I was surprised when I noticed that I didn’t get triple points on my Chase Sapphire Reserve for a recent dinner at Chef Dave’s Catering in Cleveland. Chef Dave’s runs upscale restaurant nights several nights per month and I had been used to getting double points on my old Sapphire Preferred card. Did that card have an advantage over Sapphire Reserve?
I sent Chase a secure message and first they responded with this nonsense,
“Thank you for contacting Chase to inquire about the reward points on your account.
Let me share that the rewards adjustment on your Sapphire Reserve card you requested cannot be made because the merchant is not in an eligible category.
Visa and MasterCard systems assign a category code to each merchant, based on the kinds of products and services they sell. Sometimes the system places merchants in a generalized category, like “superstores” instead of “grocery stores” or “gas stations.”
Since the merchant in question did not assigned an appropriate category for your purchase, your purchase did not qualify for this reward.”
I confirmed that the charge was categorized as catering on Chase’s site. The front-line SM agents aren’t very good, so I replied asking that they have their supervisor read my original question and get back to me.
A senior agent then replied,
“Thank you for contacting Chase about rewards points earned on your Chase Sapphire Reserve account.
I have researched the account and determined that the charge of $147.50 from Chef Dave’s Catering bills as “Caterers”.I would like to explain that as of 8/30/2016 transactions billed as Bakeries, Caterers, & Dairy product stores will no longer qualify as accelerated rewards earnings. This is for all Chase products to remain fair and consistent.
I have added 443 points to your rewards balance for this purchase. These points are available for immediate use and will appear on the next billing statement for review.
Please keep in mind that going forward, transactions billed as Caterers will only qualify to earn 1 reward per $1 spent.”
Bummer. I’m quite surprised that they didn’t send out a notice about this, though because of that if you do have any charges in those categories you should be able to send a secure message or call to get triple points for it.
For those keeping score at home, triple point categories for Sapphire Reserve now include:
Dining:
Restaurants, fast food, coffee shops, and bars.
Travel (Valid for $300 in annual automatic refunds and triple points):
-Airfare, including tickets bought from travel agents and online agencies.
-Car rentals.
-Hotels, Airbnb, and campgrounds.
-Timeshares (just in case you’re a real sucker)
-Cruises
-Transportation including trains, buses, subways, taxis, Uber, Lyft, Gett, limos, ferries, bridges, tolls, E-ZPass, and parking.
Leave a Reply
46 Comments On "Chase Quietly Removes 3 Dining Bonus Categories"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Yup. Can confirm, I paid for wait for it….a wedding on the card. And the charge is literally called “catering” but was only awarded 1 point per dollar. I SM’d and got the same nonsense response from Chase.
@jonny:
Ask for a supervisor to respond as catering used to be included.
Such a shame as catering was an amazing way to rack up the points and take the sting out of an expensive affair.
Price line car rentals name your own price will get x3?
You have to spend $4300 or is the credit for travel count towards the $4000
@Anonymous:
I’d assume Priceline name your own price gets 3x.
I haven’t seen any data points if the $300 refund means you need to spend $4,300 to get the 100K bonus.
Do you know if the same dining category changes were made for the CSP?
@Fafa123:
From the Senior SM agent “This is for all Chase products to remain fair and consistent.”
@Dan: OK I asked for a supervisor and will let you know what they say. It was a few thousand dollars, so there’s quite a lot at stake here…
Last I checked Coffee Bean stores in LA are coded as retail and not eligible for 3x (though for the usually sub $10 purchases it’s never been worth my time to send a SM).
@Dan
Just a thought. I’m a Yid who works for Chase, I personnaly know 10’s of yiddin who work for Chase too, both client facing and in offices. It should be noted that the amount of Chesed done through Chase for yiddin is light years ahead of any other comparable firm. They are not “out to get you” every time a policy changes a drop. It would be nice if people would be a little thankful for the $1,000’s upon $1,000’s of dollars they have “made off” chase as oppose to having taynos/complaints on us so often. For anyone who has dealt with us knows we (including the non Jews here) go the extra mile for “the community” whenever possible.
Just my 2 cents.
@Dan Fan but chase employee:
They have every right to make changes, but I would have liked to have been notified before being surprised that it no longer earned bonus points.
Why does that have anything to do with anything that you’re saying?
So for regular reasturants it’s still x3?
Gas is also x3?
Is there an option on chase to check before going to a restaurant how that establishment is catogorized?
@Anonymous:
Regular restaurants are 3x.
Gas never was.
@Joel:
You can try https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator/search/index.jsp
Though it’s not always accurate.
I am not addressing this specific issue-yes, maybe they could or should have let people know; I am saying that sometimes we get the feeling that people think we are out to get them, I am trying to say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
@Dan fan but chase employee:
I don’t think that’s the case at all. But I do like warning when things are changing.
same with jpmorgan reserve card. I asked about catering before i paid my guy
Why is gas dfferent
If ezpass is considered travel why not gas
@Dan fan but chase employee: all Dan is saying is that if he knew he was only getting 1x he would have used a card that earned him more perhaps the freedom unlimited
Do purchases inside a gas station (or gas “super”station) count as ‘travel’?
What about purchases at a rest stop on a interstate highway?
Does the Citi TY premier and Prestige earn 2x points for caterers?
Carvel is not considered Dining.
Had one bakery transactions billed at 1x instead of 3x. Thought that was confusing, on the transaction record.
Bakery is called a bakery, but is a sit down restaurant.
09/11/2016 09/12/2016 Sale HUCKLEBERRY BAKERY CAFE $31.87
Print SANTA MONICA, CA 904030000 US
In-person transaction
Rewards earned
1
+ 1 Point per $1 on all other purchases 31.87
Total rewards 31.87 Points
So is it still worth it to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?
@Isaac:
-100K signup bonus worth $1,500+
-$300 annual travel credit
-Global Entry/Pre Check
-Lounge access with unlimited free guests
-Triple points on travel
-Triple points on dining
-All Chase points worth at least 1.5 cents each for travel.
Well worth the $150 annual fee after travel credit in my opinion.
Is they any benefit to get the jpmorgan reserve card over the standard Reserve card?
Thanks
What does everyone think about my plan? I am way over 5/24 and I don’t have any other way of getting approved for most chase cards. My plan is to go crazy applying for cards (already did 6 months ago). Then wait 2 years (in the interim opening up a few business cards that don’t show up report). Then only open up chase cards that have 5/24 rule, then open up other cards again.
Dan just wondering why u would use the sapphire not the freedom that will give u 5 points now
Confirm that Chase gave 3X points for a recent car rental with Priceline.
Dan i just applied online after being pre-approved and rejected
call in and nothing to do thy told that 6/24 so I said I have 50k in bank but thy say 6/24 new rolling i sad that the banker told me no rool of 5/24 bit thy say nothing to do sorry for the that dan what’s next what I can do ??
FWIW: I just spoke with a CSR agent and a CSP agent. Both claimed that Bakeries and Catering were *never* on the CSP list of dining.
When I specifically asked about the change the Chase rep noted above, one agent responded “are you sure that was a Chase representative?” and the other figures that Chef Dave’s Catering probably changed their MCC code from something that qualified to Catering.
@danfan5773:
Maxed it out already.
@JT:
That’s nonsense.
MCC was always catering. I also received 2x from other caterers in the past. You can check the category on Chase.com.
Something that In Have come across in Q3- I get 5x in some pizza stores while only 1x in others.. I guess it depends how they are listed in system
A little bit of a tangent here, but Citibank does the exact same thing. I charged our Intercontinental Ambassador membership on my Premier card and it received only 1X points. I did numerous messages and was told it wasn’t travel related. So, my Premier card only gets used for things that we will receive 3X points. They screwed themselves because I have other cards I can use that give me better rewards than 1X.
@Dan:
Dan, the first year isn’t $150. Your making $150. The $300 travel is calendar year, so if you take the card out now, you will have received it twice before your second annual fee is due.
@Phil:
Yup.
@Josh:
Correct, but I’m talking about subsequent years.
I noticed that my bakery purchase from last shabbos wasn’t giving me 5 points to the dollar with my freedom, so bummer there! Just as a side question Dan,do u know if a Marriott gift card is counted towards travel spend on my sapphire reserve?
Congrats Dan, your post is all over Reddit and DoC
@Dan Fan but chase employee:
can you explain?? done for jews? community??
Yidden are starving, hurting, going through Tzores, and you are worried about your stupid rewards. get a life
@jonny: Did you ever get a response as to what the supervisor sent? I have a 60K catering charge for my wedding coming up and was planning to put it on the CSR! So maybe I will just go ahead and do it and argue with a rep to get my points…
@Eli: stupid points can equal thousands and thousands of dollars. More money for Jews more tzedaka less Tzirel. But what can we do about you my tiredness? Nothing
@Anonymous:
Really curious about this. Not sure why gas is not listed as travel, but parking and tolls are. Why isn’t gas included in this category?
@Dan Fan but chase employee: It goes both ways. Chase makes huge profits from our community too. Late fees, interest on loans and not to mention profit on the swollen deposit accounts their branches on 13th Ave are holding.
@Jonathan:
Just came here to update. The supervisor just responded that they are in fact NO LONGER awarding 3x points for catering, but he did me a 1 time favor and gave me the 3x points for this particular purchase.
Just went to Carlos and Gabby’s and that wasn’t considered a restaurant? That’s pretty ridiculous.
@Mike:
You should tell C&G to call their processor to make sure they’re listed as a restaurant.