Apply for Arrival+?

[Jaylima91]

Hello everyone.

Short backstory behind the situation. I have an Arrival that used to be an Arrival+. About 6 months ago I downgraded it because I didn't use it as much and I didn't want to pay the AF. I am very much interested in the Arrival+ at this moment but they won't upgrade my Arrival card. I may end up applying for the Arrival+ but here is my question. Do I have to cancel my Arrival and then apply for the Arrival+ or can I just apply for the Arrival+?

[csryang]

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@Jaylima91 wrote:
Hello everyone.

Short backstory behind the situation. I have an Arrival that used to be an Arrival+. About 6 months ago I downgraded it because I didn't use it as much and I didn't want to pay the AF. I am very much interested in the Arrival+ at this moment but they won't upgrade my Arrival card. I may end up applying for the Arrival+ but here is my question. Do I have to cancel my Arrival and then apply for the Arrival+ or can I just apply for the Arrival+?

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Yes, you need to cancel or product change your Arrival first. Otherwise, you will for sure be denied for Arrival+ due to having an existing card. The wait to get the best approval chance for Arrival+ after you close Arrival ranges from couple days to more than 6 months. There are 1-2 cases where on recon, credit analyst still approves the card for Arrival+ while closing out Arrival for you on the spot. 

Instead of closing out your Arrival, you could also product change your Arrival to another no AF card if there's such option. Please report back for your data point!

[Anonymous]

Just out of curiosity, why would you want the Arrival+?

It a 2% cash back card that can only be redeemed for travel and it comes with an $89 AF. If you don't already have a 2% cash back card (I'm on mobile so I can't see your siggy if you have one) wouldn't you rather app for one without an AF to maximize rewards? The 5% miles bonus is literally pennies on the dollar.

Blispay, Cities DoubleCash, Fidelity Visa are 3 cards that one can think of that offer 2% cash back on all purchases and it can be redeemed for travel or whatever else you want.

I guess if you needed a 2% cash back card with no FTF then the Arrival+ is your card but I don't think it would be worth the AF. That card used to be a good option but now that there are several no AF 2% cards it isn't worth keeping around IMO

All of this said with Gentle Effect!

[happypill]

Historically there were three reasons why the Arrival+ might be attractive.  The sign-on bonus of $400 was valuable and posted immediately.  Second, it was one of the very few early cards that had true chip & pin (rather than chip & signature that is common in the US).  Third, the 10% bonus on redemptions make it more valuable to folks who spent more than $45k per year on a 2% card.

Today, with the bonus reduced to 5%, someone would need to spend $90k per year to make the Arrival+ better than a no-AF 2% card.  Not sure if other chip & pin cards are available now, but it's really only valuable to folks who travel abroad a lot.  So really, the only good reason to get the Arrival+ these days is for the sign-on bonus.

[Anonymous]

The Arrival+ isn't a true Chip and PIN. Rather, it is a chip and sig card which has a backup PIN which can be used abroad. This is an OK feature but is it really worth $89 a year for a card that offers little else above the Citi DC?

If you really want it I'd just poach the signup bonus and cancel it.