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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Check the offer terms and your posted transactions first, then ask the card issuer to identify the offer attached to your account and explain the missing bonus. There is no universal posting deadline: the applicable offer controls. If the issuer does not resolve the issue, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), though a complaint does not guarantee a bonus.
1. Find the exact offer tied to your application
Start with the terms shown when you applied, not a current version of the card’s advertising. Look for your application confirmation, offer email, saved screenshot, mailed offer, or terms. Note the bonus amount, application date and channel, minimum spending requirement, qualifying period, purchase exclusions, and any eligibility restrictions such as limits related to prior card ownership or past bonuses.
Ask the issuer which offer version or promotion code is recorded on your account. Application channel can matter: the CFPB has described a case in which Bank of America advertised a sign-up bonus as available to all applicants but denied it to some people who applied by phone or in person, and some promised bonuses were not provided because of employee error. That example does not establish that every missing bonus reflects a violation; the offer and account facts matter. CFPB: Bank of America credit-card practices.
2. Recalculate qualifying spending and check the deadline
Compare the transactions that posted during the offer’s specified period with the offer’s definition of qualifying purchases. A purchase date alone may not establish that a transaction qualified within the window; check the posted activity and ask the issuer how it calculates the period. Account for returns and credits, which may reduce eligible spending, and review exclusions in the offer. The CFPB says issuers typically exclude cash equivalents such as gift cards from promotional spending minimums, but that is not a complete list for every offer. CFPB issue spotlight on credit-card rewards.
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Also check whether the offer specifies when a bonus should post—for example, after qualifying spending or after a statement closes. The available CFPB materials do not establish one posting timetable across issuers, so do not assume a particular number of days. Ask the issuer to point to the timing term for your offer.
3. Ask the issuer for an account-specific explanation
Use secure messaging or another channel that preserves a written record when possible. If you call, note the date and time, representative’s name or ID if provided, and case number. The CFPB’s credit-card agreement database is useful for general agreement terms, but it is not a record of the offer attached to your account; the Bureau directs consumers to the issuer for account-specific questions. CFPB credit-card agreement database.
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Ask focused questions:
- Which welcome offer or promotion code is attached to my account?
- What spending total and deadline does your system show for that offer?
- Which transactions did you count or exclude, and under which term?
- Does your system show that I met the threshold? If so, what posting timeline does the offer specify?
- If the bonus was denied, which eligibility condition was not met, and where was it disclosed?
4. Escalate in writing if the first response does not answer the issue
Send a concise reconsideration request if the explanation does not address your offer or account history. Include the offer evidence, application date and channel, a brief spending calculation, relevant account activity, and any earlier case number. State what you want the issuer to do, such as confirm the applicable terms, correct an account error, or explain the basis for denying the bonus.
Keep copies of the offer and your communications. The CFPB has received complaints involving confusing rewards terms, customer-service or technical failures, and situations where a card issuer and rewards partner refer consumers to one another. If a partner is involved, ask the issuer to clarify who is responsible for investigating the missing bonus and preserve the partner’s response as well. CFPB issue spotlight on credit-card rewards.
5. File a CFPB complaint if the issuer does not resolve it
If you remain dissatisfied after contacting the issuer, submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint portal. Include a timeline, the exact offer and its terms, the bonus promised, your qualifying-spend calculation, issuer contacts and responses, and the outcome you are seeking. The CFPB sends credit-card complaints to companies for review and response. It says most companies respond within 15 days; that is a general response description, not a guaranteed deadline for every complaint or a promise that the bonus will be awarded. CFPB: Submit a complaint.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if you are outside the United States?
The CFPB process and materials described here apply to the United States. If you are elsewhere, check the issuer’s complaint process and the relevant financial regulator in your jurisdiction. In any location, the promotion’s terms and the records for your account are central to determining what was promised and whether the requirements were met.
Quick Recap
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