Maxed out on welcome bonuses – what next?

[jgsamuel]

I’m looking to validate my rewards credit card strategy please, and if my read of “yeah you are maxed out on welcome bonus points” is accurate or not.

I have the AmEx Plat and BAPP, Virgin Reward+ at the moment. I’ll probably cancel the Reward+ in a few months (or downgrade?) as I’ve earned the voucher and don’t want to pay the 2nd year annual fee.

I’m eligible again for the Barclays Avios cards in late 2025, once the 2 years of not being a customer has ticked over.

I’ve held the AmEx Marriott and AmEx Nectar before, but the AmEx welcome offer rules have changed since (can’t get them if you’ve been an AmEx personal customer <24 months, which remains true as an AmEx Plat/BAPP holder).

I Curve Fronted to the VA Reward+ for tax bills etc, as I run my own company. CapitalOne reject the company, while it has a long trading history it doesn’t use any lines of credit, so I suspect it has missing zero credit worthiness.

“I feel like” I’m not left with many options now in terms of *sign-up bonuses*, unless I go down the:
1. HSBC Premier World Elite route
2. Business AmEx cards

Thanks for any thoughts/feedback or tips.

[PIL]

I am in a similar position and got the HSBC WE until I am eligible for AMEX/Barclays bonuses.

One to consider is the Barclays Premier account as it has a good switching incentive?

[phantomchickenz]

Do the Barclaycards have a two year cool-down period? Where did you see that?

[JDB]

phantomchickenz wrote:

Do the Barclaycards have a two year cool-down period? Where did you see that?

Barclaycard allows you to apply again six months after closure, but on the two Avios cards, you aren’t eligible for another SUB until two years after the closure of an Avios card.

Term “3.2 We’ll only apply one Avios Welcome Bonus in relation to your card to your BAEC account during the lifetime of your card account. If you close your card account after you receive your Avios Welcome Bonus and then open another Barclaycard Avios card account within 2 years after you closed the original account, you will not be eligible for another Avios Welcome Bonus.”

As we are now reaching the two year anniversary of the launch of the Avios Barclaycards, we will see how keen Barclays is to welcome back the first cancellers.

[Reney]

If you qualify for the business Amex and can meet the spend perhaps next time there is an uplift you can go for that and cancel one of the personal Amex to have a gap to requalify for SUB in future.

In your scenario people tends to get to a happy place and stay there or keep cancelling and requalifying. The latter will need good admin.

[jgsamuel]

Reney wrote:

If you qualify for the business Amex and can meet the spend perhaps next time there is an uplift you can go for that and cancel one of the personal Amex to have a gap to requalify for SUB in future.

In your scenario people tends to get to a happy place and stay there or keep cancelling and requalifying. The latter will need good admin.

I use my AmEx Plat a fair bit (travel, etc) so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to cancel and then re-qualify for the personal AmEx SUBs etc.

Hmm. Sounds like business AmEx then wait for Barclays Avios again!

Thanks.

[zapato1060]

@jgsamuel

Because you have the Plat. As per hfp.
You would need to cancel and wait 13 months before you can get a bonus on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum, assuming you meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business