topic Re: planning my app spree in Credit Card Approvals

planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 18:17:38 GMT

Thanks to the help here, I cleared some chargeoffs and lates, and been in the garden for 16months with $500 Chase Freedom, $500 Amex Zync, $500 TD bank secured card, and 3 GE cards ($600 amazon, $300 Wal-Mart, $300 PayPal smartconnect). The GE cards have auto CLI to $2200, $600, and $400 respectively. Two months ago I opened a Target Red Card at $1000, then auto increased to $2500.
Current USAA creditmonitor FICO scores are 720s (from 580s!).
Plan to app for:
1) Amex BCP
2) Discover IT
3) Capital One quicksilver or quicksilverOne
4) request CLI for chase Freedom
5) Citi card of some sort
6) TD unsecured Credit card (should I close the secured card or just keep it?? Oldest acct at 27months)

Thoughts or suggestions? I also want the Barclay arrival card but highly doubt will be approved, so will not waste the HP.

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 19:03:04 GMT

If u like 5 % rotating categories the Citi dividend is good. If u want the world mastercard arrival I'd wait if u want no annual fee version you might get approved. But amazing job getting your scores up.

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 19:08:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks to the help here, I cleared some chargeoffs and lates, and been in the garden for 16months with $500 Chase Freedom, $500 Amex Zync, $500 TD bank secured card, and 3 GE cards ($600 amazon, $300 Wal-Mart, $300 PayPal smartconnect). The GE cards have auto CLI to $2200, $600, and $400 respectively. Two months ago I opened a Target Red Card at $1000, then auto increased to $2500.
Current USAA creditmonitor FICO scores are 720s (from 580s!).
Plan to app for:
1) Amex BCP
2) Discover IT
3) Capital One quicksilver or quicksilverOne- Go for the QS not the QS one at this point. I think your scores show you should get the one with no AF
4) request CLI for chase Freedom- I have found that some people have more sucess getting a whole new card and then combining the tradelines, rather than taking a HP for a CLI
5) Citi card of some sort
6) TD unsecured Credit card (should I close the secured card or just keep it?? Oldest acct at 27months)

Thoughts or suggestions? I also want the Barclay arrival card but highly doubt will be approved, so will not waste the HP.- I wouldn't until you're done apping for any cards for a year

Wow congratulations on the improvements you've made! Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 19:35:31 GMT

I forgot to mention I also want the CSP, but highly doubt my chance of success. Anyone know the difficulty of this card?

Should I perhaps app for the Chase Amazon rewards Visa, then move the credit limit over to the Freedom instead or requesting CLI?

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 20:30:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Thoughts or suggestions? I also want the Barclay arrival card but highly doubt will be approved, so will not waste the HP.
Just got approved for the Barclay Arrival WMC a couple days ago via re-con. I too have been in re-build mode over the last several months, but not quite as long as your process so far (great job, by the way!) .....and obviously my scores are not as high as yours are yet.

IMO, based on your excellent progress over the last 16 months, trying for the Arrival may be worth a shot. And, there is always the chance for a re-con, if not instantly approved. Many success stories with Barclays re-cons, including my own. My guess is that your biggest "hurdle" with Barclays (if anything at all) would be primarily based on a "high" number of recent inquiries and/or new account openings (depending on if and when you decide to app). Fingers crossed that won't be the case!

@Anonymous wrote:

I forgot to mention I also want the CSP, but highly doubt my chance of success. Anyone know the difficulty of this card?

Hoping & wishing for the CSP myself - hopefully before the end of 2014. I'm assuming it'll be at least several months before I get to its qualification level. However, again based on your progress and what sounds to be a good history already established with your Chase Freedom, I think you would have a good shot for this card as well.

Anyway, just my thoughts! Good luck with whichever cards you decide on & keep us updated. I'm really trying not to app for anything else at least until this summer. So, for now, just enjoying living vicariously through folks like you!

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 20:38:15 GMT

since you have the freedom and good scores id go for the csp if i was you

but im a gambling woman lol

i got it with lower scores

Re: planning my app spree

nitrov — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 21:33:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks to the help here, I cleared some chargeoffs and lates, and been in the garden for 16months with $500 Chase Freedom, $500 Amex Zync, $500 TD bank secured card, and 3 GE cards ($600 amazon, $300 Wal-Mart, $300 PayPal smartconnect). The GE cards have auto CLI to $2200, $600, and $400 respectively. Two months ago I opened a Target Red Card at $1000, then auto increased to $2500.
Current USAA creditmonitor FICO scores are 720s (from 580s!).
Plan to app for:
1) Amex BCP
2) Discover IT
3) Capital One quicksilver or quicksilverOne
4) request CLI for chase Freedom
5) Citi card of some sort
6) TD unsecured Credit card (should I close the secured card or just keep it?? Oldest acct at 27months)

Thoughts or suggestions? I also want the Barclay arrival card but highly doubt will be approved, so will not waste the HP.

You may want to look at my thread from my recent app spree which included most of the ones you mention. I too am a USAA member and monitor my credit with their service and my scores have gone to the 700-720s from high 500s to low 600s. Based on those similarities and my own results, I would definitely suggest apping for one of USAA's credit cards as they gave me a whopping $7000 CL, which is way higher than anything else I got. Aside from that:

1. I assume you mean BCE? I got turned down for that a couple months ago, but did get approved for a PRG

2. got approved for 1500

3. you'll most likely get approved for that for sure

4. depends on your history with them, but Chase is hit or miss

5. Citi turned me down due to too many inqs and accts opened in <6 months, even after recon

6. not sure

I got Barclays Rewards MC with a $2500 limit, I'm not sure about Arrival, but Barclays has been good so far to me.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Re: planning my app spree

nitrov — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 21:34:27 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:

Thoughts or suggestions? I also want the Barclay arrival card but highly doubt will be approved, so will not waste the HP.
Just got approved for the Barclay Arrival WMC a couple days ago via re-con. I too have been in re-build mode over the last several months, but not quite as long as your process so far (great job, by the way!) .....and obviously my scores are not as high as yours are yet.

IMO, based on your excellent progress over the last 16 months, trying for the Arrival may be worth a shot. And, there is always the chance for a re-con, if not instantly approved. Many success stories with Barclays re-cons, including my own. My guess is that your biggest "hurdle" with Barclays (if anything at all) would be primarily based on a "high" number of recent inquiries and/or new account openings (depending on if and when you decide to app). Fingers crossed that won't be the case!

@Anonymous wrote:

I forgot to mention I also want the CSP, but highly doubt my chance of success. Anyone know the difficulty of this card?

Hoping & wishing for the CSP myself - hopefully before the end of 2014. I'm assuming it'll be at least several months before I get to its qualification level. However, again based on your progress and what sounds to be a good history already established with your Chase Freedom, I think you would have a good shot for this card as well.

Anyway, just my thoughts! Good luck with whichever cards you decide on & keep us updated. I'm really trying not to app for anything else at least until this summer. So, for now, just enjoying living vicariously through folks like you!

I know CSP minimum CL is $5000 and chances of approval without any existing CLs that high are very very low

Re: planning my app spree

lmashimaru — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 22:42:26 GMT

I spoke to chase about this card for a family member and they not only take into consideration your credit/history (my relative had a 670) but also your income. They said that because their income was 40k it was not high enough to qualify for the CSP, but his credit was fine for the card.

Also the Barclay Arrival card i also spoke to barclay about because i had applied for one of their other cards, but both the regular card (no fee) and the card with fees are pretty much the same. One just has a fee while the other doesn't. The backdoor rep said that the requirements are the same for both (he could be lying) but i believe it.

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 02:19:27 GMT

Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the CSP and Barclays lol.
I do mean the BCP and not the BCE as I plan to spend a lot on groceries.
Discover and quicksilver are feeling like great possibilities.
I initiated a request for CLI on Freedom through the Secure Message Center and they replied back asking for income and requested amount. Should I continue with this, or app for either CSP or the Amazon Chase visa?

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 02:23:25 GMT

The BCP wears clear.

Perfect card for someone who likes "Burn Notice".

Re: planning my app spree

FinStar — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 02:49:31 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the CSP and Barclays lol.
I do mean the BCP and not the BCE as I plan to spend a lot on groceries.
Discover and quicksilver are feeling like great possibilities.
I initiated a request for CLI on Freedom through the Secure Message Center and they replied back asking for income and requested amount. Should I continue with this, or app for either CSP or the Amazon Chase visa?

If you're not concerned with inquiries, keep in mind that a request for CLI will be HP and whenever (and if) you apply for CSP or Amazon Visa it will be another HP. IMO, why not just apply for either CSP or Amazon Visa (see which one will be of most value/benefit to you), and if approved, then you can allocate any extra CL to the Freedom....just a thought.

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 03:08:27 GMT

Yes I would be concerned about HP and don't want to waste any, hence my hesitance to app for CSP and Barclay Arrival. Anecdotal evidence on Barclay is all over the map, but generally seem to be inquiry sensitive.
I'm not really sure what to expect with the CSP other than they seem to want to see other tradelines with $3-5000+.

Re: planning my app spree

lmashimaru — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:16:32 GMT

I think the Freedom CLI or Amazon card are your best bets right now. CSP may be mutiple factors that they use to consider, but it is also a started min of 5k. Freedom and Amazon are probably much easier to request a CLI or APP for at this point. That is until you have a higher score / bigger total CL.

You can also as previous poster has said try to move your Freedom CL to a CSP card.

Re: planning my app spree

Joebunaga — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:46:13 GMT

IMHO, after looking back at the miss-steps I made, I think I'd go with the BCP to start with. hope for a $2k TL that you can x3 in 61 days. Then you'd have a single TL over the $5k threshold. Then re-evaluate.1 HP and a two month wait might be worth it just to see what opens up afterwards.

If there was another useful option that would get you a $5k limit thats what I would shoot for, but I didn't see one in your list that struck me as a good bet . Getting past $5k opens doors.

Re: planning my app spree

lmashimaru — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 19:54:01 GMT

Whatever you do, Good Luck on your APP Spree!!! hopefully in 1 year i'd have rebuilt my credit enough to do one .

Re: planning my app spree

titanofold — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 20:24:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Yes I would be concerned about HP and don't want to waste any, hence my hesitance to app for CSP and Barclay Arrival. Anecdotal evidence on Barclay is all over the map, but generally seem to be inquiry sensitive.
I'm not really sure what to expect with the CSP other than they seem to want to see other tradelines with $3-5000+.

All the postings I've seen where the applicant is otherwise perfect but denied the CSP is on the basis that they did not have a $5k limit on an existing account. I don't think CRs have a memory of CLs, so as soon as you get one TL above $5k you might be good to go.

Re: planning my app spree

nitrov — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:33:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the CSP and Barclays lol.
I do mean the BCP and not the BCE as I plan to spend a lot on groceries.
Discover and quicksilver are feeling like great possibilities.
I initiated a request for CLI on Freedom through the Secure Message Center and they replied back asking for income and requested amount. Should I continue with this, or app for either CSP or the Amazon Chase visa?

I personally think you should wait on CSP or another Chase card. If you want to pursue the CLI on Chase, that's your call, but I agree that you're better served going with an Amex revolver and waiting on the CSP until you have a higher CL. I definitely think you should go for USAA still, not sure why that one isn't on your radar but you're almost guaranteed an awesome CL there based on the info you provided.

Discover will likely approve you, but keep in mind they are VERY conservative with CLs to people with existing low CLs. IMHO I would wait on Discover if you want high CLs and maybe do that in 6 months along with your CSP. I still think Quicksilver is a good bet for you as well.

Re: planning my app spree

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 23:51:25 GMT

I pulled the trigger on the Amex BCP. Instantly approved for a temp limit of $500, and the full credit limit when I receive the card will be ..... $10,000 !!!!!

I was so stunned that I kept reading it again and again to make sure my vision was not blurred.

Apped for the Barclay Arrival and instantly approved for $1300!!

Now debating if I should follow through with the rest of the spree, or let these report first. My concern would be applying now and getting lower starting limits than I could have after the Amex 10k reports!!
Especially since I've read CapitalOne is stingy on CLI and Chase is a HP each time!

Re: planning my app spree

blk8 — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 00:04:38 GMT

I would app for the Discover IT and call it a day.... 3 solid cards you have. Dont waste your time with cap 1.