Hello, fellow or aspiring points & miles travelers!
In this article, I want to walk you through the step-by-step process you should be going through when applying for a new credit card!
I hear from lots of people that they are sold on the idea and ready to jump in, but sometimes you just need just a little bit of hand-holding to get you over that first hurdle. Plus, a little reassurance that you’re doing it right is always nice!
So imagine this article as me taking your hand to help you guide you through the process of opening your first (or your next) credit card!
Unless that’s weird…that might be weird. Imagine your movie star crush then…yeah that’s better. Okay, Here we go. 🤩
Step 1: Make sure you’re eligible ✅
Okay, so we’re assuming that you’ve consulted our top cards page and you’ve already picked out the card you want to apply for next. Obviously, you want to make sure you’re eligible before you apply for the card.
So the first thing you need to do is determine your 5/24 status! If you have no idea what a “5/24 Status” is, then take a break and go read this article that explains 5/24 status and then come back. Your movie star crush will still be right here waiting 😎
Alright, ready to keep moving? Great!
Once you’ve confirmed your 5/24 status, here are a few other things to check on.
Make sure you have not opened another card in the past 30 days.
Confirm that you’re eligible not just to open the card, but that you’re also eligible to earn the sign-up bonus. For most Chase cards you are eligible every 24 months. For Chase Sapphire cards specifically, you are eligible for the SUB every 48 months. This rule only comes into play if you have already earned a SUB for the same card at some point in the past. If you’ve never had the card before, then you are good to go!
Lastly, make sure you do not already hold the card as an authorized user on someone else’s account such as a spouse, or family member.
Step 2: Apply! preferably using one of the links on our site! 😉
Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, use the “apply now” button on our site to apply for the card! You’ll be taken to the card-issuers website to complete an application. Here are a few tips/answers to some FAQs :
For the income amount, always put your total household income, not just your personal income.
Double-check your address for typos! A surprising amount of people end up waiting a very long time for their cards to show up only to realize their address was incorrect (watch out for auto-fill as sometimes it can be more hurtful than helpful!)
If it asks if you would like to add an authorized user, the answer is almost always no! You can always add them later.
Step 3: If approved, call and ask for the card to be expedited for free! 💳💨
Once you’re approved, you want to hit that minimum spend and earn your sign-up bonus ASAP right? (hint: the correct answer is YES!)
Most people have no idea that most card-issuers will expedite or even overnight your card for free. All you have to do is call customer service and ask! This can be done the second your application is approved. They can even give you your card number so that you can start using it for digital purchases.
If you’d like a little tip on what to tell them when you call, here’s a quick little script for you:
Customer service rep: “Hello and thank you for calling Bank. How can I help you today?
You: “Hey there, so I’m super excited I just got approved for your *insert card name , I actually have some time-sensitive expenses coming up that I would LOVE to be able to charge to my new card. Is there any way you can expedite the card for me? “
Customer service rep: “Oh of course I’d be happy to! Can you confirm your mailing address for me?”
Viola! Easy as that! You’ll usually get your card in the next 1-2 business days. And you can start working on that minimum spend!
Step 4: Meet the SUB 💸
Your next priority should be meeting the MS (minimum spend) and earning the SUB (Sign-up bonus). Most of the time, there is a SUB tracker in your online banking portal or in the card issuer’s mobile app. You can track your spending in the app, and know exactly how much further you have to go before earning the SUB!
NOTE: If your card has an AF (Annual Fee), that fee does not count toward your minimum spend. So be sure not to include that in your math!
Step 5: Determine your next card! 💳
So what do you do after you’ve earned the SUB? Well, you start all over! Consult our top-cards page and figure out your next move!
NOTE: It’s also a good practice to keep track of your card opening date, as well as the date you receive the SUB. Start a google spreadsheet or download an app like travel-freely to help keep track of all of your cards!
What if I’m not instantly approved?
First of all, don’t worry, not everyone gets instant approval and it’s not a big deal AT ALL. If you’re not instantly approved, you’ll probably get a message that says something along the lines of “we need a little more time, We’ll notify you within the next 30 days if you’re approved.
What do you do? Call the bank’s reconsideration line or the “RECON” line.
If you’re applying for a personal card you can do this immediately. If you’re applying for a business card it’s good practice to wait 24 hours or so after applying before calling the recon line.
You can simply google the ”card issuing banks’ name + reconsideration line” and find the phone number.
Here’s another handy script for you:
Recon line Rep: “How can I help you today?”
You: “Hi there, I recently applied online for your *insert card name here , and I wasn’t instantly approved. I was wondering if you could check on that for me and let me know if there’s anything else you need from me, or let me know what the hold-up is?”
Recon line: “Of course, I’d be happy to check on that for you.”
The representative will likely ask for some information in order to look up your application. Once they pull up your application they should be able to give you a reason why it wasn’t instantly approved, which they can typically resolve over the phone. Sometimes it’s literally as simple as verifying your address!
True story, that was the holdup when I applied for my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. They just asked me to confirm my address, which I did, and then they said, “Great thank you so much, you’re approved and you should receive your card in the mail shortly!”
I was like, that’s it?! Yep! That simple!
Now it’s not always that simple but a few of the typical culprits are:
Needing to verify your income, in which case they may ask you to upload a few documents.
Too many cards (aka you’re over 5/24). Sometimes there’s a chance you miscalculated your 5/24 status. in which case you wouldn’t be eligible for the card
They may want to verify your identity, again with documents such as a driver’s license, a SS card, etc.
In conclusion
These steps are the basic building blocks for applying for credit cards in the world of points & miles! As with anything, there are always caveats and exceptions but for the most part when in doubt, stick to these steps!
If you have any questions at all don’t hesitate to send an email to: info@artoftravelblog.com. Happy travels!
- Matt Borsic