2014–2015 Retention Offers

[RussInGotham]

We can use a thread for retention offers. Basically, if you have an annual fee card, you can call the card provider to see if they can offer something so that you won't close the card.

FT has several such threads. Usually one per bank. Sometime one for a single card like the Starwood Amex. CB is more in the all banks, but for one year style, so here it is. For a limited time only, there is a bonus year for this thread! Post 2014 too!

 

It seems that the best offers are received after the annual fee has posted. 60 days after the annual fee posts is reported to be how long you have to cancel the card and get the annual fee back. YMMV.

 

Some examples of retention offers:

Amex PRG - 15,000 points, plus 5,000 more points after spending $3K

Amex Starwood - 3,000 points with no spend requirement
Barclay's Arrival Plus - Usually nothing but an option to downgrade
Barclay's U.S. Air - Annual fee waived
Chase British Airways - 9,000 Avios for spending $1,500 in three months
Chase Sapphire Preferred - Usually nothing but an option to downgrade

Citi AA Platinum - $95 credit after spending $95 within two billing cycles

Please note that even though the above have been reported, there is no guarantee that they'll be offered.

 

Please post the following info:

1) Bank

2) Product

3) Phone number used

4) Annual Fee

5) How long you've had the card

6) Your spend on that card for the previous year

[Cappy]

Nice thread!

 

If we could add actual direct phone numbers to this thread!

 

That would be awesome!

[RussInGotham]

Nice thread!

 

If we could add actual direct phone numbers to this thread!

 

That would be awesome!

 

As people post phone numbers, we can update it. For starters, here's a few:

• Citi: 1-800-444-2568
• Starwood Amex: 1-800-452-3945

[mrjuggalo9er]

credit one....nothing

[FromGoodtoGreat]

credit one....nothing

[Burgerwars]

Anyone have any for the Citibank American Airlines MasterCard recently?

 

A few years ago I said I would cancel and they offered 2,000 bonus miles. I accepted, but it's not much.

[RussInGotham]

Anyone have any for the Citibank American Airlines MasterCard recently?

 

A few years ago I said I would cancel and they offered 2,000 bonus miles. I accepted, but it's not much.

 

Depends on which card. It also may depend on when you call. People report getting better offers after the annual fee is posted. You can check out this thread at FT for what people have received.

Edited January 1, 2015 by RussInGotham

[RussInGotham]

Here's a blog post titled, "Retention Bonus Rules & Tips For Each Card Issuer Get More Than One Bonus Each Year"

http://www.doctorofcredit.com/retention-bonus-rules-tips-for-each-card-issuer-get-more-than-one-bonus-each-year/

 

 

Different Banks, Different Strategies

American Express

I call American Express every 90 days, and just chat with their CSR. Daytime hours are best, thats when the A-Team is usually working and they tend to be friendliest bunch. I ask for goodwill points, or extra miles. It helps that I been with them for 17 years, but I do cycle a lot of cards with them. 3,000 SPG or 3,000 Hilton points or 3,000 Delta miles for a 5 minute call is worth it. When your 1 year mark comes around, their standard line is that they do not reimburse annual fee. When you hear that, ask them to make an exception and offer to talk to a Supervisor. That has yielded 7,000 SPG, 10,000 HH or 5,000 Delta miles for me. As always, YMMV.

 

Chase

I call Chase about 60 days after I was approved for a credit card. Chase CSRs are able to check their computer and determine if you have an offer associated with your account. From personal experience, Southwest cards give 3,000 miles retention bonus around 60 day mark. So think about that Companion Pass, if you just need extra 6,000 miles after you spent $4,000 on your cards, well these retention bonus miles will help. Ink gave me 10,000 UR points at 60 day mark, United gave me 3,000 miles. Again, YMMV. Of course, at 12 month mark, make sure you do it again, as Chase tends to waive an annual fee if you ask politely.

 

Citibank

This is my favorite bank for retention offers. Traditionally, I call at 60 day mark, 180 day mark, new calendar year mark and 360 day mark. I been successful in getting 3,000 AA miles, $95 credit, and 10,000 AA mile bonus all on the same card before the first year was over. Citibank tend to load their retention offers around these day marks, new calendar year was just a recent discovery for me, but I was able to get some great retention offers for last two years, in January even though just two months earlier I picked up retention offers on exactly same cards. Who knows what goes on with Citi IT systems, but you may as well exploit it to your advantage.

 

Bank of America

I had great success and getting annual fee waived after first cycle closes. Think, Alaska and Virgin Atlantic cards, they charge a fee upfront, but once it posts, you can call BofA and they will usually waive it. You want extra miles, way about 180 days and call them for a retention offer, usually they will give you a few thousand miles.

 

Barclaycard

Not a lot of experience with retention offers from this bank. I was successful in getting US Airways annual fee waived when I asked, but aside from that I just dont have any other cards from them.

[Editor Update: From my own personal experience Barclaycard is waiving the annual fee on all US Airways cards at the moment. Its not difficult to get this fee waived at all. Theyll also usually waive the annual fee on the Arrival Plus as well, but you might need to ask to speak to a supervisor]

[FromGoodtoGreat]

Sub

[nateinva]

Do we have a 2016 thread yet?

1) Citi

2) Premier

3) Back of card

4) $95, waived first year

5) Only 8 months/statements

6) Ran about $4k thru the card, haven't used it due to abysmal credit limit of $2k.

Have soft pull link available online and that hasn't worked. EO would only do a hard pull to move limits from existing cards, only $8.5k total exposure with Citi as it is and that is much much lower than all my other bank relationships.

Very nice lady told me AF isn't due until May if I would keep it open and offered me 3 options. The one I chose was $1k spend each month for 3 months = 1,000 TY points and $95 statement credit.

I'm surprised they offered anything with the account so new but I'll take it.

She did offer to move credit limits from my other accounts using a soft pull only but she said she could only move $2.8k of my $4.8k Preferred card and the account would have to be closed. I told her that didn't make any sense to lose $2k of available credit and still wasn't acceptable. She really tried her hardest...I should've just closed it. I told her I got this card to replace my CSP but Chase gave me the CSP with a starting limit of $8k and Citi only gave me $2k. Told her it was impossible to use like this.

Already closed 1 turd today....$2k US Bank Kroger card. UW TU hard pull CLI request yesterday and they would not increase it due to "too much credit available from other cards". Eff em.....

[Witz]

Here you go

https://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=556978

[pwd847]

Called Chase CSP. I asked if there were any retention offers on my account. The lady seemed (or acted) like she knew what I was talking about and looked up my account ans said no.

 

Called Amex EDP. Guy had no idea what I was talking about and transferred me to the dept that closes cards. That guy didn't know what a retention offer was. I explained it to him he said that is normally a conversation that comes up around the time that the AF is billed. I was persistent and kept asking him if there is anything on my account. He kept talking about how my AF is good through May 2017 and I can keep the card open for free until then. I eventually got annoyed enough to end the call.

 

Since I am in the middle of an SPG promo and I still need to spend a ton more money I didn't call for the SPG card yet.

 

 

Not a great first experience.

 

Do you guys really just call up and ask if there are any retention offers on your account? Or do you act like you are going to close the account?