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March App-O-Rama: Which 7 Credit Cards am I Considering?

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Good morning everyone, happy Saturday! Thanks for the comments on yesterday’s post regarding which non-5/24 Chase credit cards I should get. I think I have narrowed down my App-O-Rama (AOR) credit card list to these 7 credit cards. I plan on applying for these credit cards sometime next week. Please let me know if you agree or disagree with any of the credit cards on this list. If there are any credit cards that you think are worth applying for, please share them in the comments and I will check them out.

Based on yesterday’s post, I will apply for these 2 Chase credit cards:

  • Chase Marriott Business Credit Card: This is the only non-5/24 Chase business credit card and who couldn’t use more Marriott points? The current sign up bonus is 75,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 in 3 months. The $99 annual fee is waived the first year. I already have the Chase Marriott Rewards Credit Card, so the annual category 1-5 Marriott free night certificates will pair nicely with each other. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after meeting the minimum spend requirement. As long as I can redeem the Marriott free night certificate for more than an $99 hotel night, this is a decent credit card to hold on to for a long time. *snarky comment alert* If Marriott keeps devaluing their program, by the year 2029, there will not be any Marriott category 1-5 hotels left…
  • Chase Iberia Credit Card: Since you can get 1 personal and 1 business credit card from Chase on the same day, I have decided to go for this personal credit card. The current sign up bonus is 50,000 Avios after spending $3,000 in 3 months and an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $10,000 in 12 months. The annual fee is $95. I don’t plan on booking any Iberia flights in the near future, so I won’t be able to take advantage of the 10% discount on Iberia flights. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after meeting the minimum spend requirement and will close the credit card when the annual fee comes due the following year.

Here are the 5 remaining credit cards I have my eyes on:

  • American Express Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card: I have almost all AMEX credit card partners covered, with the exception of Delta. The current sign up bonus is 70,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $3,000 in 3 months. You will also get 10,000 Delta MQMs after spending $3,000 in 3 months, but I don’t care about Delta elite status. You also get a $100 statement credit when you make any Delta purchase within the first 3 months. The annual fee is $195. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after meeting the minimum spend requirement and will close the credit card when the annual fee comes due the following year.
  • Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card: I currently have this credit card, but since Bank of America introduced the 2/3/4 Rule, I cannot get any personal credit cards for a few months. Luckily, business credit cards are not affected by the 2/3/4 Rule, so I plan on getting another Alaska Airlines business credit card. Who couldn’t use more Alaska miles? The current sign up bonus is 30,000 Alaska Airlines miles after spending $1,000 in 3 months. The annual fee is $75. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after meeting the minimum spend requirement and will close the credit card when the annual fee comes due the following year.
  • Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard: I currently have 4 Barclays credit cards, so I am not sure if Barclays will approve me for any more, but I will give it a try and hope they let me move credit lines from one of my existing credit cards. The current sign up bonus is 50,000 American Airlines miles after your first purchase. The annual fee is $95. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after making the first purchase and will close the credit card when the annual fee comes due the following year.
  • Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business MasterCard: This is the business version of the above credit card. If I get instantly approved for the above credit card, I will apply for this credit card too. The current sign up bonus is 40,000 American Airlines miles after your first purchase. The annual fee is $95. I don’t plan on spending much on this credit card after making the first purchase and will close the credit card when the annual fee comes due the following year.
  • Discover It Miles: I have had a Discover It Credit Card for a few years and use it occasionally when the rotating cash back categories are exciting. I believe you can have both a Discover It and a Discover It Miles credit card. The current sign up bonus is only $50 cash back after first purchase. There is no annual fee on this credit card.

So what about Citi, US Bank, Wells Fargo and the other credit card companies? I have product changed a few Thank You Point earning credit cards and American Airlines mileage earning credit cards in the last 2 years, so I do not think I am eligible for any Thank You Point or American Airlines credit cards from Citi. With US Bank, I have 6 credit cards right now and I don’t think I can get any others. If I could, are there any good sign up bonuses available? I am only committed to keeping my 2 Club Carlson credit cards open and keeping a no annual fee FlexPerks credit card. I could move the credit lines from my 3 other US Bank credit cards to a better credit card. Lastly, Wells Fargo doesn’t have any exciting credit cards. I currently have the Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Credit Card and have spent all my Go Far Rewards points.

If everything goes according to plan and I can get all 7 credit cards mentioned above, here is my AOR summary:

  • Miles/Points Earned: 315,000
  • Dollars Spent: $10,002 (within 3 months)
  • Annual Fees Paid: $555

Like I said earlier, let me know if you agree or disagree with any of the credit cards I am considering applying for. If I missed any of your favorites, please let me know and I will check them out. Thanks for your help and have a great weekend!


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36 thoughts on “March App-O-Rama: Which 7 Credit Cards am I Considering?

  1. lopere

    You’ll go 3 / 7.

    I applied for three of those this month and was denied for all three. My first denials ever. Reason being given: too many recent accounts. Only opened 4 within the last year and a total of 9 over the last two years.

    The game is a changin’

    Reply
      1. Ed. C

        Have to agree the game is changing. I went under 5/24 on March 16th and applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Freedom Unlimited on the 19th. Instant approval for the CSR and denial for CFU. All 3 FICO scores are over 800 and never been denied for a credit card before in my entire life.

        Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Oh, good catch. I was using numbers off another blog instead of checking the CC application website. Let me update the post.

      Reply
  2. Brenton

    I think you’ll get the Marriott or Iberia, Amex, and maybe on the BOA and discover. I’m betting on 3 total, and am fairly confident you won’t get another barclay.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Thank you for sharing your feedback, I’ll see if I can prove you wrong and get another Barclays credit card. It will probably be a challenge. 3 out of 7 would not be too bad.

      Reply
      1. Brenton

        I hope you prove me wrong too. I had the arrival plus and us Airways card back in 2014/15, cancelled both, then got the arrival plus and wyndham card last year. Since then I’m 0/3 on the aviator red, and I’ve never gone higher than 2 cards with Barclay.

        With Amex, I got 2 delta gold cards last year, and after meeting the spend in November on the second card, am still waiting for the miles to post. According to the phone rep, they know I’ve opened a lot of accounts with them over the years and that “the points guy recommends opening cards for the bonus and then never using them again…” she said they created the anti gaming department because of him.

        Reply
  3. WR

    I assume you are well over 5/24. Are you not concerned about triggering a BustOut alert, and getting all your Chase accounts shut down? Personally I would skip the Chase cards, or at most apply for just the Marriott Business card and skip the Iberia card.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      I’m not concerned about a bust out with Chase. I have quite a few Chase cards and use them all almost every month. Chase likes me for the most part, but I’m way over 5/24.

      Reply
  4. Dave

    Wells Fargo world propel. Goes away march 31. Applied by phone Wednesday went pending. They called me next day approved. At least 10 cards in the last 12 months 13 inquires Equifax. Check the details on doctor of credit.

    Reply
  5. Christian

    My problem with Chase is that I have a lot of cards and they’ve extended me as much credit as they’re likely to. For business I have 4 cards that I use a lot, and for personal 6 that are for aging accounts, free hotel nights, or everyday use. I barely squeaked through on a business card late last year, so I’m iffy about pressing my luck again.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Yes, 10 Chase Credit cards might be the upper limit. Is there any credit cards you could close to free up space for another credit card?

      Reply
  6. Shawn

    Just wanted to give you a shout out. I will usually follow OMAAT and have just looked at other sites. I am finding I always click on your topics lol. I have to admit….I’m liking your blog.

    Reply
  7. Shawn

    Btw good luck with the app o rama. I’ll be looking for the results. For what it’s worth I’m betting 4/7.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Hi Shawn, thank you for the compliment. OMAAT definitely covers a ton of travel topics, but I tend to cover different topics that interest me. Thanks for reading and for the good AOR luck.

      Reply
  8. atricus

    you can have 2 discover and get the double cash matching just apply for a NHL discover and it would count as a new discover

    Reply
  9. Mike H

    Why are you keeping your Radisson cards open? Did you find a sweet redemption? I haven’t been able to burn these turkeys off fast enough.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Yes, I have both Radisson Reward CCs. I redeemed 100,000 Radisson Reward Points for 2 nights in Crete, Greece. Hotel was around $300 per night. Pretty good value from points.

      Reply
  10. Ozzi

    Sometimes I really admire you guys can open that many cards in 6 ~10 months. I understand you never complain too many points on hand. I think I just apply what I really need at the moment and assume the card sign-up bonus should be better once in a while.

    Reply
    1. Grant Post author

      Whatever your approach is, if it works for, just keep doing it. I like to follow this Boy Scout saying: I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. That’s how I like to view miles and points. I like to have various miles and points available and I can pick and choose which miles and points to use.

      Reply
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