topic Can you request increase in sign up bonus time? in Credit Cards

Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Subexistence — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 01:33:30 GMT

My BCE $250 bonus for spending $1000 ends in 3 months. Is there any way I can request it be extended to 6 months. I've heard of credit limit increase, interest rate decrease, cash advance fee drop, and late payment fee drop requests succes on myfico. I've just never heard of any request like mine. It would be really helpful because I need time to spend up to $1000.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 01:43:56 GMT

Subexistence- No, they will not give you more time for any reason.

My best suggestion is spend as much as you can to get close. Then purchase an Amex Giftcard through American Express to fulfill the rest, that is kind of an extension.

Occasionally there will be a bonus offer to purchase Amex GiftCard in your Offers Section.

And

If you google Amex giftcard promo codes you can find a code for free shipping. Right now the code is: Freeshp17a

That's my best advice

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 01:44:48 GMT

it wouldn't hurt to try, but I'd say it'd be a long shot.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

sarge12 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:02:55 GMT

@Subexistence wrote:
My BCE $250 bonus for spending $1000 ends in 3 months. Is there any way I can request it be extended to 6 months. I've heard of credit limit increase, interest rate decrease, cash advance fee drop, and late payment fee drop requests succes on myfico. I've just never heard of any request like mine. It would be really helpful because I need time to spend up to $1000.

I can't say that I've ever even heard of someone having trouble meeting a 1000 dollar in 3 month requirement. I'm single, and my groceries alone in 3 months would come close...most utilities, cable bills, insurance, etc. can be paid via credit card. I do not believe American Express will extend that date, but I could be wrong. You may be the only person I've ever known that does not have 335 dollars a month in expenses that can be put on a card, unless of course you are having to try to meet that to get the SUB on multiple cards at the same time. If all else fails, surely you have a relative who normally pays some bill with a check that will give you cash and let you pay their bill with the card.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Subexistence — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:08:40 GMT

@sarge12 wrote:
@Subexistence wrote:
My BCE $250 bonus for spending $1000 ends in 3 months. Is there any way I can request it be extended to 6 months. I've heard of credit limit increase, interest rate decrease, cash advance fee drop, and late payment fee drop requests succes on myfico. I've just never heard of any request like mine. It would be really helpful because I need time to spend up to $1000.
I can't say that I've ever even heard of someone having trouble meeting a 1000 dollar in 3 month requirement. I'm single, and my groceries alone in 3 months would come close...most utilities, cable bills, insurance, etc. can be paid via credit card. I do not believe American Express will extend that date, but I could be wrong. You may be the only person I've ever known that does not have 335 dollars a month in expenses that can be put on a card, unless of course you are having to try to meet that to get the SUB on multiple cards at the same time. If all else fails, surely you have a relative who normally pays some bill with a check that will give you cash and let you pay their bill with the card.

I have a dining plan at my college so I don't buy groceries until the summer. I'm also pretty cheap. I guess adding AU or paying someone else's bill works.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

sarge12 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:21:11 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Subexistence- No, they will not give you more time for any reason.

My best suggestion is spend as much as you can to get close. Then purchase an Amex Giftcard through American Express to fulfill the rest, that is kind of an extension.

Occasionally there will be a bonus offer to purchase Amex GiftCard in your Offers Section.

And

If you google Amex giftcard promo codes you can find a code for free shipping. Right now the code is: Freeshp17a

That's my best advice

I'm not too sure if Amex pays rewards on an Amex gift card purchase...have you actually done this before? Edit...this is copy and paste from Amex cash back terms.

Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents.
An annual reward year is 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st; if your billing cycle changes, the length of your annual reward year will also change.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

HeavenOhio — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:14:39 GMT

Congratulations on the new card.

When I got the BCE, I took a $150 sign-up bonus on $500 initial spend. I wonder if that's an option.

If I could trade deals with you, I would. I had no trouble spending $1,000 pretty quickly.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Subexistence — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:18:40 GMT

@HeavenOhio wrote:
Congratulations on the new card.

When I got the BCE, I took a $150 sign-up bonus on $500 initial spend. I wonder if that's an option.

If I could trade deals with you, I would. I had no trouble spending $1,000 pretty quickly.

I did this to get my offer.https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/5iuht1/a_new_method_to_get_amex_highest_offers_the/

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

NRB525 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:36:38 GMT

You need to start a list of everything you could possibly buy, bills you need to pay, to then determine what the best way is to obtain it.

When do you buy textbooks for next term? Where do you buy those books?

At the grocery store, if you buy relatively small denomination gift cards, fixed amounts of $25 or $50 those can "pre-spend" funds that you know you will use later, such as gasoline cards, or if you plan to go to Darden restaurants or McDonalds or Wendy's or Five Guys at some point in the future. You don't want to over do it, but it can help with some spend amount. The reloadable or variable value gift cards often get called out, but picking up one or two small fixed value ones seems to not be a problem.

Do you have any sort of maintenance requirement on a vehicle you own?

All monthly bills need to go on this card. Do you pay for any insurance, such as auto insurance or renters insurance? Cell phone bills?

AMEX spend is one of the most difficult to get completed, because of the relatively fewer places AMEX is accepted. I doubt they will extend the time allowed.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:37:35 GMT

Sarge - That means prepaid debit cards ones that you're able to get cash from, purchasing Amex giftcards you cannot get cash from them.

I can personally confirm that you DO earn rewards on purchases of Amex giftcards DIRECTLY from American Express, and they DO count towards spend requirements.

As for purchasing from a 3rd party like a grocery store I cannot confirm it but I do suspect that if you purchase a "giftcard" with a Visa/MC/Amex logo that is NOT a "prepaid card" meaning it is reloadable, then you will also earn rewards.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

sarge12 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:47:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Sarge - That means prepaid debit cards ones that you're able to get cash from, purchasing Amex giftcards you cannot get cash from them.

I can personally confirm that you DO earn rewards on purchases of Amex giftcards DIRECTLY from American Express, and they DO count towards spend requirements.

As for purchasing from a 3rd party like a grocery store I cannot confirm it but I do suspect that if you purchase a "giftcard" with a Visa/MC/Amex logo that is NOT a "prepaid card" meaning it is reloadable, then you will also earn rewards.

That is good to know, but really surprising to me.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 03:31:44 GMT

Sarge - From the Mod on another thread:

Irish80 - "They absolutely do not code as cash advance and you'll earn any rewards on whatever Amex card that you are using just as if it was a 'normal' purchase"

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/So-American-Express-offers-gift-cards/m-p/4889896/highlight/true#M1427446

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

sarge12 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 03:41:50 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Sarge - From the Mod on another thread:

Irish80 - "They absolutely do not code as cash advance and you'll earn any rewards on whatever Amex card that you are using just as if it was a 'normal' purchase"

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/So-American-Express-offers-gift-cards/m-p/4889896/highlight/true#M1427446

Once you said that you had done it, in my mind it was settled. I originally did not know if you were speaking from experience or not. No further proof was needed, as I had no reason to doubt your word Matt4200. I was surprised that Amex allows this though, and it may come in handy to know. Thanks for the info.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

NRB525 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 04:06:38 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Sarge - That means prepaid debit cards ones that you're able to get cash from, purchasing Amex giftcards you cannot get cash from them.

I can personally confirm that you DO earn rewards on purchases of Amex giftcards DIRECTLY from American Express, and they DO count towards spend requirements.

As for purchasing from a 3rd party like a grocery store I cannot confirm it but I do suspect that if you purchase a "giftcard" with a Visa/MC/Amex logo that is NOT a "prepaid card" meaning it is reloadable, then you will also earn rewards.

AMEX Giftcards purchased from AMEX, yes, they would count toward spend. And you would pay a significant fee for them

The last paragraph is confusing. And I doubt it is rewardable. I have encountered grocery clerks who won't sell such cards to a purchaser (me) using a credit card. It could have been a manager who knew his stuff, but generally those gift cards or MC/VISA/AMEX cards with variable values are not really advisable to try in this situation.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 04:17:18 GMT

NRB - That's why I said can't confirm it but I suspect it should be the same. Some stores will not allow it just because or fraud concerns if someone steals a CC and buys that as a means to get money. But if a store does allow you to buy them, as long as they aren't the prepaid cards that are reloadable you should get the rewards points.

But just to be safe I'd recommend buying directly through Amex.

Sarge - Yeah I just like to have some backing so other readers can be certain this process is legitimate.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 05:17:03 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
NRB - That's why I said can't confirm it but I suspect it should be the same. Some stores will not allow it just because or fraud concerns if someone steals a CC and buys that as a means to get money. But if a store does allow you to buy them, as long as they aren't the prepaid cards that are reloadable you should get the rewards points.

But just to be safe I'd recommend buying directly through Amex.

Sarge - Yeah I just like to have some backing so other readers can be certain this process is legitimate.

Yes, I do this every year to meet the $6.5K threshold on the OBC. As Amex directly offers $3000 gift cards (for the same $3.95 fee as a $25 card!) this is generally the cheapest way even taking into account postage.

There is also usually no problem from Amex buying standard V/MC/A cards from a supermarket. But, if the OP is anywhere close to a $1000, consider buying one or more safe retail cards from a supermarket or drugstore, such as for Amazon or actual stores, that they can actually use. No extra fees.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 05:36:11 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
NRB - That's why I said can't confirm it but I suspect it should be the same. Some stores will not allow it just because or fraud concerns if someone steals a CC and buys that as a means to get money. But if a store does allow you to buy them, as long as they aren't the prepaid cards that are reloadable you should get the rewards points.

But just to be safe I'd recommend buying directly through Amex.

Sarge - Yeah I just like to have some backing so other readers can be certain this process is legitimate.

Yes, I do this every year to meet the $6.5K threshold on the OBC. As Amex directly offers $3000 gift cards (for the same $3.95 fee as a $25 card!) this is generally the cheapest way even taking into account postage.

There is also usually no problem from Amex buying standard V/MC/A cards from a supermarket. But, if the OP is anywhere close to a $1000, consider buying one or more safe retail cards from a supermarket or drugstore, such as for Amazon or actual stores, that they can actually use. No extra fees.

I have no idea whether this would work, but since Amazon takes Amex directly what about a gift card reload right on Amazon?

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Mattopotamus — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 13:10:54 GMT

Matt4200 wrote:
Subexistence- No, they will not give you more time for any reason.

My best suggestion is spend as much as you can to get close. Then purchase an Amex Giftcard through American Express to fulfill the rest, that is kind of an extension.

Occasionally there will be a bonus offer to purchase Amex GiftCard in your Offers Section.

And

If you google Amex giftcard promo codes you can find a code for free shipping. Right now the code is: Freeshp17a

That's my best advice

What a ninja idea!

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 13:38:47 GMT

@Subexistence wrote:
I have a dining plan at my college so I don't buy groceries until the summer. I'm also pretty cheap. I guess adding AU or paying someone else's bill works.

For future reference, when you want to get a new card with an initial spending bonus, it's a good idea to get the card when you expect to be able to spend enough for the bonus. In your case, I probably would have waited to get the BCE until the summer when you know you'll be buying groceries.

In the meantime, offering to get groceries for your friends and family and have them pay you back would probably generate enough spending. You're doing them a favor since you're getting their groceries for them, and at the same time you're meeting your spending requirement for the bonus. Everybody wins.

Re: Can you request increase in sign up bonus time?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:01:14 GMT

For sure wish I knew about how to get these best offers before I took the regular one.