Are you embarrassed every time you use your credit card?

[longtimelurker]

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@bobbay wrote:

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@juggalo9er wrote:

with the exception of the one post from someone i assume works for a motel......i am sure that cashier makng close to minimum really cares about whats in your wallet, moreless what you chose to pay with

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If people didn't care the credit card companies would stop trying to promote elite status, Centurion, WEMC, Signature, gold, Platinum, Palladium ect.  Dont kid yourself almost everyone cares some don't show it, some don't admit it...even to themselves.

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I don't think this follows at all!   The companies market because of the segment that do care, which is certainly not everyone.   There are probably things you don't care about (maybe one or more of: skin creams, fishing rods, electric guitars, designer purses etc) but companies vigorously promote elite levels there (you wouldn't want to be the one using the loser skin cream, right?), although many/most may be totally ignorant of the distinctions.     And I think that is true of credit cards, most people don't know or care if a card is signature, wemc etc.

[Calculon]

I've never felt embarrassed about using any of my cards, but I word in a business that takes credit cards frequently.  I will say since coining here and becoming more credit aware, I do notice when people use a higher end that's harder to get, which I never would have thought twice about before.

[DaveSignal]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bobbay wrote:

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@juggalo9er wrote:

with the exception of the one post from someone i assume works for a motel......i am sure that cashier makng close to minimum really cares about whats in your wallet, moreless what you chose to pay with

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If people didn't care the credit card companies would stop trying to promote elite status, Centurion, WEMC, Signature, gold, Platinum, Palladium ect.  Dont kid yourself almost everyone cares some don't show it, some don't admit it...even to themselves.

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I don't think this follows at all!   The companies market because of the segment that do care, which is certainly not everyone.   There are probably things you don't care about (maybe one or more of: skin creams, fishing rods, electric guitars, designer purses etc) but companies vigorously promote elite levels there (you wouldn't want to be the one using the loser skin cream, right?), although many/most may be totally ignorant of the distinctions.     And I think that is true of credit cards, most people don't know or care if a card is signature, wemc etc.

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+1.  I have always felt this way... we are kind of a small niche of hobbyists.  I like the analogy.  Most people do not care or understand why someone would spend time collecting credit cards and managing rewards.  I also collect mechanical watches, which is similar in that most people have no idea, nor do they care about, what watch I am wearing.  

[BluePoodle]

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@watch44 wrote:

I feel embarrassed when I pull out my black Visa Signature card to pay for 2 tacos and a courtesy cup for water at the Taco Bell and the young kid behind the counter says that I must have a lot of money because my card is black. "No," I reply, "if I had a lot of money, I wouldn't be buying 2 tacos for lunch, kid." Then I eat my 2 tacos and drink my fountain water, like a boss, cause life's short.

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+1

[kingkai1990]

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@bobbay wrote:

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@xgac12x wrote:

Sometimes when I am with people etc, I feel like they automatically think I am in a ton of CC debt, when I am not. Just love getting paid to spend money in a sense? (2% cashback, Fidelity Amex )

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I think most people think anyone with a ton of cards is a credit card junkie/in alot of debt.  I never had alot of cards prior to being on this site.  I also find myself self concious when i open my wallet and try to figure out what card will give me the best reward and think the people waiting for me are probably thinking this person is trying to figure out what card is not maxed out...LOL.

Truth is I have never been in a financially better shape

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When I was younger at a cashier, I used to think this. I never thought that one could use their credit cards to gain rewards, let alone many AmEX cards are just charge cards. 

[barbaralee]

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@kingkai1990 wrote:

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@bobbay wrote:

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@xgac12x wrote:

Sometimes when I am with people etc, I feel like they automatically think I am in a ton of CC debt, when I am not. Just love getting paid to spend money in a sense? (2% cashback, Fidelity Amex )

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I think most people think anyone with a ton of cards is a credit card junkie/in alot of debt.  I never had alot of cards prior to being on this site.  I also find myself self concious when i open my wallet and try to figure out what card will give me the best reward and think the people waiting for me are probably thinking this person is trying to figure out what card is not maxed out...LOL.

Truth is I have never been in a financially better shape

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When I was younger at a cashier, I used to think this. I never thought that one could use their credit cards to gain rewards, let alone many AmEX cards are just charge cards. 

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I had this happen to me once. I had gone to Bath and Body Works and the plan was to use my Victoria Secret card. This is one of my oldest cards, and I don't have the heart to close it, so I thought I would spend something on it just to keep it active. Out of habit I whipped out the credit card that I was using at the time and then did the whole "oh, wait, nononono, not that card!" cry when I realized my error. 

The cashier had already swiped it and her reply was a sympathetic: "It's ok, honey. The card did go through."

I do remember I was embarrassed because of what I knew she was thinking, and she was talking to me with pity. So I left it at that, and unfortunately I still have not had the opportunity to use my VS card.  

[alyssamarie]

nope! I started off with a capital one secured card and I chose a field of flowers for the cover so I always liked using it because I thought it was pretty! I've never really noticed anyone paying attention to what kind of card I used, except my first semester of college when I had food stamps for 6 months, I was always embarrassed to use that (but thankful to have it because it really did help) even though I tried not to be, I got my groceries from walmart anyways so it's not like I was at Whole Foods or whatever, but still. 

[alyssamarie]

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@MoreRewards wrote:
I've never been embarrassed about any of my cards. But I have wondered if the cashier thought "they can't even afford groceries" using my SM to pay. I Don't care in the long run. I just wonder if when you use credit do people think it's because you HAVE to not because you WANT to for the rewards.

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I think this often too. When I use my Amex BCP for groceries, it's not because I don't have the money, it's for the 6% cash back...but I do occasionally wonder. I also feel the same way sometimes when going out with friends and using my credit cards instead of debit (I'm 22 so a lot of my friends don't really use credit cards).

[bdhu2001]

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@Stralem wrote:

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@MoreRewards wrote:
I've never been embarrassed about any of my cards. But I have wondered if the cashier thought "they can't even afford groceries" using my SM to pay.

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Average cashier wages being what they are, they're more likely to be thinking that about themselves.

Honestly, I don't see many people paying for groceries with cash these days, at least not over a certain dollar amount. The last time I went grocery shopping, the total came out to $170. I had the cash in my checking account to cover it, but because I didn't want to carry around that much green, I just swiped a card and payed the charge when it posted a few days later.

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Okay.  I think the same thing at the grocery store, when it's not Costco. But yesterday, I charge a $13  on my Discover card, because I wanted to get my free FICO score. I just couldn't come up with anything I needed, beside water and new air filters.  I thought of buying some stuff in advance, but decided that wasn't fiscally responsible.

[Dalanar]

I wouldn't be embarrassed to present a "lesser" card to a cashier.  I don't think most people generally know how a particular would be ranked.  At least that's how I was before I became "interested" in credit card management.

However, during outings with friends, I've definitely felt envy ocassionally when one of my buddies would pull out a premium looking card or anything with Amex on it to pay for the meal.  That was when I was uninformed about the different types of cards and brands, of course.  Understanding now that some of the more "premium" cards command a sizable annual fee, jealousy is the last thing on my mind.