The Ritz card is unavailable for new signups as of July 26 2018
With great change comes great opportunity. The great change I’m referring to is the upcoming Marriott / SPG / Ritz loyalty program merger. And, at this moment in time, Chase’s Ritz-Carlton Rewards card is uniquely positioned to unlock a number of opportunities…
Card and Offer Details
Below are the full details about the current signup offer for the Ritz card. For the purpose of this post, though, the key take-aways are:
- 2 Free Tier 1-4 night stays after $4K spend
- Gold status first year
- $75K spend per account year for Platinum elite status
- $450 annual fee partially offset by $300 annual credit for airline incidentals and $100 discount on domestic multi-passenger round-trip ticket purchases.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
None This card is no longer available$450 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: While the card is pricey, the annual free night, plus $300 in ariline fee credits, plus other perks make this card a keeper. Earning rate: ✦ 6X Ritz & Marriott.✦ 3X airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, at car rental agencies and at restaurants ✦ 2X everywhere else Card Info: Visa Infinite issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: $75K spend per calendar year for Platinum elite status Noteworthy perks: ✦ Annual 85K hotel certificate upon renewal ✦ 3 club level upgrades. $100 hotel credit for each 2 night or longer stay ✦ Priority Pass Select with unlimited guests ✦ Access Sapphire Lounges for yourself and unlimited guests for free ✦ $300 annual credit for airline incidentals ✦ Automatic Gold Status See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide |
Platinum Elite or Platinum Premier Elite Status
In August, those who have earned Marriott / Ritz Gold or Platinum status by any means other than matching from SPG will get the following status in the new program:
- Those with Marriott / Ritz Gold status will become Platinum Elite
- Those with Marriott / Ritz Platinum status will become Platinum Premier Elite 75
Platinum status in the new program is exciting for a few reasons:
- Elite benefits will apply across all Marriott and Starwood hotels
- Free breakfast and/or lounge access will be available at all resorts and most hotels (see this post for details).
If you sign up for the Ritz card before August, you will get Marriott Gold status which will convert to Platinum Elite status in August. That status will then last until Feb 2020. If you sign up for the card in or after August, you’ll only get Gold status in the new program.
If you signed up for the Ritz card last year or earlier, make sure to spend $10K on the card before August so that you will get Marriott Gold status which will convert to Platinum Elite status in August. That status will then last until Feb 2020. If you complete the $10K spend after July 31, you’ll only get Gold status in the new program.
If you spend $75K on the Ritz card before August, you will get Marriott Platinum status which will convert to Platinum Premier Elite status in August. That status will then last until Feb 2020. If you complete your $75K spend after July 31, you’ll only get Platinum Elite status in the new program.
While I don’t think that too many readers will seriously consider spending $75K on the card before August, I do think that the ability to get Gold status (then Platinum Elite status) without spend (or with $10K spend for existing cardholders) is well worthwhile.
The irony about all of this is that Ritz is one of the few brands that fail to offer any meaningful Platinum Elite benefits. But if you get Platinum status through the Ritz card, you’ll enjoy the status perks pretty much everywhere except at Ritz hotels.
Free Nights… Everywhere
This is where things get really good. The signup bonus of two free nights at Tier 1-4 Ritz hotels is nice if you happen to have plans to visit a qualifying Ritz within the next year and if you don’t mind the fact that you won’t get any meaningful elite benefits during your stay (no free breakfast for you).
But Marriott has asserted that free night certificates earned before the August merger will be converted into their point equivalents. Tier 4 Ritz hotels cost 60,000 points per night, so I believe that, in August, those with Tier 1-4 Ritz certificates will be given new certificates good at any Marriott / SPG / Ritz property that costs up to 60,000 points.
It gets better…
Between August and early 2019, it will be possible to book any Marriott / SPG / Ritz property worldwide for 60,000 points per night or less.
This means that it should be possible to use your two free nights at literally any Marriott / SPG / Ritz property worldwide as long as you book between August and early 2019! Personally I’d much rather use those free nights at top end St. Regis properties where I would get elite benefits like free breakfast than at a Ritz hotel. Wouldn’t you?
No Suite Night Awards
One downside of achieving Platinum or Platinum Premier status through the Ritz card is that you won’t earn Suite Night Awards. Those choice benefits are awarded when you reach 50 elite nights and again at 75 elite nights. Since this is an alternative to earning status via nights, it won’t trigger the choice benefits. Of course if you earn 50 and/or 75 elite nights anyway, you will get the choice benefits, but then there’s no point in using the Ritz card to get status.
You can read more about Suite Night Awards here.
You can get this card despite 5/24
The Chase Ritz card is not subject to 5/24 so you can get approved even if you’ve signed up for 5 or more cards in the past 24 months. Of course, once you are approved, it will add to your 5/24 count.
| Chase's 5/24 Rule: With most Chase credit cards, Chase will not approve your application if you have opened 5 or more cards with any bank in the past 24 months. To determine your 5/24 status, see: 3 Easy Ways to Count Your 5/24 Status. The easiest option is to track all of your cards for free with Travel Freely. |
Caution
The combination of high level status and soon-to-be-super-valuable free night certificates makes the Ritz card highly desirable at this time. On the other hand, signing up for a Chase card could be risky if you often open cards and/or manufacture spend. See this post for details: Why Chase shutdowns have increased and how to avoid them.
Note that we do not earn a commission for this card.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
[…] That meant I needed 35 nights to re-qualify for Platinum status (which I had this year thanks to earning “old Gold” on my Ritz card last year, but that path now requires $75K in […]
Question – if I add an authorized user, say my brother, and he use the credit card to book a stay at a Marriott property, does he receive the platinum benefits upon checking in?
No. If you have Platinum status then the only guaranteed way to get Platinum benefits is for you to check in. At some hotels it’s possible to add someone (like your brother) as a second guest and ask that they be allowed to check in and they may get Platinum benefits even if you’re not there, but it’s not at all guaranteed.
[…] The short story is that opening a new Ritz-Carlton credit card during 2018 but before August 18, 2018 would have given you 50-night status in the old Marriott program (called Gold at the time), which would transition to 50-night status in the new program (now called Platinum). See this post for more: [Too Late] Consider getting the Ritz-Carlton card right now. […]
We are aware that many people got the Ritz card were downgraded to gold status in the last day. We’re actively following up with Marriott as this does not match what we were told. We hope to have an update in the coming days.
Adding to the list of downgrades. After being on hold for 2 hours was told that status not earned through stays expired on Feb 28 and would not be extended. Total bull since I have 4 major Marriott stays this year.
Hello, I have had the Ritz Card since 2016 and have spent over $10,000 every year to earn the Gold Status and I was also downgraded today from Platinum to Gold. I just wanted to point out that it’s also happening to people that had the card way before August 2018.
I just got back from a weekend vacation. I checked in Saturday and was thanked for being a platinum member. Checked today and now I’m gold. Hope things get worked out or Ill be super bummed for my 8 night trip April.
I was just moved down to gold status as of today with ritz card. Renewal was last May and I had the 10,000 spend. I should have had platinum until 2020. What is happening to Marriott?! Took 3 hours last week for 2 reps (and a manager in-between who told me he had to call me back because his computer crashed, and he never did) to attach club level certificate to reservation because they are former SPG reps and not too familiar with the process. Was given 40,000 bonus points for 3 hours lost. I am really considering Hilton. The ritz brand is my only tie to Marriott. I dread calling them about this. I may lose my whole night!
I was just downgraded to Gold. Got the Ritz-Carlton in July 2018.
Same here, was downgraded to Gold today. Got the Ritz-Carlton in July 2018 after seeing this post.
Just lost Platinum Elite status 2/1/19. I had signed up for the Ritz Carlton card and did the spend and was Platinum Elite.
I even called Marriott several times and was assured I had Platinum elite status through 2019 and I confirmed through end of 2019. Now I’m being told I was given wrong information and they won’t honor extended Platinum Elite status.
I have a stay scheduled for 2/3 and have been informed by the hotel that I no longer show as qualified.
Any suggestions? If this is happening to me, I suspect it will be happening to everyone else that tried this strategy.
I’ll check with Marriott for you to see if they have any suggestions
Any word?
Not any useful words. Not yet
They’ve confirmed again that status earned in 2018 should last through Feb 2020. If you can email me your member information including account number, I’ll pass it along to my contacts to see if they can get you sorted out. Send to: greg at frequentmiler dot net
Just wanted to add – I became marriott platinum elite through the gold match by opening up the Ritz Card in aug of 2018, as of yesterday or today, I was dropped down to Gold. (my awardwallet still showed platinum elite 8 days ago from 3/3/19)
The same just happened to me. Applied for RC card in 6/2018. On 2/28/19 I was Platinum, but today 3/3/19 I am Gold. Another DP that the following statement is not correct (or not being honored by Marriott).
“If you sign up for the Ritz card before August, you will get Marriott Gold status which will convert to Platinum Elite status in August. That status will then last until Feb 2020.”
Greg – why are we being downgraded since the status should be valid through Feb 2020?
Same here, was downgraded to Gold today. Got the Ritz-Carlton in July 2018 after seeing this post.
And then in August another free (anniversary) night up to 50k points was added to the card’s benefits! Just now found this out, thx again Greg. The best card value of 2018.
I signed up for the card July 20. It was approved and the card actually reads valid thru 07/23 so was approved in July. The first charge on the account was the $450 annual fee on August 1st yet I am still at Gold. Do you think there is anything I can do about it considering I signed up before August?
This card is the worst. Don’t expect any help from the Ritz or Marriott. I will be cancelling both of my cards. It’s a sham.
Nick, do you know where I can find language to show Ritz or Chase. It sucks that i paid the $450 if I don’t get the benefit
We reached out to Marriott regarding issues with the Ritz card and status. They told us they were looking into it, but we don’t have any real info yet. We’ll post once we hear something useful
Thanks
Just another datapoint that I spoke to a phone rep back in September about the issue with my status based on the $10K spend met before August, but not converting from Gold to Platinum post-merger. The phone rep created a case ID for escalation for me, but I’ve yet to hear anything back and my status is still showing as Gold. The whole situation is incredibly frustrating.
Struggling with the same situation. Just heard back this morning and was told that since I got Gold through SPG, I wasn’t eligible to be converted to Platinum. Marriott seems to willfully continue to ignore, despite me pointing it out repeatedly, that I spent $10K on the Ritz Carlton card prior to July 31 and qualify for Platinum through c
onversion. They seriously do not know how to handle this at all.
Greg, in the article you wrote above, you reference that if you obtain a Ritz Carlton Credit Card before August 2018 then you will have platinum elite status until February 2020. Can you please refer me to where you found this information. I got the ritz card in July although Marriott is now saying that I only have platinum elite status until December 31, 2018. This is very frustrating since this is the main reason I applied for this card.
It started with a face-to-face discussion we had with the VP of Marriott Rewards back in April and then the PR team he eventually included in our ongoing email conversation reconfirmed it several times between May and July. I wouldn’t put much faith in anything that any phone rep has to say about the transition. When I called and asked about when my status ends (just to see what they would say because I knew many readers would call), the rep just looked at how many Marriott nights I had so far this year and said my status would expire unless I did the difference between that and 50. He didn’t even consider the fact that I might have an SPG account that I hadn’t yet linked – which just goes to show me that the phone reps are under-trained on this. It’s possible that Marriott fed us incorrect information, but almost everything else they’ve said to us in the transition was accurate. I don’t expect this to be any different.
Hi Nick, I received my Ritz card on June 4 2018 would i start my 75K spend on June 4 2019 to set me up for the next year? Thanks for your help
You should be all set with Platinum status until Feb 2020. Start your $75K spend after your 1st membership year is over. e.g. wait until around Sep 2019 to start the spend. Make sure not to complete the spend until 2020 so that the status will then last for the rest of 2020, all of 2021, and through Feb 2022
Jim- I am in the exact same situation and have an email from a manager in Marriott “Corporate Guest Relations” that says I will be Platinum until January 31, 2020. I have put that email in a very safe place. In any case I think you’ll be ok too.
That is reassuring. I’ll reach out to them and try to get an email to hold on to as well.
Hey Greg–I’m in the boat of having had the Ritz Carlton card for over a year, meaning I needed to spend $10K this year to renew Gold status (although I technically had it via SPG already).
I spent the $10K on my RC card prior to July 31st, but status is reflecting only as Gold on the site (in both my SPG legacy and Marriott/RC accounts). I went this route because of this actual blogpost, but can’t seem to find any other data points after rifling through Flyertalk/blogs/reddit. Any help/thoughts would be appreciated!
I can provide a data point for you. Short story: I did the $10K spend and I now have Platinum Status.
Longer version: I have had I had SPG Gold that came from the Amex Platinum. I matched that to Marriott Gold long ago. I have also had the Ritz card for several years but didn’t spend much of anything on it last year. Since I only had Gold via SPG, I only expected to get Marriott Gold in the new program.
Because of that, I completed $10K spend. My statement cuts around the 20th of the month. I wanted to make sure that I hit $10K spend before my July statement cut for fear of the purchases coming in on July 27th, posting on my ~August 20th statement, and not getting old Gold (50-night status) in time before the merger. I made my last $2K in purchases to hit $10K a day or two before my statement cut. To my dismay, that last $2K in purchases did *not* post with my July statement. The charges posted a day after my statement date and therefore I did not get the points from those purchases until my August statement (after merger day).
On merger day and for the next week, my status remained at Gold and I cursed the fact that I’d wasted $10K spend at 1x Marriott points on nothing. My wife, meanwhile, who only had Marriott Gold via match from Amex Platinum->SPG->Marriott moved up to Platinum status on merger day. After we had already moved all of the points from her account to mine. Ugh. I now had useless status and all of the points. She had useful status but not enough points to use.
I the meantime, I did *not* yet combine my Marriott and SPG accounts in the hopes that I just needed to be patient and in a desire not to muck anything up further.
But then, last Friday, the heavens parted and the skies cleared and my status magically moved up to Platinum.
Despite the fact that Marriott has repeatedly told us that status would be good until Feb 2020 and I don’t at all doubt that, I called to ask when my Platinum status would run out just to see what the agent would say. As I would have expected/predicted, the guy just looked at how many nights I have this year (which didn’t include SPG since I didn’t link them) and he said that if I didn’t complete X nights this year, it would expire at the end of this year — proving to me that he had no idea what he was talking about and that he wasn’t looking at any sort of date on a computer screen, but rather thinking (as one logically would) that I need 50 nights this year to have status next year. He’s wrong. I fully expect that what Marriott’s team has told us is correct in that status will be good until 2020.
So the end of the long story: There’s hope. It seems the IT is just moving very slowly. I’d give it another week or two before you panic.
Hey Nick–I really appreciate the detailed response as I’m actually in the same/similar boat as you. I hit my $10K spend after my July statement ended, but before August 1. I actually saw my Marriott status at Platinum immediately after merger day (I’m assuming from my legacy SPG Gold matched status), but was downgraded to new Gold thereafter.
That said, I’m hoping to see my Marriott status update from Gold to Platinum again, but will hang tight based on your experience. Everything seems to be a mess with their IT, so fingers crossed it’ll figure itself out as yours did. Thanks again!!
I completed my $10K spend on RC in mid July and after spending 40 minutes waiting on hold with Marriott was told by a rep that I don’t qualify for the conversion to Platinum because I got gold through holding a credit card. I don’t think that she could distinguish getting Gold through Amex vs. through Chase RC. I think she is wrong (and she checked with her supervisor) but I’m wondering if this has to do with the card anniversary date. Mine is October 1st. When I spoke to Chase about the status change, I was told it happens up to 8 weeks after your anniversary date. Chase says they can’t help at all and that’s up to Marriott to fix it. Super frustrating.
Barb, I am in the very same extremely frustrating boat as you. I obtained my RC card in 12/16 and relying on posts here and elsewhere I spent more than $10,000 on my RC card before July 2018 but my Marriott status post-August 18th has remained gold elite, and the Marriott Rewards agents I have reached over the phone have been uniformly unhelpful in getting this rectified, and even the JP Morgan Chase usually very helpful agent who called Marriott Rewards on my behalf was told the same thing MR told you. Of course the JP Morgan Chase agent was not in a position to plead my case. Hoping to get this sorted out in time to qualify for breakfast/lounge access on a trip to the JW Marriot Austin later this month. Had I put the spend on another credit card, I would have earned plenty of extra $$ value to put toward those breakfasts instead.
Have you made any progress with Marriott HB Guest?
What happens if you get the two free ritz nights after August? Do they still convert to Marriott points or do they remain ritz nights?
Yes, they should be 60K certs usable at any Marriott/SPG hotel that charges 60K or less per night.
Hi Greg it’s been a few weeks now since the merger are we still good on the elite status till 2020
I don’t have any reason to doubt it
Here’s my data points on this topic. I got the Ritz Carlton card on your advice before the deadline. I show Platinum elite status on the website. I also found a Ritz Carlton credit card website that says”Cardmembers who have earned Platinum Elite Status before August 26 will get Platinum Elite Status through 2019″ https://www.ritzcarltonrewardscard.com/privileges. “through 2019” has some ambiguity. When I called to make a reservation for February on the Marriott line, the person told me that my status would only last to 12/31/18. I called today on the Ritz phone number on the back of my credit card. Got a very helpful woman (I think Para in Salt Lake City) who made a notation on my file that she had looked up and confirmed that she shows my status good through the end of 2019. I became platinum elite 8/18/18.
Thanks. Good to hear
I have two free nights planned at the Ritz half moon bay should I cancel those and use them somewhere nicer with the updated changes.
Thanks
Charles
If you can find someplace nicer that you’ll definitely go to, then sure why not.
Got the Ritz card last month. Marriott status was already Gold from SPG match (credit card earned).
Merger day is here, and my status now shows as Platinum in the Marriott app!
Now hoping that it really is valid until February 2020 and not early 2019…
Same boat, Elizabeth, and a Marriott phone rep told me this morning that the system says I am platinum until Feb 2019. I am hoping it’s a glitch that still needs sorting out and they opened a ticket for me to look into it. I’ll be pretty bummed if the status ends a year earlier than I was led to believe.
Marriott is definitely having issues with elite assignments. I’d wait a week or two and call again to hopefully get the correct answer (Feb 2020)
I like your confidence in calling it the “correct” answer. Fingers crossed!
I am in a unique situation: I was gold at Marriott via Amex SPG Personal and Amex Plat and then on the last possible day got the Ritz card (to go Plat Elite). I merged the Marriott and SPG but didn’t get the Ritz card in the mail (I went overseas) in time to even set up a profile there (the number is on the card but cannot access any points). Post merger, I am only gold. The SPG and Marriott points are combined but they had/have no idea I have the Ritz card and cannot/will not answer emails to fix it. I’ve already paid the $450 fee but may have to cancel the card and get that back if they can’t get it linked into my Marriott account to ensure Plat Elite through that Ritz card, which is one of the main reasons I got it as I have several trips coming up and wanted the perks that come with it. Really hate to cancel it but I don’t want to have to try to convince them at the front desk to give me Plat Elite perks while waiving my Ritz card at them and checking in as only gold. Advice?
Have you tried calling the number on the back of your card? Maybe they can make something happen for you
Greg, any updates on being able to keep Platinum Elite until February 2020 after having earned Gold Status with Ritz Carlton Credit Card during 2018?
I don’t have any updates, but also don’t have any reason to think that it won’t last until Feb 2020
I received written confirmation today from someone in corporate guest relations at Marriottt that my Platinum status would indeed be valid through January 31, 2020. I couldn’t be more pleased (and relieved)! This is going to make a three week trip through HK and Japan significantly better for us!!!
Same boat here sort of, I had SPG gold from both AmEx Plat and from SPG AmEx spending. Then the day after I read the Chase RC card was no longer taking new applications I called Chase and product switched into it. In doing so I dropped the Marriott visa, my anniversary in September, so I assume I lost the 15 elite nights and maybe one 25k night that card granted on the anniversary.
I’m now after the merger Plat. They seemed to have made a mistake as I now have 6 club lounge certs, once I merge accounts I’ll have 50 nights, but 15 will be from my Marriott business card and 5 from my SPG AmEx big card.
I also made sure my affiliation was as a Ritz-Carlton rewards, in the RC rewards it list 2 elite night credits for each paid night. Ive checked twice with RC reps and once this was very clearly verified by my wife’s up coming reservations. I think this, Plat gift option of 5 elite night credits and the 15 night credit from the cards are only none nights path Plat left after Chase Marriott spending nights, rollover nights, stacking of Marriott Visa anniversary 15 nights have gone.
Re-reading this and wanted some clarification:
Got the Ritz card end of June, just met the $4,000 MS today.
I wonder how long it will take for the 2 Ritz night certs to hit my account? Truthfully, I’m praying for the 120,000 points.
And I guess we’ll just have to wait until after Aug 18 to really make sure that we get Platinum status because of this Ritz card? I already had Marriott Gold Elite because of the SPG Gold via Amex, so my status hasn’t changed in a way that I would know for sure that it’s true Marriott Gold because of the Ritz card.
Also, I noticed in your post that we don’t get Suite Upgrades because of this card? I did notice however, that i have 3 Suite Upgrades certs that got added to my account? Each one says “Club Level Upgrade Up to 7 nights.” Is that what you were referring to or is this something else?
One last thing, can we choose to use these upgrades after check in, if for some reason we don’t get upgraded automatically to the Club Level? I’d hate to waste one if we’d already get upgraded.
Lots of questions, but thanks for clarifying! I know it’ll be a busy few days coming up with this crazy merger!
Don’t set your hopes on a hundred and twenty thousand points. The most likely scenario is that you’ll get two one night certificates that are each valid at properties that charge up to 60,000 points per night. I highly doubt you’ll end up getting points. It’s not impossible, but not the likely scenario.
As for getting Platinum Status, Marriott has confirmed repeatedly that Gold status earned via the Ritz card before tomorrow will transition to Platinum Status. We certainly expect that to be the case. I’m in the same boat as you with gold status that was initially matched from SPG and then I also earned it from the Ritz card. We strongly believe that status from the Marriott side, which includes Ritz, will be considered before the matched SPG status. I also wouldn’t get my heart set on this all being correct on August 18th, I imagine there going to be some hiccups and it may take a couple of days for everything to get sorted out.
The upgrade certificates you see in your account are Club level upgrades, which are only valid on paid Ritz-Carlton stays of up to seven nights and you have to pay a specific rate in order to use them. They’re not suite upgrades. Yes, you’ll have to reserve them in advance and apply them to your reservation before arrival ( you have to reserve these over the phone because you need a certain rate code you can’t book yourself online). You would not otherwise be upgraded to the club level at a Ritz property. Ritz club level upgrades are always paid. Nobody gets them based on status. As a Marriott Platinum member, you will get club lounge access at most properties in the portfolio, but not Ritz.
As for Suite Night Awards, they are benefit that requires 50 nights. If you have stayed 50 nights combined between Marriott and SPG, you will get five suite night awards. The way Marriott handles suite night upgrades is that they’re basically like a request. You’re requesting an upgrade, and Marriott will begin searching for availability 5 days before you check-in. These aren’t guaranteed upgrades, and if there’s no upgrade found, the suite night awards get returned to your account. You need to have suite night awards to cover each night of your trip. In other words, you could book a 3-night stay as long as you have three or more suite night upgrades. You can’t book a five night stay and apply three suite night upgrades. You’ll need to have a suite night upgrade for every night of the reservation to apply them.
Hope that helps.
Any possibility of club level upgrades at Ritz for the unified Platinum status on award stays?
It’s not impossible that a particular Ritz property would see fit to upgrade you, but there’s nothing in the terms that would encourage them to do so. So… I’ll call it extremely unlikely