Today, exactly a year ago, I applied for and got a Freedom Rise from Chase. Roughly mid-way through having my Rise I got an email that a new policy would allow for an upgrade to the Unlimited after 1 year of good credit behavior. I did not like the idea of potentially losing out on a Freedom Unlimited SUB down the line when I drop below 5/24 and I also recently got myself a Costco membership and really wanted an OG Freedom.
Around 4AM today I woke up and decided to see if the upgrade happened. It did! Went back to sleep and called Chase this morning to do a PC from my Rise to Unlimited to, what the rep called, the “Freedom 5% Card.” At first, the rep said I needed at least $5K to PC but then asked me if a non-signature Visa card was okay. I told her it was absolutely fine, and I have no issues with that. She walked me through the benefits and PC’d the card and expedited it upon request and told me the change should happen within 3 days.
I would also like to add that the first rep I spoke to was able to process this PC for me and didn’t give me too much hassle about it. From dial to an end-of-call survey, the whole ordeal only took about 10 minutes.
If people can product change to the original Freedom, why can’t they apply for it? Wondering if maybe after a certain amount of time I could product change to the OG Freedom and apply again for an Unlimited or Flex lol.
@Clovis
I think there’s a difference between “we will do this as a favor to an existing customer who has to go through the hassle of calling us” etc vs opening the floodgates for everyone to freely apply to the card.
Clovis said: @Hadden
I think the Flex was originally supposed to replace the OG Freedom, but I think because most people want it for Costco, they maybe kept it.
Not quite clear what their strategy was but I don’t think Flex was to replace OG Freedom. Flex is MC, OG is Visa. Maybe the Unlimited (Visa) was to replace OG?
@Glenn
I wanted to do this but something held me back was if I’d be ineligible for any sign-up bonuses on the Unlimited (coming from Amex). So safe to assume no such thing, right?
Griff said: @Glenn
I wanted to do this but something held me back was if I’d be ineligible for any sign-up bonuses on the Unlimited (coming from Amex). So safe to assume no such thing, right?
I don’t know the best answer to give you for this situation. I never got a sign-up bonus for the Unlimited; technically, it was a forced PC. I was, however, also technically an Unlimited cardholder. The issue is how does Chase limit SUBs? Will they base it off me having gotten a SUB on the Unlimited in the last 24 months (I haven’t)? Or will they base it off me having had an Unlimited in the last 24 months (I have)?
@Glenn
Chase rules for SUBs are you cannot either currently have the card (with some exceptions on the business side) or have received a SUB on it within the last amount of months (again, with some exceptions). 24 months for the Freedom family cards. So you’re good as long as you don’t PC back to the Unlimited and have it open while applying for a new one.
To add another data point, I’ve done Freedom Unlimited to Freedom this year. The rep wanted me to go to Flex, but I insisted I needed a Visa card and that swayed her. I’m sure she would have done it either way; they don’t seem to care, but they do try to steer people to the Freedom Flex.
I’ve been trying to do this, went through like 3 different reps who tell me the OG Freedom is no longer available and I’m unable to change to it. Anyone have any tips? Currently have the Freedom Flex, 2 years this December.