How to request a welcome bonus match
Limited time offers
Sometimes in the points and miles world, credit card companies offer increased welcome bonuses as a limited-time promotion. It’s exciting when you see one of these promotions for a card you’re already planning to apply for - when that happens, you should jump on it and apply ASAP!
But what happens when you apply for a card, and just days or weeks later, a promotion comes out offering a higher welcome bonus? Is there anything you can do? Or do you chalk it up to bad timing and move on?
Whatever you do, do not cancel your new credit card and apply for it again to earn the bigger welcome bonus! Canceling a credit card before you’ve had it a full year is a major no-no. But don’t worry, there’s a better solution.
Just last week, Chase released an increased welcome bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which is our #1 recommended card for beginners. The typical welcome bonus is 60,000 points and the increased offer is 75,000 points - not an insignificant amount. I immediately messaged our friends and family who recently applied for this card to explain how they can request an offer match!
When to request an offer match
But first, when should you make a request for an offer match? We make a request anytime we see an increased welcome bonus for a card that we haven’t met the minimum spend on yet. In other words, if we apply for a card and then see the increased offer anywhere from one day to three-ish months later, we reach out to the bank and make a request. More often than not, the banks have granted our requests for the increased offer.
How to request an offer match
I believe it’s always worth reaching out and asking in this scenario. It just takes a couple minutes. If they say no, oh well…it was worth a try. If they say yes, you’ll be so happy you asked! Who doesn’t love getting extra points??
You can either call the bank to speak to a customer service representative or you can reach out electronically (use the chat feature if there is one, or send a secure message via the bank’s website or app). Personally, I go for the electronic method whenever possible. 😉
Below, I’ll walk you through the process for Chase. They don’t have an online chat feature, but it’s very simple to send a secure message via their website or app.
Click on the Profile & Settings icon in the top right-hand corner.
Click on the Secure Message Center option.
Select the New Message option.
Select the relevant card from your menu drop-down and type your request into the message field. An example message is included above. Then, submit your message and await Chase’s response.
What comes next
In our experience, Chase usually takes about a day to respond back via secure message. You’ll either receive a push notification or an email when they respond, asking you to log into your app and review the message. You’ll just navigate back to the Secure Message Center to view it.
The customer service representative will either tell you a) yes, they’re happy to match the offer and you’ll see the increased points in your account once you meet the minimum spend, or b) no, the offer is for new credit card applications only. If their response is the latter, don’t stress. The banks don’t approve these requests 100% of the time. But, a silver lining moment: if you have a Player 2 who doesn’t already have the card, now would be a great time to refer them! You can earn the referral points, they can earn the increased welcome offer, and you can combine your points together. (Note: Sometimes, it takes several days for personal referral links to reflect the limited-time bonus offer. Don’t have your Player 2 apply if your referral link is showing the regular offer. Give it a little more time and try the link again.)
If you make a request for an increased welcome offer using our suggested process above, let us know how it goes! Good luck and we’re here for any questions!
❤️ Liz
