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Which Sign-Up Bonus Will You Earn If Your Card Application Is Approved After a Limited Time-Offer End Date?

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    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. 

    Million Mile Secrets reader, Amanda, commented:

    I applied for the limited-time AMEX Starwood sign-up bonus on the last day of the offer.  But I was approved the day after the offer ended when the sign-up bonus decreased.  Will I earn the higher sign-up bonus?

    Great question, Amanda!

    Lots of folks wait until the end of a limited-time offer to apply for a card.  And this could be the reason your application isn’t instantly approved.

    But as long as you submit your card application before the limited-time offer ends, you’re eligible to earn the sign-up bonus that was available on the day you applied.

    Many Limited-Time Offers Can Quickly Boost Your Miles & Points Balances

    I’ll remind y’all what you can do if you have a pending credit card application.  And tips to make sure you earn the sign-up bonus you applied for!

    Why You Don’t Always Get an Instant Approval

    Link:   Card Application Pending?  Don’t Worry, Follow These Steps

    Link:   Why You Should Take a Screenshot When You Apply for New Cards

    Many folks who apply for lots of credit cards have seen a pending application status before.  I’ve written about the 5 reasons why your application doesn’t get instantly approved, including:

    With popular limited-time offers, banks can get overloaded with lots of new applications.  So they might move your application to pending to have more time to review it.

    If your application is pending or declined, I usually recommend calling the bank’s reconsideration department.  Because if you’re like me, you might be anxious to earn a new card sign-up bonus.  And waiting around for your snail mail to find out why your application is pending takes too long!

    A Quick Phone Call to the Bank Is Sometimes All It Takes to Get Your Application Moved From Pending to Approved

    Keep in mind, sometimes it’s not so quick.  For example, team member Keith once applied for the JetBlue Plus Card.  After his application went pending, the bank sent a request for additional information, including evidence of his Social Security number.  It took ~3 weeks, but in the end he was finally approved.

    Just remember, as long as you’re eventually approved, you’ll be eligible to earn the sign-up bonus that was available on the day you applied.

    Earn Big Travel at Hilton When You Apply for the Limited-Time AMEX Hilton Card Offers by May 31, 2017

    For example, you can currently earn the best-ever sign-up bonuses on the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express and Hilton Honors™ Card from American Express when you apply by May 31, 2017.

    The One Step You Should Never Skip

    Ideally, you can apply and get approval while a limited-time offer is going on, so there’s no doubt about which sign-up bonus you’ll earn.  But to avoid any issues, I always recommend you take screenshots of credit card offers during the application process.

    Bottom Line

    You’re eligible to earn the sign-up bonus that was available on the day you applied.

    This is good news for folks who apply on the last day of a limited-time offer.  Because even if your application is approved after the offer ends, you’ll still earn the sign-up bonus based on when you applied.

    To be safe, I recommend taking screenshots of credit card offers during the application process.  So there’s no doubt which offer you applied for.

    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! :)