(Video) Sunday Reader Question: Which Credit Cards Sign-up Bonuses Can You Get Multiple Times?
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
TPG reader Doug writes:
"I've gotten about 14 credit cards in the last year. I have gotten nearly all of the ones that I am especially interested in, and am starting to think about canceling some cards so that I can reapply for them down the line. I know the basics: keep your oldest cards to help your credit history, keep cards with good renewal benefits, but I don't think I've ever seen a consolidated chart of how long various cards need to be canceled before you can reapply and get a welcome bonus. That would be really useful."
You haven't seen a chart on which credit cards are "churnable" because the list constantly changes and there are a lot of factors that come into play. Here is my understanding of each issuer, though please feel free to share your experiences with each so we can get a better understanding of what others have been able to accomplish:
American Express: Amex is very up-front with the rules around getting a bonus on their charge cards. On most applications, there will be a box that states the eligibility requirements for the bonus. For example, to get The Platinum Card® from American Express bonus: "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months or any Consumer ZYNC®, Green or Gold Card account within the last 90 days." The "have had this product" is a little vague, but to be safe I always interpret that to mean "have had the product open," so I always like to have closed the account before that time frame. Credit card applications (like the Starwood Amex and Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express) generally do not come with bonus disclaimers, but my understanding is that you can get the same card bonus about every two years. You can get both personal and business versions of the same card - I got both the Starwood Personal and Business cards on the same day this August.
Bank of America: No limit to how many times you can get a card. You can apply for a new one, even if you have one currently open.
Barclay's: Pretty flexible, but the rule of thumb is to wait at least 90 days between applications. Barclay's is known for approving people for cards and then actually giving them a lower/less lucrative bonus. If you are denied for a duplicate card (I know many people who have gotten US Airways cards several times), you can always call the reconsideration line at 1-866-369-1283.
Capital One: Pretty strict with getting multiple bonuses (though they rarely run lucrative promotions, so it generally isn't an issue). When they ran the 100,000 points on the Venture card again this year, some people tried getting it again and were denied.
Chase:Technically one bonus offer per customer, per lifetime. However, you can have multiple products within the same line of cards. For example, I had the old Ink "Business Exclusives" card that was discontinued last November. When they launched the Ink Bold, I was approved and then I also got the Ink Plus credit card this year when it was launched. Same goes for the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Preferred MasterCard. Same goes for the old United and Continental cards - if you had one before they launched the new United MileagePlus Explorer Card, you can still get the Explorer card sign-up bonus. You may need to call the reconsideration line to get approved (and give them a good reason why you'd need the new card), but many of us have had success with convincing reps or shifting around existing credit lines if needed.
Citi: 18+ months in between applications for the same card and at least 61 days between rounds of applications.
US Bank: US Bank is probably one of the strictest credit card companies and they will reject you even if you have stellar credit, but have too many recent inquiries.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.