moretimeoffguy

I'm trying to apply for the Alaska Airlines Business Visa Card (25K miles after first purchase, $75 annual fee not waived). Already have Personal.

Here's the biz card app link I used:

http://business.bankofamerica.com/cr...Page?sc=UABO6T

Cannot submit the app because it gives an error saying it wants an 8 digit MileagePlan number. Mine has 9 digits.

Should I leave that field blank? If so, and they assign me a new MileagePlan FF number, will they merge the accounts no muss no fuss? Or is this a nightmare waiting to happen if I proceed?

UPDATE 2/24/2014: Tentatively suggest it may be ok to go ahead and proceed with leaving the MP number field blank, as I ought to be able to easily merge accounts later. Will update again if 1) approved and 2) successful with a merge.

UPDATE 2/27/2014:
There's a way to check any BOA CC application status online here:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/applic...t_locale=en_US

Result now as of 2/27/2014: approved. :-)

UPDATE: 3/12/2014: Received card, activated, and made first purchase.

moretimeoffguy

Has AS only recently begun issuing 9 digit MileagePlan numbers? Weird that the biz card app forces an 8 digit MP number as input. Anyone here *have* an AS biz CC? Or is this itself a relatively new offering vs. the personal?

Would love to apply today, but not sure how to proceed.

BFrankley

Yes, they will give you a new number and yes you can merge your accounts just by calling Alaska.

moretimeoffguy

Thanks BF, I'll give this a try. I do hope they fix that bug in the app page though; so others aren't stuck with the same question / dilemma.

ANC

They arent that new and they arent that old. Ive seen them on the onbaord membership cards though for at least a year. When you are in row 1 or 2 and get bored you starting doing stuff like count how many digits the MP numbers are on the cards hanging up

moretimeoffguy

Ok, rolled the dice and applied, leaving the MP # box blank. No instant approval--said my app had been referred to an Analyst. I typically get instant approval for most Personal cards. Is it typical to have non-instant approvals, generally speaking, for biz cards?

beckoa

Agree with this ^

tatterdema

Not sure about business cards, but I applied for a personal one a few days ago, and normally always get instant approval, but this time it said the same as yours. 2 days later I logged into my BOA account and saw the new CC listed. Never did receive an approval email.

moretimeoffguy

Thanks for that. ^

moretimeoffguy

Thanks Beckoa.

And thanks tatterdema for the data points.

Will have to check my BOA account later this week. Wouldn't be completely surprised if denied since I haven't given it the "traditionally safe" 91 day cooling off period between applications--to allow some of the hard credit pulls to age out.

Been telling myself I'm at a place in accumulating sufficient miles and points that I can take things at a far slower pace in terms of # of apps per quarter--e.g. perhaps only one per quarter.

Anyway, we'll see what happens. I need a business card to truly separate personal from business finances for my LLC.

sundinkc

I applied for a personal and a business on the same day about two weeks ago. I was instantly approved for the personal (my second) but I got the 'referred to analyst' message for the business. Just a couple of days ago I received the business card in the mail. I normally am an instant approval, but I guess BoA wanted to take a look at me.

BearX220

In my experience yes. They want to insure the business card is really connected to a business and you're not just an individual trying to double-dip. I have both business and personal AS cards. After applying for the personal one I had the cards in days; after applying (later) for the business card I got a phone call ten days later from an "analyst" wanting to know why the business address on file with the Washington Secretary of State's office didn't match my mailing address. (Answer: the address on file in Olympia is that of my attorney, who is the designated agent of the business.) So they do check up to insure you're legit, and it takes awhile, but if you are legit there's nothing to worry about.

moretimeoffguy

Thanks Bear. Hope you got approved.

Good news.

There's a way to check any BOA CC application status online here:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/applic...t_locale=en_US

Result now as of 2/27/2014: approved. :-) I updated the first post with the Bank of America Credit Card online Application Status URL.

arrek

Having now gotten 2 personal and 2 biz, I can say that personal cards approve fairly easily while biz cards require a call. That said, calls are fairly painless, and while I have gotten fairly low CLs (my business is a side job and only takes in about $4-5k per year), I've still gotten full miles posted within a couple weeks.

moretimeoffguy

Thanks Arrek. Does sound like the confirmation calls aren't bad. Didn't receive one myself. But then I established an LLC and a biz checking account several weeks prior to applying. That was part of my strategy and something I'd been wanting and meaning to do for quite some time, outside of getting miles and points for a part-time biz.

Let me also confirm some advice I've read--that putting revenue of zero down can be ok when you're in a Startup phase. I used zero revenue for both the BOA biz card as well as a CitiBusiness AADvantage card I was approved for in the same app round.