Consumer complaint received 2025-12-03 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding deceptive advertising, misrepresentation of credit-card bonus terms, and failure to honor promotional benefits by Barclays Bank and XXXX XXXX  relating to the XXXX XXXX  Barclaycard . 

Details of the Complaint : On XX/XX/year>, I opened a new XXXX XXXX credit card account through the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, which displayed a promotional offer of XXXX bonus miles after spending {$500.00} and paying the annual fee. This same offer was repeatedly presented on recent XXXX flights, through XXXX mail, and on the XXXX XXXX, where I submitted my application. 

I met all terms of the promotional requirements immediately. My first purchase occurred on XX/XX/year>, and I made a payment of over {$1300.00}, including the annual fee, which Barclays received on XX/XX/year>. Within a five-day period, I spent over {$1000.00} on the new card to ensure I met the stated spending threshold. 

When I checked my XXXX account XXXX I saw that I was awarded only XXXX miles, not the advertised XXXX miles. I contacted Barclays customer service, and they stated that a different application was used ; despite the fact that I applied directly through the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX where the XXXX promotion was displayed. Customer service refused to honor the advertised offer. 

Additional Issues : Elite Status and Earn Rate Misrepresentation : The promotional materials stated that new cardholders would receive instant Elite Gold Status, which provides XXXX miles per dollar on XXXX purchases after the first purchase. This elite status has not appeared on my account, and the bonus multipliers were not applied. 

Specifically : I spent approximately {$900.00} on XXXX flights and services. 

Instead of earning XXXX miles per dollar as advertised, I was only awarded XXXX miles. 

This is a substantial financial discrepancy and undermines the entire value proposition of the promotional offer. 

Nature of the Problem : Barclays and XXXXXXXX XXXX appear to be engaging in deceptive advertising and a classic bait-and-switch promotional scheme by : Publicly advertising a XXXX promotional offer Allowing consumers to apply through the platform where the offer is shown Awarding a significantly lower bonus after the consumer completes the required spending Refusing to honor the advertised terms Failing to provide the promised elite status and the associated earning rates This conduct violates federal truth-in-advertising standards and raises significant consumer protection concerns, particularly because the promotion was presented across multiple channelsincluding in-flight, postal mail, and the official Frontier Airlines App. 

Requested Resolution : I am requesting that the CFPB investigate this matter and require Barclays and XXXX XXXX to : Honor the full XXXX sign-up bonus that was advertised Apply the correct Elite Gold status to my account as promised ( At this time it should be Platinum status ) Adjust mileage earning to reflect the correct XXXX earning rate for the purchases made ( This should be adjusted to Platinum ) Review their promotional practices to prevent further consumer deception This situation appears to be affecting other consumers as well, given the wide distribution of the misleading promotional materials. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation