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Chase is now offering up to double the rewards points bonus for cardholders who get its British Airways Visa Signature credit card.
Chase will grant as many as 100,000 bonus points to new cardholders who meet certain spending thresholds in the first year. They'd get 50,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 30 days. Chase will grant another 25,000 points if they spend $10,000 in the first year. If they spend $10,000 more by the end of the first year, those cardholders will get an additional 25,000 points. In all, that's 100,000 points for spending $20,000 in the first year.
Before, Chase only offered 50,000 points after a cardholder spent $1,000 in the first 30 days.
"British Airways has been one of the most generous when it comes with special offers," says Bill McCracken, CEO of research firm Synergistics Research. However, he noted that the card requires a higher spending threshold than in years past.
"But that's where the industry has moved in general," McCracken says. "The bonus incentives have gotten more expensive."
It's also not coincidental that Chase and British Airways are offering the souped-up bonus around the holidays, McCracken says. First, issuers want the holiday spending -- which typically is more than consumers' average spending -- to end up on their cards. Second, many households start planning their vacations before the new year, and this card offers a way to make that "Europe getaway more affordable," McCracken says.
Still, consumers shouldn't jump at every credit card offer they get in the mail. Before signing up for a new card, you should answer two questions: Can you reach the card's spending threshold while staying within your budget? And is the bonus something you would use? If you can say yes to both, then maybe the card is a good fit.
Would 100,000 points entice you to sign up for a new credit card?
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