topic Re: Express Store Credit Card in Credit Card Applications

Express Store Credit Card

Stealthboxer — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 02:59:32 GMT

Back in 2018 I started the process of rebuilding my credit

I applied for an Express store card and was approved with a 500 limit. A few days after that I applied and was approved for a Bosco's Dept store card ($500) and also a Victorias Secret account and also approved for $300

So I did some shopping on all of them and left a small balance on each to show repayment history. After about 9 months of this I go to use my Express card in store and was declined. I get home and call them and they tell me that due to information contained in my credit report they have reduced the limit to $100 and closed out my Victoria's Secret and Boscos store card -they had no balances.
What they have in common is Comentiy Bank. So I kept the Express card and shopped for a pair of underwear here and there. In the meantime I received approvals for BestBuy Visa $2000, Credit One $750 and $3000/ Capital One Visa $500, Reflex Mastercard $1000, and approvals just continued getting better all the time. To this day, my Express card is still at $100 and I have been declined twice for increased despite raising my score from low 500's to 656 today

It's baffling that this cheap Dept store will not allow me more than $100. Any suggestions?

Re: Express Store Credit Card

OmarGB9 — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 03:40:32 GMT

Honestly, unless you really get a lot of value from the card member perks, I'd say close it and move on.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

SweetCreditObsession — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 08:18:04 GMT

Is it still a Comenity card? If so, the CLI may be an HP now.

Is it your oldest CL?

Re: Express Store Credit Card

bigseegar — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 12:31:19 GMT

@Stealthboxer wrote:
Back in 2018 I started the process of rebuilding my credit
I applied for an Express store card and was approved with a 500 limit. A few days after that I applied and was approved for a Bosco's Dept store card ($500) and also a Victorias Secret account and also approved for $300

So I did some shopping on all of them and left a small balance on each to show repayment history. After about 9 months of this I go to use my Express card in store and was declined. I get home and call them and they tell me that due to information contained in my credit report they have reduced the limit to $100 and closed out my Victoria's Secret and Boscos store card -they had no balances.
What they have in common is Comentiy Bank. So I kept the Express card and shopped for a pair of underwear here and there. In the meantime I received approvals for BestBuy Visa $2000, Credit One $750 and $3000/ Capital One Visa $500, Reflex Mastercard $1000, and approvals just continued getting better all the time. To this day, my Express card is still at $100 and I have been declined twice for increased despite raising my score from low 500's to 656 today
It's baffling that this cheap Dept store will not allow me more than $100. Any suggestions?

Just throwing this out as a possible reason. If you started rebuilding 5 years ago (in 2018) and your cards still consist of basically starter cards for bad credit (Reflex, Credit One and Cap1) with basic SL's AND your FICO is still only 656 at this point (which still really isn't a very good score really). Then there has to be other negative stuff still going on in your credit profile and that is probably what they are looking at.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

Stealthboxer — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:06:53 GMT

Yes, I did use the rebuild credit cards in the beginning. I really started rebuild in 2019-that's when I started to rebuild. After about a year with those cards-then I went and applied and was approved for

Citibank Preferred

BestBuy Visa

Discover

and several store cards like IKEA. Chevron, Macys, Nordstrom's, Amazon,;

I also have a 1250 line of credit with PayPal

I believe the issue is unpaid medical collections I have.
A 656 score in my opinion is not that bad considering I stared at barely over 500!

Re: Express Store Credit Card

bigseegar — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 14:00:03 GMT

@Stealthboxer wrote:
Yes, I did use the rebuild credit cards in the beginning. I really started rebuild in 2019-that's when I started to rebuild. After about a year with those cards-then I went and applied and was approved for
Citibank Preferred
BestBuy Visa
Discover
and several store cards like IKEA. Chevron, Macys, Nordstrom's, Amazon,;
I also have a 1250 line of credit with PayPal
I believe the issue is unpaid medical collections I have.
A 656 score in my opinion is not that bad considering I stared at barely over 500!

Then it may also be your DTI but without your income and UTL DP's no way to say for sure. Could also be looking at too many acounts opened recently as well. Didn't say your score was bad. Simply said that as per credit tresholds a 656 is considered "Fair" at best and lots of creditors want to see a tad higher score is all. The collections are hurting your scores for sure but the good news is that if any of them are under $500, this year (2023) the 3 Major Bureaus will remove and no longer report them. In any event store cards outside of credit building or ones you use on a very regular basis aren't all that and you might want to consider as mentioned upthread just closing it. Especially since you said yourself you don't use it much.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

privacyadvocate69 — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 16:56:54 GMT

I dunno what an "Express Store" is, but I would cancel that card and stop shopping there.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

SpaceCityCCuser — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 18:53:04 GMT

Try for the Apple Card (if you have an iPhone), they soft pull and approve your credit score range according to DPs I've seen. It's a soft pull and won't hurt your credit if they don't approve you. Plus, they raise credit limits with regular use. Just my 2cents. Also, it will be a hard pull if they approve you and you accept.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

OmarGB9 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:46:47 GMT

@privacyadvocate69 wrote:
I dunno what an "Express Store" is, but I would cancel that card and stop shopping there.

So if you don't know what it is, why would you suggest OP cancels the card AND stops shopping there?

Re: Express Store Credit Card

Anonymous514 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 04:23:56 GMT

Express has really nice clothes. I've been on a Macy's focus though and just recently got my Macy's card from 800$ to 25,000$ as of the other night. Express has really nice looking Polos and Dress shirts just gotta be careful because some of the materials colors fade after a few washes.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

privacyadvocate69 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 18:46:50 GMT

@OmarGB9 wrote:
So if you don't know what it is, why would you suggest OP cancels the card AND stops shopping there?

Because OP states:

"To this day, my Express card is still at $100 and I have been declined twice for increased...."

Re: Express Store Credit Card

OmarGB9 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 19:51:10 GMT

@privacyadvocate69 wrote:
@OmarGB9 wrote:
So if you don't know what it is, why would you suggest OP cancels the card AND stops shopping there?
Because OP states:
"To this day, my Express card is still at $100 and I have been declined twice for increased...."

So for whatever reason Comenity doesn't like their profile. Doesn't mean they have to stop patronizing the store altogether.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

privacyadvocate69 — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 19:56:38 GMT

@OmarGB9 wrote:
@privacyadvocate69 wrote:
@OmarGB9 wrote:
So if you don't know what it is, why would you suggest OP cancels the card AND stops shopping there?
Because OP states:
"To this day, my Express card is still at $100 and I have been declined twice for increased...."
So for whatever reason Comenity doesn't like their profile. Doesn't mean they have to stop patronizing the store altogether.

No it doesn't. It also doesn't mean that a rain of colorless fire will be brought down upon on us, turning the lands into a sea of dust, destorying a fair and fertile realm extending thousands of miles or more in all directions, giving rise to merciless and haughty rulers engaged in a struggle for dominance and supremacy over all of Earth.

But it's certainly an option. And it is my suggestion in response to the OP's question, "Any suggestions?"

Re: Express Store Credit Card

jr23 — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 02:53:16 GMT

So were you able to get it reopened?

Re: Express Store Credit Card

Creditin — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:47:59 GMT

These people (Commenity) check SageStream!!!. Please!!!.

I have it locked for years.

Even thought I have other 2 cards from them. Maybe it was before I locked.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

youngandcreditwrthy — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 20:34:57 GMT

comenity does SP clis.... Id ask for a CLI and if they are denying you a CLI then maybe close it. I remember this was one of my first cards and over the span of like 9 years I got to their highest limit which was 3050. but every 3-6 months, they'd increase it reliably by 250 or so. Dispute your medical collections to see if they have the records for a "debt verification" in accordance with the FCRA

Re: Express Store Credit Card

Anonymous514 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:18:17 GMT

Express just gave me a CLI to 5,000$ a few days ago. Heavy spend on it.

Re: Express Store Credit Card

BMarie_88 — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 22:57:34 GMT

Might be because they went bankrupt