topic Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC in Credit Cards

Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

SherriLynn — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:08:59 GMT

Ok, so I was reading the BK friendly card thread, and noticed someone had a Discover card. Huh? I have a BK from 11/05, and never imagined having a Discover card, at least until 2015 LOL. I thought what the heck, I'll apply. So I picked the Motiva, which I was declined for, but got a counter offer for the Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC! Does anyone have this card? I'm wondering what CL I will get, since it just said I'll get my card in the mail soon. Will this card eventually qualify me for a regular Discover card? tia

update: just called... CL $2300!

Message Edited by SherriLynn on 09-09-2008 07:08 PM

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

first48 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:06:26 GMT

where do you apply for the direct rewards discover and what were your scores?

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

SherriLynn — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:19:45 GMT

I went to the Discover site. Discover dot com I think. My scores are in siggy.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

jmbfl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:53:30 GMT

Sounds like you've been harded for the card so you should take it. Congrats!

This is an HSBC issued card that has a Discover logo and is processed on the Discover/PULSE network. It is not a Discover issued card and will not help you any more that any other card would with Discover Financial Services. It also does not participate in the DIscover reward programs. It has its own program (which I know nothing about).

Be careful with HSBC - try to PIF the card monthly and if you have to carry a balance don't do it for too long. NEVER BE LATE! Watch your total util. If you screw up HSBC will ratejack you in a heartbeat. Also, do not let any HSBC issued card go unused for more that two months. HSBC closes inactive accounts without notice or recourse. Don't let that be you.

Message Edited by jmbfl on 09-09-2008 09:53 PM

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

llecs — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:54:59 GMT

I too had the same happen about a week ago. I appd for a Discover and a big "Congrats" popped up with the offer. I quickly read through other mentions of the CLs in relation to scores and declined out of fear they would give $1k or less. Shortly after declining the card, they send an e-mail saying it wasn't too late. I'll still pass. Got approved for Wachovia instead. EX scores for the Discover is/was at 677.

$2300 is great. Congrats to you.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

SherriLynn — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:03:11 GMT

jmbfl wrote:
Sounds like you've been harded for the card so you should take it. Congrats!

This is an HSBC issued card that has a Discover logo and is processed on the Discover/PULSE network. It is not a Discover issued card and will not help you any more that any other card would with Discover Financial Services. It also does not participate in the DIscover reward programs. It has its own program (which I know nothing about).

Be careful with HSBC - try to PIF the card monthly and if you have to carry a balance don't do it for too long. NEVER BE LATE! Watch your total util. If you screw up HSBC will ratejack you in a heartbeat. Also, do not let any HSBC issued card go unused for more that two months. HSBC closes inactive accounts without notice or recourse. Don't let that be you.

Message Edited by jmbfl on 09-09-2008 09:53 PM

Thanks for the advice! I will take good care of it. I transferred two other balances... 0% til Oct 09. I'm hoping to have it paid off well before then.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

jmbfl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:05:14 GMT

llecs wrote:
I too had the same happen about a week ago. I appd for a Discover and a big "Congrats" popped up with the offer. I quickly read through other mentions of the CLs in relation to scores and declined out of fear they would give $1k or less. Shortly after declining the card, they send an e-mail saying it wasn't too late. I'll still pass. Got approved for Wachovia instead. EX scores for the Discover is/was at 677.

$2300 is great. Congrats to you.

IMO you are far better of with a card issued by Discover Financial Services than Wachovia Bank. Lots of people have problems with Wachovia. Don't hold your breath waiting for a CLI. Auto-CLI's a rare and they hard you if you ask for one.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

SherriLynn — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:05:15 GMT

llecs wrote:
I too had the same happen about a week ago. I appd for a Discover and a big "Congrats" popped up with the offer. I quickly read through other mentions of the CLs in relation to scores and declined out of fear they would give $1k or less. Shortly after declining the card, they send an e-mail saying it wasn't too late. I'll still pass. Got approved for Wachovia instead. EX scores for the Discover is/was at 677.

$2300 is great. Congrats to you.

Thank you, and congrats on the Wachovia! What CL did you get on that one?

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:28:44 GMT

I've had the Direct Rewards Disc for just over two years. Nothing fancy, wimpy rewards -- just a pretty boring card. I can't bring myself to close it because I haven't figured out which 'reward' I want -- LOL. At the moment it sees action from the Orkin man every quarter.

Congrats on the approval!

PS -- I started at 1k w/ scores in the mid/upper 500s. After 18 months they auto-cli'd me to 1.5k.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

llecs — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:39:17 GMT

jmbfl wrote:

llecs wrote:
I too had the same happen about a week ago. I appd for a Discover and a big "Congrats" popped up with the offer. I quickly read through other mentions of the CLs in relation to scores and declined out of fear they would give $1k or less. Shortly after declining the card, they send an e-mail saying it wasn't too late. I'll still pass. Got approved for Wachovia instead. EX scores for the Discover is/was at 677.

$2300 is great. Congrats to you.

IMO you are far better of with a card issued by Discover Financial Services than Wachovia Bank. Lots of people have problems with Wachovia. Don't hold your breath waiting for a CLI. Auto-CLI's a rare and they hard you if you ask for one.

Yep, there's not much of a We-Love-Wachovia fan club here. But there's only a small handful of cardholders in these forums. And yes, a Discover card is better, but this is a Discover-branded card run by HSBC. I'm not a HSBC fan and thought I would have more of a shot with growth with the Wachovia. I also looked around to see starting CLs for the HSBC version and didn't like what I saw. Seemed like many started with $500 or $1000. And HSBC isn't all that generous with CLIs. Thought my odds were better with Wachovia.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

llecs — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:40:45 GMT

SherriLynn wrote:

Thank you, and congrats on the Wachovia! What CL did you get on that one?

Got $2500 and is my biggest CL to date.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

jmbfl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:28:44 GMT

My Discover Card is genuine.

I do have an HSBC issued card and I am very unenthused by it. It is a relic that lives on for age purposes. It will never again carry a balance and I doubt they will ever give me another CLI. The account is in A-1 status. It's just the way they are.

Search the web elsewhere regarding Wachovia. While there is not much here pro or con there is a lot negative reported elsewhere. I think they handle their own cards now. At the time of the merger MBNA was in the mix somehow but they are no longer involved. Wouldn't look to good if BofA was handling Wachovia's CC's.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:56:56 GMT

I just wanted to echo what jmbfl said about HSBC cutting off credit cards with no notice whatsoever. I used to have Best Buy and CompUSA store cards through HSBC and I had incidents at each store where I tried to use the card and it didn't go through (because it hadn't been used in months). HSBC is the only issuer I've ever come across to pull crap like that--it may be good business practice to prune dormant accounts, but not when you don't give any notice to the cardholder beforehand, leading them to waste their time in a most embarrassing fashion.

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

jmbfl — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:35:58 GMT

MarkRabo wrote:
I just wanted to echo what jmbfl said about HSBC cutting off credit cards with no notice whatsoever. I used to have Best Buy and CompUSA store cards through HSBC and I had incidents at each store where I tried to use the card and it didn't go through (because it hadn't been used in months). HSBC is the only issuer I've ever come across to pull crap like that--it may be good business practice to prune dormant accounts, but not when you don't give any notice to the cardholder beforehand, leading them to waste their time in a most embarrassing fashion.

There are reports of this type of thing here and all over the intenet. This is the kind of activity turns an "issuer" into a "jackass".

Message Edited by jmbfl on 09-13-2008 09:35 AM

Re: Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC

dondk — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:07:20 GMT

@SherriLynn wrote:
Ok, so I was reading the BK friendly card thread, and noticed someone had a Discover card. Huh? I have a BK from 11/05, and never imagined having a Discover card, at least until 2015 LOL. I thought what the heck, I'll apply. So I picked the Motiva, which I was declined for, but got a counter offer for the Direct Rewards Discover by HSBC! Does anyone have this card? I'm wondering what CL I will get, since it just said I'll get my card in the mail soon. Will this card eventually qualify me for a regular Discover card? tia

update: just called... CL $2300!

Message Edited by SherriLynn on 09-09-2008 07:08 PM

I got this exact card a little more than a month ago. No AF, 600 CL and I have not used it yet. I have read here and elsewhere that Discover cards maintained by the secondary providers are just okay. So I called Discover directly and tried to recon, in my conversation with them, my BK from 05 is why they will not touch me and I have to give it a few more years. The discover rep mentioned that if I keep this co-branded Discover in good standing they will weigh that heavily when considering me for their card. For that reason alone, I took the HSBC.

HSBC I am not fond of, they are stingy with CLI in my opinion and customer service has a lot to be desired. I looked at the rewards and it is nothing to write home about. Overall, for me it is a backup card.. other than target it is my lowest CL.