Nordstrom Visa 700 Fico Question:

[Credit-hoarder]

I've seen a number of posts on here that mention the required EQ (or EX?) score for the Visa version whether applying in-store or upgrading is 700.....is this pretty much concrete--or have there been known exceptions? I've been thinking of app'ing for this card but don't want to be stuck with the store version if I can help it--my current EX and EQ scores are 21 and 14 pts. perspectively below 700 at the moment.

[Anonymous]

I can't speak to the credit score being set in stone, but wanted to make you aware of this:

"Everyone is considered for the Nordstrom retail card. Customers who make frequent purchases at Nordstrom will also be considered for the Visa card." 

That is directly from their website. I am not sure how they track who is a frequency purchaser at Nordstrom, but it seems like most folks get the store card first and have to ask for the Visa later. 

[Anonymous]

Is it also true you have to spend $5,000 lifetime to get upgraded?
For some people that is harder to do but if you had gotten the store card years ago 5k is pocket change. I'm just saying that's a big entry fee if you wanted it immediately.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Is it also true you have to spend $5,000 lifetime to get upgraded?
For some people that is harder to do but if you had gotten the store card years ago 5k is pocket change. I'm just saying that's a big entry fee if you wanted it immediately.

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Unless they added that to the requirements recently, I have not heard that there was a $5,000 minimum lifetime spend; however, your retail credit line does need to be at least $5,000 before it can be converted to Visa. 

[MICHAELM30]

When i converted my Nordstrom SC to the visa version last year, my scores were all hovering around the 675ish range. i requested a cli which was approved from $2,500 to $6,000 and the customer service rep upgraded me with no issues.

[austinguy907]

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@Credit-hoarder wrote:

I've seen a number of posts on here that mention the required EQ (or EX?) score for the Visa version whether applying in-store or upgrading is 700.....is this pretty much concrete--or have there been known exceptions? I've been thinking of app'ing for this card but don't want to be stuck with the store version if I can help it--my current EX and EQ scores are 21 and 14 pts. perspectively below 700 at the moment.

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Let's get to the root of this.  Do you shop at Nordstrom's often?  If not then just scrub this from your list of wants for the sake of getting a store card that just collects dust.  Now, not knowing your other accounts currently it's hard to say if you'd come close or not to a $5K limit or not.  I know when I picked up Macy's during a shopping trip I got the AMEX version right out of the gate at $5K and was able to CLI to $10K pretty easily a few months later.  

I'm more interested in the bigger picture though when it comes to your query here.  

[Anonymous]

So I have quite a bit of experience with this. Ive dealt with many of there supervisors and even the credit department manager trying to get my card upgraded for years (because of the black out).

Nordstrom really empowers there credit department to have the same attitude as there customer service level (ie: they want you to have the best possible experience so they bend over backwards).

Nordstrom uses two scores. One internal risk score and your credit score. Once the upgrade window opened back up I was about 10 points off and they upgraded me because I had a perfect internal risk score and the relationship for 24 months.

They also have given me a ton of increases every 4 months (including auto cli's) and apr reductions.

[Credit-hoarder]

@autstinguy907: I do shop their rack store occasionally. And that was the purpose of doing this research--to not get stuck with a store card--but rather the VISA version which I would be likely to get more use out of. But I wouldn't want to app if it meant being stuck with the store version more than a year or two. Plus I wanted an in with TD Bank. I live in their geog. footprint and could outright apply for one of their Visa cards (TD Bank) but would rather go this route instead if possible. I actually had the Nordstrom store card for 16 years--but was foolish enough to let it close out for non-usage back in 2004. I have the Macy's store card and originally got it to upgrade it to the AMEX version (I have an old thread about that on here somewhere) but since I picked up the Centurion AMEX Green shortly after and a couple other co-branded AMEX cards (FNBO and BBVA plus the BCE and ED), I no longer felt the need to do the upgrade (or cold app for it), but I kept the store version since it's one of my oldest accts. and in the 3.5 years I've had it have had it increased to $24K through Citi.

[Credit-hoarder]

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@MICHAELM30 wrote:

When i converted my Nordstrom SC to the visa version last year, my scores were all hovering around the 675ish range. i requested a cli which was approved from $2,500 to $6,000 and the customer service rep upgraded me with no issues.

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Thanks--this gives me some hope if I do decide to app for it.

[austinguy907]

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@Credit-hoarder wrote:

@autstinguy907: I do shop their rack store occasionally. And that was the purpose of doing this research--to not get stuck with a store card--but rather the VISA version which I would be likely to get more use out of. But I wouldn't want to app if it meant being stuck with the store version more than a year or two. Plus I wanted an in with TD Bank. I live in their geog. footprint and could outright apply for one of their Visa cards (TD Bank) but would rather go this route instead if possible. I actually had the Nordstrom store card for 16 years--but was foolish enough to let it close out for non-usage back in 2004. I have the Macy's store card and originally got it to upgrade it to the AMEX version (I have an old thread about that on here somewhere) but since I picked up the Centurion AMEX Green shortly after and a couple other co-branded AMEX cards (FNBO and BBVA plus the BCE and ED), I no longer felt the need to do the upgrade (or cold app for it), but I kept the store version since it's one of my oldest accts. and in the 3.5 years I've had it have had it increased to $24K through Citi.

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Sounds like you have a well rounded portfolio of cards already and I don't see why the need to sneak into TD is if you're already sporting some decent cards.  Personally I would skip it all together and concentrate on gardening what you have already.  There's nothing special about what they're offering from what I'm seeing.  

Here's the offer:

• Spend $100 at Nordstrom with your card today and get a bonus $20 Nordstrom Note.
• Enjoy early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale before it opens to the public.
• Receive a $20 Nordstrom Note to spend for every 2,000 points earned.

Here's the T&C's which top out at 23.4% and a low in the 15% for the higher tier approval

https://secure.nordstrom.com/instantcreditapproval/cardholderagreement.aspx

And the penalty APR of 30%+ is just stunning.

If you didn't circumvent the TDB you could have this instead:

https://www.tdbank.com/personalcreditcard/cashrewardscard.html

	$150 cash back – offer expires April 30
	2% cash back on dining purchases
	1% cash back on all other purchases
	$0 foreign transaction fees
	$0 annual fee
	Free VantageScore® and credit education tools when you log in to TD Bank Online Banking1

$150 cash back when you spend $500 within the first 90 days of account opening

http://docs.tdcardservices.com/pdfs/TDCash-Personal-Terms.pdf

It's up to you though if you want to go co-brand for some reason that I'm not picking up on here.  Being in their service area is from what I've seen in the T&C's a big helper in getting into their personal cards with form listing you haev to be in ther territory to apply.  I'm sure if you had a 401K account or some other account you could push your way into an approval though.