700 in 24 months - is there a good Barclay's alternative?

[JaseT]

My most recent scores for EX and TU are in my signature. I was able to pass 700 on EX before 24 months post discharge. My 2 year mark is coming up at the end of this month.

[FireMedic1]

Thats awesome. Congrats. The more you can put into it. Once you graduate you usually get a CLI. Then the better it will be when you graduate. Most importantly. Having higher CL's once you get up the ladder and app when you get into the 700 range. You'll get higher SL's. Your building the future now too. So its two fold. Pay more now. Get more later. And the iT card is like a regular card. AU's are ok. Now you'll see a score boost in time with 3 revolvers. So AZEO kicks in now. You got installments. Your set. Now time will do its thing and let them grow. Bigger and better things are down the road.

[Anonymous]

I think a good Barclay's alternative is Synchrony cards. Either the Paypal MasterCard or the EBates (now called Rakuten) card. The downside is there is no prequalification link like Barclays. But the approval chances are probably better than Barclays and fits right in to this point in your rebuild where you might turn to someplace like Barclays

I was approved 1 year 6 months post discharge. (2 years post filing).

Scores 690-699

Low utilization, 8%

Instant approval

For most the Paypal card would be the way to go. 2%, no category games. For me since I do most of my purchases online the Rakuten card is unbeatable. Its 1% offline (there are ways to increase that too) and 3% online for purchases done via the Rakuten site. Its a shopping portal and with the exception of Amazon every place I shop is on the site. The best part is the site gives you stackable cash back with the card. So typically I get 2-5% from the site and 3% on the card. So yeah, 5-8% cash back. Another downside is cash back is paid out quarterly.

There is also in-store cash back to boost the 1% but its typically at clothing stores and other overpriced places I don't shop. The card itself does not have an app and tech could be better. I miss instant notices like Capital One for every purchase. Also widgets for iOS like Discover, Wells Fargo etc. would be great. With widgets I can see all my balances on the lock screen without logging into the site/apps.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, I had an Ebates card awhile ago- but, think it was closed for nonuse- but at least I didn't burn them. My husband burned Paypal, but, I haven't had a paypal card in years- think mine was closed due to nonuse also. My Overstock card was open with a $0 balance, but, now they're acting like a burned them.. lol 

I may have to check into Rakuten. 

I went ahead and got an Ollo card. I had Discover, with a $200 limit, CreditOne and Lendup with $750 limits. Just wasn't enough for what I run through credit in a month and CreditOne and Lendup wait so long to credit payments that it's almost impossible to pay them before the statement cut and have it count. Thankfully Ollo gave me a $1400 limit which is about perfect for my use. I'll still use Discover for gas once a month or so to keep it active- but CreditOne and Lendup are paid off and sock-drawered now.  

I missed the statement dates again this month, paid three days before, but, CreditOne and Lendup didn't credit until after statement dates anyways- so now if looks like everything was maxed.. lol So, I'll wait a month for those to report $0 and then try for Rakuten. 

[Anonymous]

That’s what I hate about the sub sub sub prime lenders. Fine...charge me a bucket load of interest. I get that’s how they can extend credit to people with low scores. But don’t play games with the payments. That’s why I really like Capital One and Discover. I have a Lendup and a used a few times but stopped using it for the same reason. They intentionally delay crediting your payments. Thankfully I avoided Credit One. If Ollo sent me an invite for the rewards card I would bite.

[Anonymous]

Exactly- I have decent enough terms on the Lendup and CreditOne, I have the $39 annual fee on one of them and the $59 annual fee on the other- so not as bad as it could have been. BUT, it's so juvenile the way they hold payments and you can never tell how much you owe, sometimes even after they credit the payment, you still don't get the available balance back for until a week later. It's just all this ridiculous sleight of hand to try to trick you into paying interest. 

Hopefully Ollo won't be the same nonsense, but, it seems decent so far. I'll try making a payment as soon as I officially have a balance to tell for sure. I love Capital One. Can't wait for them to let me back in, I didn't burn them for much at all. But, I haven't gotten anything on their prequalify yet, so guessing I have to wait a couple days after 1 year from discharge. I'm banking with them now, just wanted something that talked to Mint. My previous credit union didn't. Discover is decent too- just didn't have the cash to start with a bigger limit- so guess I'll see what happens with that one. 

[coreyb80]

I also have Lendup and Credit One as well. With CO, I use my Chase bill pay.  For example, I sent CO a payment yesterday that will be received and posted today, then tomorrow I'll receive the confirmation email.  Lendup is extremely hit or miss, I remember I double up on a payment by accident once and it took a week for them to post one of the payments.  Maybe I need to try them with Chase bill pay as well and see how it works.

[mcdanielak]

What is this AZEO? I have seen it a couple times but am unclear what it is.

[sccredit]

I cleared 700 13 months post discharge.  I had some help - I didn't have to clean up my reports and I had a few high limit AU cards from DW.  Our home is being sold by the trustee (more than $200k in equity) so we have to rent.  Signed a new lease last night and their credit pull was 728.  Not sure what score version they pulled.

[Anonymous]

I would check the Discover prequalify at least. My bankruptcy was discharged less than 60 days ago, and I was just approved for the Discover It cash back card with a 10500 limit with a score of 664.