Upgrading to USBAR midway through the year earns the 50k points bonus

I upgraded my Cash+ card to USBAR halfway through my account anniversary year. I took a chance since there weren’t many clear data points about whether I would receive the bonus, and P2’s USBAR was coming up for renewal. I decided to switch that card to Connect as a temporary measure and upgraded my Cash+ to USBAR.

The bonus tracker didn’t show up for me until now, but I met the minimum spending requirement and was waiting for my statement to close, hoping to see the bonus. There was no indication anywhere if I would be getting it.

Today, while casually browsing the app, I checked the rewards section on my mobile app and saw my 50k points were there, with a date of 11/12.

We have always liked this card, and getting a second bonus is just the extra cherry on top.

As a side note, this card was originally a USBAR, where I also earned a bonus in April/May 2020, but then I downgraded it to Cash+ since P2 also got a USBAR, and it didn’t make sense to have two.

Today, I also managed to switch P2’s Connect card to Smartly since I’m planning to transfer some stocks I’m not trading mid-term anyway and earn 4x points on my non-mobile wallet spends. This is another data point, showing P2 was able to switch the same card twice within a short 45-day period.

Can you have two USBAR cards? I have a USBAR and a GO. The GO is older and has a bigger limit, so I’m thinking of upgrading it and later downgrading the other. A bonus would be a nice addition!

Barbara said:
Can you have two USBAR cards? I have a USBAR and a GO. The GO is older and has a bigger limit, so I’m thinking of upgrading it and later downgrading the other. A bonus would be a nice addition!

I’m not sure why you’d want two USBAR cards, but to answer your question, I really don’t know. It’s best to call and ask.

@Money_man
I want to get the bonus. I’m not planning to keep both.

Barbara said:
@Money_man
I want to get the bonus. I’m not planning to keep both.

No.

Barbara said:
@Money_man
I want to get the bonus. I’m not planning to keep both.

Yes, you can have 5 or 6 if you really want.

Now that USBAR applications are closed, is this the only way to get the bonus and card?

Wolf said:
Now that USBAR applications are closed, is this the only way to get the bonus and card?

I called to upgrade my Cash+ to Altitude Reserve today, but the agent said that’s not an upgrade option and might never be in the future.

@elizabethtodd
Thanks for the information. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if it becomes available again.

Wolf said:
Now that USBAR applications are closed, is this the only way to get the bonus and card?

We would need more data points for that. They just stopped new applications this week.

@Money_man
That’s why I was curious. I just got a Cash+ a month ago and wasn’t ready to upgrade to the AR, and now the rumors have turned out to be true.

Wolf said:
@Money_man
That’s why I was curious. I just got a Cash+ a month ago and wasn’t ready to upgrade to the AR, and now the rumors have turned out to be true.

You wouldn’t be able to upgrade to an AR before your first year is over anyway. There’s a law that stops any changes that increase card fees in the first year.

This is a useful data point. Especially for those who want to switch and get a bonus but don’t see the tracker. You really got a bonus too! When did you upgrade your card back to the USBAR and how long did it take to meet the spending? Most data points seem to suggest they meet it quickly, often in a month, so I’m curious if the 90-day grace period applies here. Would anyone have new data points on switching to the USBAR after 11/11?

@Tilden
I switched between 10/10 and 10/15. My statement closed on 10/23, and it looks like my transaction on 11/12 met the minimum spending. So while it wasn’t planned, the duration ended up being about a month.

Wow, multiple product changes within a year. I didn’t know that was possible. Is there any other data point confirming this?

Jonny said:
Wow, multiple product changes within a year. I didn’t know that was possible. Is there any other data point confirming this?

Yes, P2’s two product changes within 45-50 days were a surprise. We wanted P2’s card switched to Smartly but needed to go through Connect to get a timely refund for the annual fee since Smartly wasn’t available then. When we called, we were expecting a no, but the representative said yes.

@Money_man
That’s great! You also managed to get the USBAR bonus twice, which is fantastic. I’m curious if the gap was long enough, like April/May 2020 to November 2024, which is over four years. Maybe US Bank bonuses reset every three years. Also, I’m assuming the two product changes in one year happened because you switched from a card with an annual fee to one without and then to another non-annual fee card. If you inquire again about PC options for Smartly or any other no AF card, will they show you options?

I’m new to this. What does PC stand for?

MissNicklaus said:
I’m new to this. What does PC stand for?

It stands for product change. Instead of closing a card you don’t want anymore, you switch it to one that’s more suitable, but typically you won’t earn a bonus in most cases.