Applying for Pursue Credit Cards, two thousand seventeen onward – FlyerTalk Forums
Applying for Pursue Credit Cards, two thousand seventeen onward
Applying for Pursue Credit Cards, two thousand seventeen onward
Do not post offers or requests for referral links in this thread! The decent thread for referral offers is here.
Does Pursue have a limit on the number or frequency of applications like Citi’s 8/65 rule? Pursue does not have a known limit. However, several reports (for example) indicate that Pursue is very sensitive to numerous applications within a brief time period, and that the 2nd (or subsequent) applications run a substantial risk of being denied. In many cases, this is likely related to Pursue’s practice of allocating a large credit line (up to an applicant’s individual maximum) when approving a fresh card such as the very first application in a series. (See also the discussion below concerning aggregate Pursue credit lines.)
What’s this I hear about Pursue denying applications to people who have recently opened a lot of credit cards? Beginning in May 2015, Pursue began denying applications for its own individual cards (e.g., Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, Slate & Freedom Unlimited) if the applicant’s credit report shows that she or he opened five or more credit cards with any card issuer in the prior twenty four months (“the Five/24 rule”).
Does the Five/24 rule apply to applications for all Pursue cards? Previously the rule did not apply to applications for the Ink Plus business card or to co-branded cards such as United, Hyatt, IHG, etc. However, on May 22, two thousand sixteen Pursue extended its Five/24 rule to cover Ink business cards and some co-branded cards. (Note that there were premature reports that Pursue Ink Plus would be made subject to the rule in March two thousand sixteen (which did not happen), and that all co-branded cards would go after in April two thousand sixteen (also did not happen).)
For a longer list of cards evidently not subject to Five/24, check this link:
How does Pursue calculate the number of an applicant’s fresh cards for purposes of the Five/24 rule?
The 24-month count includes individual cards opened at other banks, and even cards on which the applicant is only an authorized user and not the primary cardholder. Pursue has been utterly inflexible with this policy, with agents stating that there is nothing they can do to circumvent this confinement. However, in some cases Pursue may reconsider a denial if the applicant has <Five fresh cards excluding cards on which s/he is an authorized user. You may need to escalate to the next level of customer service agent, as many front-line agents seem to be incapable or unwilling to liquidate the authorized user accounts from the count.
How does Pursue calculate the relevant 24-month period? By calendar months? By exact days?
In February 2017, a FTer reported a successful application a day or two after ripping off from Five/24 to Four/24. However, because Pursue sometimes approves applicants who are at Five/24 exactly (see above), this data point does not conclusively prove that Pursue drops cards from its calculation on the exact 24-month anniversary of the previous bonus.
Can I get around the Five/24 policy by closing cards I’ve opened in the past twenty four months?
No. Pursue uses the information from your credit report, and closing an account doesn’t make it vanish.
Is there any way around the Five/24 policy (targeted mailers, pre-approvals, Pursue Private Client status)?
As to targeted mailers, we have insufficient anecdotal evidence to reach any reliable conclusions. (Reports suggesting no exemption from Five/24 here and here.)
Can I apply for a specific Pursue card and earn the bonus again after doing so previously?
It depends. A Pursue card may be “churned” when an entirely fresh version becomes available. For example, business cards are distinct from individual/consumer cards. Note that ordinary variations among bonus offers do not amount to fresh versions/products for purposes of this rule.
This fresh cardmember bonus suggest is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this consumer credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this consumer credit card who received a fresh cardmember bonus for this consumer credit card within the last twenty four months.
Eventually, note that if you reapply too soon, Pursue may still issue you the fresh card. (This differs from some other card issuers, which may deny such applications outright.) In this case, Pursue typically notifies you by letter within a month or two after approval that, as a previous cardholder, you will not receive the bonus a 2nd time.
I’m an authorized user for a card issued to my spouse/parent. Does that prevent me from signing up for the same card and earning a bonus?
No. Being an extra user on someone else’s account poses no bar to applying for that same card & bonus, except insofar as such cards may count toward the Five/24 rule (as discussed above).
I already have several Pursue cards with a substantial aggregate line of credit. Will it improve my odds if I close an existing account (or lower its credit line) before applying for another?
I wasn’t auto-approved. Should I call in?
It may be better to avoid calling Pursue unless your application is denied. Many latest calls on pending applications led to denials, and many people report having success letting applications work their way through the system. Be patient. Time is on your side; increasingly, Pursue CSRs are not.
How can I determine the deadline for meeting the spend requirement to earn the signup bonus?
Just send Pursue a secure message (SM) through your online account. Albeit the deadline should in theory be N months from the date of approval (not the date of application or card activation)–where N is the number of months specified in the offer–Chase typically pads this period to account for the time required to fabricate and produce physical cards. For example, a latest “3-month” deadline was in fact one hundred fourteen days, as confirmed by Pursue’s SM confirmation.
Once I meet the card’s spend requirement, how soon will I receive my signup bonus points?
Bonus points typically accrue at the close of the billing period in which you incur the corresponding charges. Points should show up in your hotel/airline account within a few days thereafter.
Useful Pursue telephone numbers (800) 432-3117 – General Application Status Line, automated
(800) 436-7927 – Alternative General Application Status Line, automated
(888) 609-7805 – Alternative Private Reconsideration line with live rep
(800) 453-9719 – Business Credit Card Reconsideration Line with live rep
(800) 955-9900 – General Card Services and Application status, automated
(888) 298-5623 – Credit Reallocation Office (Private cards)
(800) 453-9719 – Credit Reallocation Office (Business cards)
(888) 622-7547 – Executive Offices
(877) 470-9042 – Individual Application Verification line with live rep
Note: In the past, automated telephone status reports stating that Pursue would notify you in two weeks often resulted in an approval, whereas the “7-10 days” telephone recording often indicated imminent denial. In 2016, this pattern became increasingly unpredictable, with many applicants receiving approval despite an earlier “7-10 days” automated telephone message. As a result, automated telephone responses should not be regarded as reliable indicators of an application’s likely outcome.