How to Get the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (& Why You Should!)

Whether you stay with the hotel chain often or hardly at all, Marriott seemingly has a co-branded card (or two) for every type of traveler. To complicate matters further, there are also a handful of grandfathered (no longer available to new applicants) Marriott Cards out there.

The Ritz-Carlton Card from Chase is one such grandfathered product, but unlike most of the others, you can still get it. Since the card is no longer open to new applicants, the path to picking up the Ritz Card isn't exactly a straight line – but trust us, it's worth your trouble.

So, what's so special about the Ritz Card?

You could think of it as a souped-up version of the top-tier *bonvoy brilliant* – but even that might be underselling it. For starters, the Ritz-Carlton Card comes with an annual 85,000-point free night certificate. This certificate, combined with the ability to top off awards with an additional 15,000 points, means that you have access to properties charging up to 100,000 points per night.

But the annual free night award isn't the only reason you should have this card. It also comes with some awesome travel perks like an annual $300 travel credit, airport lounge access (including Chase Sapphire Lounges), top-of-the-line travel insurance, and more. In the world of ultra-premium travel rewards credit cards, this one is a true sleeper pick and one that's worth pursuing.

Let's take a closer look at what this hotel card has to offer, why you want it, and how to get it.

All information about the Ritz-Carlton Card was collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Ritz-Carlton Card Overview

• 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® Level each year (valid on eligible paid stays)
• Up to $120 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: Complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges for the main cardholder and authorized users
• Annual fee: $450

The Ritz-Carlton Card is no longer open to new applicants but can still be attained through a product change (more info below).

Annual Free Night Award

Since Marriott made the move to fully dynamic award pricing, there's no telling exactly what an award night will cost at a given property. But even so, having a free night award good for properties costing up to 85,000 points per night means that most Marriott properties will be at your disposal. And given that you can add up to 15,000 additional Bonvoy points to your certificate, that means that this free night award can really be used at properties costing up to 100,000 points per night.

This benefit alone puts many of Marriott's best properties within reach for a free night stay – including some ultra-luxurious hotels like the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Using this card's annual free night award (plus a few thousand points) instead of paying the $1,200 or more per night that these overwater villas usually go for seems like a pretty good deal to me!

While most people probably aren't going to get quite that much value out of their free night year in and year out, it's just one example of what's possible with these 85,000-point free night awards. And at the very least, you should be able to get a $400 to $500 hotel stay covered with very little effort required.

Annual $300 Travel Credit

Similar to its Chase cousin, the *csr*, the Ritz-Carlton Card comes with an annual $300 travel credit. Unfortunately, this annual credit isn't quite as easy to use as that of the Sapphire Reserve. But don't worry, just because it's not simple to use doesn't mean it's worthless – far from it.

The Ritz Card's annual travel credit is supposed to be used in a similar fashion as the airline incidental credits that you get with *amex platinum*.

Chase advertises that it can be used for things like checked baggage fees, seat assignments, and airport lounge access. But in reality, we've seen the travel credit work for things like low-cost airfare purchases, taxes and fees on award tickets, and even outright points purchases.

There's a catch, though: You have to call or chat with Chase in order to get the credit applied. Since it's an agent applying the credit instead of an automated system, this leaves the door open for some discretion as to what the credit can be used for. If at first you don't succeed with getting someone to apply the credit to your travel purchase, it's best to hang up and try again. You can do this by calling (855) 896-2222 after using your card for a travel-related purchase.

Priority Pass Membership

Many of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market today offer a Priority Pass lounge membership, so this benefit alone isn't too exciting – but the Ritz Card's Priority Pass has one key distinction that makes it worth discussing: You can bring in unlimited guests into the lounges with you.

Best of all, this benefit even applies to the card's authorized users, which don't cost you an extra dime to add. This is in stark contrast to the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum which charge $195 more each year for adding an authorized user.

Even the best card for family lounge access – the *capital one venture x* – limits free authorized users to four. This easily tops that, and then some!

Read more: The 4 Best Credit Cards for Sharing Travel Perks with Authorized Users

Chase Sapphire Lounge Access

Priority Pass Lounges aren't all you'll have access to with the Ritz-Carlton Card, though. It's also your ticket into Chase's growing portfolio of Sapphire Lounges – and once again, you can bring an unlimited number of guests in here, too!

It might seem too good to be true, but Chase's own access policies spell it out clear as day.

These Sapphire Lounges are run in collaboration with Airport Dimensions – the same group behind “The Club” family of lounges that you'll find throughout the U.S. – but Chase has upped the ante for its branded lounges. The designs are chic and spacious, complimentary food and drinks are a big step above your typical airport club, and there are upscale amenities like showers, wellness areas, and even an ultra-exclusive “Reserve Suite.”

While holding the Chase Sapphire Reserve might seem like the obvious choice for getting into these new Sapphire Lounges, no card provides unlimited complimentary access for less in annual fees than the Ritz-Carlton Card. 

Read our review of Chase's first U.S. Sapphire Lounge in Boston! 

Travel Insurance

The Ritz-Carlton Card comes with the same top-notch travel insurance as the Chase Sapphire Reserve. This means that even though the card isn't a particularly strong points earner, it's still a good option when paying for your trip to get some added peace of mind.

The coverage you'll get with this card includes travel accident insurance and emergency medical and dental coverage (up to $2,500) for when you or an immediate family member becomes sick or injured more than 100 miles from home.

It also includes primary car rental insurance up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage, so you can (and need to) waive the car rental company's pricey insurance policy and instead utilize the Ritz Card's coverage if you get in an accident with your rental. In addition to car rental coverage, you'll get roadside assistance if you need to call a locksmith, get a jump-start, or even a tow.

You'll also get Chase's top-of-the-line trip delay or cancellation and interruption insurance – so long as you pay for your ticket (plane, train, or bus) with the card. If your trip gets cut short due to a covered event, you'll be eligible for reimbursement of any non-refundable travel arrangements. You'll also be covered up to $500 per ticket if your flight gets delayed by more than six hours and you're left paying for extra meals and lodging.

If your luggage gets lost, damaged, or delayed, the Ritz Card has you covered on that front, too, with its lost luggage and baggage delay insurance. The insurance that comes with the card will provide reimbursement for your baggage as well as its contents (up to $3,000 per person) or for the purchase of essentials (up to $100 per day for five days) while you wait for your bag to show up.

How to Get the Ritz Card

It's pretty clear that this card is a winner and one that any savvy traveler should want in their wallet. But how do you go about getting it now that it's unavailable to new applicants?

While not as straightforward as filling out an online application, the process is easier than you might think.

Here's how to do it: You'll need to start by opening a different Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase, like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. 

Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (for full disclosure: this is not an affiliate link).

Once you have your Bonvoy Boundless (or other Chase Marriott Card) you'll need to hold it for a year. After a year with the card, you'll be eligible for an upgrade to the Ritz Card. You can request an upgrade simply by calling the number on the back of your card or even through the chat function within the Chase mobile app.

Don't worry about what to say once you get Chase on the phone – even though this card is no longer available, you don't need to use a secret password or any special phrasing to begin the upgrade process. Something as simple as, “I really like my current Marriott Card but recently heard about a different card with even more travel benefits. Are you able to help me convert my current card to the Ritz-Carlton Card?” should do the trick.

Another caveat with the upgrade process is that you'll need an available credit limit of at least $10,000 to convert your card. If your current Marriott Card doesn't have quite that high of a limit, you can always ask Chase to move available credit from other personal Chase cards to complete the upgrade. After the conversion is complete you can request that that credit be moved back to the other card if you like.

Read more: Which Marriott Credit Card Am I Eligible For?

Bottom Line

The Ritz-Carlton Card is a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded card that's no longer available to new applicants – but that doesn't mean you can't get it. With some of the best travel perks of any card on the market and an annual fee lower than most ultra-premium cards, this one is worth the extra work!