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You are here:HomeCredit Card ReviewsBasic Credit Card Reviews→Chase Visa, Chase Mastercard Review


Chase Visa, Chase Mastercard Review

  
Written by renxue   
January 21, 2008 14:33

The Chase Platinum was last reviewed on 13th June 2007

chase platinum
Summary - The Chase Platinum credit card is a platinum card offered by Chase Manhattan Bank that comes with a great reward program. You also get typical platinum benefits and a good 0% apr introductory offer. Let us look at this card in greater detail.

Fees - The Chase Platinum has no annual fee. You get a 0% introductory apr for 12 months for both balance transfers and purchases. (Note : Your introductory apr period may vary depending on Chases' assessment of your credit). The apr is either prime rate plus 5.99%, 9.99% or 14.99% depending on your credit. The 2-cycle average daily balance method is used to calculate monthly balances.

Platinum Benefits - The Chase Platinum also offers various platinum type benefits for cardholders like auto Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver and Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance.

Flexible Rewards - The most attractive feature of the Chase Flexible Rewards Visa is the flexibility of its reward program especially in the area of airline travel. As a brief background, there are two extreme versions of airline rewards in a reward program. Programs like American Express membership rewards allow you to transfer points to actual frequent flyer programs itself. Most other credit card reward program allow you to redeem points for airline tickets, but you loose the flexibility in the choice of airlines.

The Flexible Rewards is unique in that there a three ways to redeem points for airline tickets. The first method is the conventional method where you exchange points for a free ticket, but you cannot choose your airline. Alternatively, the flexible rewards allow you to redeem tickets in Continental Airlines, which require less points than the former method. Or you can choose to transfer points to United Airlines Mileage program, Continental OnePass Miles or British Airways miles. Hence, this card may offer a better alternative for Continental OnePass or United Mileage Plus members. (Note that this information cannot be found on the web unless you are a cardholder, which I am!)

The other rewards in the program are on par with other reward programs.

Verdict - I personally have the Chase Platinum Visa with Flexible rewards and absolutely recommend it. Aside from getting a 0% apr deal for up to 12 billing cycles, the Flexible Rewards is a very good reward program which has more travel reward options than many other credit card programs. You can choose to get either the Chase Platinum Visa® Card or Chase Platinum MasterCard®.

Positives

  • 0% apr offer for 12 months
  • No annual fee
  • Platinum Benefits
  • Comes with a good reward program if you want a reward program (Flexible Rewards)

    Negatives
  • Charges a balance transfer fee even for the introductory offer
  • Uses 2-cycle average daily balance method to calculate monthly balances


    Chase Platinum Card
    Other Benefits
    Online Account Access
    Online account statements
    Chase Bill Management Center
    Credit Line increases
    Cost/Fees/Interest rates
    Introductory rate0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for up to 12 months
    Annual FeesNo annual fee
    Purchase APRPrime rate plus 5.99%, 9.99% or 14.99%
    Balance Transfer APRPrime rate plus 5.99%, 9.99% or 14.99%
    Cash Advance APRPrime Rate plus 15.99% or 19.99%
    Penalty/Default Rate APRPrime Rate plus 23.99%
    Min Finance Charge$1.00
    Grace Period20 days
    Balance Calculation Method2-cycle average daily balance method (including new purchases)
    Balance Transfer Fee3%, min $5.00, max $75.00
    Cash Advance fee3% min $10.00
    Foreign Currency Conversion fee3%
    Over-the-credit-limit fee$39.00
    Late Payment fee$15.00 - on balances up to, but not including, $100.00
    $29.00 - on balances of $100.00 up to, but not including, $250.00
    $39.00 - greater than $250
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