wait on hold for 4 hours and then get hung up on. They'll tell you to wait a billing cycle or two and then nothing will happen. They'll send you to the airline who will send you back to Chase. They'll eventually issue a refund that will get lost in the ether because it gets refunded to Chase and not your card if you booked with points. Chase will again tell you to wait 1-2 billing cycles. Rinse and repeat.)
This is not the same portal as a few years ago, Chase took it over and outsourced everything and now it's complete trash. Booking direct is the way to go these days. Use your UR points to transfer to travel partners.
Do you get to the CSR extra 50% for travel when transferring UR points to travel partners? Or can anyone with just a freedom card get the same point transfer benefits?
Do you get to the CSR extra 50% for travel when transferring UR points to travel partners? Or can anyone with just a freedom card get the same point transfer benefits?
There's no bonus for transferring but points are generally worth more when redeeming through partners. For instance you could well find a Hyatt hotel room that costs 12,000 pts that would otherwise cost $250 or more. If you travel business or first class you'll even find the value per point goes up a TON, but it's not necessary to do that to get solid redemption rates.
Freedom cards cannot transfer to partners, only Sapphire Reserve or Preferred.
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1) Use those 26,600 points to get an Apple Watch, saving $399. Understand there are some limitations based on the fact that you didn't buy it from Apple, so the return/exchange policy is different.
2) Use those same 26,600 points to get a $399 statement credit by applying them towards dining or your annual fee. Buy the Apple Watch like normal on your CSR from Apple, getting the normal benefits of such, which will counter the statement credit. Get an additional 399 UR points, valued at $5.99 or more.
Option 2 is both easier, gives you added benefits, and nets you an extra $5.99.
ALSO, and most importantly, buying Apple devices from Apple is almost always at full MSRP. Same would apply to devices through the UR store I assume. The only exception is student/military type discounts you wouldn't get unless buying direct. For most Apple devices, you can generally find them cheaper at third party resellers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. They will usually have promotions Apple doesn't do directly. Option #2 will let you take part in those and possibly save even more money on the device itself. Like this deal for $50 off MSRP: https://slickdeals.net/f/16182163-apple-watch-series-8-gps-41mm-midnight-aluminum-case-with-midnight-sport-band-s-m-walmart-com-349?src=SiteSea
1) Use those 26,600 points to get an Apple Watch, saving $399. Understand there are some limitations based on the fact that you didn't buy it from Apple, so the return/exchange policy is different.
2) Use those same 26,600 points to get a $399 statement credit by applying them towards dining or your annual fee. Buy the Apple Watch like normal on your CSR from Apple, getting the normal benefits of such, which will counter the statement credit. Get an additional 399 UR points, valued at $5.99 or more.
Option 2 is both easier, gives you added benefits, and nets you an extra $5.99.
ALSO, and most importantly, buying Apple devices from Apple is almost always at full MSRP. Same would apply to devices through the UR store I assume. The only exception is student/military type discounts you wouldn't get unless buying direct. For most Apple devices, you can generally find them cheaper at third party resellers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. They will usually have promotions Apple doesn't do directly. Option #2 will let you take part in those and possibly save even more money on the device itself. Like this deal for $50 off MSRP: https://slickdeals.net/f/16182163-apple-watch-series-8-gps-41mm-midnight-aluminum-case-with-midnight...
11/12: Ordered Apple Watch Ultra (2-3 week shipping time displayed)
11/16: Shipping notification via FedEx
Best redemption strategy for UR points is transferring to travel partners. Worst case scenario is redeeming via pay yourself back at the same rate as this deal (b/c it's literally a credit). Buying something from Chase gives up the vendor return policy and booking travel through the portal for 50% bump is fine if nothing goes wrong but a veritable NIGHTMARE when things DO go wrong. (To pre-empt the response to this, I understand some of you have used the portal with no issue. I did for years. Things don't go wrong until they do. And when they do, you will spend dozens of hours trying to recover your points. You'll wait on hold for 4 hours and then get hung up on. They'll tell you to wait a billing cycle or two and then nothing will happen. They'll send you to the airline who will send you back to Chase. They'll eventually issue a refund that will get lost in the ether because it gets refunded to Chase and not your card if you booked with points. Chase will again tell you to wait 1-2 billing cycles. Rinse and repeat.)
This is not the same portal as a few years ago, Chase took it over and outsourced everything and now it's complete trash. Booking direct is the way to go these days. Use your UR points to transfer to travel partners.
Do you get to the CSR extra 50% for travel when transferring UR points to travel partners? Or can anyone with just a freedom card get the same point transfer benefits?
Freedom cards cannot transfer to partners, only Sapphire Reserve or Preferred.
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It's true, it's not 50% off, but 33% off, my current iPhone was redeemed that way