My Barclaycard Arrival+ has been on the ropes with me for a while given the changes they made to the card most recently. It’s not the worst card in the world, but the redemption changes coupled with the removal of the TripIt Pro subscription that came with it made paying the $89 annual fee a challenge for me. When my AAdvantage Aviator Red card matched the Arrival+’s redeeming quality, Chip and PIN capability at unattended terminals, it’s fate was sealed.

I gave Barclays a call and told them I wanted to cancel. They of course asked why, and I gave them all the reasons listed here. The agent advised that my account was “eligible” to downgrade to the no annual fee Arrival card. An interesting option to maintain a consistent credit line. However, my credit scores are high, and I have plenty of credit access. In short, if a small hit to my credit score is to be had from closing an account, I’d just as soon take it with this card, thin out my inventory a bit, and replace it with something else when an attractive bonus opportunity appears.

arrival plus card

Will you be keeping your Arrival+ card?

-MJ, October 11, 2015