Got a credit card offer that isn't worth it
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (52201)
Staten Island, New York
September 17, 2021 12:07pm CST
Hubby got a credit card offer in the mail where he can get $25.
At first it seems that all he has to do to get that money is add another user to his credit card.
I was gonna tell him to just add me.
Reading further, it turns out, that the user has to spend $2000.
And the user has only one month to do that.
No way will that ever happen.
Not gonna spend $2000 just to get $25.
This offer is so not worth it.
I ripped it up and threw it in the trash.
9 people like this
7 responses
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
17 Sep 21
Honestly, some of those offers are so absurd. I keep getting one from one of my card issuers to open a savings account with them for a $200 bonus... except that you need to deposit $15,000 in new-to-that-bank money to qualify. 
The interest they're paying on that account is, of course, a massive joke as well. 
I might have bitten on the offer your husband received, but only because I'm looking at possibly having to put about that much into repairing my car or replacing it. I've done things like pay my internet bill for six months in advance to max out the cash back I received from the credit card I paid with for the quarter before the categories changed, but just spending that amount of money on the card to get the bonus doesn't make sense. I think they bank on customers seeing the free money bit of it and glossing over all the other details.
The interest they're paying on that account is, of course, a massive joke as well.
I might have bitten on the offer your husband received, but only because I'm looking at possibly having to put about that much into repairing my car or replacing it. I've done things like pay my internet bill for six months in advance to max out the cash back I received from the credit card I paid with for the quarter before the categories changed, but just spending that amount of money on the card to get the bonus doesn't make sense. I think they bank on customers seeing the free money bit of it and glossing over all the other details.1 person likes this
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
17 Sep 21
@lovebuglena yep, the one I got was from Citi. 
I miss the days when the standard offers were things like "open account, deposit small amount, get reasonable amount a few weeks later." The closest I've seen was the offer Fidelity had for their cash management account earlier this year where you had to set up automatic deposits monthly for six months and got $100. I did that one just because we keep a portion of our emergency fund in a Roth IRA there and that will make accessing it easier.
I miss the days when the standard offers were things like "open account, deposit small amount, get reasonable amount a few weeks later." The closest I've seen was the offer Fidelity had for their cash management account earlier this year where you had to set up automatic deposits monthly for six months and got $100. I did that one just because we keep a portion of our emergency fund in a Roth IRA there and that will make accessing it easier.1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
Hubby got an offer from his credit card that is exactly like yours. It was Citibank lol.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
What you did makes sense. Otherwise it is shocking that they even offer that.
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58468)
• Germany
17 Sep 21
@lovebuglena If there is a need but with that price. I will not spend. 
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
@m_audrey6788 I would not spend that much either, unless it was absolutely necessary.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
The only way it is worth it is if the second user actually planned on spending that much anyway. For example, getting a major appliance.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
17 Sep 21
Well that is a rip off and if he closes it, it is a ding on credit.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
He is not gonna close the card as he has a balance on it and he uses it to pay for EZ-Pass. But the offer is a joke.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
17 Sep 21
@lovebuglena Yes the offer is a real joke ..terrible and pathetic..how stupid do they think people are
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
@RebeccasFarm Well, some people are big spenders. To those people it will not be a problem to spend $2000 in a short time. Of course it would be a dumb idea just to get $25.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (36796)
• Philippines
17 Sep 21
I won't spend that amount to get $35 in return.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (36796)
• Philippines
18 Sep 21
@lovebuglena I thought I read $35. I need to upgrade my eyeglasses.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
It was $25. 
But yeah, it's ridiculous.
But yeah, it's ridiculous.1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
18 Sep 21
@jobelbojel Were you wearing them when you read the discussion?
@andreea_v (245)
•
17 Sep 21
Hahaha... yes, very "good" offer.... that is so silly to try and incense people to spend $2000 to get $25!!!
I suppose that not a lot of people read until the end of the page and only after one month later they wonder where are the 25$?
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
I wouldn't be surprised if people did that. Hubby got an offer from another credit card before that saying if he got the credit card he'd get $200 credit. Of course, he had to spend money to get that. But at least he only had to spend $500 and he had three months to do that in. The card offered 1.5% cash back on purchases so that was a good deal I think. He got the card. Ended up spending $500 in less than a month and got the $200 credit.
1 person likes this
@andreea_v (245)
•
17 Sep 21
@lovebuglena yes, that sounds more like in yours advantage :)
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
Does that one give you cash back? And is it accepted everywhere? From what I remember hearing in the past not everyone accepts Discover.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52201)
• Staten Island, New York
17 Sep 21
@porwest That's like what Chase Freedom offers.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112906)
• United States
17 Sep 21
@lovebuglena I have never had any problem using Discover anywhere. Been using it since 2010 and never could not use it. But yes. They give you 1% cash back, and each quarter 5% on select purchases.
