Missing Welcome Offer Tracker
With so many all-time high offers, now is a great time to grab a new credit card. But what happens if you get approved for a card, and a welcome offer tracker never appears in your account? Could it mean you're not eligible for a bonus? And how are you supposed to know when you've completed your spend? In most instances, a missing tracker is not a bad sign. As long as you've kept careful records and trust the process a bit, you should still be sailing smoothly toward your bonus. Here's what to keep in mind about your missing welcome offer tracker.
What Does It Mean If You Don't Have a SUB Tracker?
Congrats! You've just gotten approved for a new card. You open your bank app, hoping to see the tracker there. You're looking forward to watching your progress, and once completed, seeing a tracker that will hopefully look something like this:
Not so fast, though. The utilization, timing of and accuracy of welcome offer trackers can vary widely by bank and by card. For example, your Chase cards may reliably have them, but the time it takes them to appear on your account can still fluctuate quite a bit. Meanwhile, American Express regularly does not show them at all. SUB trackers can also vary between desktop, mobile and app views. And even if they show up, they can sometimes disappear later. It's enough of a YMMV situation that a missing welcome offer tracker—regardless of the bank or the card—is not necessarily a sign for concern. There's also not a reason to contact the bank at this stage. We've regularly seen agents supply inaccurate info, which can only add further confusion. As long as you've properly documented your offer, that should be enough for peace of mind in case you do need to contact the bank further down the line after you've completed your spend.
The Importance of Offer Record-Keeping
What can you to do to protect yourself and ensure that you do receive the bonus you applied for? Screenshot or screen-record your offer—and its terms, especially if it is an Amex NLL offer. Keep your mailers, as Sarah fortunately did for a Business Platinum welcome offer she might have missed out on otherwise. If you meet the spend and the points later seem significantly delayed, you'll want to have as much documentation on hand if and when it does come time to reach out to the bank.
Why You Shouldn't Rely on a SUB Tracker Anyway
While a SUB tracker can be fun to monitor, it can also be a double-edged sword. Trackers can inaccurately calculate your spend, especially as returns post to your account. SUB trackers can sometimes produce a false sense of security—misleading you to believe you've completed a minimum spend that you actually haven't. In that sense, a missing welcome offer tracker can almost be a safeguard.
Our advice: Track your spend manually and meticulously. Monitoring your statement totals as they post is one easy to do so. Start a simple spreadsheet, where you can add your current spend in real time. But you will want to make sure you've subtracted your annual fee, which generally does not count toward your spend requirement. Be sure to account for any returns or refunds.
Our PSA: Always Overspend by at Least 10%
We tell our ToP Facebook Group members every day: Even when you think you've hit your spend target, don't stop spending. You should charge at least an additional 10% beyond the welcome offer's requirement to your account. The last thing we'd want you to do is concentrate 3-plus months worth of spending on a single card offer—only to miss out on it because of a minor miscalculation.
Be especially careful about travel charges that have processed on your card. Itineraries can unexpectedly change, often out of your control. Those refunds for flights, hotels, cruises or other activities can throw a major wrench into your carefully planned spend. Some banks will claw back a welcome offer after those refunds are credited back to your account. And if you're already past the spend deadline, there's often nothing you can do about it. You don't want the rug pulled out from under you. If you think there's any chance at all some of your spend could later disappear, make sure to keep spending well beyond the amount that's at risk for a refund.
Waiting Out a Welcome Offer
When you have a missing welcome offer tracker, patience is key. Try to trust the process. And as long as you've done the proper recordkeeping about the offer you've approved for, don't fret until after you've hit the spend requirement. Sometimes, you'll quickly get the welcome offer after meeting the spend. Other times, you'll see it once your statement has cut.
If it has been a few business days since your statement has cut and you still aren't seeing any sign that points or rewards will be deposited into your account soon, now it's time to reach out to the bank. Grab your supporting documents, and secure message or chat the bank to inquire about your missing points.
Missing Welcome Offer Tracker: ToP Thoughts
No tracker? No stress. Sure, it feels rewarding to visualize progress toward your spend goal on a fun chart. But you're much better off making your own chart for that. Keep careful, real-time records of your charges. Prepare for any unexpected changes by over-spending by 10% (or more) toward your bonus minimum. And don't accept a card without documenting the offer you applied for first. As long as you've done all of these things, rewards should be en route to your account soon. Now, go grab another one of those all-time high offers. Have questions about a missing welcome offer tracker? Let us know over on the ToP Facebook Group.
