TLDR: The Ritz-Carlton card offers premium travel benefits rivaling the Sapphire Reserve for a much lower annual fee. Though closed to new applicants, you can still get it via a product change.
Featuring the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card. The reason why the card is not as popular as the Sapphire Reserve is because it isn’t open to new applications. However, there’s still a way you can get it, and here’s why you should be investing a spot in your wallet for this card:
Getting this unique card isn’t necessarily an easy feat because it isn’t as straightforward as simply opening up a credit card application, filling out your information, and submitting the application.
However, it isn’t impossible or very difficult to get the card either; you’ll just need to maintain some patience and a well-rounded credit score.
In order to be eligible for the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card, you’ll need to hold an eligible Chase Marriott card for 12 months. You’ll also need to have a minimum credit limit of at least $10,000. Eligible cards that can be converted into this rare card are as follows:
After you’ve held an eligible card like the Boundless for 12 months, you’ll need to contact Chase to request a product change to the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card.
This card comes with many travel benefits that make it a top contender for travel credit card and a solid competitor against the Sapphire Reserve.
To start off, as a Marriott-branded card, it obviously comes with Marriott-focused benefits that help you elevate your stay and experience at Marriott hotels. These benefits include:
The annual free night award alone could easily offset the $450 annual fee, as you could use 85,000 points to cover a night at luxury Marriott properties located across the world.
For example, you could stay at The Ritz-Carlton in Fukuoka, Japan, for 81,000 points for a night, meaning that you’d be able to use your anniversary free night award to cover the stay.
This example stay would cost you ¥85,500 before taxes & fees, which is equivalent to ~$600 USD. The anniversary free night award can cover a night at a Ritz-Carlton, offsetting the annual fee even before taking additional taxes & fees into consideration.
The Ritz-Carlton card also offers generic premium travel perks that make it a strong card for anyone who travels frequently. These benefits include, but are not limited to:
On top of these travel perks, the Ritz-Carlton card comes with travel protections and insurance that’ll make you feel more secure and safe about your travel plans. These protections include, but are not limited to:
These benefits make Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card a very useful card to have in your wallet when traveling. The insurance protections that the card offers can cover you in case of any complications, and the credits and other benefits that the card offers make it even more of a useful investment.
When my bag was delayed for 24 hours on a flight I took from Boston to San Francisco, I was able to submit a baggage delay insurance claim since I paid for the flight with my Ritz-Carlton card. I got reimbursed $100 for the toiletries and necessities I purchased as I waited for my bag to arrive.
The biggest factor for me that makes the Ritz-Carlton card a better choice over the Sapphire Reserve is the Ritz-Carlton’s annual fee and authorized user benefits.
The Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee is $795, and to add an authorized user to your Sapphire Reserve, it’ll cost $195 per user. In comparison, the Ritz-Carlton’s annual fee is $450, and there is no fee for adding authorized users to your Ritz-Carlton card.
Authorized users of the Sapphire Reserve and Ritz-Carlton will enjoy almost all of the same benefits that the primary cardholder does, however, the Ritz-Carlton card doesn’t come at any extra cost for authorized users, meaning that authorized users don’t need to pay to enjoy Priority Pass™ Select memberships and access to Chase Sapphire Lounges!
Another powerful benefit of the Ritz-Carlton card is that with your Priority Pass™ Select membership, you can gain access to Priority Pass lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges for yourself and an unlimited number of guests traveling with you.
In comparison, the Chase Sapphire Reserve only grants access to the aforementioned lounges for yourself and up to two guests. You could bring yourself and your whole extended family into a Chase Sapphire Lounge without paying an extra dime, which I think is overpowered and makes the Ritz-Carlton a really strong card.
Additionally, the Sapphire Reserve has become much more of a coupon book, and I find it hard to use all the credits to offset the steep $795 annual fee.
The Ritz-Carlton’s annual fee of $450 is much more reasonable given the benefits it provides, and I can find myself easily offsetting the annual fee by taking advantage of the $300 annual airline credit and the annual free night award.
The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card offers exceptional value, especially if you frequently travel and stay within the Marriott ecosystem. Its $450 annual fee is easily justified by the generous perks, including the up to $300 annual airline credit, annual free night worth up to 85,000 points (which you can top off to 100,000 points), and robust travel protections. Compared to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Ritz-Carlton card stands out with free authorized users and more inclusive lounge access, making it a smart pick for families or those traveling in groups.
While the Ritz-Carlton card requires a bit of effort to obtain due to its closed application status, converting from an eligible Marriott card after one year of holding it is a straightforward process. Given its extensive travel benefits, protective insurance coverages, and compelling cost-to-benefit ratio, this card undoubtedly deserves serious consideration for anyone looking to elevate their travel experiences.
Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is a hidden gem for frequent travelers seeking premium perks at a lower annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Though no longer open to new applicants, it can be obtained via product change after holding a Chase Marriott card for 12 months. For a $450 annual fee, it offers a $300 annual airline credit, an 85K-point free night certificate, unlimited lounge access with Priority Pass™ Select (including Chase Sapphire Lounges), and robust travel insurance. Unlike the Sapphire Reserve, it allows free authorized users with full lounge privileges, making it an excellent value card, especially for families or group travelers.
