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The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card has become something of an open secret among award travel diehards. You can’t apply for it outright anymore, but anyone holding another Marriott-branded Chase card can still acquire this premium product through a simple product change. Do that, and you unlock a bundle of perks that often rival flashier, better‑publicized cards.
The headline benefit is the Ritz-Carlton annual $300 travel credit. On paper, it looks modest compared with the straightforward credits on other premium cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees). Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll see plenty of documented success stories where cardholders stretch that credit far beyond the narrow uses Chase lists in the terms.
Let’s take a look at how the credit actually works.
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Benefits of the Ritz-Carlton Card
- Annual Free Night Award worth up to a maximum value of 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Points. You can add up to 15,000 additional Bonvoy points to any free night award.
- $300 annual travel credit to use for baggage fees, seat upgrades, airport lounge memberships, and more.
- $100 hotel credit toward dining, spa, or other hotel recreational activities on paid stays of two nights or longer at Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis properties.
- Three upgrades to The Ritz-Carlton Club level annually on paid stays of up to seven nights.
- Complimentary annual Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,700 airport lounges worldwide, with unlimited guest access.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits per year to help you progress to higher levels of Marriott Bonvoy status. Plus, you can spend your way to Platinum Elite status by making $75,000 of annual purchases on your card.
- A $100 statement credit when you use your card to pay a Global Entry application fee every four years. This comes with TSA PreCheck privileges.
- Primary auto rental insurance, trip delay/cancellation/interruption insurance, and many other travel protection benefits.
- $450 annual fee.
Related: The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card Review: Bonvoy's Best-Kept Secret
Ritz-Carlton Card Travel Credit
The annual $300 travel credit from the Ritz-Carlton Card is comparable to annual travel credits from other credit cards. Unfortunately, the uses of the Ritz-Carlton Card travel credit are more restrictive, according to Chase's terms and conditions.
Chase lists the following as qualifying purchases:
- Airline lounge day pass
- Yearly lounge membership of your choice
- Airline seat upgrades
- Airline baggage fees
- In-flight internet/entertainment
- In-flight meals
What has unofficially qualified
Despite Chase clearly outlining what the $300 travel credit covers, what counts toward the credit is actually highly subjective. That's because, unlike with similar cards that use an automated system to apply the credit, Chase representatives manually approve which purchases qualify for the Ritz-Carlton Card credit. Because there's a human element, some employees may be more generous than others in what they will accept as a use of your travel credit.
Taxes and fees on airline award redemptions and even lower-cost airfare have qualified for the travel credit in the past. Airfare remaining after using a voucher or gift card has also been reported to qualify. I have personally used it for upgrades to premium economy, award fees on several bookings, and even a domestic flight on United.
How to use the Ritz-Carlton Card travel credit
As mentioned above, the Ritz-Carlton Card travel credit doesn't apply automatically. After eligible purchases post to your account, you'll need to call the number on the back of your card or send a secure message to Chase after logging into your account online. Specify the charge you'd like to cover with your travel credit.
I have had success with both methods of applying the credit. One time, I even asked the customer service representative to look at my statement and see if I had any qualifying purchases, which she did. Usually, however, they will ask you which charges you'd like to apply the credit to.
Your credit should hit the account in about five to seven business days and show up on your statement within the next one or two billing cycles. It's also important to note that purchases made by authorized users count toward the credit, but only the primary cardholder can request it.
Timing of the Ritz-Carlton Card travel credit
It's worth noting that the $300 annual travel credit that comes with the Ritz-Carlton Card follows the calendar year and not your cardmember year. That means even if your card anniversary is in June, your annual travel credit will reset in January.
And it's a use it or lose it benefit. According to Chase's terms and conditions:
“For example, if you pay baggage fees at the end of 2018, and the airline does not post the transaction until 2019, the cost of the baggage fees will be allocated towards your 2019 calendar year maximum of $300.“
Related: Don’t Leave Money on the Table — Use These Credit Card Statement Credits This Year
Final Thoughts
The Ritz-Carlton Card is closed to new applications, so it often flies under the radar. However, anyone with a Chase card that earns Marriott Bonvoy points can still convert to it, unlocking the richest perks in the lineup, even though it carries the highest annual fee.
Yes, the Ritz‑Carlton travel credit has its rules, but it remains a powerful benefit. When you maximize it, you can recoup hundreds of dollars each year, making the Ritz-Carlton Card well worth the $450 annual fee.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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