Reconsidering and Checking the Status of Your Barclaycard Application

Posted by Noob Master on Apr 11, 2013 in Barclays, Credit Cards, reconsideration, Uncategorized | 12 comments

I know a lot of readers are applying for the Arrival World MasterCard, NFL, and US Airways Barclaycards.

(I receive a referral credit for the Arrival, but not the NFL or US Airways cards. But don’t let that stop you from applying!) 

First of all, Barclays is a quirky bank. There, I said it. They can be wishy-washy and it’s hard to know exactly how they will handle you. Many people have been churning (applying for the same card over and over again) the US Airways card, but that has become more difficult as of late.

It appears the best method is to cancel your current US Airways card before applying for it again. I have two US Airways cards and I got them 4 months apart. I was instantly approved for the first one, but not the second.

I ended up calling the Barclays reconsideration department and was approved for my second card in 2 minutes. It was even easier than Chase’s reconsideration, and you know how much I like their reconsideration department.

I actually tried for a third US Airways card (without closing my current two), but I was denied. During the reconsideration call, I was told it was because I already held two of the same product. I can’t argue with that, and they weren’t rude about it at all. They did bring up my recent inquiries for other cards, but that wasn’t the reason I wasn’t approved.

However, I have heard horror stories from people about Barclays’ reconsideration department, so ymmv. In my experience, they have been easy to deal with.

My plan for my next app party is to apply for the Arrival card and if I’m instantly approved, to then apply for the NFL card. That’s if the current offers are still around. If somehow I’m instantly approved for both, then I may try for another US Airways card (if I cancel one of mine before).

Applying for multiple Barclay cards is possible on one day, but it’s not guaranteed. The great thing is that multiple Barclay inquiries have been known to be combined into one. That’s huge. But since Barclays is getting more aggressive with their offers, you may end up needing to check on a pending status or call the reconsideration department after applying for multiple cards.

How to check a pending Barclaycard application 

If you want to check the status of a pending credit card application with Barclays, all you have to do is click the link below. Easy.

Barclays online status checker

You can also check the status of your application by calling Barclays at 1-888-232-0780.

Handling the Barclays reconsideration phone call

If you didn’t get an instant approval or received a denial, don’t cry. You can always reconsider a denial or expedite a decision on a pending application. If you’re not up to speed on the beauties of the recon call, see this post for a full explanation on personal cards and this post for business cards.

Just remember to be polite, know what you’re going say (reasoning for the new card), point out your great credit history (if you can’t, then you shouldn’t be applying for a card anyway), and be confident.

If you’ve applied for a version of a Barclaycard that you already have (much harder to do now), then be ready to explain how you need to separate spending, etc.

If you don’t get the answer you’re looking for, then politely hang up and try back in a couple days.

The Barclays reconsideration phone number is 866-408-4064. 

I hope this helps you with a pending status or denial on one of the Barclaycards. As always, email me or comment below if you still have questions or want to share your Barclaycard story.

— Noob Master

Noob Q&A: How long should I wait before I call the reconsideration department?

Posted by Noob Master on Dec 17, 2012 in Credit Cards, Miles, Points, reconsideration, Uncategorized | 0 comments

I received an email from Noob reader, Jesse L. last week asking, “How long should I wait before I call the reconsideration phone line on a pending credit card application?”

Great question…

Let me answer your question with another question: “Who likes waiting?”

I always call the reconsideration department right away, because when it comes to miles & points – I’m very impatient. There, I admitted it.

I’ve been getting this question a lot recently from people who have applied for a Southwest Rapid Reward Plus, Ink Bold®,  Ink Plus® Business Card, AND a personal Chase card to go along with their business card applications.

It’s a very common practice to apply for a personal and business version of Chase cards on the same day (every 90-95 days). When you go gangbusters like this, you will have to pick up the phone and call Chase FOR SURE on your second application, and possibly on both.

If you have applied for more than one Chase card in the last 6 months, you will probably have to call the reconsideration department on any Chase rewards card application. Why? Because Chase won’t instantly approve you. Boo. But don’t worry –  I call on every application, and I’ve never been turned down. There’s nothing special about it. I promise.

If you get the “needs further review, we will contact you..blah”  message, there’s no need to wait the 14-30 days for Chase to send you a letter in the mail. Just pick up the dang phone. Be proactive.

I’ve never had a business application instantly approved, and I’ve never waited more than a day to call, so I don’t know the percentages on an approval without calling.

If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about when I say reconsideration phone call, then read my hero post, “Be a master of the reconsideration phone call.”  Read the success stories in the comments if you’re still skeptical.

If you’re looking for information specifically on business reconsideration phone calls, check out this post with many links and helpful business rewards card tips. FYI – the business reconsideration department for Chase is closed on the weekends.

Here are a few of my favorite reconsideration numbers to call after applying for a rewards card:

Chase personal – 1-888-245-0625 | Chase business- 1-800-453-9719

Citi- 1-866-606-2961

American Express- 866-314-0237 | you can also check your application status online through this link.

Bank of America- 866-458-8805

I know the reconsideration phone call can be intimidating if you aren’t familiar with it. I hope the information on the Noob helps put you at ease when you do decide to pick up the phone. I like to think of it as going to work (except I’m getting paid huge stacks of miles for only 5 minutes of work).

If your spouse is uncomfortable making the phone call (I’ve been there), just have them call and identify themselves, and then they can let the rep know that they want you to handle the rest of the phone call. Bang Bang.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at geoff@noobtraveler.com.

Disclosure: I receive a referral for the Ink cards listed in this above awesome post.

— Noob Master

Remember the Reconsideration (aka Expedite a Decision) Phone Call.

Posted by Noob Master on Nov 17, 2012 in reconsideration, Uncategorized | 5 comments

I’ve had a helleva lot of emails this week with questions about the reconsideration call. Keep ‘em coming. I love hearing from readers (most readers, anyway).

Many people have been applying for the Ink Plus℠ Business Card & Ink Bold® Business Cards, so they can take advantage of the 5x earning potential, AND because there’s a lower minimum spend. It went from $10,000 in 3 months to $5,000 in 3 months. The best I’ve ever seen.

Also, readers have been going after two Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards for the Companion Pass, and that will require making a phone call.

In the past year, I’ve talked about the reconsideration phone call many times, so instead of re-typing a whole new post, here are a couple of my hero reconsideration phone call posts:

Be a master of the reconsideration or expedite a decision phone call.

Remember to reconsider. 

But handling a reconsideration phone call for a business credit card is different. The business reconsideration department is a different number, it isn’t opened on Sat. or Sun., plus you will be asked different questions. Don’t fear, I wrote a post to help guide you through a business reconsideration phone call, too. Enjoy.

Tips on the business reconsideration phone call.  

The previous post is especially helpful for those who apply as sole proprietors. Yup, you don’t have to be incorporated to get a business rewards card. And yes, there’s a Noobtraveler post for that, too.

Do I need to be incorporated to apply for a business card?

Ok, that’s all the old post research I can handle for one day. I hope this helps those of you who have applications pending, and gives you the confidence to pick up the phone.

Be well!

— Noob Master