A breakdown of who can apply for what
It's confusing - I will help you! And also -- the #1 card for points travel has an elevated bonus (again)...
When I work, I can’t listen to music - can you? If so, I am JEALOUS!
There’s always a lot of info and thoughts swirling around in my mind and I feel calmer when it’s quiet and I’m not hearing other voices and sounds.
It’s hard to concentrate and focus on anything when there’s a lot of noise (even if it’s noise I may like in other circumstances).
My goal with Brooklyn Family Travelers is to be that calm voice that tells you what you need to know so you can go back to everything else you’re doing. We are all busy! I want to take something off your plate and make your life easier, more fulfilling, and your travel much, much cheaper.
So, here we are with a ton of credit card info coming from every direction. Even if your personal algorithm doesn’t look exactly like mine (ads for cute summer dresses, parenting tips, devastating news, travel inspo and a million posts and emails about points and miles), you’ve probably seen various ads or posts about the credit card offers that I’ve been writing about.
My plan today? To break it down in a way that’s easy for you to quickly understand and do what’s best for you and your travels.
And a reminder that when you apply for any cards, if you choose to use my links instead of applying at the bank directly, it supports what I do and doesn’t cost you anything! I appreciate it more than you know 🖤
Before getting into all of this — and I can’t believe I am writing this — but buried in the news of yesterday was yet ANOTHER giant offer from the same bank!
The #1 travel card that I posted about at great length (sorry/you’re welcome) that many of you snapped up weeks ago, now has another elevated bonus of 75K points. That’s a great offer! If you didn’t grab it then, or are new here and just hearing about this, don’t miss your chance to get it now.
75K points for a $95 annual fee card after spending $5K in 3 months? A great deal!
Click the SECOND card under “Our Favorite Personal Cards” HERE to apply. Thanks for using my link!
Here are the cards we’re talking about today (and their respective elevated bonuses):
The top-tier card: 100K bonus + $500 promo travel credit, $795 annual fee (was $550), $5K spend. It’s the FIRST card in the favorite personal cards button here.
The NEW business card: 200K bonus (!!) $795 annual fee, $30K spend in 6 months. It’s the FIRST card in the favorite business cards button here.
The #1 travel card: 75K bonus, $5K spend, $95 annual fee (had a 100K temporary bonus, then it dropped back to 60K and now it’s at 75K! Who can keep up?!). It’s the SECOND card in the personal card button here.
Ok, got that? Sorry to not mention names. It’s the affiliate rules! But are you following? These are the cards:
#1 card
Top-tier card
New business card!
Need names? Message me and I will share them! I am here for you!
Today, I’m breaking down various scenarios to help you understand what you may be eligible for.
Ready? Let’s go! See if you can find yourself in one (or more) of these scenarios below and comment below with any Qs:
Scenario 1: You don’t have any of these cards from this card “family”.
The world is your oyster! You are eligible for either of the personal AND the business card.
You will need to choose which personal card to apply for as you cannot have both at the same time. If, down the line, you would like the other, you could wait a year and then downgrade, reapply and then get the bonus on the other card (assuming they don’t change the rules again). This is good news!
If you want BOTH the personal and the business, I’d go for the business first, wait 30 days and then apply for the personal.
Scenario 2: You already have the $795 annual fee card (probably at a fee of $550):
If you’ve never had the lower tier card (the second card in the same link) you can downgrade your card to a free version if you’ve had it more than a year (I have specific instructions for this, DM me!) and then you’ll be able to apply for the lower tier card and earn the 75K point bonus.
You cannot likely earn the bonus again on the card you already have by downgrading and reapplying for it (boooo — rules changed — we are not happy!).
You do not want to downgrade to the lower tier version if you’ve never had it as this will forfeit your opportunity to get the bonus on that card in the future.
You are eligible for the business version of this card (or any of the other business cards) if you are eligible for business cards (most people are and don’t realize it!). It’s the first card in the favorite business cards button here.
Because the rules are weird and confusing and say a lot of things like “you may not be eligible”, etc., it also means you MAY be eligible. In the next week as more people try to apply and see what happens, we’ll get a better sense of these trends and I will report back! There is now a pop-up window that will tell you if you are eligible for the bonus before you submit the application so there is no harm in trying! (Perhaps just a few minutes of your life lost to an application but if it’s preventing you from doom scrolling then you can thank me later!).
Scenario 3: You already have the #1 travel card (the one that had the 100K bonus recently) and has a $95 annual fee.
If you’ve never had the higher tier card (the first card in the link above) you can downgrade your card to a free version if you’ve had the card for more than a year (I have specific instructions for this, DM me!) and then you’ll be able to apply for the higher tier card and earn the 100K point bonus.
If you apply and get the bonus on the higher fee card, after a year, you can downgrade it back to the #1 travel card so that you aren’t on the hook in perpetuity for a $795 a year card.
Scenario 4: You had one of these cards in the past
Tricky! It’s possible you will still get approved for the same one but we just don’t know. You can give it a try without any worries because a pop-up window will come up if you’re not able to get the bonus and you can decide to NOT submit the application. Your credit won't be pulled in that case and you can move on with your day! Again, just a few minutes possible wasted/saved from online shopping.
Apply for the opposite card. If you had the lower tier one, get the higher tier one! Or vice versa.
Scenario 5: You are an authorized user on one of these cards
You are eligible! Being an authorized user (aka not the primary card holder) makes you still eligible for your very own cards. And the points combine within your household so it’s a win-win.
Scenario 6: You have other business cards from this bank
You are eligible for any of these cards! Having other business cards from this bank doesn’t make you ineligible for any of these. YAY! It’s great they announced another business card to add to the three that I already recommend. Message me for details on this!
Scenario 7: You are not eligible for anything and you’re feeling FOMO
Hi, lucky number 7! We have the same luck!
There are other cards
You are not alone
Is your partner eligible? Anyone else in your household? These points all combine within your household so have your partner apply instead. Please send them my link to do so rather than having them apply on the bank website! TY!
Want a card with a nice sign up bonus, perks, etc? I can help you! Fill this out or DM me for other card suggestions.
Alright! So, that’s all the scenarios I can come up with — do you have one I left out? Questions on the ones above? Comment here…
To read my breakdown on the top-tier card and the new business card, see yesterday’s post HERE. To read more about the #1 travel card, see this post HERE!
And an important convo amidst all this discussion about bonus points is how much are points actually worth? It can feel overwhelming to get a new card, or imagine spending $30K on a business card (that’s $5K a month - not impossible for many people but still a commitment!), or $795 in fees in order to get points when you’re not really clear on their value.
How much are points actually worth?
For today’s post, I am bringing back the most popular post of all time on the Brooklyn Family Travelers substack. This one is a good one if you’re on the fence with getting started or have dug in a bit and still feel a little unsure. If you’ve been here a little while, it’s worth a revisit. For some of you, you might find your points are worth more than you realized — and for others, it may be a sign you need to make a shift.
I hope I have been a calm and clear voice in a sea of noise, demystifying points for you and making travel more affordable!
And btw — off topic — this weekend I went to Chicago for a wedding and got to bring my great aunt to the lounge with me before our respective flights in the same terminal (she was heading back to Detroit and I was going home to NYC with Henry). She is almost 95 and still travels (alone!) and still looks like this 😍 How lucky am I to have her in my life?
And a story for another day? My Great Aunt Una was an entrepreneur my whole life — she founded and ran one of the most successful tutoring companies in metro Detroit.
Do not underestimate the power of representation! I watched her and followed in her footsteps — creating my own path and my own businesses. Beyond grateful for strong women in my life who shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for women like me to get to do what I love.
