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Embarrassing Credit Cards

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ChesterPDexter
Established Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards

The Hooters card is embarrassing.  (in my opinion) it makes a person look low-class and crass.  I avoid using mine whenever possible but I don't mind using it online at all. Smiley Happy  I just BT'd mine with Navy Federal and I wrote down the bank name as "Merrick Bank."  I wanted to avoid telling them I have a Hooters card at nearly all costs.  Thankfully it went through.  A few times I've had to talk to someone on the phone about a charge and hearing them say, "your... Hooters.... card" made me cringe, just as it sounded like they were cringing.

 

Everything else is OK.  I think most people don't know about sub-prime cards, so if they saw an Orchard card, they'd just think, "I have not heard of that bank."  Same with First Premier.  I think people don't generally notice the card issuer but they might notice designs on the card.  I had a transparent light-blue card for a while and that got a lot of comments.  People are used to scenery on cards, I think, but something juvenile like Hello Kitty might detract from a professional impression.

_________________________________________________________
Too many accounts; too many debts; lots of open credit, and lots of utilized credit. Scores somewhere in the 600s - I have no earthly idea exactly what number, but not 700 like it was, briefly.
Message 21 of 104
tinuviel
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@ChesterPDexter wrote:

The Hooters card is embarrassing.  (in my opinion) it makes a person look low-class and crass.  I avoid using mine whenever possible but I don't mind using it online at all. Smiley Happy  I just BT'd mine with Navy Federal and I wrote down the bank name as "Merrick Bank."  I wanted to avoid telling them I have a Hooters card at nearly all costs.  Thankfully it went through.  A few times I've had to talk to someone on the phone about a charge and hearing them say, "your... Hooters.... card" made me cringe, just as it sounded like they were cringing.

 

Everything else is OK.  I think most people don't know about sub-prime cards, so if they saw an Orchard card, they'd just think, "I have not heard of that bank."  Same with First Premier.  I think people don't generally notice the card issuer but they might notice designs on the card.  I had a transparent light-blue card for a while and that got a lot of comments.  People are used to scenery on cards, I think, but something juvenile like Hello Kitty might detract from a professional impression.


 

Similar sort of thing here. DH and I went to NYC a few years back. One of my (subprime) cards was from Applied Bank, but it was dark blue and transparent. I handed it to the desk clerk at the hotel, and he commented that it looked "really cool." No attitude, no snarkiness... he just seemed to like the aesthetics. As for me, all I cared about was that, having had the card for several years and eventually growing to a $1900 CL, it had sufficient avail credit on it to pay for the room! (Actually, it was pre-paid through hotels.com well in advance; I just needed to present a card to cover incidentals in order to check in.)


Current Scores: EQ 775 (03/04/2014), EX 756 (03/01/2014), TU 760 (03/01/2014)
Ruby Spade Garden Club Member - Last App: 03/04/2013 - No apps until 2014
Cards: Cap1 Venture 6.4k, Cap1 Quicksilver MC 1.75k, BankAmericard 1-2-3 Visa Signature - UCF Alumni Association 5k, Discover 7k, Citi Diamond Preferred MC 10.35k, Wells Fargo Rewards Visa 7k, Chase Freedom 5k, Chase Ink 7.5k, Amex Green NPSL, Dillard's Amex 7.5k, JC Penney 7.5k, Kay Jeweler's 5.1k
Message 22 of 104
Anomalous
Senior Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards

I think the embarrassing kind are those that get declined, no matter what brand they are. IMO Smiley Indifferent

Keep both your credit and your body in top shape!

Message 23 of 104
lakerfan2011
Regular Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards

you know what i have two orchards bank platinum permimum cards both with 8000 limits and two percent cash back had them for 3 years and they are two of my best cards   i am not embrassed at all

Message 24 of 104
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards

Not everyone is status conscious.  Some people would die being caught wearing white after Labor Day.  Others brag about their salary or where they vacation.  To others, having an "exclusive" credit card is a way to measure their worth as an individual (making them somehow "better" than those who do not have the same card.)  There are more important things in life than platinum(or black) credit cards and FICO scores..

Message 25 of 104
Lel
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@DI wrote:

 

Hypothetical question.  If you were out having lunch/dinner at a high end restaurant, and someone within the group pull out an Orchard or First Premier card, would you be embarrassed?   I expect to see meals being paid for with an AMEX card or some other uber card. 


I don't judge people by their looks, their cars, their clothes, or any other superfical metric.  I would never be embarrassed by anything as trivial as this.

Message 26 of 104
visorboy1974
Valued Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@ChesterPDexter wrote:

The Hooters card is embarrassing.  (in my opinion) it makes a person look low-class and crass. 

 

 

People are used to scenery on cards, I think, but something juvenile like Hello Kitty might detract from a professional impression.


Yet you have a Hooters Card!!!  Smiley Tongue  I agree though...mine was used mainly at gas stations and Hooters, places where it'd be a little more socially acceptable or not actually in another person's hands.  But if I really had to, I'd use it wherever I needed to use it.  

 

FICO Scores Updated 07/15 EQ08 748 EX08 748 TU08 818
Message 27 of 104
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@DI wrote:

 

Hypothetical question.  If you were out having lunch/dinner at a high end restaurant, and someone within the group pull out an Orchard or First Premier card, would you be embarrassed?   I expect to see meals being paid for with an AMEX card or some other uber card. 


Nope. First, I'd likely never even see/notice their credit card, because I wouldn't be looking, and I'd find it strange-- probably think they were having some kind of seizure, if they were waving it around, so... Second, even if I did somehow notice, I couldn't care less how someone else is paying. While, in years past, I might have thought (if I gave it any thought at all) that Amex (in particular) was symbolic of  "status",  I've long since learned (here in these forums) that it means absolutely nothing. Other than said cardholder has pulled out his/her means of payment. There's absolutely nothing to judge (hence no embarassment) in a credit card.

 

I'd be embarassed if someone tried to dodge the bill (complaining without merit, trickery, fraud, etc...). I'd be embarassed if someone were rude/crude/crass towards the restaurant employees, or other patrons. I'd be embarassed if they loudly passed gas without having excused themselves to the appropriate facilities, and they weren't in some way ill, or incapacitated.

 

I'd judge their character-- their credit card is immaterial.

Message 28 of 104
daylove
Regular Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@trumpet-205 wrote:

You probably should pay upfront, cause some waitress are known to skim your credit card when your card is not within your sight.


That's why we need the chip & pin

Message 29 of 104
daylove
Regular Contributor

Re: Embarrassing Credit Cards


@addicted_to_credit wrote:

every one knows HSBC deals with a lot of people with less than stellar credit


Really??

Most ppl don't know that.

Message 30 of 104
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