TLDR: The Ritz-Carlton card may soon cost more. Rumors suggest a fee hike from $450 to $695 starting Aug 1, 2025, with minimal new benefits. Current cardholders should wait and see what happens.
Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
Bad news all around with credit cards recently. Looks like another round of credit card modifications is coming to town and it is hitting even our beloved: Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card.
We’ve had Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card for several years now, and it’s provided so much value to us despite its annual fee. However, with the upcoming rumored changes, there’s a lot that could be changing soon.
This card is one of those “hard to get” credit cards that’s widely known within credit card circles for its value. Currently, prior to the suspected August 01, 2025 changes, it offers the following for a $450 annual fee:
These are not benefits to scoff at.
Some, such as the lounge access benefits, are better than even Chase’s flagship cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. The fact that you and authorized users can bring an unlimited number of guests while having no authorized user fee is awesome.
There are rumors that this beloved card is increasing its annual fee to $695 while adding the following perks:
That’s it. So, for a $245 increase in annual fee, you get a few more mediocre credits. Hmm.
I think there are two scenarios that arise here.
Cardholders prior to August 01, 2025: If you got the card prior to the suspected change date, you should hold onto the card until your annual fee renews. Once the annual fee posts, you can see if you’re grandfathered into the old rate or if you’re at the whim of the new, higher annual fee
Cardholders after August 01, 2025: If you get the card after August 01, 2025, you’ll need to carefully evaluate the value proposition of the card. As of right now, we don’t have a lot of information on how else the card is changing, so it may be best to wait a few moments to see how things evolve from here
As someone who got the card prior to that August 01, 2025 date, I plan on waiting before I do anything. This card has always been a keeper card for me given the value it provides, but if there are new authorized user fees or similar, I will have to reevaluate my positioning carefully.
