How to Get the Sign-Up Bonus for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

Curtis SprungMarch 8, 2019
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The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® is longer available on our website. See our best travel credit cards roundup for other options.

The sign-up bonus for many credit cards is a great way to begin stockpiling miles for that long-awaited trip, but getting it can be a daunting task.

If you’re a frugal person, spending so much money in such a short time can cause anxiety, leading you to miss out on the deadline. Those sign-up miles bonuses are generous, and ensuring you earn them should be a goal you work toward once you get your new card.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®, in particular, offers a significant bonus: Enjoy 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

That’s a sizable chunk of money to spend, but with a few tips, you can master your finances and get those bonus points without breaking a sweat.

1. Time your sign-up

Once you sign up, the 90-day clock starts running. Do you have any big purchases coming up soon? Maybe your significant other’s birthday or a major holiday?

A good way to meet that minimum spend is to strategically sign up for the card right before you know you’re going to spend more money. That way, you’ve already mentally budgeted the expenses and can put them toward meeting your sign-up bonus goal.

2. Divide up the time

It may sound like a lot of money to spend, but tackling your minimum spend in chunks can make the task easier. The 90-day deadline is roughly three months worth of time, so dividing your spending goal into thirds can make it more manageable.

» Learn more: How frugal folks can meet the credit card spending requirements

3. Make it your daily use card

Even the most frugal of us have routine purchases that we might not think about as much. Maybe it’s going out to eat once a week, or grabbing a coffee on the way to work. Those purchases add up, and by using your Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® daily you can make significant inroads toward your minimum spending goal without making much of an adjustment in your spending habits.

This also means using your new card for things like monthly groceries or toiletries. These purchases are essentials and should be factored into your regular budget, but can also count toward your $5,000 limit.

4. Splurge on a trip

If once you approach the 90-day deadline and you haven’t yet reached your $5,000 spending goal, it’s time to splurge. The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® is geared toward travelers, with miles being worth more when redeemed for travel credit as opposed to a gift card or regular cash back statement.

Take a weekend trip to see an old friend. Always go home for the holidays? Book your tickets now and put that guaranteed yearly trip toward your spending goal.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2021, including those best for:

Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice: Barclaycard Arrival Plus v. Capital One Venture: Travel credit card showdown NerdWallet’s top travel credit cards How to choose a travel credit card

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