topic Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score in Credit Card Applications

Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 15:36:16 GMT

I have been improving my credit score for the last 6 months. I am up to a 650 credit score and I am trying to get to a good Fico Rating. I have no retail CC and I was wondering which one is the best one to apply for that has good ratings as well as it continues to help rebuild my credit score.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Remedios — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 15:50:14 GMT

Hi and welcome to the forums

The best one would be the one for those stores you actually shop at.

Which other cards do you have at this time? If you're uncertain on store cards, maybe there are different options available to you.

Also, where are you getting that 650 from?

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:43:07 GMT

While usually I wouldn't get any store card since shopping trends may change over time (i.e. popularity of Best Buy over the years), if you were going to get one I'd consider the Amazon store card (not the Chase Amazon Prime Visa Sig if you're a thin file). I only recommend it because you can buy necessities with it (groceries, for example) at 5% back, and doesn't requires as much of a file as the Amazon Prime Visa Sig.

What cards do you currently have?

It also depends on where you actually shop at, too, as @Remedios mentioned.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

ocheosa — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:52:35 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
While usually I wouldn't get any store card since shopping trends may change over time (i.e. popularity of Best Buy over the years), if you were going to get one I'd consider the Amazon store card (not the Chase Amazon Prime Visa Sig if you're a thin file). I only recommend it because you can buy necessities with it (groceries, for example) at 5% back, and doesn't requires as much of a file as the Amazon Prime Visa Sig.

What cards do you currently have?

It also depends on where you actually shop at, too, as @Remedios mentioned.

+1 Agree with the Amazon Card. Also, if you are a homeowner, Lowe's is a great pick up! Lowe's grows much faster than the other Synchrony retail cards. Of course not knowing your credit profile, YMMV.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

GApeachy — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:01:19 GMT

Also, there are two "emergency" store cards offered by Synchrony you might want to have as a back up. Car Care (depending on the shape of your vehicle, tires, maintenance) and Care Credit (again depending on the shape of your BODY, pets, maintenance) that offer (like Lowe's) a Promotional purchase and a Deferred Interest purchase.

Plus Care Credit can be used at Walmart and other stores- swipe first, pay to Care Credit in 30 days or longer with int. if needed but does include things like shampoo, bandaids, medicines, etc.

Both of these cards limits grow pretty quickly too ymmv of course.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:10:46 GMT

If you have Amazon Prime, then Amazon Store Card is a no-brainer pick. If not, Target is good but it doesn't grow as fast as Synchrony will grow that Amazon card.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Loquat — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:27:02 GMT

If you own a home maybe Lowe's wouldn't be a bad option. I absolutely love my Lowe's card...probably one of my favorites over many of my majors.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

randomguy1 — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:44:04 GMT

@ocheosa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
While usually I wouldn't get any store card since shopping trends may change over time (i.e. popularity of Best Buy over the years), if you were going to get one I'd consider the Amazon store card (not the Chase Amazon Prime Visa Sig if you're a thin file). I only recommend it because you can buy necessities with it (groceries, for example) at 5% back, and doesn't requires as much of a file as the Amazon Prime Visa Sig.

What cards do you currently have?

It also depends on where you actually shop at, too, as @Remedios mentioned.
+1 Agree with the Amazon Card. Also, if you are a homeowner, Lowe's is a great pick up! Lowe's grows much faster than the other Synchrony retail cards. Of course not knowing your credit profile, YMMV.

Came in here to say just this. I would avoid most retail cards if the savings can be duplicated long term by a non-store card. The Chase Amazon or AMEX Biz Amazon cards sound like great additions as well as Lowes. There's the Target card as well but that can be duplicated with their Debit Red Card. Since I want to get into the Chase UR system, I am mindful of the speed my credit applications to stay below their 5/24 rule. If you have similar goals as well and want to get into a specific rewards ecosystems such as Citi's TY points, Chase UR, or AMEX MR, etc., I suggest you be mindful of your application strategies as well when rebuilding.

I recommend you make a 2-3 year roadmap of what your credit goals are (which includes auto\mortgage). Certain lenders are subject to different underwriting guidelines that can be sensitive to new cards, amount of inquiries, etc.. BofA, Citi, Barclays, US Bank, and Chase are some lenders.

I highly suggest reading the following link below and the other links in the post about the other lenders. A lot of us apply to credit cards without specific strategy at first and would like a do-over.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/18-things-everybody-should-know-about-chase/

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

MyFault — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 20:22:53 GMT

No retail cards are the best to apply for imo. Because spending habits change over time. And especially if you're new to credit, you don't want one of your first cards to close because you no longer shop at that retail store. You want a keeper card that will grow your account history, and continue to offer benefit over the long haul.

That being said, Amazon is not going anywhere and if you're a Prime member then the Chase Amazon Prime card, Amex Business Prime, or Amazon Prime store card is a great card to have that offer real benefits.
Lowe's is the only other card i could potentially recommend, depending on if you're a homeowner and/or if you shop at lowe's often. I personally prefer Lowe's over HD and would love the util padding of their card, as well as 5% back the card provides.

If you think a retail card will improve your score, you don't NEED a retail card. You just need to continue to grow your current cards history and make sure you pay on time and keep baddies off your report. There are people with 1 card, in the upper 700's with the right amount of history. If you absolutely want another card, again, i would recommend something that isn't specific to one retailer and that will provide overall cash back/points.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

OmarGB9 — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 22:43:20 GMT

I would honestly highly recommend against any store cards, with the exception of maybe Lowe's since those can grow quickly and help with utilization. But in general, regular bank cards are more versatile and give similar rewards which aren't tied to one specific store.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

GApeachy — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:01:14 GMT

@OmarGB9 wrote:
I would honestly highly recommend against any store cards, with the exception of maybe Lowe's since those can grow quickly and help with utilization. But in general, regular bank cards are more versatile and give similar rewards which aren't tied to one specific store.

I agreed however some, like Care Credit and Car Care are not limited to one specific store and give payment options that trump revolvers in a couple of different ways. Plus at the end of a Promotional Purchase or Deferred Int. purchase you could always BT the balance if need be. Just some Store cards give a lot for a little.

ETA: A card like Care Credit can pc into a Mastercard...by invitation only but it has potential.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

OmarGB9 — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 03:25:45 GMT

@GApeachy wrote:
@OmarGB9 wrote:
I would honestly highly recommend against any store cards, with the exception of maybe Lowe's since those can grow quickly and help with utilization. But in general, regular bank cards are more versatile and give similar rewards which aren't tied to one specific store.
I agreed however some, like Care Credit and Car Care are not limited to one specific store and give payment options that trump revolvers in a couple of different ways. Plus at the end of a Promotional Purchase or Deferred Int. purchase you could always BT the balance if need be. Just some Store cards give a lot for a little.

ETA: A card like Care Credit can pc into a Mastercard...by invitation only but it has potential.

Oh yes, I forgot about those. Although can those be considered retail cards?

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Meanmchine — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 05:25:56 GMT

I suggest forget about apping til you can bring your EQ snd TU up to 675+. Once there, you can apply for Visa/MC/Amex cards. You are close to there already. For EQ pull at 675 the Sportsmans Guide Visa from Comenity. For 675 TU, try Synchrony Bank Marvel Card. For EX, you can try Amex now but of you wait a bit, you can get a higher limit. Later on you can try Chase for the Amazon Visa if you want.

Good luck

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 05:51:28 GMT

It appears many people skipped over the part where he asked about fair credit. Not many open loop rewards cards out there for that score range. OP, it's better to wait until your scores are higher. I'm proof you can get rewards cards with sub-prime to fair scores, but they're all small limits and don't grow. I should have waited for most of them.

As for retail cards, if you shop somewhere enough, get the card. The rewards and savings I get from my target and Kohl's cards make them worth it to me. Don't get caught up in rewards cards hype. Get cards that make sense for your spend. Discover gives you 1 quarter of 5% at Target a year, maybe. My target card gives me an instant 5% discount instantly year-round. Couple that with the facts that there's a neighborhood target 2 blocks from me and the card can be changed to a visa in the future, and it was a no brainier for me.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

M_Smart007 — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 15:34:55 GMT

@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
It appears many people skipped over the part where he asked about fair credit. Not many open loop rewards cards out there for that score range. OP, it's better to wait until your scores are higher. I'm proof you can get rewards cards with sub-prime to fair scores, but they're all small limits and don't grow. I should have waited for most of them.

As for retail cards, if you shop somewhere enough, get the card. The rewards and savings I get from my target and Kohl's cards make them worth it to me. Don't get caught up in rewards cards hype. Get cards that make sense for your spend. Discover gives you 1 quarter of 5% at Target a year, maybe. My target card gives me an instant 5% discount instantly year-round. Couple that with the facts that there's a neighborhood target 2 blocks from me and the card can be changed to a visa in the future, and it was a no brainier for me.

I thought for sure you were going to suggest Nordy

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 03:02:54 GMT

@M_Smart007 wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
It appears many people skipped over the part where he asked about fair credit. Not many open loop rewards cards out there for that score range. OP, it's better to wait until your scores are higher. I'm proof you can get rewards cards with sub-prime to fair scores, but they're all small limits and don't grow. I should have waited for most of them.

As for retail cards, if you shop somewhere enough, get the card. The rewards and savings I get from my target and Kohl's cards make them worth it to me. Don't get caught up in rewards cards hype. Get cards that make sense for your spend. Discover gives you 1 quarter of 5% at Target a year, maybe. My target card gives me an instant 5% discount instantly year-round. Couple that with the facts that there's a neighborhood target 2 blocks from me and the card can be changed to a visa in the future, and it was a no brainier for me.
I thought for sure you were going to suggest Nordy

+1 to all those that said Amazon Prime card.. I just got mine at the end of August SL1500 and a week ago i was able to CLI to 5k. I've maybe used it for about 250 total. Not a high income either.

Food for Thought, if you have to have a store card.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

ocheosa — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 03:33:26 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@M_Smart007 wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
It appears many people skipped over the part where he asked about fair credit. Not many open loop rewards cards out there for that score range. OP, it's better to wait until your scores are higher. I'm proof you can get rewards cards with sub-prime to fair scores, but they're all small limits and don't grow. I should have waited for most of them.

As for retail cards, if you shop somewhere enough, get the card. The rewards and savings I get from my target and Kohl's cards make them worth it to me. Don't get caught up in rewards cards hype. Get cards that make sense for your spend. Discover gives you 1 quarter of 5% at Target a year, maybe. My target card gives me an instant 5% discount instantly year-round. Couple that with the facts that there's a neighborhood target 2 blocks from me and the card can be changed to a visa in the future, and it was a no brainier for me.
I thought for sure you were going to suggest Nordy

+1 to all those that said Amazon Prime card.. I just got mine at the end of August SL1500 and a week ago i was able to CLI to 5k. I've maybe used it for about 250 total. Not a high income either.

Food for Thought, if you have to have a store card.

Hi @Jago22 ,

My apologies for going off topic for a moment but at shy of 3mos wouldn't you have been at 2 statements when the CLI was approved? Luv button, chat or credit solutions? I'm on the 3mos schedule and was hoping to get a CLI for my new (9/25) ebay MC at the end of December.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 03:51:50 GMT

@ocheosa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
+1 to all those that said Amazon Prime card.. I just got mine at the end of August SL1500 and a week ago i was able to CLI to 5k. I've maybe used it for about 250 total. Not a high income either.

Food for Thought, if you have to have a store card.
Hi @Jago22 ,
My apologies for going off topic for a moment but at shy of 3mos wouldn't you have been at 2 statements when the CLI was approved? Luv button, chat or credit solutions? I'm on the 3mos schedule and was hoping to get a CLI for my new (9/25) ebay MC at the end of December.

@ocheosa The increase button showed up. I was hesitant at first as i was just declined for my Marvel card, i've had easily over 6 months. I decided what the.. and asked for 5k and was instantly approved.

Re: Which Retail Credit Card is the best one to apply with a Fair Credit Score

ocheosa — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 04:04:57 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@ocheosa wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@M_Smart007 wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
It appears many people skipped over the part where he asked about fair credit. Not many open loop rewards cards out there for that score range. OP, it's better to wait until your scores are higher. I'm proof you can get rewards cards with sub-prime to fair scores, but they're all small limits and don't grow. I should have waited for most of them.

As for retail cards, if you shop somewhere enough, get the card. The rewards and savings I get from my target and Kohl's cards make them worth it to me. Don't get caught up in rewards cards hype. Get cards that make sense for your spend. Discover gives you 1 quarter of 5% at Target a year, maybe. My target card gives me an instant 5% discount instantly year-round. Couple that with the facts that there's a neighborhood target 2 blocks from me and the card can be changed to a visa in the future, and it was a no brainier for me.
I thought for sure you were going to suggest Nordy

+1 to all those that said Amazon Prime card.. I just got mine at the end of August SL1500 and a week ago i was able to CLI to 5k. I've maybe used it for about 250 total. Not a high income either.

Food for Thought, if you have to have a store card.
Hi @Jago22 ,
My apologies for going off topic for a moment but at shy of 3mos wouldn't you have been at 2 statements when the CLI was approved? Luv button, chat or credit solutions? I'm on the 3mos schedule and was hoping to get a CLI for my new (9/25) ebay MC at the end of December.
The increase button showed up. I was hesitant at first as i was just declined for my Marvel card, i've had easily over 6 months. I decided what the.. and asked for 5k and was instantly approved.

Hmm, that sounds like a no go on credit cards but a possiblity on certain store cards. I was able to easily get Lowes from 2k to 20k in less than 2mos. I'm going to give it a go, with a SP it never hurts to try. If nothing else the denial is a free credit report. Give your Marvel another try at 8mos but instead of luv botton call Credit Solutions. IME with Sync, it can sometimes take a manual review to get an account moving in the right direction.

Thank you for the quick reply, I appreciate the help!