How to Product Change Your Credit Card (And Why You Should)

Your needs change. Your cards should too.

Maybe that premium travel card made sense when you traveled monthly. Now you work from home. Or maybe your no-frills starter card deserves an upgrade now that your credit is excellent.

Product changing lets you swap cards while keeping your credit history, account age, and credit limit intact. It’s one of the most underutilized tools in credit card strategy.

Why Product Change?

Reason 1: Avoid Annual Fees

You have the Amex Platinum ($695). You no longer fly enough to use the lounges. Instead of canceling—and losing 10 years of credit history—you downgrade to the Amex Green ($150) or cancel fee entirely with a product change.

Reason 2: Get Better Rewards

Your income doubled since you got that Capital One VentureOne ($0, 1.25X). Now you qualify for the Venture X ($395) with its superior 2X earning and lounge access. Upgrade without losing your 8-year account age.

Reason 3: Preserve Sign-Up Bonus Eligibility

Chase’s 48-month rule requires you to not have a Sapphire product to get a new Sapphire bonus. Product change your Sapphire Preferred to Freedom Flex, wait 48 months, apply for a new Sapphire, earn the bonus again.

Reason 4: Access New Cards

Some cards aren’t available for direct applications but ARE available via product change. Conversely, some limited-time cards can only be preserved through product change.

American Express

Allowed product changes:

• Within charge card family (Gold ↔ Green ↔ Platinum)
• Within credit card family (Blue Cash Preferred ↔ Blue Cash Everyday)
• Co-branded cards within their families

Restrictions:

• Can’t change from credit card to charge card (or vice versa)
• Lifetime bonus language still applies (you don’t get a new bonus)
• Some cards have no product change options

Process: Call 1-800-528-4800 or online chat

Citi

Allowed product changes:

• ThankYou cards within family (Premier ↔ Preferred ↔ Custom Cash)
• Double Cash available via product change
• Some co-branded card changes

Restrictions:

• Limited options for certain products
• 24-month welcome bonus rule still applies

Process: Call 1-800-695-5171

How to Product Change: Step by Step

Step 1: Know What You Want

Before calling, research:

• What cards are available for product change from your current card?
• What are the benefits of the target card?
• What’s the annual fee difference?

Step 2: Check Your Eligibility

Some product changes require:

• Minimum account age (often 12 months)
• Account in good standing
• No recent product change (varies by issuer)

Step 3: Call or Message

Phone is usually faster and more reliable.

Script:

“Hi, I’d like to do a product change on my [Current Card] to the [Target Card]. Is that available for my account?”

They’ll verify your identity and check eligibility.

Step 4: Confirm the Details

Ask:

• Will my account number change?
• Will my credit limit stay the same?
• When does the change take effect?
• Will I receive a new card?
• How does this affect my annual fee?

Step 5: Follow Up

• Watch for your new card (if applicable)
• Verify the change on your next statement
• Update any saved card information if the number changed
• Set a reminder for the new annual fee date

Play 2: The Downgrade to Dodge Fees

Goal: Avoid annual fee without losing history

Steps:

1. Annual fee posting on Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550)
2. Call Chase: “I’d like to product change to Freedom Flex”
3. $550 fee avoided, 8-year credit history preserved
4. Keep earning Chase Ultimate Rewards (at lower rates)

Timing: Best to call 1-2 weeks before fee posts. Chase will refund fees if you change within 30-40 days of posting.

Play 4: The Business Card Shuffle

Goal: Consolidate business card benefits

Steps:

1. You have Ink Cash earning 5% on office supplies
2. You want 3X on travel instead (Ink Preferred)
3. Call Chase business line to product change
4. Same credit limit, same history, different earning structure

When NOT to Product Change

When a New Application Is Better

If the card you want has:

• A valuable welcome bonus
• A 0% intro APR you could use
• Benefits you’d get immediately

And you’re not concerned about:

• Adding a new account to your report
• A hard inquiry

Then apply new instead of product changing.

When You’d Lose Benefits

Some product changes forfeit:

• Existing points (rare, but check)
• Anniversary bonuses
• Credits you haven’t used

When the Target Card Is Worse

Don’t product change just for the sake of change. The new card should actually make sense for your spending.

The Bottom Line

Product changes are the credit card world’s best-kept secret. They let you:

• Avoid annual fees without losing history
• Upgrade to better cards without hard inquiries
• Reset bonus eligibility for future applications
• Adapt your wallet as your needs change

Before you cancel any credit card, ask: “Can I product change instead?”

The answer is usually yes. And it’s almost always the smarter play.