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I’m confused by the rule of only applying for one credit card from a time from an issuer. I thought you were supposed to try to group a few from the same from the same issuer so there is only one hit on your credit report. For example, I just applied for the Bank of America Virgin Atlantic card and Alaska card on the same day (and got approved). I also though with Barclays you could/should apply for more than one card. I also thought you could apply for 2 Citi AA cards on consecutive days (one a visa, the other a MC). I wouldn’t try more than one personal with AMEX or Chase, but I thought with BoA and Barclays that you were supposed to. Am I incorrect?
You are correct.
Do you have another post that clarifies this? I am new to this (took my first domestic flight using points last week, and I’m hoping to do a better job with my second app-o-rama this month), and I thought it was only one bank per app-o-rama, but this Q&A between you and Paul seems to suggest there are some banks that you should try for two (multiple?) card apps per day (according to Paul – Bank of America, Barclays, Citi) and others that are best with only one (AMEX & Chase).
Hello MileValue! What is the reason behind you rule #2: ” Space applications out at least 91 days apart”? Why not consider applying within 60 days or even 30 days? Will this affect negatively my credit score? Thanks for your great work!
In my experience, banks want to see a high credit score, but they also don’t want to see a lot of super-recent inquiries. I avoid super-recent inquiries by spacing applications 91 days apart. It doesn’t hinder from getting all the best cards, though, because I will apply for more than one card on a day when necessary.
[…] This is the ninth post in a monthlong series that started here. Each post will take about two minutes to read and may include an action item that takes the reader another two minutes to complete. I am writing this for an audience of people who know nothing about frequent flier miles, and my goal is that by the end, you know enough to fly for free anywhere you want to go. Previously Best Practices for Your Rewards Card Applications. […]
[…] Best Practices for Your First App-o-Rama […]