@ptatohed wrote:What do the credit issuers themselves call it?
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@ElvisCaprice wrote:
Oh boy, the semantics are of little use to this cat.
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@redpat wrote:
Tomato, Tomahto.......
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@Vinjints wrote:
Kleenex. Bandaid. Is a hotdog a sandwich? Then you can talk about subs, hoagies and wedges.
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@JoeRockhead wrote:
Bottom line: Use “SUB” however the community uses “SUB,” because language evolves and nobody wants a glossary stricter than Amex’s RAT department.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
@1lifeisworthit wrote:
What fun! No snark intended. I can burrow into linguistic minutiae
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@odd_dog wrote:
Now the genie is out of the bottle (lol)...if a sub is not always a sub then cash back is not always cash back either ...
so I guess we are in semantics with these definitions
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@Patient957 wrote:
People trying to redefine the term SUB are just playing games with semantics.
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@mgood wrote:
If someone thinks the definition should be updated, sure, ok. If someone thinks I'm terribly ignorant for using the wrong terminology, ok. I'm not going to get worked up over it one way or the other.
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@Realist wrote:
The activity of acquiring something of benefit, in exchange for supplying something of value to acheive their value, is often referred to as the SUB. Right, wrong, or indifferent. This activity has morphed or blended into a blanket term of what we see today.
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@LendLong wrote:
I agree. The semantics don't interest me.
I wanted to answer your question, @ptatohed: "What do the credit card issuers themselves call it?" But I also want to answer the question, "Does the public at-large care what the credit card issuers themselves call it?!" 
Changes to language are often driven more by the people who use it daily, not the people who write the dictionary or those who initially coin a word or phrase to express a new object or idea.
Judging by the consensus so-far summarized by those quotes above, the community seems to agree that (1) the term SUB is mainstream for "new cardholder incentives"; (2) this discussion is an argument over semantics that no one really cares about: ie, they don't care what the card issuers themselves care to call their incentives.
But wait, what DO card issuers call their incentives? The reason SUB has become so mainstream is that (1) it is a short and simple way to express the concept of getting something as a incentive for signing up, even if strings are attached to that incentive; (2) Card Issuers themselves do not have one universal standard for what they call their incentives, if they name them anything at all! That leaves an opening for cardholders to assign a name, and that name has become SUB.
American Express:
- Usually calls their incentives "Welcome Offers"
- Sometimes calls their incentives "SPECIAL Welcome Offers" to differentiate a limited or targeted promotion.
- The fine print of the "OFFER" says "You may not be eligible to receive the welcome offer, intro APR offer, and intro plan fee offer ..." In other words, AMEX considers each of these as parts of the welcome offer including not only the points or cash welcome offer but also the intro APR and waived "intro plan fee offer."
Chase:
- Calls their incentives "New Cardmember Offers"
- Interestingly enough, Chase offers reduced introductory APRs but doesn't reference them in the same place as AMEX on the Offer disclosure. Instead, they are simply broken down in the "Pricing and Terms" disclosure. But obviously, they are promoted in the card summaries as an incentive for new cardmembers.
CITI:
- Strata Elite page calls it "New Card+ Limited Time Offer" of 100K Bonus TY Points. The Additional Information disclosure calls it a "Bonus Points Offer."
- AAdvantage Globe Mastercard also calls it a "New Card+ Limited Time Offer" of 90K Miles. However, the Additional Disclosure calls it a "AAdvantage Bonus Miles" Offer.
- If you choose, however, the AAdvantage Platinum Select card, you no longer get a "New card+ Limited Offer." Instead, CITI will grant you a "Bonus Offer."
- Let's apply for the CITI Double Cash or the Custom Cash instead. They don't even name their bonus offer in the headlines! "$200 Cash Back. Earn $200 after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the six months ..." The Additional Information disclosure, though, calls it a "Bonus Offer."
- Custom Cash has low intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. Its displayed prominently on the card highlights. However, they don't have a name for this promotion nor do they disclose it with the "Bonus Offer." But obviously, it's an incentive specifically offered to new cardmembers, so isn't that part of a new cardholder incentive or bonus by the very definition?
- How about a CITI Best Buy credit card? Again, there's no simple name to the promotion. "Apply Today. Shop Today. Earn 10% back in rewards on your first day of purchases at Best Buy."
- Now if you want a Home Depot card, that's completely different. You get a name. "Limited Time Offer." Save up to $100 on your qualifying purchase when you open a new credit card account. "PLUS" ... "No interest if paid in full within promotional period." So is PLUS the name of the special financing promotion? lol Nah, I think like Chase and CITI, they don't name their reduced APR offers.
Wells Fargo:
- Active Cash offers a "$200 Cash Rewards Bonus." And it offers a 0% introductory APR, even though like Chase and CITI, while they highlight that feature for new cardholders it is not named as an "offer" or "bonus."
- The Autograph Journey page states "Earn 60,000 bonus points ..." choosing not to name the incentive in the title. In the fine print, WF refers to these as Offers ("Offers may differ ... ; "This Offer is not a guarantee ...") In the fine print, WF corrects itself in calling the 60K Bonus Points as "60K Bonus REWARDS Points. Which one is correct?
And to further stir the pot, the ONE KEY Card calls the points incentive a "Rewards Bonus Offer!" The fine print for the Choice Priviledges Cards call the incentive points "INTRODUCTORY Bonus Points Offers."
US Bank:
- Cash+ calls their $200 spending incentive a "BONUS" in the headlines but then further defines it as a "Rewards Bonus." But the fine print disclosure also refers to it as "One Time Bonus Cash." Which one is it, @USBANK? .... obviously USBank, CITI, and Wells Fargo believe in the term "Bonus" when they all make you do something to get it.
- If you want the Altitude GO, you don't earn a "Bonus," or a "Rewards Bonus," or a "One Time Bonus Cash" incentive. You simply "Earn 20,000 Bonus Points."
- But wait!! US Bank disclosures state that "This OFFER may not be combined with any other bonus offer." Does that mean US Bank considers a Bonus an Offer and vise-versa?
Navy FCU:
- Typically calls their incentives "Offers" but sometimes they are "Special Offers."
- Some of the incentives are listed as cash back for a spending requirement, but they also highlight other incentives like a credit for Walmart+ membership on More Rewards or a credit for Amazon Prime on Flagship Rewards.
PenFed:
- Power Cash Rewards will grant a "$100 Bonus Statement Credit" when you spend $1500 in 90 days."
- Pathfinder Rewards doesn't name their incentive in the headlines but in the fine print they err towards "Bonus." "Accounts that are issued and approved will receive 50,000 bonus points upon spending $3,000 in purchase transactions within 90 days of account opening. Each account is eligible for 1 bonus at account opening."
Discover:
- As Discover's offer is unique, so is their new cardmember incentive terminology. Most cards use "Unlimited CashBack Match" to express how they will double your cashback earning in your first year. Is this a SUB - or whatever you want to call it? Of course it is!
- Discover usually gives an "Intro APR Offer" which recognizes that low APR incentives are new cardmember "offer" or "Bonus" or "SUB" or some sort.
Capital One:
- Venture card features 75K Bonus Miles as a "One Time Bonus."
- Quicksilver Card has a "LIMITED TIME OFFER" to receive $100 credit towards portal travel bookings. And a $200 for spending $500 within three months of account opening. However, they choose to call this "One Time Cash Bonus" in one place and simply "Cash Bonus" in another. Which term is correct?
PNC Bank:
- Doesn't call their cash incentive anything in the headlines. However, in the fine print, they use the terms "Bonus Offer," "Bonus," "Offer" and "Bonus (or reward.)"
Affinity Credit Union:
- Visa Signature card advertises a "$150 Cash Bonus."
USAA:
- Uses the term "Special Offers," (such as the Eagle Navigator's 30K Bonus points after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days)
- USAA also uses the term "Special Offer" to define introductory financing on their Cashback Rewards Plus AMEX.
This is just a summary of some of the largest US lenders. So do I see any of them specifically use the term "Sign Up Bonus" or "SUB?" No. Do I see the word "Bonus?" Yes, and often. On the other hand, do I see any consistency between them on what they want to call new cardmember incentives? Absolutely not! Part of the reason is that the incentives take many forms such as how they are awarded (cash or points or miles) as well as if other actions are required, such as spending $x within x days; spending $x within a travel portal (like with Capital One), waiving an annual fee, transferring a balance, or an undefined bonus such as Discover's "CashBack Match Bonus." Likewise, communicating a lender's choice of terms could become arduous on the forums and inhibit communication, especially when a lender uses more than one term or format! It just doesn't matter. Consequently, SUB has come a concise way to express any of the below terms and whatever others that lenders choose to use! 
- Offer
- Bonus
- Welcome Offer
- Cash Bonus
- Bonus Offer
- Rewards Bonus
- Special Offer
- Special Welcome Offer
- New Cardmember Offer
- New Card + Limited Time Offer
- One Time Bonus Cash
- One Time Bonus
- Bonus Statement Credit
- Bonus Points Offer
- Limited Time Offer
- Cash Rewards Bonus
- Bonus Points
- Bonus Rewards Points
- Unlimited Cashback Match
- Intro APR Offer
- Rewards Bonus Offer
- Introductory Bonus Points Offer
- AAdvantage Bonus Miles Offer
@Stuart89 wrote:If we’re being literal, almost all offers are “initial bonuses” rather than sign-up bonuses. The Amazon cards are just about the only major SUBs still available. Other issuers don’t even like the terminology.
No, @Stuart89, almost all incentives are not "initial bonuses." As a matter of fact, the card issuers choose a wide variety of non-standard terminology! See my posting above. So "SUB" or "Sign Up Bonus" serves as clear, concise, and unifying phrase to communicate a new card or deposit account incentive.
Length of posts? 
