How to Be Approved of a Second Chase Ink Bold 50,000 UR Bonus Points Card

Best Reward Cards

Chase Ink Plus 50,000 UR

Chase Ink Bold 50,000 UR

Chase Ultimate Reward points is my top favorite among all credit card bonuses, because the UR points can be redeemed as cash 1:1 in the worst case, immune from any hotel or airline frequent mileage program devaluation.  This year, I changed my card strategy to await for special sign-up bonus promotions.  I have only 4 new credit cards for the first six-months of this year, taking a "wait-and-see" attitude for interesting excellent limited-time credit card sign-up bonuses only, while putting all our expenses on our Chase credit cards to earn UR points.

There was a once-a-year Chase Ink 60,000 UR Bonus Points promotion, equivalent to $600 bonus, expired by end of last month.  At end of May, I still had my Chase Ink Plus card (MasterCard), and took the rejection risk to apply for another Chase Ink card, namely Chase Ink Bold card (Visa).  The application, as expected, went into consideration pending status.

I called the Chase Business Consideration Line two days later, prepared to answer tough questions.  But I learned that my application was already approved, which was confirmed by a Chase email received on June 2nd.  I am a satisfied bull now and plan to keep this Chase Ink Bold Visa card as long as the 5X category at office supply stores remains available.

Chase has become more strict to approve Chase Ink business card, not to mention a second one.  Why was my application approved?  I was lucky ...

1. Excellent relationship with Chase Bank - my regular Chase checking account was opened two years ago, and has been actively used to pay monthly home mortgage and car loan payment.
2. I have neither applied new or closed Chase credit card since I applied for Chase Ink Plus 60,000 Bonus UR points 12 months ago.  Chase seems not liking card applicant to open and close numerous Chase credit cards frequently.  Chase representative is able to see all of your Chase credit cards history in your account, and transaction history of each card.
3. No large amount of CVS purchase - as far as I know, there is no CVS in the San Francisco Bay Area that would accept purchasing Vanilla debit visa card using credit card.  So my Chase Ink Plus card transaction history has only 1 CVS transaction tested at Albany, New York.
4. No Amazon payment for manufactured spending - Amazon payment allows maximum $1000 transfer per month for free.  Twelve transfers annually would be equivalent to 12,000 UR points or $120.  You may agree that it was not worth to spend the effort and ruin the transaction history to earn only $120.  Systematic Amazon payment transfer may raise Amazon's attention to shut down Amazon payment account.
5. Add a second authorized card user who would use the Ink card for at least some authentic business transactions.  Unlike personal authorized card user,  an authorized user will have his/her own credit card number.  The authorized card user is treated as your company's employee.  Isa used her authorized Chase Bold Plus card for own business expenses. 
6. No large amount of Staples online or store purchase to reap x5 bonuses.  The Staples store in my neighborhood always ran out of debit Visa/MasterCard cards.  There is nothing else I can do.  :)
7. Be truthful in filling the Chase business application - Chase wants to support small business owners and definitely want us to be successful.  It is fine when revenue is not high.
8. Do not cancel another personal/business Chase credit card right before applying for Chase Ink card. 

I cancelled my Chase Ink Plus (MasterCard) card five days AFTER my Chase Ink Bold application was approved, and before Ink Plus annual fee $95 is due.  Will I apply for Chase Ink Plus card (Visa) next year when 60,000 UR bonus points is available again next year?  No.  It will become more difficult to have a 2nd Chase Ink card approved for the same business.

I also applied US Airways Premier World MasterCard 40,000 Bonus miles with first year $89 fee not waived at the same time and was approved.  This card is an experiment to earn AA miles, as US Airways, as well as this card, will merge with American Airline by end of 2014.  There will be AA miles devaluation in 2015, so it is a $89 bet against earning 40,000 AA miles opportunity, in addition to the 100,000 AA miles earned earlier.  I expect the worst devaluation would not affect redemption of coach-class fare flight tickets.  Just hope that devaluation will not affect business-class ticket too much either.

My Take-away

   The partnership between Chase UR points and Singapore Krisflyer program, and Chase UR points and United Airlines MileagePlus program opens up many doors of excellent business-class flying opportunities.  And Chase Ultimate Reward Points never expires; it does not require any new activity at all.  Some hotel and airline frequent mileage programs also claim that their points or miles never expire, but they require new activities added to the participant membership account.

Good luck.  Chase Ink Bold/Plus are like diamonds; they are excellent credit cards issued by an excellent bank, Chase.  And the ink cards will be harder to be approved for small business starter as time goes by.  I also find its no foreign-transaction fee feature convenient for overseas travel.  How about concierge service for French Laundry?