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Think Outside the Box to Earn Sign-Up Bonuses With Different Card Products

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    Million Mile Secrets reader, Keola, tweeted:

    Can I apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earn the sign-up bonus if I already have the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

    Unfortunately, Chase recently launched new restrictions, which say current Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders will no longer be approved for a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or vice versa.  The same rule applies if you have a Chase Sapphire (no longer available to new applicants) card.

    But the rule doesn’t extend to other valuable card products that earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.  For example, you can still apply and earn the sign-up bonus on the Ink Business Preferred card.

    Earning Multiple Sign-Up Bonuses Can Boost Your Miles & Points Balances and Make It Easier to Book Award Travel to Destinations Like Cape Town, South Africa

    And it depends on the bank, but each card issuer has different rules for things like the total number of cards you can have.  Or the amount of time you have to wait before earning a sign-up bonus on a 2nd card in the same “brand”.

    Learning these rules can help you make the most of the new cardmember sign-up bonuses you earn!

    Applying for Different Card Products Can Help Boost Your Points Balance!

    Link:   Confused by Cards With Similar Names? Here’s a Chart to Explain!

    Link:   What’s Considered a Different Card Product?

    When you’re just getting started in the miles & points hobby, it can be confusing to hear so many credit cards with similar names.

    Although the names might sound similar, they’re considered different card products.  And this is good news!  Because you can apply for multiple cards with a bank to earn the same type of miles or points!

    Applying for Multiple Cards That Earn the Same Type of Miles or Points Can Help You Achieve Your Travel Goals

    Folks looking to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points can get the sign-up bonus on multiple card products, but there are exceptions.  For example, having the Chase Freedom does NOT prevent you from earning the sign-up bonus on the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

    But because of the new Chase restrictions, folks with the Sapphire Preferred can NOT get approved for the Sapphire Reserve, or vice versa.  And if you close any Sapphire card account, you will not be eligible for any Sapphire-branded credit card if you’ve earned a cardmember bonus on a Sapphire-branded product within the last 24 months.

    Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Are Valuable Because You Can Get Big Travel With Transfer Partners Like Southwest

    Some folks say there’s a workaround for this new rule.  Million Mile Secrets reader Derek says you can downgrade the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve to a different card product (like the Freedom Unlimited).  Then, you’ll be eligible to apply for a Sapphire card product and earn a sign-up bonus if it’s been more than 24 months since you last earned the sign-up bonus.

    I haven’t tried this myself, so I can’t guarantee this strategy works.

    One way to earn additional Chase Ultimate Rewards points is to apply for a different card product not affected by the rules, like the Ink Business Preferred card.  You can read my review of the card’s current 80,000-point offer.

    The Rules Are Different for Citi Cards

    Link:   Citi Rules Restrict Sign-Up Bonuses to Once per “Brand” Every 24 Months

    While you can earn sign-up bonuses on different card products with Citi, there are time restrictions.

    Most Citi offers say you can NOT receive the sign-up bonus if you’ve opened or closed a card under the same family of cards in the past 24 months.

    This impacts Citi cards earning American Airlines miles and ThankYou points.

    For example, if you’re a Citi Prestige cardholder, you’ll have to wait 24 months from the date you opened the account to apply and earn the sign-up bonus on the Citi Premier Card.  And if you close the Citi Prestige during the 24-month timeframe, the clock will also re-start.

    Bottom Line

    Many banks issue multiple cards earning the same miles or points.

    Banks usually classify these cards as different card products, which means you’re eligible to receive the sign-up bonus on more than one card.

    But there are certain exceptions.  For example, Chase now restricts current Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders from getting approved and earning the sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and vice versa.

    And remember, Citi has its own set of rules.  You can NOT receive a sign-up bonus if you’ve opened or closed a card in the same family of cards in the last 24 months.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)