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Hello All,
I have 2 questions regarding Barclay CCs. Last month I was recently approved for a Barclay Rewards MC ($500 Instant, and 1K Recon) which I am very happy with. However, the limit is very low and I find that I am paying almost 2x per week. The 6 weeks that I had the card, I have made approx $4K in payments, and it's probably going to go higher as I start to use my card for other expenses like car insurance and such. My questions is as follows...
1.) If I continue to make large amounts of purchases on a monthly basis but always PIF each month, does Barclay look favorably on that when considering me for a CLI? or do they frown on folks who schedule too many payments every month?
2.) From the begining, I was told by the Barclay Credit Analyst that after 6 months, I would get a credit increase if I showed good payment history. I really would like this, but I was also hoping to app and get approved for the Travelocity card as well (I have a large family trip at the end of this year). When the 6 month comes, do you recommend that I app for the Travelocity card before or after I recieve the CLI?
Thanks all for the help!
@improvingmycredit wrote:
Hey aad041109! Welcome to the forums!
Congrats on your approval!
Barclays likes to see the type of usage that your running through your card. So keep that up. Though Barclays likes to see 6 months of usage with them, it is possible to ask for a CLI at 4 months with a HP. Most auto CLIs take place at 6 months. Problem with auto increases is that they aren't guaranteed and totally up to the lender so unless you initiate the request for a higher limit- it could be years and your limit may never increase based on their internal scoring by a computer generated analyzation of your profile or you could get bumped at 4 months.
So, with that said, if you wait the 6 months and no auto increase, app the Travelocity card. Use your experience with your current Barclays card as leverage to recon your app and CL to a limit that's acceptable to you. Also, while talking with the analyst ask to increase your Rewards card using the same HP.
Thnaks for the response, improvingmycredit. Do you think it's safe to app for the Travelocity card and requested a CLI at 4 months. I have read on other threads that 6 months was the magic number. 4 months would be awesome though, if it's possible, because it's very painful to make this many payments per week to keep the util below 10% and at the same time use it up.
Any other members have any luck with apping a 2nd barclay card and also a CLI before the 6 month mark?
@improvingmycredit wrote:
Hey aad041109!
I personally wouldn't app the Travelocity card in 4 months being that your initial approval netted you a lower starting CL. I'd definitely wait the full 6 months before requesting another card. However, I did request a CLI at 4 months with a HP and got it. If you feel that your profile can stand up to another HP, you might wanna try that route first though I don't recommend it. I'd wait the 6 months mark and see what happens. If no auto love- app Travelocity then increase the Rewards card same time.
Thanks, improvingmycredit. I'll take your advice and wait the full 6 months. Your plan sounds a whole lot more safer.
@improvingmycredit wrote:
@aad041109
On another note- why are you making so many payments all the time? If it's to keep utility below 10%, then you are making a lot of extra work for yourself. All that's necessary is that you make one payment before statement cuts each month, not through out the entire month to report the 10% utility. If it's because you are reaching your CL before months end, that's another story and does suck. Also, if you have no up coming large purchase apps coming up, the -10% rule is a non- issue. I however am like you and groom my report each month for highest FICO tweaking even though there is nothing immediately on the horizon.
Have you ever considered a Amex Charger to supplement your spending pattern. Might want to consider it. No hit to utility and extra buying power. Just a thought.
my limits are so low and I just get nervous when ever any of my CCs get passed 50% balances. So I keep an eye on it daily and pay what I can way before the statement date so that there are no mess ups.
Regarding the AMEX... I would love to have a AMEX charge card, but I had a bk in 2008 that included AMEX. Hopefully in 6-7 years they will become an option.