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FNBO has updated their TravElite American Express card, and in addition to a decent sign up bonus, the ongoing benefits of this card have been updated and are now quite good for a card with no annual fee. We have added this card to our Best Offers page.
The Offer
- 25,000 points for spending $2,500 in the first 3 billing cycles (worth $250)
- $100 annual Travel Discretionary Fund (requires registration, can be used towards things like baggage fees, lounge access, and onboard food & drink)
- $100 Global Entry fee credit
- 3X points on travel
- 1.5X points everywhere else
- Points worth $0.01 each
Our Thoughts
Each point is worth $0.01 (which can be redeemed in the form of gift cards or cash back), therefore the sign up bonus is worth $250. On its own, that isn’t a bad sign up bonus for a card with no annual fee. However, the ongoing benefits are what make this card particularly interesting. The $100 annual travel fee credit is very generous for a card with no annual fee. While the terms state that this credit can not be used for things like airline tickets, gift cards, point purchases, and upgrades, we do not yet have data points indicating what will trigger the credit. The terms state that you must enroll in the benefit before making an associated purchase. At the very least, this looks like free bags and/or food onboard in economy class. Additionally, this card will have access to Amex Offers. While many readers probably have access to a Global Entry fee credit with other cards, it is yet another generous benefit considering the lack of an annual fee.
Between Amex Offers and the $100 annual travel credit, the ongoing value proposition of this card is strong. While not the most rewarding card for everyday spend, 3% on travel isn’t bad for a card with no fee, especially considering the other benefits and lack of foreign transaction fees. It’s definitely worth a look.
Note that according to the comments at Doctor of Credit, it seems that instant approval is uncommon. Reports there suggest that those with many recent applications may be denied, though we don’t have enough data points to know how many is too many. Application status can be checked here.
H/T: DoC
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[…] offer shown above was available publicly earlier this year (see: Free $100 annual travel credit with new FNBO TravElite card), but since then the offer had disappeared. I figured that the card had been sunset altogether. […]
Quick, easy application. Hard to beat for no annual fee.
Received pre-approved offer in mail.
Applied online, instant approval. EX pulled.
3 inquiries in the past 6 months, 750 FICO.
Instant approval didn’t state my credit limit, but immediately checking the application status on the FNBO website revealed a $12k limit.
The credit works for the $15 early check-in on SW.
Does anyone know if you have to call yearly to reactivate the $100 Travel credit? Or is that a one-time call you have to make? Thanks…
[…] Free $100 annual travel credit with new FNBO TravElite card: This newly refreshed card has added some great ongoing benefits and eliminated its annual fee, making it well worth a look. […]
Is it possible to use points instead of cashback if you have other MR points cards? Are these even MR points that it awards?
These are not MR points. It is basically a traditional cash back card though with some nice benefits for a no annual fee card.
Is this considered an Amex card where you would not be approved if you already acquired 2 Amex in the last 75 days?
No….that’s a rule with Amex Centurion bank (cards issued by Amex). This card is issued by FNBO, it just runs on Amex’s payment network. That said, they do seem to be new-account-sensitive based on the anecdotal reporting over at DoC — so you may not be approved with 2 new accounts in the last 75 days (whether Amex or otherwise). We don’t have a lot of data points on this one.
Thanks applied myself and spouse separately.
I applied but didn’t get immediate approval. Where do you suggest calling? (reconciliation line)
I just updated the post to note that many users at DoC are reporting that approval is not instant. I also added a link to check application status. You may want to start there as some people have reported seeing approved status after a few hours.
We didn’t have a recon number for FNBO, so I did some searching. I see a user at DoC reported a number last month and the same number was reported on Flyertalk a few years ago. That number is 1-800-444-6220. However, DoC has a page for FNBO and I don’t see any reports of success on recon (though there are several people reporting being declined on recon). Based on the (limited) data points there, it might be best to wait it out and call recon only if you get declined.