Is the Walmart card worth apping for the TU score?

[reckedhim]

It seems like a cheap and convenient way to track your score. Is it worth apping for just for the score?

[the_jan_b]

For me, it is... 

[Burned2manybridgesB4]

...also good for the better than average CLI's, for which greatly helps the utilization ratio.

[Epcot]

If you are rebuilding or want a TU score to monitor, I say yes. No AF, nice increases and a TU score make it a very desirable card to many.

[reckedhim]

Do you get the TU score with both of the available Walmart cards?

[Radek7752]

I wouldn't say it's worth it to apply just for the score (haven't had a lender so far use TU08); however, I keep my Walmart Discover in the drawer for 0% promotions and frequent CLIs. I got an email a few days ago promoting $.15 discount at their gas stations, so that's another useful benefit of the card.

[Cdnewmanpac]

I'm sure 100 people on this forum will tell you to get the card, but here are some reasons not to:

1. The TU08 is used by almost nobody. Even if they do use it, there is a decent chance they will use an auto or credit enhanced version. Knowing this score means you know this score. You are as likely to get a benefit from knowing this score as you are from the free Vantage score (not creditkarma score) offered for free on CK. Very few lenders use that score as well.

2. If the only reason you would get the card is for the score, then you have to weigh the value of that score (perhaps emotionally gratifying to see it go up, might randomly correspond to what a particular lender pulls) against the costs, which are an inquiry, a new credit line, a lowering of your AAoA and having to keep track of a card that you don't/won't use.

3. Even if the GE cheerleaders are right and your limit grows easily and steadily over time, I've yet to be convinced of the value of having a large limit on a card you don't use. Utilization is an artificial value that only matters at the time you are applying for credit. It is very easily manipulated regardless of what your total limits are. The ONLY reason to get a card with a high limit that you don't use might be if you buy in to this argument that other lenders won't give you high limits until a first lender does. I know some people swear by this, but as someone who got a chase visa signature with a 5k limit at the time when my highest other limit was 1000, I'm just not a believer.

I will be the first to admit to an anti-walmart bias, for plenty of reasons that are not germaine to this forum, but I stand by my arguments regardless.

[reckedhim]

Thanks cd, that was insightful. I may just hold off.

[jht2]

Initially I did for the scores but my wally score hasn't updated since January.

[colindidit]

I think CD isn't completely right in that statement. The last two cards I received in the mail have the fico score from Walmart. And my Walmart and myfico are 41 points apart so it's not completely true that its used by almost nobody. These were discover and BOA so it's not like they were subprime.