Advice on Barclay's Rewards MasterCard, stay or go?

[Anonymous]

I've had a Barclay's MC Rewards for just under a year, and it was a needed boost to my rebuilding journey. However, I feel like I'm coming to a crossroads here. I was digging the kick on using it for utilities, but now I have other cards with better return for gas and groceries. It's never seen an auto CLI, I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit. 

I get that I'm still an "unknown" for Barclay in terms of responsible credit. I've added accounts in the last year, and I know that spooks them, too. But I've paid consistently, early, and numerous times. I rarely carry a balance, and yet nothing changes. Nada. I keep hitting the limit with gas, groceries, and utilities and it's frustrating. I've got cards with fairly high limits and from what I read, I wonder if I'm ever going to see that kind of limit with Barclay.

Have I outgrown this card? Is it time to send it to the sock drawerr? Or do I cancel completely and reapply later and see if they are more willing to give me a higher SL?

[mitchblue]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've had a Barclay's MC Rewards for just under a year, and it was a needed boost to my rebuilding journey. However, I feel like I'm coming to a crossroads here. I was digging the kick on using it for utilities, but now I have other cards with better return for gas and groceries. It's never seen an auto CLI, I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit. 

I get that I'm still an "unknown" for Barclay in terms of responsible credit. I've added accounts in the last year, and I know that spooks them, too. But I've paid consistently, early, and numerous times. I rarely carry a balance, and yet nothing changes. Nada. I keep hitting the limit with gas, groceries, and utilities and it's frustrating. I've got cards with fairly high limits and from what I read, I wonder if I'm ever going to see that kind of limit with Barclay.

Have I outgrown this card? Is it time to send it to the sock drawerr? Or do I cancel completely and reapply later and see if they are more willing to give me a higher SL?

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You can still use it for utility bills, cell phone bill, cable bill. Do you have another card that gets 2% on those items?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I get that I'm still an "unknown" for Barclay in terms of responsible credit. I've added accounts in the last year, and I know that spooks them, too...I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit. 

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This doesn't sound very fun for you. I just PC my Apple Rewards to Rewards (I think it's a VISA now, not MC). What do you mean by that you spooked them by adding accounts? That you've been approved of many other credit cards lately?

Also, what does, "I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit" mean?

[mitchblue]

As a sidenote.. If utilization is a problem, use the card and pay it off right away before it reports.

[kdm31091]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've had a Barclay's MC Rewards for just under a year, and it was a needed boost to my rebuilding journey. However, I feel like I'm coming to a crossroads here. I was digging the kick on using it for utilities, but now I have other cards with better return for gas and groceries. It's never seen an auto CLI, I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit. 

I get that I'm still an "unknown" for Barclay in terms of responsible credit. I've added accounts in the last year, and I know that spooks them, too. But I've paid consistently, early, and numerous times. I rarely carry a balance, and yet nothing changes. Nada. I keep hitting the limit with gas, groceries, and utilities and it's frustrating. I've got cards with fairly high limits and from what I read, I wonder if I'm ever going to see that kind of limit with Barclay.

Have I outgrown this card? Is it time to send it to the sock drawerr? Or do I cancel completely and reapply later and see if they are more willing to give me a higher SL?

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Why reapply later if the rewards aren't suiting you anymore?

Barclay's is generally across the board pretty conservative with limits, and even when increases are given, they're modest. So not sure what you are expecting but huge leaps are not common.

[Anonymous]

1.8 is the closest, I think. But even with just utilities on there, it's still hitting the limit fairly regularly. If I'm not on top of it and get busy with work, then the balance reports and absolutely kills my score. 

Overall, that card has earned some of the least rewards, despite it sitting all year to accumulate. They hold payments for three to five days, too. So it's not as simple as whipping off an electronic payment and then back to the full limit. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I get that I'm still an "unknown" for Barclay in terms of responsible credit. I've added accounts in the last year, and I know that spooks them, too...I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit. 

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This doesn't sound very fun for you. I just PC my Apple Rewards to Rewards (I think it's a VISA now, not MC). What do you mean by that you spooked them by adding accounts? That you've been approved of many other credit cards lately?

Also, what does, "I had to call for an interest rate reduction to get 200 bucks more to my limit" mean?

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It was one of the tricks written about to gets a soft CLI for Barclay cards. I'd called because my interest rate was bananas high (even though I don't carry a balance), and asked at the same time if there were any soft pull CLIs available. It netted me 200 bucks for an increase to 1.2K. And there it has remained. 

[mitchblue]

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@Anonymous wrote:

1.8 is the closest, I think. But even with just utilities on there, it's still hitting the limit fairly regularly. If I'm not on top of it and get busy with work, then the balance reports and absolutely kills my score. 

Overall, that card has earned some of the least rewards, despite it sitting all year to accumulate. They hold payments for three to five days, too. So it's not as simple as whipping off an electronic payment and then back to the full limit. 

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I guess only you can determine what the right thing to do is..

[Anonymous]

Mitchblue, I do pay it off as soon as possible. But they hold payments for 5 days before it's applied. It's not as simple as pay multiple times. They've also locked me out after paying twice in one month.

[Anonymous]

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@kdm31091 wrote:

Why reapply later if the rewards aren't suiting you anymore?

Barclay's is generally across the board pretty conservative with limits, and even when increases are given, they're modest. So not sure what you are expecting but huge leaps are not common.

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True, this Barclay's card isn't fitting the need. They do have others I'd like to be considered for one day.