topic Re: Capital One Account Combination in Credit Cards

Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 21:17:35 GMT

Hi everyone,

Longtime lurker, first time poster. Glad to be here. Trying to figure out how to put my current credit card/score info in my signature so I don't have to tell my whole story every post but here are some details about my current situation. All of this is from MyFICO:

EQ: 682

TU: 669

EX: 658

Most recent late payment: 48 months

AAoA: 7yr 11mo (this includes some of my parents' accounts I was AU on)

Current credit card lineup:

Citi TY Premier - $17,500 CL (just did CLI request from $9,500)

Cap1 QS MC - $7,250 (formerly a Platinum)

Cap1 QS Visa - $1,750

Util: 11% (based on 9500 limit on Citi)

I currently keep the QS Visa at home but it is set as auto-pay for things like Uber, MyFICO, prescription refills, etc. The idea is that if I lose my wallet, I don't have to cancel that card and disrupt all those expenses since the card wasn't in there. I am looking to briefly exit the garden for the first time in three years to start re-establishing a relationship with Amex. The plan is to apply for the Cash Magnet card sometime in the next few months and after giving it some big use at first, have it replace the QS as my "home card" with all the associated expenses. Overall those expenses add up to $500/month or so on average.

Anyway, when I do that, I'd like to combine my two QS accounts to give myself just one Cap1 card to manage - it has gotten confusing at times. However, I'm not sure how to do it. It seems like all I have to do is pay one down to zero (which I do for both monthly) and then request it online. Is that what your experiences have been? And which one should I keep?

I have read on here that Cap1 Platinum is considered "subprime" and will always be classified as such, but it has grown with me to a decent CL. Does the MC/Visa distinction make any difference which would lead me to pick one over the other? The MC is about a year and a half older for any AAoA implications, but my Citi card is the oldest of the three by a few years.

Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 21:26:21 GMT

Welcome, to start, you can add your info to your signature once your status changes to member....and there is no set amount of post, it is random, some become a member (instead of new member) after about 20 post, and some after 40....it is based off sign on time, and post and how many times you sign in. Making a bunch of random post saying congrats doesnt work either.

Once that is done, then go to https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/SmorgasBoard/bd-p/smorgasboard and you will see how to add stuff to your signature.

As for combining the 2 accounts, you will have to call Capitol one and ask, but they will more than likely just tell you to just cancel onemofnthem, in which case you have to decide if losing that CL and history would be worth it. What i wouldndo is maybe consider keeping the master card as is, and do a product change with the visa to maybe the savor card to keep the acct open, heck you might even get a CLI out of it?

Just my 2 cents tho

Re: Capital One Account Combination

HeavenOhio — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 21:59:35 GMT

Welcome, @Anonymous.

In your online account, choose "More Account Services." Then choose "Request an Account Combination" from the "Control Your Card" list.

The "donor" card has to have a balance of zero. If both cards have balances of zero, either card can be chosen to be either the donor or recipient. The donor card will appear as a closed account on your credit report.

Some people choose to keep the older card, while others choose to keep the card with the better terms.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 23:16:48 GMT

I could have sworn that I've read on these forms that C1 absolutely can't/won't combine Visa Signature and MC QS accounts. I think if you search posts, you can probably find evidence that others have tried and been told it wasn't possible.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 23:54:33 GMT

Thanks everyone for the info!

I would believe that it would be impossible to combine a MC and Visa. However, if it were possible, which should I keep?

-QS MC (PC from Platinum)

-$7,250 limit

-opened early 2015

-QS Visa

-$1,750 limit

-opened mid 2016

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 23:57:02 GMT

I would keep the older one assuming you don’t have an annual fee.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:10:31 GMT

Is there an interest rate difference between the Visa and MC? Even then, unless it was substantial, I think you're better off keeping the older/bigger card if you PIF every month.

One more thing to consider is asking C1 to upgrade your QS MC to a World MC, if it isn't already. Seems pretty rare, but I've read on these forums that it's worked for some people.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

UncleB — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:30:37 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I could have sworn that I've read on these forms that C1 absolutely can't/won't combine Visa Signature and MC QS accounts. I think if you search posts, you can probably find evidence that others have tried and been told it wasn't possible.

Combining MC with Visa (or vice versa) isn't a problem... I actually regularly have the option whenever my accounts are PIF.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:35:10 GMT

Good to know!

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 01:20:54 GMT

More great information. Glad I finally signed up and joined the forum.

The MC is a World MC though I can't say I've ever used the supposed perks that come with that or Visa Signature.

Is there an easy way to check what your APR is on the cards? I actually don't know where to look. I imagine they're very similar but definitely good to consider. Unless that is substantially different, I will keep the MC when the time comes.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

difringe — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 03:11:31 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Is there an easy way to check what your APR is on the cards? I actually don't know where to look. I imagine they're very similar but definitely good to consider. Unless that is substantially different, I will keep the MC when the time comes.

When you log onto the website, click your account balance for the card, then click the 'View Details' link in the top left, and it'll bring up a bunch of stuff about your card, including the APR (first thing noted on that page)

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 03:52:53 GMT

I recently combined two Cap 1 cards (QS VS and Savor WMC) and it was pretty straightforward. I happened to roll the older QS card into the newer Savor card as the rewards were more appealing, but in your case I would just keep the older card open as the reward rates should be identical.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

HeavenOhio — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 04:34:48 GMT

@Anonymous, another reason to keep the older card is that it's already shown an ability to grow to a decent limit, i.e. it doesn't seem to have a bucketing problem.

Do you have any other cards acquired within that time frame?

Re: Capital One Account Combination

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 22:36:33 GMT

Thanks again everyone!

@HeavenOhio, no other cards acquired during that time frame. And since picking up the QS Visa in mid 2006 I have been in a nice long garden.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

SoCalifornia — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 12:43:35 GMT

@pje900
About how recently was this? I don't know if the OP ever got around to account combination with Cap1, but I've been trying since February 1st and all the reps keep telling me is "that feature is currently unavailable and we are working really hard to get it live again very soon" ... or along those lines. It's frustrating, since that is only one of two things I want to accomplish before gardening and they keep telling me that they don't have a time frame at this moment, just "really soon". Cap one is lucky I care to remain a customer at all, really.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

HeavenOhio — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 12:57:20 GMT

"We are working really hard to get it live again very soon" is much more optimistic to the scattered CSR responses that we've been seeing previously.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

SoCalifornia — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 13:09:49 GMT

Yeah, I guess that's true. I've never been fond of their customer service. I have QS and QS1. The QS was of course a product change, but after almost 4 years, I've never received a CLI on that card. Even the QS1 was increased in a short period of time. So recently, I was like FINE, I will start pounding that card to get an increase, but with a 4yr old credit limit of $300, it doesn't take much to use up the 10% I keep all my cards under and it's just taking up purchase points I would get with literally ANY other card in my wallet. I'd rather be racking ultimate chase rewards than whipping out that Cap1. Seriously frustrating.

Re: Capital One Account Combination

CivalV — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 17:07:20 GMT

That is odd. I spoke to rep yesterday and without asking she said I had the option to combine my accounts online. *knowing the option online does not show on my account* I asked if I have trouble combining my accounts online if I could call back and have a rep help me combine the accounts. She stated yes they can do it over the phone 🤔

I was able to lower the APR for both accounts. No PC offers yet. 7 months since my last PC

Re: Capital One Account Combination

SoCalifornia — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 02:12:31 GMT

@CivalV

Gah. CapOne does whatever. I just got off the phone with them, after being inspired to call yet again from your comment. The first good rep I ever got and he actually gave me a time frame on when it should be live again. I mentioned the feature working for you to see if that was a push past the red tape, no go. He just said check online or call back around the beginning of April. He estimated 2 or 3 weeks and it will be available. Sure he could've been leading me on, but it sounded legit. Glad it worked for you, but to any others attempting to combine accounts, perhaps this helps 👀👀

Re: Capital One Account Combination

UncleB — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 09:04:39 GMT

@CivalV wrote:
That is odd. I spoke to rep yesterday and without asking she said I had the option to combine my accounts online. *knowing the option online does not show on my account* I asked if I have trouble combining my accounts online if I could call back and have a rep help me combine the accounts. She stated yes they can do it over the phone 🤔

I was able to lower the APR for both accounts. No PC offers yet. 7 months since my last PC

At the risk of getting off-topic, was your reduction temporary? I've not seen anybody mention a permanent reduction from Capital One in ages, and even then it was done manually by the EO (which is no longer possible).

Temporary reductions are common, but if you got a permanent reduction that will be notable, indeed.