topic Re: GEMB CLI ? in Credit Cards

GEMB CLI ?

bichonmom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:06:27 GMT

I have an Old Navy card w/$200 limit I got in Mar '11. I've read here that GEMB will give CLI after 4 months and have a couple of questions:

#1, Will GEMB do a hard or soft pull for CLI?

#2, Is the CLI automatic, or do I have to ask for it? (If I ask for it, will they then do a hard pull?)

#3, I have really only used the card once, for my original purchase. The ONLY reason why I would want a CLI is to help my score. From what I've read here, higher CLs help w/our util%. But I've also read that for best score, we should only carry a bal on one CC, which should report at <9%. So, if I need to have ONLY one CC rept at ,9% of that CCs CL, then how does it help me to have a higher limit on another card? I hope that makes sense. I think I'm experiencing brain fog here, and can't seem to figure this out.

Thanks!

Re: GEMB CLI ?

tray — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:20:41 GMT

I have 3 GEMB cards jcpenny, walmart, new card lowe's opened last month, and with GEMB you can request a cli after every fourth statement cuts and it is a soft pull

although with some of their cards like walmart they give small cli's, but I have been getting them like clockwork every 4 months, with the card you have I do not know how generous gemb will be maybe someone will chime in who actually has this card, so if you have had 4 statements generated, you can hit the luv button. Good Luck to you

Re: GEMB CLI ?

smc733 — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:24:08 GMT

^This.

They will sometimes even also Auto-CLI on the first 4th statement.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

bichonmom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:25:09 GMT

Thank you. Do you use them a lot? I'm not sure what kind of CLI I'd get since I'm not really using the card. I may have to go into the store to pickup something small just to have activity on the card.

I'm just wondering if it's worth it. In the big picture, will a large CL on this CC help me get better cards and/or help my score?

Thanks!

Re: GEMB CLI ?

bichonmom — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:26:42 GMT

@smc733 wrote:
^This.

They will sometimes even also Auto-CLI on the first 4th statement.

That would be *really* nice.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:48:37 GMT

I've had three GEMB cards (still have one open) and they have always granted a CLI on request - if four statements have cut since the last CLI or opening.

In 2 years, I've yet to get an automatic CLI on a GEMB. The customer initiated CLI's have always been soft pulls, however.

bichonmom- FICO looks at overall utilization and individual utilization.

Increased CL on a card may not matter as long as you follow the one card reporting <9% with the remaining cards reporting 0.

I like to increase my CL's because it's just easier to manage the utilization thingy. And on cards I plan on keeping open for a long time, it's handy - they're just much easier to use than a low CL card. Increased store card CL's may or may not influence other CL's. In my case, they haven't. Their CL's are still smaller than my CU or bank cards.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

bichonmom — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:59:19 GMT

Thatnk you, BeamMEup. Helpful info. I guess the CLI would make it easier to shop at that particular store, but it sounds like it probably wouldn't help with my util% very much, if at all.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:06:50 GMT

And, depending on the store (they seem to have their own "typical" amount on CLI's) 3 CLI's a year at say $300 (what I typically get on my Dillard's) is almost a grand a year. That adds up over time.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

slarano — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:10:17 GMT

I have several GEMB-backed accounts and all of my CLI requests have been soft pulls. They are very good about that, and are also very good about periodic CLI's on their own. I know a fair amount of people on these boards don't like them, but I've never had a problem and will continue to have their accounts even after I one day go past 750+.

Re: GEMB CLI ?

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:16:28 GMT

I too have an Old Navy card in which I opened around Mar. Limit was $200. After 4th statement cut I was given a $300 increase. So now $500. So I would expect for you to see an increase on yours as well. I usally spend $30 to $60 every month. I can also add I had a balance of $130 on it when I was given the CLI. Bought some shoes through piperlime. They too have pretty good sales. Top notch sneakers.

So Good Luck!!!

Re: GEMB CLI ?

slarano — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:39:23 GMT

GEMB goes relatively slow with WalMart CLI's for some reason. In a span of a few years, I've gone from an opening $500 CL to my current $1075, have never been offered the upgrade to a WalMart Discover. But was just approved (in an unrelated move) for a Discover More ($2500 opening CL). In GEMB comparison, I started with $800 on my Amazon Store Card and two years later am now at $2700. Granted some of my purchases on that card include a Macbook Pro and a Samsung plasma big screen TV. My PayPal SmartConnect started around $750, am now currently at $1700, I even have a QVC account that I've made all of two purchases on in a few years, started at around $800 and am currently at $2100.