Barclaycard Arrival Plus

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rjbraun
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Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

I'm approaching my one-year card anniversary and will need to decide soon whether to pay the annual membership fee. I'm inclined to cancel the card. I've been doing the credit card "churn" to a moderate degree but normally don't have any cards that require an annual fee. I've always cancelled the card before the second year or I have no-fee cards.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus card seems to have more "bells and whistles", which I find kind of clever marketing on Barclay's part. Anyway, when sifting through all the card details, it seems to basically work out to 2% back in a statement credit on travel-related purchases, is that right? And, yes, I guess there's something about how you get a 10% bonus back on redeemed points or something. Another benefit is the chip technology for overseas travel, but I think I have or can get that elsewhere.

CapitalOne Quicksilver earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases. That's not as good as 2%, but then there's no annual fee and it seems to be hassle-free, in that I don't have to think about the timeframe that the Barclaycard imposes on when you can redeem. If I cancel my Barclaycard I would possibly sign-up for the Quicksilver card. I got the SallieMae MasterCard recently and like it (thank you, Bogleheads! :D ) and already have a myriad of other cards :oops:

Does this make sense or am I missing something?
hedging
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by hedging »

I would recommend simply calling Barclay and downgrade to the no annual fee version which is the "Arrival World Mastercard" so you maintain the same level of credit. This way your credit score is not negatively impacted.

You can then get the Citi Double Cash which is 2% cash back on all purchases and no annual fee.
stlutz
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by stlutz »

I downgraded mine as well. The downgraded version does give 2% on travel-related purchases, so there is at least a case where I could use it now and then.

Edit: Should have mentioned--I originally called to cancel. They suggested the downgraded version to me. They even gave me the sign-up bonus on the new card!
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

hedging wrote:I would recommend simply calling Barclay and downgrade to the no annual fee version which is the "Arrival World Mastercard" so you maintain the same level of credit. This way your credit score is not negatively impacted.

You can then get the Citi Double Cash which is 2% cash back on all purchases and no annual fee.
Brilliant - thank you for those great ideas! I still have some travel charges that I'd like to try to get some statement credits back on. Assuming that Barclay will transfer those to the new card, that would be great :happy

I hadn't considered Citi Double Cash. I don't see any sign-up bonus (not sure if CapOne offers one, either), but Citi's 2% certainly trumps 1.5% with CapOne.
stlutz wrote:I downgraded mine as well. The downgraded version does give 2% on travel-related purchases, so there is at least a case where I could use it now and then.

Edit: Should have mentioned--I originally called to cancel. They suggested the downgraded version to me. They even gave me the sign-up bonus on the new card!
Wow. Love the idea of another sign-up bonus! Hope they give it to me too; I've been spending a fair amount on my card - fingers crossed that I get it. Thanks for mentioning that :sharebeer

By the way, I thought the Barclay's website said that the no-fee card offers 2% on travel AND dining. Just wanted to mention that, in case you dine out much
stlutz
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by stlutz »

By the way, I thought the Barclay's website said that the no-fee card offers 2% on travel AND dining. Just wanted to mention that, in case you dine out much
I just checked and you are correct--I hadn't realized that. Thanks!
Naismith
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Naismith »

This looks like one of the few cards available with chip and pin, as well as no foreign transaction fees. Did you travel internationally and were you able to use it in train kiosks, etc.?
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

Naismith wrote:This looks like one of the few cards available with chip and pin, as well as no foreign transaction fees. Did you travel internationally and were you able to use it in train kiosks, etc.?
Yes and yes -- travel internationally and used the card to purchase tickets at a train station in Italy (Verona, I believe). We were actually somewhat rushed, and the card worked great. May have used it on other occasions (in Italy), though I don't recall offhand.

The no-fee Barclaycard offers similar features, I believe -- chip / pin and no fx fees.
stlutz
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by stlutz »

The no-fee card I just got does not have a chip.
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

stlutz wrote:The no-fee card I just got does not have a chip.
Hhmmm, I thought I read that the no-fee card comes with a chip, but I guess not. Ugh. I think my Citi AAdvantage card comes with a chip, but I probably won't renew that, once the annual fee kicks in. Besides, I think they charge a fee for foreign transactions.

Looks as if I may have to reconsider whether to keep the Barclaycard Arrival Plus card ...? I have a Chase ink Bold card. Still within the no-fee 1-year window, but I may bite the bullet and pay the annual fee, just to keep my reward points active -- no fx fee, but no chip :( , which I find kind of surprising
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Ketawa
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Ketawa »

PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, Chip + PIN, and might be worth holding anyway since it has 5% cash back at gas stations. Only a great deal half the year since Chase Freedom typically has two periods where the bonus category includes gas stations.
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

Ketawa wrote:PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, Chip + PIN, and might be worth holding anyway since it has 5% cash back at gas stations. Only a great deal half the year since Chase Freedom typically has two periods where the bonus category includes gas stations.
Thank you. I actually don't own a car (I know, people may find it odd, but I live in a big city with good public transportation). I like the no annual fee part as well as the chip/pin and no fx fee ... but to the extent I may spend a decent amount abroad it would be nice to get some points or other benefits in the process. I wonder if Chase ink Bold plans to add the chip /pin technology anytime soon. I'm really surprised that Barclays doesn't bother to put a chip / pin on the no-fee card.
Naismith
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Naismith »

rjbraun wrote: I actually don't own a car (I know, people may find it odd, but I live in a big city with good public transportation).
I don't find it the least bit odd. For a lot of us, we can only afford international travel if we cut back other places, and a car can be the biggest money-sucker, especially if you have to pay to park it.

(My family does own a two cars, but with four drivers, I only drive a car once a week or so.)
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batpot
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by batpot »

The 10% back in used points effectively makes this card earn 2.2% on all purchases.

The Citi Double Cash card unfortunately charges foreign xfer fees.

Capital One has no foreign xfer fees, but won't have chip & pin until later this year: http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/chip-cards.
x35864
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by x35864 »

If you are looking at strictly cash, the Fidelity Retirement Rewards AMEX is 2%. The money is deposited into a Fidelity account. There is also an Investment derivative. The nice thing about the card is that it doesn't have the gimmick of 1% now, 1% when you pay that the Citi Double Cash Card has.
Naismith
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Naismith »

batpot wrote: Capital One has no foreign xfer fees, but won't have chip & pin until later this year: http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/chip-cards.
Actually, the Capital One card will be chip-and-signature, not chip and pin. The website tries to spin this as a positive: "Good news! Capital One chip cards will be Chip and Signature cards, so there’s no additional PIN to remember."

I contacted them and asked if a PIN could be issued, since we had to ask for the PIN that accompanies our current Capital One card, and they said no, they would not be providing a PIN for those cards.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by VictoriaF »

rjbraun wrote:I still have some travel charges that I'd like to try to get some statement credits back on. Assuming that Barclay will transfer those to the new card, that would be great :happy
Some unexpected expenses turn up as "travel" against which I can redeem rewards, for example, all purchases of Smithsonian Resident Associates programs. However, my favorite way to get statement credit is to reload my WMATA (Washington Metro) card with exactly $25.

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Toons
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Toons »

Fee for a credit card ?:shock:
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Topic Author
rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

Naismith wrote:
rjbraun wrote: I actually don't own a car (I know, people may find it odd, but I live in a big city with good public transportation).
I don't find it the least bit odd. For a lot of us, we can only afford international travel if we cut back other places, and a car can be the biggest money-sucker, especially if you have to pay to park it.

(My family does own a two cars, but with four drivers, I only drive a car once a week or so.)
Yes, I agree - owning and maintaining a car seems a big expense (never having owned one myself, I can't speak from actual experience). I live in a HCOL area and try to take some comfort in that I don't need to keep a car. I figure from a purely financial standpoint that's several thousand dollars a year, between owning or leasing the car itself, insurance, parking, maintenance. Then, of course, there's the stress and aggravation of driving, though I realize some people enjoy it and may find it relaxing. Regardless, I doubt it fully offsets the area's high housing costs, taxes, etc., but it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make for the time being
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

x35864 wrote:If you are looking at strictly cash, the Fidelity Retirement Rewards AMEX is 2%. The money is deposited into a Fidelity account. There is also an Investment derivative. The nice thing about the card is that it doesn't have the gimmick of 1% now, 1% when you pay that the Citi Double Cash Card has.
Thanks. I realize that the card seems pretty popular among BH, but I no longer have a Fidelity account and am reluctant to open one solely for the credit card benefit.

What do you mean by "investment derivative"?
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rjbraun
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by rjbraun »

Naismith wrote:
batpot wrote: Capital One has no foreign xfer fees, but won't have chip & pin until later this year: http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/chip-cards.
Actually, the Capital One card will be chip-and-signature, not chip and pin. The website tries to spin this as a positive: "Good news! Capital One chip cards will be Chip and Signature cards, so there’s no additional PIN to remember."

I contacted them and asked if a PIN could be issued, since we had to ask for the PIN that accompanies our current Capital One card, and they said no, they would not be providing a PIN for those cards.
"Chip-and-signature"? So would that even work in, say, Europe where at least some of the train ticket machines require a PIN (with a chip card)?
Bfwolf
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Bfwolf »

The Arrival Plus is a fantastic everyday credit card, but that doesn't mean you need to pay the annual fee. One approach would be to call them up and ask them to waive the fee. If they don't do that, cancel or downgrade. There are too many other good credit cards out there with impressive sign up bonuses to pay a first year anniversary annual fee on any card.
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Ketawa
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Ketawa »

rjbraun wrote:
Ketawa wrote:PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, Chip + PIN, and might be worth holding anyway since it has 5% cash back at gas stations. Only a great deal half the year since Chase Freedom typically has two periods where the bonus category includes gas stations.
Thank you. I actually don't own a car (I know, people may find it odd, but I live in a big city with good public transportation). I like the no annual fee part as well as the chip/pin and no fx fee ... but to the extent I may spend a decent amount abroad it would be nice to get some points or other benefits in the process. I wonder if Chase ink Bold plans to add the chip /pin technology anytime soon. I'm really surprised that Barclays doesn't bother to put a chip / pin on the no-fee card.
It isn't that nice to get cash back when the annual fee is $89. PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards makes 0.25% on regular purchases. Barclaycard Arrival Plus makes 2.22%. You need to spend $4500 to make up the difference. If you carry the PenFed card only for situations where you need Chip + PIN and use a different no foreign transaction fee card with a higher earning rate (Capital One VentureOne?) in other situations, the comparison can be worse.
takeshi
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by takeshi »

rjbraun wrote:"Chip-and-signature"? So would that even work in, say, Europe where at least some of the train ticket machines require a PIN (with a chip card)?
Nope.
Matt48Ritchie
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Re: Barclaycard Arrival Plus

Post by Matt48Ritchie »

You can also call after your annual fee posts and ask them to waive it or issue you a $89 credit to make up for it. If you do call and the first person says no, ask to speak to a supervisor/manager. They were able to waive mine. Also, if you have other cards and cancelling wouldn't affect your overall utilization too much then I'd consider cancelling and reapplying a couple months later to get the bonus again. I just cancelled the other day and plan to apply again in a month or two. My wife has the same card so we won't miss out on any of the benefits in the mean time.
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