Ritz-Carlton Credit Card Review: How To Get It

The Riz-Carlton Card is a hidden gem within the Marriott Bonvoy arsenal – but it’s unavailable for direct application so how do you get it? But don’t fret, you’re still able to get it through product change if you currently have any of the Marriott Bonvoy Cards from Chase Bank. You’ll need to call Chase and ask to product change (switch) your current card to the Ritz-Carlton Card.

Don’t let the high annual fee scare you, this card is very well worth it if you travel often.

Ritz-Carlton Credit Card Summary

• Learn More
• Earn 6x Bonvoy points for every dollar spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Earn 3x Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on dining, airfare, and car rentals
• Earn 2x Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on all other purchases
• Annual free night award good for stays up to 85,000 Bonvoy points per night
• Earn 15 Elite Night credits every calendar year towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status
• Get automatic Gold elite status, with the ability to earn Platinum elite status with $75,000 in spending per calendar year
• Three upgrades to the Ritz-Carlton Club each year (valid on eligible paid stays)
• Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
• $300 annual travel credit for things like baggage fees, seat assignments, lounge passes, and more
• Airport lounge access through Priority Pass for the main cardholder and authorized users
• Annual fee: $450

(at Marriott Bonvoy)

How To Get The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is not available for new applications but below we’ll give you the run down on how to get this card in your hands.

For starters, you’ll need a Marriott Card that is offered by Chase Bank whether it be Marriott Bonvoy Bold, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful, etc – the key here is that you must keep the card open for at least a year and have a credit line of $10,000 or more with Chase.

• Open a Chase-issued Marriott Card (not Amex)
  • If you’re under the 5/24 rule, it may not be a good idea to start off with Marriott cards since Chase offers far superior cards over the Marriott Bonvoy Bold, Bonvoy Boundless, or Bonvoy Bountiful cards – but if the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is your ultimate goal and you do not care for the other cards, by all means. But we believe it’s strategic to go for the Ritz-Carlton as the last 5/24 slot. You’ll find that Chase offers many great credit cards like the Hyatt card amongst many others.
• Keep the card open for at minimum a year
  • Whatever Chase-issued Marriott card you apply for, be sure you have it open for at least a year to be able to product change / switch.
• Credit line with Chase must be at least $10,000
  • Chase imposes a $10K credit limit requirement with the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card – so if your existing Mariott card does not have a $10K limit, you’ll need to transfer some line of credit from another Chase personal card to fulfill this requirement. You’ll be able to request this while you ask to product change to the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card – but if you already have a $10K+ credit line, no need to proceed with this request.
• After you follow these steps, you should have successfully product change to the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card!

Travel & Emergency Coverage

• Emergency evacuation and transportation: Up to $100,000 for medical services and transportation or evacuation if you or an immediate family member becomes ill or injured while traveling.
• Emergency medical and dental benefit: Up to $2,500 reimbursement for medical expenses for you or an immediate family member if you are 100 or more miles from home.
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to five days in reimbursement for essentials like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed for more than six hours.
• Roadside assistance: Up to $50 per incident if you need a tow, jumpstart, tire change, locksmith, or gas, available up to four times annually.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 coverage for accidental death or dismemberment when you use the card to pay for your air, bus, cruise, or train transportation.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per passenger in coverage for checked or carry-on luggage that’s lost or damaged by the carrier.
• Primary rental car collision damage waiver: Up to $75,000 in coverage for theft or collision damage to rental cars if you decline the rental agency’s collision insurance and with with your card.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip in coverage for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per ticket in reimbursement for costs related to delays of six hours or more.

Bottom Line

You won’t need to worry about Chase’s 5/24 rule with the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card since this does not require an application – just a product change / switch. But you will need to be under 5/24 to apply for a Marriott card. This will take at minimum a year so strategically plan this execution.

As a note, if you hold the Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card, this may affect your future applications of Amex-issued Marriott cards.

For more, explore our list of the latest credit card bonuses.

The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.