topic Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton in Credit Cards

Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 14:24:03 GMT

I stay at Hiltons at least 8-10 days a year, sometimes much more. I have accumulated some points just from being in their general program. But its coming up on the time of year we frequently stay (FOOTBALL SEASON🏈), and this year we may even have a few extra travelers coming (so two rooms on my account). I like the Citi card, but dont think id qualify. I checked credit pulls and other sites but theres not much info out there, except from here. Do i even stand a chance with either citi or amex Hilton cards?

30 year old in Connecticut
income $51,000
Aaoa ranges from 3-5 years depending on bureau.
Utility 21% (just recently paid down and all are finally starting to update on credit reports).
Baddies- only ever had lates on one Utility acct. In a payment program where i payed it to zero over the past 6months.
Only other baddie i can think of is that i opened way too many cards in a short time in June 2014, then was car shopping july-aug of 14, so Inquiries a little high. (Exp 3 eq 6 tu 12) TU keeps rotating from 1 to 12 for some reason.

Limits- walmart 4000, kays 3800, amazon 3500, QS 2000, Discover 1500. Have others in signature but insignificant <1500 cl.

I was unofficially in the garden since December 2014, until i apped for Lowes May 31st. Dummy. Shoulda gone for credit cards, not store after gardening. But was buying appliances, and thought id get a higher limit after recon (didnt yet).

Whatcha think? And if im not ready, about where should i be score wise before i apply (I realize it depends on reports though). Just wanna know when i MAY have a chance.

Fyi have never had Amex or Citi cards.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 14:26:06 GMT

Also, waiting for Macys to update from ~ 450/600 to paid in full (0). Statement should cut tomorrow

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

taxi818 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 14:54:08 GMT

Your history is good. But scores below 670 Why? Are these lates recent? Otherwise I would say you would be fine. Scores little low. If you bring util down just a little should get boost and be fine. Co brands like Hilton a little easier to get.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:06:05 GMT

Utility had multiple lates 120 days (😳) about 6 times last year, then all OK marks , except twice THIS year they reported 120day late, then back to green OK. I havent missed a payment in more than 12months, but i guess because im in a repayment plan, theyre allowed to report it as late even though ive been on time and paying $250 a month.

It sucks because ive never ever missed any card payments. The friggin Utility acct was in my name but was for moms house. Years ago i let her put in my name (i was like 20 years old). Damn shame... It wouldnt sting as much if i had done it myself. But i take responsibility for not fixing it earlier. I just was clueless until i came here in 2013.

I did have high utility until recently, because i was dumb and didnt "get it" until the past year. I payed down a big chunk and am now paying in full but still chipping away at old balances.

Thanks for answering. I kind of already knew the answer but was hoping maybe i was wrong. 😉

Hoping with macys reporting from >75 utilization to 0, ill get a small bump. Guess its just crunch time to keep paying old debt and let aaoa rise.

I hate that im still using cards with a balance, even though i pif new spend (ex put utility on QS for 1.5, and that same day pay the exact amt). I wish i had new cards that i could pif, and stop using the cards i have a balance on so i can focus on paying them down.
But ughh im aching to apply for certain cards! Hope to get a Venture, amex ed, and Barclay rewards asap. Then garden a year.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

B335is — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:11:15 GMT

Are you prequalified for anything Amex? With Citi I'd try to be 700, they can be difficult.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

taxi818 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:15:17 GMT

There are several ways to tackle high utilization and take care of monthly spend. First with your current scores. Are you member of a credit union? A small installment loan. 2-4k would help your score and allow you to pay off the monthly credit cards. In turn. Will lower your util and scores rise. Or what ever card you have high limit. Do a BT and consolidate balances to 1 card. This could help util as well. Focus on credit limit increases too which will lower it and help your scores rise. Then you can get the Hilton but the recent lates are going to hurt. When I say recent I mean under 2 years. Maybe you send goid will lets at least for the 120 days lates. They hurt the most.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:18:44 GMT

No, never had a prequal, not even capital one when i got my two cards. Im opted in because keep getting very sub prime offers in mail.

Because i have that hhilton acct, I constantly get emails to apply for amex for 60,000 points. But ive read that theyre crap, esp because theres no set apr. I will def avoid citi for now. And im thinking amex too. If i had to pick, it's probably be better for me to go for the ED card when my ex is up above 670, then try the hilton card after a few months.

Just sucks knowing ill be spending at hilton soon, and could rack up points. If i cant get it now (which it's looking like i cant), i might as well wait until next year because i only stay in hiltons from sept-February each year.

Thanks for your advice guys

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:25:26 GMT

Unfortunately the utility company, United Illuminating, is extremely uncooperative. No success for good wills. Hate the recent lates, because it still shows ive been paying 250 every month (they match it so bill goes down by 500 every month). I wouldnt be so upset if they didnt go from green to late to green, when i never missed another. Weird...

Im scared that I'll always get denied because of this acct, unless i can convince a company on recon. Barclays may be my best shot.

I do have two student loans in good standing for 4 years. No lates.

No credit union yet, but ive been thinking about it. My bank (peoples) sucks. Seriously... And i was going to take a loan from Lending club, since i dont really owe THAT much in the big scheme of things. Total is only about 3500 I believe. Have to recalculate since ive paid down. But they offered 13% for three years. Im thinking of trying prosper, or a local cu. But i always thought id have to establish a relationship with a cu before applying for a loan.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 15:32:52 GMT

Also, i usually get back about $2500 from income taxes (single, claim 0 for now). So if i took out a loan, i could use that to pay it off early. Just dont want to make any mistakes and regret them. I no longer use 75% of my cards. So im learning, slowly but surely.

I was going to try barclay rewards, and think id get it, but im a little worried about inquiries, even though ive only had one in six months. Wish i had apped when tu was only reporting the one inquiry!

And I think i may have a shot with Venture once my Eq goes up a bit more. They seem to like me and gave me a $1000 cli on my older qs. I pay about 1200 a month to that card (pif bills and monthly payments multiple times a month).

Am hoping Amex will let me in once im >670, but I worry because i cant recon and those lates sucks. Most likely the reason i cant get any prequals.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 21:37:45 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
No, never had a prequal, not even capital one when i got my two cards. Im opted in because keep getting very sub prime offers in mail.

Because i have that hhilton acct, I constantly get emails to apply for amex for 60,000 points. But ive read that theyre crap, esp because theres no set apr. I will def avoid citi for now. And im thinking amex too. If i had to pick, it's probably be better for me to go for the ED card when my ex is up above 670, then try the hilton card after a few months.

Just sucks knowing ill be spending at hilton soon, and could rack up points. If i cant get it now (which it's looking like i cant), i might as well wait until next year because i only stay in hiltons from sept-February each year.

Thanks for your advice guys

8-10 days a year at a hilton property? hhonors points arent worth a ton for you then, fyi.

if I were you, I would book everything through expedia, using a 25 off 100 coupon every time. You can do this through the mobile app. Pay with capital one for the cash back.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 21:40:27 GMT

Umm interesting... Never even considered that. Thanks for the heads up. I'll certainly spend the next two hours googling it 😉.

See now thats the way i need to start thinking!

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:17:17 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Umm interesting... Never even considered that. Thanks for the heads up. I'll certainly spend the next two hours googling it 😉.

See now thats the way i need to start thinking!

No problem. Didnt mean to sound cocky. I am an extreme/avid couponer. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a hilton property...certain hampton inn's have treated me better than some 4/5 star hotels have in the past. Always a good free breakfast, clean beds, adult pool hours, list goes on. But the way hhonor points are redeemed is just kind of spotty. I have found often times the best redemption is to pay with points and cash instead of points. And also depending on the time of year, you can often get a cheaper rate booking elsewhere and earn cash back (as if you book elsewhere you wont earn hhonors!) The thing I dont like is their random point cost. A $150 a night property can charge 20k points plus $50, and another 150 a night could only charge 15k points period....

I am kind of researching things too. If you are able to do priceline name your own price, you can get 5.5-8 percent cash back as an AOL member, but your best scenario would be priceline credit card 5 percent back, on top of ebates cash back portal. (or pair the AOL or ebates with your quicksilver)

Now the thing with expedia is, these 25 off 100 coupons seem to be an endless thing for me. I originally thought it was only 3 per person. I dont know if they would pair with the expedia citibank card for more points either? All I know is, I have been able to stay at several $200 a nite places for under $100 because of that coupon and paying for it with a cash back credit card.

You could also save some money with staying at Airbnb properties as well..... you also could look here http://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/global/redeem-rewards/pointbreaks and see if this current list has anything near where you stay. I do like other hotel cards better than hilton. I like the hyatt because at signup your two free nights can be used at any hyatt in the world (and some places are over a grand a night). I also like IHG not just because I have it, but because in addition to the 80k bonus points your annual fee of 49 bucks is waived the first year, and each year you do pay that fee you get a voucher for a free night at any ihg property. The way I figure it is, with my 80k points, I could easily stay 4 or 5 nights, but if I was careful, maybe even two weeks. I plan on stretching my points out as long as possible.

The ultimate goal is to do what works best for your spending. If you arent a big traveler, you can still save a ton. I am not a huge traveler, but even as someone who vacations once or twice a year, I wont have any major costs for flying or for my hotel stays. If you only travel few days a year without flying, I'd say regular cash back cards and coupons are the way to go....well and the card sign up bonuses too of course

I would wait until your scores hit 700 and start getting some better sign up bonuses. In the interim coupon like its your job and use the discover cash back for car rentals.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:23:35 GMT

No cockiness noted! Seriously appreciate the insight. It sounds way better to do it the ways your describing anyways, without affecting my aaoa! Thats why i asked myfico, because im such a newbie to these types of scenarios, and wish i understood more. I stay at hampton inns too for free decent breakfast and they have a free shuttle to the stadium, so no parking ticket needed. Im easy. Not too high maintenance and id rather enjoy the trip or vacation then the hotel. Lol spent top dollar for game tickets, but picked one of the lowest priced hotels for the game.

But im realizing just how many deals there are and id be a fool to not search for some. But it's overwhelming! Takes hours to research these things.

And oh my, the hyatt card... One can dream

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:26:51 GMT

Jfriend33- correct me if im mistaken, but i believe its you who always explains the amex prg/ed deals and ways to get good sign on bonuses. Just would like to say im a fan 😜 and let you know i have screen shotted many of those posts for future reference. Lol!

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

NRB525 — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:30:36 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
No, never had a prequal, not even capital one when i got my two cards. Im opted in because keep getting very sub prime offers in mail.

Because i have that hhilton acct, I constantly get emails to apply for amex for 60,000 points. But ive read that theyre crap, esp because theres no set apr. I will def avoid citi for now. And im thinking amex too. If i had to pick, it's probably be better for me to go for the ED card when my ex is up above 670, then try the hilton card after a few months.

Just sucks knowing ill be spending at hilton soon, and could rack up points. If i cant get it now (which it's looking like i cant), i might as well wait until next year because i only stay in hiltons from sept-February each year.

Thanks for your advice guys

Wait, you are getting emails from AMEX telling you to apply for the HHonors no AF card and you have not done that yet? Look, whatever angst you have about whether you will be approved is only speculation until you app.

If they are sending you marketing like this, THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE based on your HHonors account. TAKE THE OFFER. App the AMEX.

Initial Interest rate and CLI are not an issue with AMEX. You want the card, even if they give you a $1k limit and 19.24% interest. You have baddies on your report. You don't negotiate best terms in this case. Get the card, start using it to pay those stays, and enjoy the added points. Then work on increasing the CL and ask for APR reductions. I just got my HHonors card reduced from 19.24% to 15.24% in two requests over two months. It will probably be able to keep going down over time.

The responses you get here will be amateur, even mine. But because they are sending you marketing, and this being a co-branded card where you have a lot of activity already with that brand, I'd say you are nearly 100% certain to get a basic AMEX Hilton HHonors no AF card to get started.

Good luck!

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:35:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
No cockiness noted! Seriously appreciate the insight. It sounds way better to do it the ways your describing anyways, without affecting my aaoa! Thats why i asked myfico, because im such a newbie to these types of scenarios, and wish i understood more. I stay at hampton inns too for free decent breakfast and they have a free shuttle to the stadium, so no parking ticket needed. Im easy. Not too high maintenance and id rather enjoy the trip or vacation then the hotel. Lol spent top dollar for game tickets, but picked one of the lowest priced hotels for the game.

But im realizing just how many deals there are and id be a fool to not search for some. But it's overwhelming! Takes hours to research these things.

And oh my, the hyatt card... One can dream

You could get the hyatt card in the near future. Many others have.

If you have a smartphone or tablet/ipad that is your new friend. Its pretty easy to compare prices with kayak. Some people like to do a priceline name your own price with a prepaid debit card just to predict how low their rate can go...but yeah with most basic hotels being discounted already including the $25 off expedia mobile coupon paired with 1.5-3% extra back on a credit card...ya cant beat that.

I like Reddit, flyertalk, million mile secrets, mommy points boarding area, The Points Guy (be careful though often times he only shows sign up bonuses that he gets a bonus for referral).

Best thing I've learned is to research before acting on impulse. Its really hard to do though! I mean you see something like 75k point sign up bonus with citi hilton and you think thats a ton, when in acutality your hotel of choice costs 40k points a night.... if you were kinda set on hilton heres a great comparison of all the cards: http://thepointsguy.com/2014/07/which-hilton-hhonors-credit-card-is-best-for-you/ These are more for people that stay A LOT at a hilton property though.

Also airbnb has gotten me closer to destinations more often than any hotel has! Crazy cool places with great views, convenience of amenities, etc...I always check airbnb...they have a coupon for $50 off first night I believe.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:38:24 GMT

Wait now dont get me all excited lol... From the little research ive done on myfico, it seems these are just marketing emails and other members asked about them and were told they were not worth taking serious. I admit i do get them almost every week! They must think i have serious restraint lol..

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:39:21 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
No, never had a prequal, not even capital one when i got my two cards. Im opted in because keep getting very sub prime offers in mail.

Because i have that hhilton acct, I constantly get emails to apply for amex for 60,000 points. But ive read that theyre crap, esp because theres no set apr. I will def avoid citi for now. And im thinking amex too. If i had to pick, it's probably be better for me to go for the ED card when my ex is up above 670, then try the hilton card after a few months.

Just sucks knowing ill be spending at hilton soon, and could rack up points. If i cant get it now (which it's looking like i cant), i might as well wait until next year because i only stay in hiltons from sept-February each year.

Thanks for your advice guys
Wait, you are getting emails from AMEX telling you to apply for the HHonors no AF card and you have not done that yet? Look, whatever angst you have about whether you will be approved is only speculation until you app.

If they are sending you marketing like this, THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE based on your HHonors account. TAKE THE OFFER. App the AMEX.

Initial Interest rate and CLI are not an issue with AMEX. You want the card, even if they give you a $1k limit and 19.24% interest. You have baddies on your report. You don't negotiate best terms in this case. Get the card, start using it to pay those stays, and enjoy the added points. Then work on increasing the CL and ask for APR reductions. I just got my HHonors card reduced from 19.24% to 15.24% in two requests over two months. It will probably be able to keep going down over time.

The responses you get here will be amateur, even mine. But because they are sending you marketing, and this being a co-branded card where you have a lot of activity already with that brand, I'd say you are nearly 100% certain to get a basic AMEX Hilton HHonors no AF card to get started.

Good luck!

There are pros and cons to this though.

Pros: in with amex sooner, enough points for maybe 2 nights (So thats what, worth $400 at most?), Could be product changed after year to something better

Cons: for consumer who stays 7 days a year at hilton property, is kind of worthless for long term. After bonus, card is worthless.

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:40:14 GMT

Jfriend- awesome! Super helpful. Bf is gonna hate you because i will be on my phone every free hour but he'll thank me when he gets to come along! Ive read some of those sites, but i look forward to reading more. Never even looked at reddit before, but ive been meaning too. Seriously thank you!

Re: Do i even stand a chance? Hilton

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:40:22 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Jfriend33- correct me if im mistaken, but i believe its you who always explains the amex prg/ed deals and ways to get good sign on bonuses. Just would like to say im a fan 😜 and let you know i have screen shotted many of those posts for future reference. Lol!

lol, thats me!

And NRB is right, if you are preapproved with a specific APR, its probably a solid one and you could get approved for it..... Does it list a specific APR under terms?