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Can You Get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus If You Have the No-Fee Arrival Card?

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    With the all-time highest bonus ever on the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, folks have asked whether it’s possible to get this card if they have an existing no-annual-fee Barclaycard Arrival card (not currently available online for applications).

    That’s because many of us who’ve had the Barclaycard Arrival Plus in the past have downgraded it to the no-annual-fee version after the first year.

    Unfortunately, Barclaycard now considers the no-annual-fee Arrival and the Arrival Plus to be the same card product.  So if you currently hold the no-annual-fee Arrival, your online application will likely automatically be denied.

    Use Miles From the Barclaycard Arrival Plus Toward Statement Credits for Paid Travel Purchases of $100+, Including Rental Cars!

    But it may be possible to get around this restriction.  I’ll explain how you can get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus with the no-fee Arrival card.

    Get Barclaycard Arrival Plus With No-Fee Arrival

    Link:   Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

    Link:   My Review of the Barclaycard Arrival Plus 50,000 Mile Offer

    For a limited time, you can earn 50,000 Barclaycard Arrival miles with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of opening your account.

    You’ll also get:

    The $89 annual fee is waived the first year.

    Barclaycard Arrival miles are worth 1 cent each for statement credits toward travel purchases of $100+, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, trains, and more.

    Booking a Cruise? You Can Use Barclaycard Arrival Miles to Offset the Cost!

    And you’ll get a 5% rebate when you redeem miles for travel.  So the 50,000 mile sign-up bonus is effectively worth $525 in paid travel.   The regular offer is for 40,000 miles (worth $420 in travel), so this is a very good deal!

    What If You Already Have a Barclaycard Arrival (No-Annual-Fee) Open?

    If you want to get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus with a no-fee Arrival, you have options.  While you’ll likely be automatically denied if you currently have any version of the Barclaycard Arrival, there are possible workarounds.

    1.   Apply, Then Call the Reconsideration Line

    Doctor of Credit reports some folks have had success with calling the reconsideration line after having their online application denied.  And if you currently have any version of the Arrival card, they will NOT do a hard pull of your credit report.

    There’s no guarantee you’ll get approved or even earn the sign-up bonus.  That’s because the terms and conditions for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus offer state:

    This one-time 50,000 miles offer is valid for first-time cardmembers with new accounts only.  Existing cardmembers and existing accounts are not eligible for this offer.

    In the past, this typically hasn’t been enforced.  But that doesn’t mean it won’t be enforced going forward.

    Calling Reconsideration Might Help You Get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, but It’s Risky
    Calling the reconsideration line can be risky.  Barclaycard is well-known for being strict about new applications and likes to see you using your current cards before they approve you for new credit.  And in the past, folks have had all their Barclaycard accounts closed when they’ve called reconsideration.

    Because of this, I do NOT recommend calling the reconsideration line.  Instead, let your application process and wait for a final decision.

    2.   Cancel Your Current Arrival Card, Wait to Apply for the Arrival Plus

    Another strategy is to cancel your current no-annual-fee Barclaycard Arrival card, then wait to re-apply for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus.

    That said, there are no hard and fast rules for how long to wait.  In my experience, it’s best to hold off for at least ~3 to 6 months.  But one commenter on Reddit reports being approved for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus just 2 months after closing a no-annual-fee Arrival card.

    And remember, the 50,000 mile offer is only for a limited time, but Barclaycard hasn’t shared the end date.  So you might miss out on the better offer while you wait.

    If You Wait TOO Long to Re-Apply, You Might Miss the Better Offer for Big Travel!

    If you choose to apply sooner than ~2 months from now, Doctor of Credit suggests waiting at least a week after cancelling your current card to allow time for the information to clear from their computer system.

    Bottom Line

    Folks who currently have the no-annual-fee Barclaycard Arrival (not currently open to new applicants) will likely have a hard time being approved for the highest-ever Barclaycard Arrival Plus offer.

    That’s because Barclaycard’s systems automatically consider these cards the same card product.

    Calling reconsideration is an option, but not without risks, because Barclaycard has been known to close accounts after calling reconsideration (especially if you don’t use your current cards often).

    A better bet is to cancel your no-annual-fee Arrival and wait a few months before applying for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus.  There’s no firm rule for how long to wait.  But because it’s a limited-time offer with no specified end date, the deal could go away at any time.

    Have you been able to get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus with a no-fee Arrival still open?  I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!

    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! :)