Marriott has a suite of co-branded credit cards, issued by American Express and Chase. While most of these products are open to new applicants, there’s one “secret” card that you can only product change to, which can prove to be really lucrative.
I’m talking about the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, issued by Chase. I wanted to take a closer look at the card in this post, and talk about how you can acquire it, and why it could be worth considering.
How you can get the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is issued by Chase, and is a legacy card that goes back to when Ritz-Carlton had its own loyalty program, known as Ritz-Carlton Rewards (which was run parallel to Marriott Rewards). The card is no longer to new applicants, meaning that you can’t apply directly for it.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get the card, though. The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is available as a product change from a personal Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit card, meaning that you can typically product change something like the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card or Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card to this card (just keep in mind the complicated eligibility requirements for Marriott credit cards).
You can’t product change any non-Marriott Chase card, and Marriott Amex card, or any business card, to the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card.
Let me also emphasize that you can only product change a card if you’ve had it for at least 12 months. So if you applied for a Chase Marriott card now, you’d be able to product change to this card in just over a year, best case scenario.
To inquire about product change options, you’ll want to call the number on the back of your Chase card, and ask a representative what’s available for your account.
Ritz-Carlton Credit Card perks & benefits
Why would you want to consider the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, compared to any of the other cards in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio? Despite the Ritz-Carlton branding, this is very much a Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card has a $450 annual fee, and offers the following perks, among other things:
- A rewards structure where you earn 6x Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Marriott stays, 3x Bonvoy points on dining, airfare, and rental cars, and 2x Bonvoy points on all other purchases
- An anniversary free night award valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points; this can be topped off with up to 15,000 additional points
- Gold Elite status for as long as you have the card, plus 15 elite nights toward Elite status annually
- A Priority Pass™ membership, which also gives you unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounges; you can add authorized users at no cost, and they receive a Priority Pass™ membership as well
- Three Ritz-Carlton club lounge level upgrades every cardmember year, each valid for a stay of up to seven nights
- A $300 travel credit every calendar year, which can be used for airline incidental purchases; the credit isn’t applied automatically, but rather you have to message Chase to apply it retroactively for any eligible purchase
- A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit once every four years
My take on the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card value proposition
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card kind of flies under the radar, but I think there’s merit to acquiring this card. A few thoughts:
- This is the lowest annual fee Marriott card offering a free night award valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points, so that alone could justify the annual fee
- The $300 travel credit nicely helps offset the annual fee; the credit is easier to use than American Express Platinum Card® (review) up to $200 airline fee credit (Enrollment required), but not as easy to use as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (review) $300 annual travel credit
- Ritz-Carlton Club lounges are phenomenal, and elite members don’t receive complimentary access to them; so while the free upgrade certificates sound great, the catch is that you have to book an eligible cash rate (often higher than the best available public rate), and there are also capacity controls
- Perhaps the biggest selling point of this card is a Priority Pass™ membership and Chase Sapphire Lounge access not only for the primary cardmember, but also for authorized users, who you can add at no cost, making this one of the best cards for Priority Pass access
The way I see it, probably the single most compelling reason to consider the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is if you’d greatly benefit from being able to add authorized users for a Priority Pass™ membership, plus Chase Sapphire Lounge access.
For many others, I think the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review) could also be a great option. The card has a variety of excellent perks, including a huge welcome offer, up to $300 in restaurant credits annually, Platinum Elite status for as long as you have the card, and more.
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card could change over time
While I think the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card represents a great value for many, I want to add a word of warning if you’re creating a long term strategy with the goal of acquiring this card. It’s of course possible that changes are made to this card, like the annual fee being increased, authorized users no longer getting complimentary Priority Pass™ memberships, etc.
While we’ve seen some negative changes on many other cards, this one hasn’t seen many devaluations, and as a result, I imagine that could change at some point.
Bottom line
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is no longer open to new applicants, but it is available as a product change option from some other Chase Marriott products. The card is quite compelling, with key advantages being the ability to add authorized users at no cost for a Priority Pass™ membership, plus Ritz-Carlton club lounge upgrade certificates.
The card isn’t for everyone, but for some people, upgrading to this product could prove to be worthwhile.
What’s your take on the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card?
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