I noticed that the Upromise credit card was no longer showing up on the Barclaycard home page. The requisite googling yielded no application links, so I emailed customer service to ask if they were still accepting new applications. Here is their response:
Please be advised that beginning February 15, 2017 we closed a majority of application channels for the Upromise Mastercard, with a complete stop of new applications on February 28. We are in the process of reviewing the current program and are no longer accepting new applications at this time. Applications already in the system are able to be reconsidered through March 31, 2017.
What could “reviewing the current program” mean? Most likely the card isn’t profitable enough. My guess is that it’s dead, although it’s certainly possible they’ll revamp it and bring it back. If in fact it is dead, I’m sad to see this one go. It’s a quirky card but one which comes in handy every now and then. In fact, I just used it a month ago to score 10% cash back (5% on the credit card + 5% portal) on a keyboard we purchased for our kids’ piano lessons.
Given that Upromise is part of Sallie Mae (even though Barclaycard issues the card), and Sallie Mae recently killed its own quirky credit card, I’m not optimistic about the Upromise card’s future. But then again maybe Sallie Mae reconsidered and wants to wrest this one away from Barclaycard and take it in-house. Who knows…
One of the best cards out there for those who know how to use it properly (for MS). Would be a shame if shut down.