Comenity will approve me but never CLI???

[mt2va]

Okay after many times of trying finally broke the curse and was approved for several Comenity cards last year.  (lowish limits)  However, in a year of on time payments, paying always either in full or well over the minimum, only carried a balance on one that had 0% interest for 6 months on a larger purchase which I paid off 3 months ago and they still have not updated the CRA.  I still find I can't ever get a CLI.  Every one else talks about hitting the Luv button and getting increase after increase.  I always get a denial about my poor credit.  Yes I already know that.  It was that way when you approved me so if that's there reason why even approve me?  In fact my credit has gotten significantly better.  I have paid off every single credit card I have.  My old charges offs and late payments have aged another 1-2 years from when I was approved.  I have paid off all collections.  I'm just frustrated.  I understand I still have work to do on my credit which only time will help, but how can they deny a CLI using the same reasoning about why they probably shouldn't have approved me in the first place but they did approve me. 

[Anonymous]

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@mt2va wrote:

Okay after many times of trying finally broke the curse and was approved for several Comenity cards last year.  (lowish limits)  However, in a year of on time payments, paying always either in full or well over the minimum, only carried a balance on one that had 0% interest for 6 months on a larger purchase which I paid off 3 months ago and they still have not updated the CRA.  I still find I can't ever get a CLI.  Every one else talks about hitting the Luv button and getting increase after increase.  I always get a denial about my poor credit.  Yes I already know that.  It was that way when you approved me so if that's there reason why even approve me?  In fact my credit has gotten significantly better.  I have paid off every single credit card I have.  My old charges offs and late payments have aged another 1-2 years from when I was approved.  I have paid off all collections.  I'm just frustrated.  I understand I still have work to do on my credit which only time will help, but how can they deny a CLI using the same reasoning about why they probably shouldn't have approved me in the first place but they did approve me. 

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It depends on the card you have and if you have a balance showing.  

For some, it doesn't work until you are actively paying down a balance.  For others, you have to get past x months before it starts working.  On a few cards, it seems the CLI button never works.  There are a couple of cards you can CLI the minute you create the account online

In general, most Commenity CLI's happened for me after I used the card and was paying down a balance.  Most of the time, hitting LUV while showing $0.00 balance doesn't really work for me.

[mt2va]

All my balances are paid off and cards are coming up on 1 year old.  Never had any CLI on any of them ever.  And most are around $500 limit.  Just seems like they were unattainable to me for so long and they finally approve me, but refuse to budge on a CLI.  And one refuses to report to the CRA that I paid it off in January so I'm waiting on that to show so I can pull my scores and see where I stand there.

[Anonymous]

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@mt2va wrote:

All my balances are paid off and cards are coming up on 1 year old.  Never had any CLI on any of them ever.  And most are around $500 limit.  Just seems like they were unattainable to me for so long and they finally approve me, but refuse to budge on a CLI.  And one refuses to report to the CRA that I paid it off in January so I'm waiting on that to show so I can pull my scores and see where I stand there.

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I am going to guess you do not have Overstock, Buckle, JCrew or Victoria's secret?

For some of those cards, $500 seems as far as they will go.

[JSS3]

Anyone have the DSW Visa and know how long for a CLI?

[Anonymous]

You're not alone. I have one Comenity (J. Crew) and far better cards (Citi Plat, Chase Freedom, AMEX, low util, no baddies, etc.) but Comenity won't give me a CLI. Don't really need it, but it's still so funny to me how generous they are to other people. I opened the card in January—wonder if it's just still too new?

[Jarnog]

Comenity likes balances.  Whether it be for a month or 2 months or whatever.

Since you said you used them then pay to 0, it most likely won't report.  At least that is what I have seen.  Also, from personal experience with myself and DW, when we had cards to zero balances, CLI's were few and far between.  As soon as we used the card, let the statement cut with balance, the CLI's came. 

We started trying at around the 6 month mark with  our cards.  Some go just once then the 7-10, some more (for example DW JCREW card has gone from $250 initial to $8250 in a little over a  year).

It's always a YMMV situation, but it does seem that their cards like to show a balance for them to show some luv.

[kuku4koco]

Do you remember what your score was when you applied?

[DeeBee78]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You're not alone. I have one Comenity (J. Crew) and far better cards (Citi Plat, Chase Freedom, AMEX, low util, no baddies, etc.) but Comenity won't give me a CLI. Don't really need it, but it's still so funny to me how generous they are to other people. I opened the card in January—wonder if it's just still too new?

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From what I've read in these forums, people are hitting that LUV button every month. I hit it when I opened my accounts, and managed to get a little more out of J. Crew and Overstock.com. Now I'm going to buy something cheap with each card, wait for the statement to generate, then hit the button again. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, DeeBee. Going to try that. I don't really use it the card, which could be part of the problem. I wish I had known to request a CLI as soon as I got it... So much to learn here!