Barclay's Questions...

[Anonymous]

---

@cashorcharge wrote:

I hold the card below that...the Black Card and it's $495 AF.  I use the credits, offers, PP membership and in the end, the card pays for itself.  Pre-Covid I did a lot of travel...that has obviously stalled but as another poster said....you need to spend A LOT to pay yourself back for that one.

I believe the primary difference is % back and likely a smaller perk here or there.  Better options that aren't $995 per year exist out there and with Barclays.  If you're set on it and Barclays, inquire about the Black and save $500

Good Luck!

---

As you can see from some of the responses, the general consensus is that the Black card isn't much better (just a little cheaper).   It may "pay for itself" but there are many other options that for the same spend will be significantly ahead of the Black card.   Paying for itself shouldn't be a end goal, just a necessary condition, look for the card that maximizes rewards for your spend.

[cashorcharge]

Agreed @Anonymous 

The OP's question about income requirements, underwriting and SL are all important factors when deciding which card to get.

My impression was, OP is trying to maximize the preapproval by asking for alternatives within Barclays ecosystem.

I am fortunate that a significant amount of my monthly spend, is reimbursed so having a few cards like I do with AF's don't bother me.  Yes, I could retain some of that percentage back for myself or use it to pay for the card.  My AAoA is a factor for me as I've had them a long time so maintaining them helps in other ways.

[wasCB14]

---

@cashorcharge wrote:

Agreed @Anonymous 

The OP's question about income requirements, underwriting and SL are all important factors when deciding which card to get.

My impression was, OP is trying to maximize the preapproval by asking for alternatives within Barclays ecosystem.

I am fortunate that a significant amount of my monthly spend, is reimbursed so having a few cards like I do with AF's don't bother me.  Yes, I could retain some of that percentage back for myself or use it to pay for the card.  My AAoA is a factor for me as I've had them a long time so maintaining them helps in other ways.

---

Except we're not comparing Arrival+ to Arrival or Rewards to Sallie Mae. Those cards are either gone or closed to new apps. Barclays now focuses on highly specialized cobrand cards (most of which are lousy).

If I wanted the JetBlue Plus card, it would be one thing to compare its credit/income requirements to the no-AF JetBlue card. But a broad Barclaycard-wide question is peculiar. Asking whether it would be easier to instead get a card for RCI (a timeshare company) or Princess Cruises sets off alarms for a lot of people. The fact that someone would be open to such completely different cards with such specialized rewards suggests someone doesn't really have clear priorities in a card.

At $995, OP might as well buy a piece of actual jewelry to bling it up.

[wasCB14]

I'll add in a Barclays question of my own: How averse are they to applications from people with a history of what I'll call "unfavorable spend"?

That is, I've had three Barclays products:

Sallie Mae: 2014-2017. Lots of 5% spend. Closed after the nerf.

Arrival: 2015-now. Got $200 SUB, but spend then fell to PIN use only / minimal activity. TTM spend $5.

Aviator: 2018-2019. 60k mile SUB, $20 spend and one year's AF paid. Closed after a year.

But eventually I might want a JetBlue, Hawaiian, or another AA SUB.

[MrDisco99]

I got three Barclay's cards in 2017... CashWise and Wyndham which I churned for the bonus and closed soon after, combining the limits into the Apple card which I got to finance a purchase and pretty much never use except to buy Apple stuff.  They still approved me for another Wyndham card this year.

Funny, I got the new card while booking a reservation for last April that I ended up cancelling.  I got the bonus from spending on utilities and it's been in the SD since.

[AverageJoesCredit]

---

@Charmante wrote:

Okay, so first of all I just received a Pre-Approval for the Gold MasterCard (the Luxury card, coated in 24K Gold).

First of all -- it's a sexy card and I MAY accept it BUT the $995 Annual Fee is really pricey...

What is the Minimum Income Requirements necessary to receive this Luxury Card?

What is the MINIMUM CL offered on this particular card?

ALSO since Barclay's pre-approved me for this Luxury Card, do you think I would be approved for OTHER cards offered by Barclay's?

Which of their cards are the best?

Do they all have the SAME Credit Requirements? Which are easiest to be approved for?

Thanks everyone!!!

---

imo, stay away from this card and lender lol. Too much heartache  to be had. They seem very  itchy to close or balance chase your card if they see something on your report they dont like.  Paying $1k for a card that looks cool is your prerogative  but as im apt to do these days, with age lol, if i could buy a pair of Jordans for $300 or get 4 or 5 pair of sneakers for that same $300, im going with option 2. Id be willing to bet you could get more value from 2 or 3 AF cards at that price. At end of the day very few people who arent MFers, will be impressed with a card that probably outweighs your wallet.  Tbh, if it werent for the occasional  Barclays post i wouldnt even think they still exist which should tell you something

[AverageJoesCredit]

---

@Charmante wrote:

@cashorcharge You didn't answer the most important question: If I'm pre-approved for the Gold MasterCard, would I likely be approved for OTHER Barclay's? 

Which one should I apply for?

---

being " preapproved " for one card doesnt mean you will be for another. Also not all preapprovals are approved. Dont believe me , ask those who were preapproved on Amex only to be denied. 

[Hex]

Early in my rebuild I applied for Barclay and was turned down. Shortly after I received a preapproved mailer for the black card with a low (at the time) APR. The fee was just too much for me -I was tempted but never applied. if I had wanted to- I could've afforded the the fee but too much opportunity cost in my opinion.  About a year later applied for another Barclay Card and got denied. I haven't applied for one since. I think the Black, Gold and Titanium Cards are targeted at high income rebuilders. I Think they figure if they can get the annual fee out of you they can close the account whenever they get nervous so it's worth the risk to them. This is only my theory.