@Anonymous wrote:As of late, I have seen zero success by anyone using "close my account" as leverage for a CLI.
Does your CapOne have rewards? If so, do you use it enough to offset the late fee. Basically if you can use it for expenses that you have each month for $4900 per year, then you can take the rewards as cash credit toward the card and the fees are offset. If there are no rewards and they won't waive the fee, see if they can add rewards or PC to rewards....this is a way to get the equivalent of no AF.
If you can combine the accounts into a single, larger CL, that could be a good way to go.
However, AF's are a small fee to pay when you are getting established. Check out the CU's and you may find that you have a new home
Good suggestion to use rewards from this card to offset the AF. I didn't suggest however to use the "close my account" tactic to get a CLI. OP asked about having the AF waived and this is what has worked for me. It also worked last month when Cap One offered to lower my APR when I called to close my old low limit rebuilder card. I closed the account anyway but they did offer.
Last year when I called to have the AF waived I had a small ($200) balance on the card. The first CSR I spoke with told me that she couldn't waive the fee on my card at this time. I then told her that I was going online to pay the balance and would call back to cancel the card. Thirty minutes later I called back and asked her questions about the amount I needed to pay( minus the $29 AF) to be sure the card was closed without any balance remaining. As she was giving me this information another CSR jumped into the conversation and proceded to let me know that yes, indeed, if I kept the card open the AF would be waived. So don't take your first "No" as an answer...call again.
If OP opens a new, no AF Cap One card and combines it onto the old card she will simply have a higher limit card with an AF. If she combines the old card onto the new card she will have a new higher limit card without AF and her older card will still be closed. She will also have 3 new inquiries on her credit reports.
The CL on her Cap One is really nice if this was one of her first cards. With her scores ( I'm assuming her other scores are somewhat similar to her EQ score) and with the CLs on her Chase and Cap One cards, I am certain she would qualify for a much better card without AF from a prime lender if she chooses to go that way.
