Chase Sapphire Reserve is changing... Alternative cards with high points for MVC maintenance fee payments?

[mountainboy]

Looks like some positive news re Edit Credit on CSR...

Chase Sapphire Reserve Enhances $500 ‘The Edit’ Credit + Adds One-Time $250 Hotel Credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business cards both come with $500 in ‘The Edit’ credits for prepaid bookings of two nights or more on hotels/resorts found on The Edit platform.

www.doctorofcredit.com

*From DoC:

*2026 The Edit Enhancement​

Currently (9/17/25), the credit is one $250 from January through June and one $250 from July through December.

Chase announced today that, starting in 2026, the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business credit will be two $250 credits which can be used anytime throughout the year.

This makes it possible to use the two credits on a single vacation, or even back-to-back, by creating two separate bookings. It can also be helpful for a family or friends going together – you can book two rooms and use up both credits on a single trip.

*One-Time $250 Hotel Credit​

Direct Link

Separately, Chase also announced for the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business a one-time credit for 2026 (Jan 1 – Dec 1). You’ll get up to $250 in statement credits on prepaid Chase Travel hotel bookings of 2 nights or mores with IHG Hotels & Resorts, Montage Hotels & Resorts, Pendry Hotels & Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Virgin Hotels, Minor Hotels, and Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. The stays will still be eligible to earn points in the hotel loyalty programs.

 

[mountainboy]

@daviator , any issues with your CSE? (+ how are things coming along with Citi in general & their CS for yourself? (had heard mixed reviews & nice to see if they are improving, so better alternatives from Amex & Chase for many of us)..

Citi Requesting 4506-C For Some Citi Strata Elite Cardholders - Doctor Of Credit

Many applicants of the Citi Strata Elite have had their accounts locked and a request for a 4506-C (Request for Transcript of Tax Return) has been sent in

www.doctorofcredit.com

 

[daviator]

@daviator , any issues with your CSE? (+ how are things coming along with Citi in general & their CS for yourself? (had heard mixed reviews & nice to see if they are improving, so better alternatives from Amex & Chase for many of us)..

Citi Requesting 4506-C For Some Citi Strata Elite Cardholders - Doctor Of Credit

Many applicants of the Citi Strata Elite have had their accounts locked and a request for a 4506-C (Request for Transcript of Tax Return) has been sent in

www.doctorofcredit.com

I’m happy with Citi Strata Elite so far.

They did not ask for a 4506-C from me, despite the fact that I have a fraud alert on my credit file. The application process was easy. They called me to verify some stuff over the phone to confirm my identity.

This is in contrast to Bank of America, who ultimately rejected me because they “couldn’t confirm my identity” – because I wouldn’t send them all 250 pages of my tax return. I continue to fail to understand how doing so would have confirmed my identity, and they wouldn’t tell me. Anyway, I’m done with them for good.

There are some good things about the Citi card. In particular, I think the 1.5 points earned for “all other” purchases is the highest I know of (the CSR, for example, pays only one point on random purchases. And the bonus points for restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights is a good deal. But for other times of the week, I find myself charging restaurants to my Amex Gold.

I have to be a little more strategic about which card I use for which purchases now, to extract the most value, but that’s not so hard to do.

Another nice feature of the Citi Strata Elite is that you don’t have to mess with getting and keeping track of a Priority Pass card (not even an electronic one) for airport lounges. You just show your CSE card. So that’s one less thing to keep track of. Also, they immediately dropped the American Airlines Admiral's Club lounge passes into my account. And I already used the 2H2025 Blacklane credit. I also booked a hotel stay via their portal (for 12x points) but unfortunately it was only for a one night stay so I haven’t yet used the hotel credit.

Ask me again in a year, but so far I am happy with both Chase and the CSE.