$800 in Credit Card Bonuses (Anyone Can Apply)

Two weeks ago I wrote about getting $700 in bonuses by applying for some credit cards. Well, guess what? It’s an even better deal than I originally thought… A sharp-eyed reader pointed out that, for two of the cards (the last two in the list, below), you may be able to get a popup offer for an extra 5,000 points by opening the application form and then closing it.

So, with that said, here’s the list of cards with the updated information for the last two. And keep in mind that, even though most of these are listed as business credit cards, anyone can apply for these cards. If the application asks for a federal tax ID, just use your SSN. As for the business name, you can use your own name — you’ll be considered a sole proprietor.

» Citi PremierPass Elite Level

Signup bonus: 20,000 points
Redeem for: $200 in store gift cards
When: After $600 in purchases within first 3 months
Annual fee: $75

» AmEx Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

Signup bonus: 10,000 points
Redeem for: $100 store gift card or use for travel rewards
When: After first purchase
Annual fee: None for first year, $45 thereafter

» AmEx Preferred Rewards Gold Card

Bonus: 10,000 points
Redeem for: $100 store gift card
When: After $500 in purchases within first three months
Annual fee: None for first year; $125 thereafter

So there you have it…

Five credit cards that will give you a total of $700 (possibly $800) in bonuses.

*Note: Four of these offers (worth a total of $600) has been cancelled and removed.

Published on July 16th, 2007 - 22 Comments
Filed under: Credit Cards
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About the author: Nickel is the founder and editor-in-chief of this site. He's a thirty-something family man who has been writing about personal finance since 2005, and guess what? He's on Twitter!

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22 Responses to “$800 in Credit Card Bonuses (Anyone Can Apply)”

1. 1
   Minimum Wage Says:
   July 16th, 2007 at 8:32 am

   Ah, so it turns out to be a phantom bonus. Sure, anyone can apply, but if you’re not approved, you’ll never make a first purchase, so the “bonus” is meaningless.

   Glad I wasted only the time to read this item and not the time to actually apply.

2. 2
   nickel Says:
   July 16th, 2007 at 8:49 am

   Um, yeah, that’s how credit card bonuses always work. If you get the card, then you’re eligible for the bonus – just make a purchase, no matter how small, and the bonus is yours. If you don’t get the card, then you’re not eligible. There’s nothing “phantom” about it.

3. 3
   JM Says:
   July 16th, 2007 at 4:35 pm

   Just so you know, I got the citibusiness premier pass and the reward is actually $135, not $150.

   You do get 15000 points on first purchase, but the trouble is, a 100 gift card costs 10000 points, but a $50 giftcard costs 6000 points. So you would need 16000 points to get $150.

   You can however get (1) $100, (1) $25, and (1) $10 gift cards for 10000, 3500 and 1500 points, respectively.

4. 4
   Dave Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 10:38 am

   Yes, I’m sure the credit card companies have devised the best plan to get the most money from the consumer. They aren’t stupid and don’t just give away free money. Not to mention what happens to your credit score after opening so many cards just to get a supposed $800! Why not actually budget and save your money instead of pushing for something free that is potentially harmful down the road (credit wise)?

5. 5
   Minimum Wage Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 10:38 am

   So why should I have to pay more than the rest of you who get bonuses and cashback when you make purchases? Sounds like redistribution from me to you.

6. 6
   nickel Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 11:17 am

   Dave: No, they’re not stupid, but consumers aren’t all stupid, either. If you go into these deals with your eyes open, then this is “free money.” Just do as directed: open account, make minimal purchase, receive bonus, and close account before getting tagged for any fees. It’s not for everyone, but if you can follow the rules, you can make a nice chunk of change. As for the effects on your credit score, I wrote about that here. It’s actually not nearly as harmful as a lot of people make it out to be.

7. 7
   Dave Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 11:27 am

   Thank you “nickel”. I appreciate you taking the time to write both this blog and responses to comments. “Free” credit card bonus money will certainly be the topic of conversation at dinner tonight.

8. 8
   nickel Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 11:34 am

   No problem, Dave. The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to fill out a flurry of application if you expect to be applying for a mortgage, or something like that, in the near future.

9. 9
   Patrick Szalapski Says:
   August 31st, 2007 at 8:32 am

   I got my 25,000 points from the American Express card, but I had to ask for them via their online e-mail form. Good news was they credited my points quickly after I asked.

10. 10
    sandra dragon Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 10:53 am

    I applied for the United Mileage Plus VISA Signature card several months ago. At that time they were offering 21,000 bonus miles and no annual fee for the first year. No where in the small print did VISA list a spending limit. Since I still have not received my bonus miles, I called them today and was informed that I have to spend at least $250 to get my bonus. They also reserve the right to change the terms of the bonus. So it is entirely possible that as soon as I spent $250, they will up the limit. Good to know.

11. 11
    klynnnn Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 4:13 pm

    Thanks – I just applied for the Gold AmEx card and received approval (and hoping its for THAT offer and not any others!) … also applied for one of the Citi offer and they are sending that determination by mail (not a good sign – but I have other cards with them so perhaps that’s why they didn’t want me?!)

12. 12
    a.c. Says:
    September 17th, 2007 at 11:23 am

    The AMEX offer is now expired. Activation was required by 9/10/07. I found this out the hard way after applying and calling to activate on 9/17/07.

13. 13
    nickel Says:
    September 17th, 2007 at 11:43 am

    a.c., according to their own website, the AmEx deal is still alive.

    If you look at the Terms and Conditions, it says that the deal is still on. Moreover, it says that the information contained on that page is accurate as of 9/15/07, which falls after the 9/10/07 date that they gave you. Note that they keep updating this page and sliding that ‘accuracy date’ back as time goes by since the deal isn’t set to expire until the end of the year.

    I think you need to call them back and get what you were promised because the information that they gave you flies in the face of what is written in their own T&Cs.

14. 14
    Kevin Says:
    September 22nd, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    When I called to cancel my three Citi cards I was offered an additional 3000 points for each card. When you consolidate all your thank you accounts into one then that means you only need an additional 1000 points to get a $100 gift card.

15. 15
    Brandon Says:
    October 30th, 2007 at 3:32 am

    just found this site. very cool. i just got the citi profressional card and got my 15000 points. gift cards on the way! since i have one citi card now, will also get points for the other cards too. i mean that would be alot of gift cards that the company is forking over. if so im gonna get the business and the premier pass! is the amex gold still valid?

16. 16
    Gruffydd Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 3:52 pm

    The American Express Business Gold Rewards card 25,000 bonus points offer ended in October.

17. 17
    klynnnn Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 6:14 am

    I received my AmEx reward gift cards in the mail yesterday – my Christmas presents for this year! Thank you again for posting the offer! (I was turned down for the Citi card since I already have several of them, but one deal out of two is good enough for me!)

18. 18
    elleonmain Says:
    January 10th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    Are you seriously suggesting that people apply for these cards just to get the reward points that can be turned into gift cards??? Also, you say that the bonus is for APPLYING, but you have to actually use the card before you get the reward! This view is so flawed I’m not sure where to start. The hit your credit could take, the fact that once you have the card you will most likely start using it (and paying interest). Sounds like a dumb move to me…

19. 19
    Ryan Says:
    January 13th, 2008 at 10:54 am

    elleonmain:

    By using the card, you could simply buy a pack of gum and that should count. Nickel already wrote about the credit score issue here.

    The whole point is that you DO NOT start using it and therefore, you NEVER pay interest. Sure, it requires some self control but if you can handle it you can make some money.

20. 20
    Zak Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 3:43 am

    I have a friend that wants to signup for one of these cards (the Citi Professional) but the Citi Card links aren’t mentioning a bonus anywhere. Are the deals dead? Does anyone else know of comparable signup deals?

21. 21
    nickel Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 8:06 am

    Zak: I’m not sure what you’re talking about. When I click on the Citi Professional link above it mentions the $100 gift card right there on the front page.

22. 22
    Zak Says:
    April 7th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

    Thanks for the quick response. I just realized that the problem was Firefox not opening the window correctly. When I used IE I could see the correct offer. Thanks!