I recently got a business UA cc through my bank (Chase). It's a legit business, with a tax i.d. (I am treasurer for this organization). I didn't submit an online application -- I actually had the banker submit it all from the branch

I also got another Chase UA cc for a separate business (again, legit - my personal business) about 6 months ago.

Both call for a 30000 mile bonus.

I got a letter on Friday, informing me that I would NOT get the 30k bonus on the organization credit card, because it is only available to first time cardholders.

What is my best course of action:
- should I just cancel that card and have my banker sign up for a CO card instead?
- will the fact that I had a Chase bus card kill me for ALL bonus offers (like Marriott, CO, Hilton, etc.)?
- if that's the case, can my banker do anything to help the situation? In all honestly, I am really pissed that they are trying to cheat me out of a measly 30k miles, and, despite the fact that it's not that significant, I would strongly consider moving all of my business (and personal) accounts to another bank if they're going to completely shut me out.

Thanks in advance for your advice/input!

Did you bring this up with your banker who signed you up on the biz UA card for the organization? Assuming that card is applied under a tax id, not your SSN? See if your banker can assist in overturn this decision.

Chase is pretty good in tracking bonuses on SAME affinity card of same type.

Since Marriott, et al, are not the SAME company as UA, you are safe to get your first bonus from those cards.

However Chase also would deny people who ditch their new cards too soon after getting the bonuses.

It is a balance act to stay on the good side of Chase which no matter how people feel, still has the largest number of good sign up bonuses both affinity and in-house cards.

I would imagine they just flagged you as having 2 business cards associated with the same UA FF#. It's probably not the tax ID that identifies you as a first time biz cardholder (i.e. not one business card per business), but the FF# that can only receive one UA biz card bonus.

Without this rule, perhaps it would be too easy for someone to set up multiple sole proprietorships that all point to 1 FF account.

Whether your banker could help... sure couldn't hurt to try.

I'll try my banker tomorrow.

Called the 800 number, and the guy, although understanding, said there was nothing that he could do.

As I explained to him, the T/C that said only for first time user was never presented to me, as the banker did all of the data entry (though I'm sure it was buried in whatever he gave me to sign). What REALLY chaps me is that the SAME guy filled out my law firm cc app six months ago, so he should/could have warned me about that.

There may be a way around this and that's for you NOT to give them your Mileage Plus number when you apply. Without an MP number on the application, Chase will automatically enroll you in MP upon approval. Once they've deposited the bonus in your "new" MP account, call UA to merge the new MP account miles to your original MP account.

Interesting suggestion -- my banker suggested the same thing yesterday, but I have already given them my UA # on this card, so I'm think I'm screwed.

Banker was very apologetic and said that was the first he had heard about the "only 1 bonus" rule. He's trying to start over and either re-run that account as a Continental card OR just get me another Continental card for my organization (by lowering the credit limit in the previously-issued UA card).

I'll try to update everything once I get a resolution, so someone else will be able to see how to best proceed if they run into this hurdle.