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Update: Referrals for Curve now bump you 100 places on the wait list rather than 50 spots (ends September 6, 2021), and terms explain that cash back on top of your usual rewards won’t be awarded for paying taxes or insurance or buying gift cards. (HT: Frequent Miler)
Curve has been a U.K. product for some time, and is coming to the U.S.. You can get on their announcement/pre-registration list and there’s a potential benefit in extra cash back to do so. The card should become available next month.
They have an interesting model: you load your current rewards card into their app, and then when you use their card you earn the rewards you would earn anyway plus an additional 1% cash back on top for six months by joining the waitlist.
- You get a single credit card and card number, linked to your other rewards cards. As they explained to me,
You can use the Curve credit card with the physical card or with our xPay integration. Every time you use the Curve credit card, and for example purposes, with the underlying card being AAdvantage card, you’ll get 1% cashback from Curve on top of your miles.
- They even promise that you can move charges from one card to another up to 30 days in the past. Put a charge on the wrong card, maybe you regret not earning the most points for it, they say they’ll let you change which card the charge is on.
Actually their ‘Go Back In Time’ feature could save a lot of relationships between the rewards-obsessed and their spouses. Let them put charges on whatever card they want, no more arguments, and just move the charges onto the “right” card later. Or maybe you didn’t realize a purchase was going to get coded as travel, and so you realize you’ll earn more points by moving it to the most lucrative card for the travel category.
For every person that you refer, you’ll be bumped 50 places up the waitlist. If you’re in the top 100 people on the waitlist by the time the card launches, you’ll earn 10% cashback for the first six months. Note that you’d have to refer a lot of people to do that though. When I joined the waitlist the other day, the email confirmation from Curve stated that I’m in 13,109th place. I’d therefore need to refer more than 250 people – with people above me not referring anyone – in order to crack the top 100 which seems unlikely.
Curve says that the “top 100” on their waitlist are actually going to get 10% cash back for the first 6 months, up to $1000, then 1%. You move up ’50 spots each time’ you refer someone successfully. I don’t see most of us breaking into the top 100. As I write this I’m 14,308 in line. So I’d need to refer 285 to break the top 100, but other people are going to be referring folks as well so I’d need even more than that.
In the U.K. Curve doesn’t work with Amex. I’d be surprised if they’re able to here in the U.S. We don’t have all of the answers yet on the product, but the UK version gives us some insight. It’s worth signing up for their wait list, since of course you’re not obligated and should get extra cash back if you do decide to get Curve later.
Way too much work. Just marry a rich guy and your dreams will be waiting for you. Caviar, yes ma’am, may I please have another!
If you associate 5 cards/rewards programs onto a Curve card, wouldn’t you need to go in for every transaction and assign it to one of your underlying credit cards? Sounds like a lot of work. And, what’s in it for them? Tracking your purchases and reselling the data?
Would be good to know how they benefit. Do they analyze/sell our purchasing data?
“ For now, Curve only supports Mastercard®, Visa, Diners and Discover branded debit and credit cards.”
Womp womp… no AMEX. That’s a big one since I can basically use PayPal Key for this already, with the same restriction (no AMEX).
I would be interested to know if you linked an old style Ink Plus card or a current Ink Cash card and did office supply charges for fee free Visa or MC gift cards (or anything else at office supply stores), if it would code correctly and give you 5 times Ultimate Rewards points plust the 1% cash for Curve. One could really do very well like this, or with other rotating bonus categories on any card. But, I cannot imagine it would code out right by Chase or any other card to accomplish this feat.
it is a credit card, not debit:
Joining the waitlist to apply for a Curve credit card does not guarantee eligibility for the card.
So, you use your Curve card which in turn charges your Sapphire card for your restaurant bill. Curve then makes sure that the charge is properly coded when charging your Sapphire card? If not, you’re just getting 1% back and not cashing in on the additional Chase points you should be earning.
Why hasn’t Curve rolled out in the US yet? Also, is Curve serious about an extra 1%, with no limit? Specifically, is Curve really going to give you $500 for $50,000 in charges on someone else’s card?