If you’re used to receiving pre-approved credit card offers in the mail, don’t be surprised to see fewer of them. Credit card companies are changing the way they market card offers to consumers, making them less likely to show up in your mailbox.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a great credit card offer. Here’s how to make sure you’re regularly on the receiving end of specific credit card offers.
1. search for pre-qualified offers
The first place to look for specific offers is your bank. It can be as simple as logging into your online account to search for pre-qualified offers or scanning the bank’s website.
most importantly, make yourself accessible.
“if you want to attract specific credit card offers from banks you already have a relationship with, always make sure you allow these banks to communicate in some way, be it email or regular mail,” says tom nathaniel, founder of personal finance blog exuberantdollar.com. “Since that’s how most banks approach potential customers, it’s a way to stay in the loop.”
If an online check for deals is a dead end, call or visit your nearest branch to speak with a banker. they may be able to point you to targeted special offers that are not widely advertised online.
You can use cardmatch to find personalized card offers. This tool from creditcards.com lets you see which cards you’re prequalified for in less than a minute. qualified applicants could receive special offers of up to 150,000 bonus points on select cards.
2. don’t ignore revenue update requests
From time to time, your credit card company may ask you to update your annual household income by logging into your account online. it’s a small thing, but it could make you a candidate for specific offers.
“Revenue is relevant to pre-qualified offers,” says daniel gillaspia, travel rewards expert and founder of uponarriving.com. if his income has increased, “banks will see him as a potentially more profitable customer, able to spend more and earn more in interchange fees or handle larger debt loads.”
updating your income can also lead to more targeted offers from companies you don’t have accounts with.
see related: do you need a current income to get a credit card?
3. go ‘incognito’
using stealth to search for card offers could reveal specific offers that a normal google search might not reveal.
gillaspia says that finding these offers can be as simple as pasting a link to a card from the credit card company’s website in google incognito mode to get a higher offer.
for example, a standard bonus offer of 60,000 points on a premium card can be translated into a specific offer of 150,000 bonus points using your browser’s incognito mode.
It is also possible to unlock similar promotions by setting up a vpn on your internet connection. a virtual private network or vpn allows you to access region-restricted websites.
if a specific offer is only available on the west coast, for example, and you live on the east coast, you may still be able to find and apply for the card using a vpn. a vpn also protects your information, making it more secure.
nathaniel uses a reddit spreadsheet to find specific offers that are available through incognito or referral links. “It shows some of the best deals on the market right now and how you can apply for them,” she says.
If you know there’s a specific offer available but can’t pinpoint a link, “call the credit card company directly to see if you can take advantage of it,” Nathaniel says.
4. take advantage of loyalty programs
Hotel and airline loyalty programs can generate lucrative targeted offers if you routinely earn points or miles for free nights and flights.
“One of the best ways to receive a credit card offer is to sign up for a free loyalty program with a company you’d like to receive an offer from,” Wilke says. “Hotel and airline rewards programs will send targeted offers to members who don’t use their branded credit card.”
If you’re looking for travel loyalty programs with targeted offer potential, consider these:
- alaska airlines mileage plan
- american airlines advantage
- marriott bonvoy
- delta skymiles
- honors of hilton</li
- ihg rewards
- world of hyatt
- southwest quick rewards
You may also be eligible for mid-flight card offers with select airlines. united, american and delta authorize flight attendants to offer credit card offers to select travelers once on board.
While these cards may come with attractive introductory rewards bonuses, read the fine print first. don’t sign up without considering the annual interest rate, annual fees, reward structure, and minimum spend requirement to qualify for a bonus.
5. attract personalized offers when you shop
Shopping frequently at the same online merchants could increase your chances of being targeted for a card offer.
if, for example, you spend regularly with amazon, you may be able to get a specific offer for the amazon prime rewards visa signature card. offers 5% back at amazon and whole foods, 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and pharmacies and 1% back everywhere else, plus a special amazon gift card promotion when approved.
gillaspia offers a tactful tip for attracting card deals using your online shopping cart.
“Use a private browser, turn off the ad blocker, put items in your cart, and then see if an offer comes up,” he says.
Be careful when considering specific offers for retail store cards. A 2020 creditcards.com survey found the average APR for retail cards to be 24.43%; By comparison, the national average annual interest rate for credit cards is 16.16%, according to creditcards.com’s weekly rate report.
“[Store cards] tend to have lower credit limits and may have deferred interest programs, which can result in paying a lot of interest if you’re not careful,” says gillaspia.
Deferred interest plans are often advertised as “no interest until” a certain date. after that date, however, interest accrued from the purchase date is charged to the account unless the balance is paid in full.
6. use targeted bidding tools
Credit monitoring services offer much more than just a look at your credit score. Many of these tools also include personalized recommendations for credit card offers from partner card issuers.
These recommendations are based on factors such as your credit score, income, debt-to-income ratio, and overall credit history. this is an easy way to narrow down the field to find cards that fit your needs and have the best chance of getting approved.
If you are not registered with any credit monitoring services, you can use cardmatch to find personalized card offers. a soft credit check is required, but that won’t affect your credit score.
tip: know the difference between prequalified and preapproved. “Some banks like Chase distinguish between pre-approved offers and pre-qualified offers,” says Gillaspia. preapproval might make it more likely that you’ll get final approval, but pay attention to apr. “If they give you a range for your interest rate, not a single number, that may mean your chances of approval aren’t as high.”
7. make sure you have accepted
You may not see as many credit card-specific offers lately if you’ve said “no thanks” to them in the past.
“If consumers have opted out of receiving targeted offers, their information will not be available to credit card companies when they contact consumer reporting providers,” Wilke says. “If you have opted out, you can reverse your decision at optoutprescreen.com to resume receiving credit card offers.”
Check with your bank and credit card company to make sure you’ve opted in. and carefully evaluate any specific offers they send you before committing.
“Consumers need to determine if the details of the offer will better benefit their spending habits compared to other options,” says Wilke.
end result
At a time when most people have to fend off a constant barrage of online and mail-in advertisements, many feel overwhelmed and want to opt out for a while. however, this choice can be a problem in the future if you’re shopping for a new credit card and need card issuers to send you offers again.
Fortunately, you don’t have to try very hard to start receiving specific card offers. By keeping your financial information up to date, contacting issuers to express your interest in receiving promotional materials, and doing incognito searches from time to time, you’ll likely start racking up new card offers with ease.
It’s important to remember that you have a lot of power in this situation. Just like any other business, credit card companies want to engage with potential customers by sharing promotional materials and special offers.