Due to some large upcoming spend ($10-$20k range), I’ve been looking at available credit card signup bonuses. I briefly entertained the Capital One Spark $2k bonus, but $50k spend would be a pressure I’m not interested in taking on. I’ve already tried and got denied for the 75k Venture deal. I thought about the Arrival+ 70,000 bonus.
My assumption was that Barclays would deny me due to the suggested 6/24 rule on the Arrival card. On whim, I shot off an application, without quite deciding if I’d try calling in to get it manually approved (reports indicate calling in sometimes works to get a 6/24 application approved).
Initially, the application went pending, yet just 10 hours later they sent me an approval email. Score!
Looking at my credit card history over the past year, I was surprised to see how quiet it’s been. In December 2017, I signed up for the Schwab Amex for the triple dip (that card will be closed out soon enough), and otherwise the only card picked up recently was one Synchrony store card. I also did two business Platinum upgrade offers (50k for $10k) which took up much of my spending over the past few months.
Reviewing my totals, it seems that I have 6 new cards in the past 24 months: Chase Amazon, Merrill+, Altitude, BofA PR, Schwab, and one Synchrony store card (this discounts business cards which doesn’t show on the report). While technically a store card, the Synchrony card shows up on the credit report as a regular card. Chase reps can usually discount a store card from your 5/24 count manually, but the system usually recognizes it (last I know), and I’d guess Barclay’s system would act the same way.
So did I break the 6/24 rule? Yeah, sort of, maybe, depends if you count the Synchrony store card or not. We noted in the original post that there have been many reports of approvals, and that it never appeared to be a strict rule. In my case, the approval wasn’t instant, and may have been manually reviewed before approval; it may be that some 6/24 people are manually reviewed and approved.
Overall, it was interesting for me to review my recent credit card history, and I was shocked at how few new cards have joined my wallet lately. I may even be under 5/24 in a few months from now. Then again, the new Arrival sets me back one, plus, I’ll soon be eligible for a Citi Thank You bonus, so getting down under 5/24 isn’t very easy. We’ll see.
Related: Can I Get the Barclay Arrival Plus if I have the No-Fee Arrival?
View Comments (51)
Had you had the Arrival previously? Did you receive the bonus again?
Yes and yes
i m tempted...should i try with 14/24 lol?
You’ve gotta step up your game, Chuck
How can you triple dip the airline credit if you apply in December? Wouldn’t you just be able to double dip?
I think the strategy is open in Dec, get the credit, get it again in Jan, pay the AF next Dec. Get the credit again in Jan, then downgrade or cancel and they prorate the AF - so not a complete triple, but close. I know Amex you have to downgrade.
Or is Barclays not refunding partial AF's? I don't do many credit card deals, and don't MS other than bank funding so I am always struggling to meet the min. spend.
Congrats Chuck - Barclays and BOA hate me right now :(
what about cap one?
Cap One hates almost everybody :)
+1
Cap one is definitely worse, and they pull all three bureaus.
Denied yesterday for CapOne Savor, even though I have a mmkt and spark card with them, both with recent activity. YMMV. Oh yeah, BTW I am about 13/24.
forget cap one with 13 apps...i got denied for savor 2 months back for 14/24
I applied for s/o at 8/24 and they were approved instantly.
Does 6 correspond to new credit related accounts (like Chase) or does it include credit pulls as well?
Like Chase
You can't downgrade the Schwab Platinum to anything.
Interesting, I'd thought you can convert it out of the Schwab ecosystem into a Green card. Anyone else have a data point on this?
I know someone who called yesterday and was told there are no downgrade options. It's a co-branded card. Standard rules apply.
Interesting, so I'll have to close within 30 days to get annual fee refund or I lose it completely.
Same experience here, they said cobranded card can’t be downgraded. The basic Schwab is a credit card and the Plat can’t be converted. The agent basically told me I’m SOL.
Don’t make the same mistake I did!
Thanks, these comments saved me a chunk of money! I usually laze around and pay a month or two more than I have to just to try to please the Amex gods.
Were you going to wait a month or two and PC before realizing that you can’t, is that what you’re saying?
@guest_687808 yep
Can you update your article and cross out the downgrade? I scratched my head way too long before reading the comments.
Done
Exactly. The only time I've seen co-brand Platinums change to a standard Platinum (thus then able to be downgraded) is like the Mercedes Platinum being phased out.
I was at 6/24 and got approved at the 60k. They wouldn't match the 70k offer, even though it had been within a month.