Sams Club Biz MC No PG approval but asked for SSN during verification

[startover909]

I got a discounted Sams Club membership offer on my AMEX so I went ahead and bought a membership. Then I learned that I can apply for the business mastercard without PG, as long as I make sure I do not fill out the PG section on the application.

So today I went into a store, asked to apply for the card. The lady knew exactly what to do and had me fill out a pretty simple application on a tablet (basically just asking for EIN and DUNS number). There is an optional PG section which I made sure I did not fill out, so no personal SSN/DoB etc given, just name address and phone number.

After submission, the screen prompted the service reprentative to call in for verification, and she did. The underwriting services asked to speak to me.

This is where it got weird: they asked for my SSN and DoB for "beneficial owner record". I repeated several times that I wanted the card to be non-PG, and was assured over and over again that this information would be stricly for their internal record and would not be entered into the application, and that my personal credit would not be pulled. Maybe it was because my business was a partnership LLC?

Honestly I was kind of skeptical, but since I was holding up the line at the store, I relunctantly gave her the information, knowing that in the worse case scenario they would just turn this into a PG application, and it would be okay (reluctantly).

Anyway I was approved for $15K. I asked again (for like the 5th time) whether it was non-PG and she confirmed it yet again.

I went home and checked my CRs and no pulls yet.

Did anyone have a similar experience with this card? Is it possible they approved the card without personal HP, but it was still really PG'ed because I gave them those information?

[Anonymous]

Yes.  They need the SS and DOB to prove to the Feds you're not a terrorist, that you are who you say you are...  If you didn't complete the PG section, then the approval was solely on your business credit.  Congratulations on your approval and a decent SL as well.

[Anonymous]

yep you good. congrats on the MC. How many tradelines did you have before you apped? and any more DP would be great. I got the store card a couple of months back and waiting to pull the trigger on the MC.

[startover909]

My business EX has 10 TLs. It shows a couple of high limits from my Chase business cards I believe. DnB has some TLs too but most are inactive (probably from those Net 30s I opened back in the day but never really used).

Another poster mentioned that he got the store card at first with a good limit, and applied for the MC the next month and got approved. There seems to be a theory that the first time you apply for Sams Club credit with Synchrony, they can be extra quirky because you're "not in the system" yet. So it's possible that they could put you on a store card even though you would have qualified for the MC credit wise, maybe just to be safe because you're new to them.

If this theory holds true, you can try to apply again, and since you're already a customer maybe it's much easier this time around.

[Anonymous]

I always wondered about this PG/No PG scenario with Sams because of the way the application is structured. For instance, in order to App for the Business card you have to have an existing membership/store card. On that "personal" app/existing store card is your SS# and DOB I would presume. It is not like your personal identifiable information is not already known to them. Since you have an existing relationship and are applying for the Business credit based on that in place personal account they can SP you at will without having to have you provide your SS and DOB all over again. This would all be moot if it is a different UW/Bank. You may not get a HP but you may get a SP on your personal to qualify for the SL. I dont think they would be handing out the SLs Ive heard about on a totally blind app. I could be totally wrong also

[Anonymous]

If you dont mind me asking, how much did you put down for your revenue?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone checked their SP records on their personal CRs for Synchrony peeking at the time of the "No PG" business App? Looking to verify/debunk the theory that Synchrony is going solely off the basis of your Business credit file when they hand out healthy SLs. Again, the thought process is that you have to have a Store card backed by Synchrony before you can apply for the Business card. This gives them anytime SP access to your personal CR prior to you applying through the business. Many people dont check their SPs or have no clue because they only show up on your "Full" paper CR and most people have become accostomed to using only the web-generated truncated reports which leave off a lot of data.

[spiritcraft1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Has anyone checked their SP records on their personal CRs for Synchrony peeking at the time of the "No PG" business App? Looking to verify/debunk the theory that Synchrony is going solely off the basis of your Business credit file when they hand out healthy SLs. Again, the thought process is that you have to have a Store card backed by Synchrony before you can apply for the Business card. This gives them anytime SP access to your personal CR prior to you applying through the business. Many people dont check their SPs or have no clue because they only show up on your "Full" paper CR and most people have become accostomed to using only the web-generated truncated reports which leave off a lot of data.

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We got an 11k No PG store card a month and a half ago.  I think it asked for a SS for indentity reasons.  Not sure if the clerk put it in or not.  I have seen no soft pulls from SyncB as yet and just got paper reports a couple weeks ago.  I do have a couple 6 YO CO's from Sync on the personal side also which made me hesitant to apply.  Our in store approval was instant though.  Also have had a no PG Amazon Net 55 for a year or more.  I would like to go for the MC also at some point.

[Anonymous]

Cool beans. Do you recall how many you had reporting before you apped for Citi Tractor? Pretty much on the same path from your beginning stages. When did you get your first Net 30?

[spiritcraft1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Cool beans. Do you recall how many you had reporting before you apped for Citi Tractor? Pretty much on the same path from your beginning stages. When did you get your first Net 30?

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I think first Net 30 was early 2016.  I think I must have had a Duns and EX file going from when we formed new LLC in late 2015.  The tractor supply came in late 2016.  At that tme you hav to fax or mail in an app if I remember correctly at least if going for no PG.  I had read that it was the easiest Citi backed card at that time.  

All biz approvals in sig are in cronological order.  There are a few big tradelines reporting to D&B not listed as they are industry specific...  large commercial hardwood suppliers.