Don’t Buy Apple Products with Chase Ultimate Rewards

Until 11/15/2020 or while supplies last, Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points can be used to buy Apple products at 1.5 cent per point (CPP) via Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) card. Here is a quick article on why you should not burn your UR points this way.

Chase says that your points are normally worth 1 CPP normally but through this promotion you’re getting 50% more value i.e. 1.5 CPP. However, you know better, or at least you should.

Even though on paper, 50% more sounds nice, it really isn’t, given the alternative ways in which you can burn UR points right now. Obviously, the “great” values you can have through transfer partner is always there. You can also always redeem UR at 1.5 CPP through UR travel portal. But, the best way to get 1.5 CPP out of UR right now is through grocery spending.

A while ago Chase announced extension of Pay Yourself Back through April 30, 2021 which means it is even easier to achieve the goal of getting to zero UR points.

Through April 30, 2021, your points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for statement credits after using your card at grocery stores and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), home improvement stores and select charitable organizations.

And the best part is Chase will soon offer 3x on grocery spend.

You can now earn 3x total points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month from November 1–April 30, 2021, including pickup and eligible grocery store delivery services. It’s automatic—no activation required.

So not only can you clear $150 in grocery with mere 10,000 UR but also you can earn 450 UR along the way. What if you max the monthly $1,000 in grocery purchase? Well, you’ll be able to clear $1,000 charge with 66,666.67 UR points while earning 3,000 additional UR.

The reason I bring this up is because you don’t earn UR if you simply redeem UR for Apple product through UR portal. Additionally, you will not be getting price protection and extended warranty that some cards offer. Last but not least, the return policy seems a little weird, it reads

“items are eligible for return only if they are defective, damaged in transit, or do not math what was ordered. You have 14 calendar days to return an eligible item from the date your package was delivered.

For comparison Apple, like many others, allows you to return product directly purchased through them for any reason

For any undamaged product, simply return it with its included accessories and packaging along with the original receipt (or gift receipt) within 14 days of the date you receive the product, and we’ll exchange it or offer a refund based upon the original payment method.

Closing Thoughts

Burn on grocery instead. I am almost done emptying out one of my UR stash through spend at grocery stores.