What Was The First Credit Card In Your Name?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

This thread brings back memories. I still remember the days when you just handed your card to the cashier and they place the card in a metal machine that would imprint your card onto a triplicate carbon sales slip. They hardly ever called in to check on your card. Does anyone remember those old manual machines they used?

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Absolutely! They made this great "crunch, crunch" sound. And a lot of store cards were different sizes from the usual. My mother had a Goldsmith's card that was as wide as a standard card, but only about 2/3 as tall.

After a while, the raised numbers on the cards would start to wear off, and you'd have to replace it, because the account number wouldn't go on the carbons properly.

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I

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Believe it or not, but these are still around. They're called imprinters, or "knuckle busters" by merchants. They're still issued to merchants for free as a back-up. Or at least, my processing company gave me one when I opened my account with them and didn't charge me. At least the slips are now carbonless.

Handy in the event your terminal breaks, lose power or landline connection. Our local Chinese restaurant uses a small knuckle buster when they deliver and we want to use CC.

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Yep, have to use them if the mag strip goes bad. Big deal though at any store, usually have to call a mgr. over to initial the slip.

[Anonymous]

First Interstate in '93. FI was bought by FirstCard around 2000, I think it was, then FC was bought by Chase a few years later.

I got the card when I responded to a mail offer back when credit was given to practically anyone. I knew absolutely ZERO about cards or credit or anything. I just thought it would be nice to have a card in my name-I was an authorized sig. on DH's Wells Fargo card, which we eventually closed b/c we never used it & it had a higher APR than the FC. We didn't know it would look better on our CRs to keep the acct.

I'm sure I had almost nothing showing on any of my CRs-I didn't even know what a CR or CS was. Since I was self-employed & barely breaking even I gave myself a nice raise on the app, which was promptly accepted. I don't remember what my orig. CL was, but they kept raising it w/out my asking.

[Anonymous]

I thought and thought and thought, stop thinking and remembered long long ago there came along a little card named Sears; Sears also had many first cousins, named Penny's, Mervins, AMX, Disc, etc. They all begain to yurn for a desire to go home, since no one ever paid them any attention anymore. So, I begain to feel sorry for them and called there last known number 1-800 ?????, I informed there creator that they served well, and deserve to come home for a final time, with some dismay the creator was sadden to here everyone was coming home, but finally excepted the inevidable or something like that. So, the big waite begins to see see how well there return home is accepted by there second cousins EXP, EQF, & TRNU will there joy burst over with numbers reaching towards the Sky, or will they just maintain a low cool. Hummmm? 

[kbell]

During my freshmen year in college 14 years ago, I applied for a Chase and Citi card at the same time. Chase approved for $200 CL, I think, and Citi approved for $500 CL.

In 1996, I applied for a Bravo card ($4,500 CL) just so I could get a free chef's apron because I thought it looked neat. I still have the apron in the closet, never used. When I closed the card in 1998, the CSR pleaded with me to keep the card, even offering to lower my credit limit, which I found odd. The Bravo card, issued by Discover Financial Services, no longer exists. My guess is those who still had a Bravo card were converted to a Discover card.

[WhirledPeasPlease]

Oh where to start.  The first was LSAyres (now branded as Macys) with a 200 CL in 1990.  From there I'm not sure what happened next...

Ayres, Lazarus, Montgomery Wards, Sears, Sears Elite/Premier/whatever, Dillards, Macys, Spiegal/Eddie Bauer, First USA Visa, Discover, AT&T Universal MC, Lerner, The Limited, Citibank something-er-other, Elek-Tek, and I'm a few.  I just remember being 21 having 17 cards with about a total of 25k in TLs all while making ...  drumroll please...  between 2k and 6k on average per year.  (I was in college.)  I had two consolidation loans as well as a car loan.  I somehow managed to avoid BK, but I paid..  and paid..  and PAID.  (See FICOs from 2005 below.)

Now, on round two of my CC life I have fewer cards and a lower total TL.  HOWEVER, my total TL on CCs is only about 20% of my income, instead of the other way around. 

[kbell]

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@WhirledPeasPlease wrote:

I just remember being 21 having 17 cards with about a total of 25k in TLs all while making ... drumroll please... between 2k and 6k on average per year. (I was in college.)

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You need a degree in quantum mathematics and string theory to juggle 17 credit cards.

[haulingthescoreup]

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@kbell wrote:

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@WhirledPeasPlease wrote:

I just remember being 21 having 17 cards with about a total of 25k in TLs all while making ... drumroll please... between 2k and 6k on average per year. (I was in college.)

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You need a degree in quantum mathematics and string theory to juggle 17 credit cards.

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One of the MANY reasons that I only have five!

[fused]

Doesn't Tusc have 45 CCs! lol

[WhirledPeasPlease]

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:

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@kbell wrote:

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@WhirledPeasPlease wrote:

I just remember being 21 having 17 cards with about a total of 25k in TLs all while making ... drumroll please... between 2k and 6k on average per year. (I was in college.)

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You need a degree in quantum mathematics and string theory to juggle 17 credit cards.

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One of the MANY reasons that I only have five!

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Yes I was the picture of 'credit stupid'.  Oddly enough I did get a math license to teach -- just about the time I realized I was WAY in over my head.

  Getting better now!

[haulingthescoreup]

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@fused wrote:

Doesn't Tusc have 45 CCs! lol

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Well, he probably HAS degrees in quantum mechanics and string theory!