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What was your 1st credit card?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What was your 1st credit card?


@Anonymous wrote:

How long did it take for your card to arrive if you remember? What are some tips you can give me on the card? I was just approved as well for Journey's 


It was somewhere between 7-10 days like they say it does. Some tips? Uhm other than the usual don't spend what you don't have there aren't many tips. Smiley Tongue I just recently called in to ask for an CLI or a product change and she said she couldn't do either but that she could give me a reduced APR for 7 months (I called in to cancel). I do know their new deals program is nice if they selected you to be in it (they are rolling it out and some people are in, some aren't). There is usually a new offer each week where they have spend bonuses (ie. spend $10 get $5 statement credit) or "free monee" where they just give you $x to spend at a certain store.

 

Also, I would always make sure you pay your balance in full each month. The APR is pretty high on this card and I can proudly say that for the year I've had the card, they've paid me rather than me paying them. Smiley Tongue Just pay it on time each month in full and you won't be hit with that high APR and if you are in the deals program you can take advantage of them paying you to use the card (I consider it getting paid because they're crediting me the money). If you download the mobile app for iPhone or Android you can access it on the go but they do have a mobile site. I personally prefer the mobile app. You can also see your current deals available from the mobile app as well. HTH!

Message 91 of 110
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

My first was a Citi Student Dividend card from a few years ago when I was 18 ($500 limit). It now has a $10k limit. Luckily, I never went crazy with my card or missed a payment.

Message 92 of 110
CreditCrusader
Valued Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

Key Bank Visa...mailed to me 2 days before I left for college in 1994. It had a $1,500 limit and no AF. Back in those days, I thought someone would haul me off to jail if I didn't pay my entire balance by the due date, so I often paid in advance (debit cards were scarce back then)..waited for the payment to post...then used the card. They didn't like that too much, so when I called them about a question later in the term, they kindly told me to wait until the charge posted to pay.

 

Looking back, I wish I had just kept doing what I was doing...would have spared me some major credit heartache. Oh well...lesson learned.

In my wallet: Apple $5,000, local CU $15,000, Bread AMEX $5,000. In my sock drawer: A few other cards Smiley Happy

Current scores (EQ, EX, TU): 787, 788, 796
Message 93 of 110
Repo-ed
Senior Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

Mine was a sears store card back in 1996.

5/2012: 560 credit scores across the board
12/2014: 750+
3/2017: 780+
11/2019: 833
2/2023: Experian via Chase United Explorer CC pull - 891
Message 94 of 110
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?


@Anonymous wrote:

@Sweets8E wrote:

My first credit card was from Providian. It had a $250 credit limit. I maxed it out at some point like a year after getting it. If I recall, I got a Cap1 card around the same time too with a $300 limit. But the kicker was by the time the card got to me it only had like $50-$78 bucks in available credit because of all the fees associated with accepting and activating it. Bad choices each of them. If I knew then, what I know now, I wouldn't have bothered.


Do they still do that today? I applied for a student's journey and was approved for  750 and have not received the card I got the "your card has been shipped" email on Sunday morning. Why so many fees? I was not told of this


They don't have any fees anymore, the journey is fee free so long as you don't burn them. You mess with any credit card company, and I assure you, they'll get you back, if you stay in their good graces though, you will be rewarded. (Maybe not by capital one, but they're a stepping stone)

 

Also, to your other post, you should get your card in 7-10 days (that's what they tell you) It's a weekend now so probably by wednesday or thursday depending on when it was shipped. 

Message 95 of 110
illini10
Member

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

I got my first card through US Bank when I was 18, it was some sort of a student card I think (it has been changed multiple times as they discontinued cards). I don't remember the credit limit, but I'm sure that it was somewhere between $1000 and $2000. I used to receive regular CLI's and got up to $7800 at some point. I haven't gotten one of those in a while. Now I have a Cash+ Signature Visa that I am loving for the bill pay. It has been the same TL the entire time and is my longest one.

Message 96 of 110
andyaycw
Frequent Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

First credit card was a Citi Dividend Platinum Select Student card when I turned 18. Through a few card conversions it is now a Citi Thank You card. Opening CL was $1200 and now sits at $17,500.


Starting Score: EQ 773, TU 766
Current Score (2/25/2017): EX 813, EQ 823, TU 818
Goal Score: 800


Take the FICO Fitness Challenge
Message 97 of 110
ceejx
Established Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?


@pkosheta wrote:
Gm MasterCard, I have been an AU on it since I was 11. Looking back carrying around a 5k limit piece of plastic with no idea of what I had is kinda funny..and it confused so many cashiers that I stopped using it in new places because they thought I stole it and, being 11, I didn't carry around a photo ID to prove it was mine. So many awkward conversations, but I did get to meet a lot of store managers that thought it was kinda funny too. We weren't rich or anything but my parents wanted me to have a long credit file when I got older and didn't mind making me walk to buy a lot of groceries, rent a video from blockbuster, or order a pizza for them to pick up on the way home from work. My sisters credit was amazing when she bought her house, i think they started her at age 8, and the lender had never seen anything like it when they pulled the credit report. They also scared me to death about the consequences of misusing the cards. Fees for putting it in atms for cash withdraw, forgetting to tell them about payments resulting in late fees, etc... For me, messing with credit card companies was scarier than trying to ask out one of the cool girls. Thankfully now I understand how credit cards really work and I am not afraid to put in an ap or 2 or 3 when the time is right and thanks to them the CC companies like me.

Thank you for the story, I never even thought of this. But will start doing this with my kids to teach them about credit and establish their credit history.

Message 98 of 110
koalablue
Frequent Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

My first credit card - I got a Chase Gold Visa in college that my parents co-signed for - I think it was in '89.  About 5 or 6 years later I got another Chase Visa.  For the first Chase Visa that I got in college, I blew it on the payments about 9 years ago and Chase closed the account, right after which I paid in full what I owed.  They kept the other Chase Visa open and I still have that, though I'm not using it since I'm just trying to get the balance paid off.  I felt terrible about the closed account since it affected my parents' credit as well since they were co-signers.  In May 2012  I applied for and was approved for a Chase United Explorer card and a Chase United Club card, so I'm happy to have gotten those.  For the older Chase Visa that I'm just trying to pay off, Chase converted that to a "Travel Plus" Visa, which I never used and which is no longer around.  After I pay off that Visa, I'm hoping they will do a product change to the Chase Freedom - I want to keep the account open since it really helps my AAoA.

Message 99 of 110
Voodard
Contributor

Re: What was your 1st credit card?

Sears store card opened in 1996 when I was young Marine.  Had a credit line of $500.00 and made sure I used every penny of it.  (what a knucklehead)  Don't have that card anymore, I closed it in 1999 when I decided that 21% interest was not a good thing.

TU 743 as of 5/12
EQ 715 as of 10/13
EX Plus 780 as of 7/12

Cards in wallet: Chase Sapphire Preferred ($25k) Chase Freedom (8k) NFCU Platinum ($24k) HHonors Reserve ($11k)
United MileagePlus Club ($17k)
Message 100 of 110
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