 TITLE: Can You Combine Credit Card Accounts? CONTENT: Drawbacks of Combining Credit Cards\n-----------------------------------\nBefore you reorganize your wallet, beware the drawbacks of combining credit cards.\n*   **Missing out on special financing**: Make sure you keep the card with better financing options (fewer fees on balance transfers, lower APR on purchases and the like) so you don't end up paying more for these options if you need them.\n*   **Balance transfer charges**: Let's say you are carrying a balance on the card you wish to close when combining it with another account. If you want to take advantage of a balance transfer in order to move your payments to the card you're keeping, make sure you understand any fees the transfer will incur—such as 5% or 3% per transaction (or $5, whichever is greater)—since they can add up fast depending on how much money you're moving around.\n*   **Losing rewards and perks**: Some credit cards offer specific rewards or benefits that others do not. Let's say you combined the Chase Sapphire Reserve® with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and only kept the latter. After doing so, you would no longer be able to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the Ultimate Rewards program's 10 airline and three hotel partners. Plus, those points would be worth just one cent apiece (rather than 1.5 with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®) when redeemed toward travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. You would also lose out on benefits like up to $300 in annual travel statement credits each anniversary year and the ability to register for Priority Pass Select membership and access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.\nIn the same vein, if the two cards you combine don't participate in the same rewards program (even if they're from the same issuer), you could end up losing any rewards you've earned but haven't yet used from the card you get rid of. END