The buzz lately has been the rumored new Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I thought it would be the first Visa Infinite card by Chase, but to my surprise it wasn’t. Instead, Chase released the new Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite card as it’s first Infinite product.
The new Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite card replaces the Ritz-Carlton Visa Signature card. The two cards look fairly similar, but the benefits are different. The Visa Signature version featured a signup bonus of two free night certificates at category 1-4 Ritz-Carlton properties after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. The Visa Infinite version comes with three free night certificates at category 1-4 properties for $5,000 spend in the first 3 months. You’ll also receive 10,000 Ritz-Carlton Rewards points for adding an authorized user.
The new Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite card, beyond the enhanced signup bonuses, does come with additional benefits:
- Priority Pass Select membership
- $300 annual airline credit for use with seat upgrades, baggage fees and lounge memberships or club passes
- Save $100 when buying two to 5 qualifying roundtrip, coach airline tickets on the same itinerary when you book through visadiscountair.com/ritzcarltoncard
- $100 statement credit for your Global Entry application fee
Beyond the enhanced signup bonus and the above new features, the new Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite is largely the same as the old card. The card continues to feature the following benefits:
- 5 points/$ on spend at Ritz-Carlton and Marriott brand properties
- 2 points/$ on spend on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, and at car rental agencies and restaurants
- 1 point/$ on all other spend
- 10% annual bonus for all points earned through spend on the card
- Ritz-Carlton Rewards/Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status the first year, and every year thereafter that you spend at least $10,000 on the card
- Ritz-Carlton Rewards/Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite status when you spend at least $75,000 on your card every year
- $100 hotel credit when you book a paid, non-discounted stays of two nights ore more at Ritz-Carlton properties with your card
- 3 complimentary upgrades to Club Level on paid, non-discounted stays of up to 7 nights annually
- J.P. Morgan Concierge service
Both the old Visa Signature and the new Visa Infinite carry an annual fee of $450. The features of the Visa Infinite version more than offsets the annual fee if you maximize them every year. It’s a compelling card to have, especially for those that are fans of the Marriott Rewards or Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs. Personally, I prefer to use the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature card because you earn Elite Qualifying Nights for every $3,000 in spend. That, to me is preferable to the simple status award, but that’s my preference.
More interesting, in my opinion, is what non-Ritz-Carlton benefits the card comes with. As Chases’s first Visa Infinite product, it’s safe to say it will have similar benefits as the rumored Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I’m guessing we’ll see the Sapphire Reserve come with a $300 annual airline credit (not new), the $100 airfare discount (specific to Visa Infinite), and Priority Pass Select. I do think we’ll also see primary rental collision coverage on the Sapphire Reserve, and hopefully some sort of complimentary elite status. But we shall see; less than two weeks till the card is supposedly launched!