What to do with Barclay's Arrival+?

[Shock]

 Heres the deal:

As of today, my Arrival+ is my everyday card. Can't complain on double miles for every purchase. i love the card and its my first WEMC ever. 

However, the annual fee will hit next May. Based on my calculations, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would need to spend $5k in order to negate the annual fee. I multiplied 5000 by 0.02 percent or miles and got 100. Annual fee is 95..is this correct?

I was going to eat it until the Double Cash came out. Now I can effectively get 2% cash back with no caps (for now) or annual fees. 

I don't want to lose my 7.5k line, and hopefully get a CLI on my 6th statement, so my plan was to app for the Sallie Mae and move the all of the line over and close of the Arrival.

Thoughts?

[jsucool76]

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@Shock wrote:

 Heres the deal:

As of today, my Arrival+ is my everyday card. Can't complain on double miles for every purchase. i love the card and its my first WEMC ever. 

However, the annual fee will hit next May. Based on my calculations, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would need to spend $5k in order to negate the annual fee. I multiplied 5000 by 0.02 percent or miles and got 100. Annual fee is 95..is this correct?

I was going to eat it until the Double Cash came out. Now I can effectively get 2% cash back with no caps (for now) or annual fees. 

I don't want to lose my 7.5k line, and hopefully get a CLI on my 6th statement, so my plan was to app for the Sallie Mae and move the all of the line over and close of the Arrival.

Thoughts?

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You could also just attempt to PC it to the sallie mae, or downgrade it to the no AF arrival. 

[skigirl916]

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@jsucool76 wrote:

You could also just attempt to PC it to the sallie mae, or downgrade it to the no AF arrival. 

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Is that possible across all cards?  Like the Venture downgraded to the VO before the AF hits?  Or CSP to CS?

[jsucool76]

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@skigirl916 wrote:

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@jsucool76 wrote:

You could also just attempt to PC it to the sallie mae, or downgrade it to the no AF arrival. 

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Is that possible across all cards?  Like the Venture downgraded to the VO before the AF hits?  Or CSP to CS?

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For the most part, yes. Venture can be downgraded, as can CSP, and the arrival+ can be downgraded as well. 

[Kenny]

I thought the AF is 89?

[jsucool76]

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@KennyRS wrote:
I thought the AF is 89?

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It is. CSP is $95, Arrival+ is $89

[Kenny]

I'm curious what the magic number is in which the Arrival + makes more sense than the Double Cash or Fidelity Amex.

[jsucool76]

The arrival will never make more sense. The arrival+ is basically a 2% back card, redeemable for travel only.

The double cash and fid Amex are 2% cards which you can redeem for cash, and then spend on travel if you so choose.

With the arrival you get the (either 10 or 20% I don't remember) points back when you redeem, but I don't think that little bit extra is worth $90 personally.

Definitely worth the first year for the sign up bonus though.

[trumpet-205]

You need to spend avg. $3.7K per month in order to earn more rewards than Double Cash and Fidelity AMEX. Don't just look at braking AF even, but the point where you earn more rewards than others.

Here is the math,

0.022x - $89 = 0.02x

0.002x = $89

x = $44,500

$44,500 / 12 months = avg. $3,708 per month

Spend less than that, and your AF will caused you to earn less rewards overall.

[Anonymous]

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@trumpet-205 wrote:

You need to spend avg. $3.7K per month in order to earn more rewards than Double Cash and Fidelity AMEX. Don't just look at braking AF even, but the point where you earn more rewards than others.

Here is the math,

0.022x - $89 = 0.02x

0.002x = $89

x = $44,500

$44,500 / 12 months = avg. $3,708 per month

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Right.  Some have complained that is a little simplistic, as it ignores the FTF on the other cards, and the WEMC features available.   But on the other hand, FIdelity and DC have unrestricted redemption vs travel only, so it's more or less fair.