Consider it a professional courtesy which FNBO didn't extend to me.
@FinStar wrote:
@Remedios wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
@Remedios wrote:It's great when issuer let's you know, but do you guys really believe it's their responsibility to tell you to use something you asked for?
If one doesn't care enough to use a card every so often or even check account for fraud, why it's someone else's responsibility to babysit your account?
Legit question, not a snark. I'm genuinely curious as to how this line of thinking develops.
I agree it's not their responsibility to remind me to use the card. However, at the same time, I see a credit approval as establishing a business relationship and contract between myself and the lender. It would just be common courtesy to notify the other party about changes to that contract, if nothing else after-the-fact when the account was closed. But in advance would be nice unless there is an abrogation of the contract by the consumer, such as failure to pay.
Notifying-in-advance shows that the lender cares about maintaining the relationship, appreciates the satisfactory past business, and respects the consumer's time (and invested credit inquiries and new account FICO penalties) when they initiated the relationship by applying for credit. Not notifying in advance (and then inviting the customer to just reapply! as happened above to @tcbofade's friend) seems disrespectful to me of the consumer's credit report and time.
My experience is more about retail/store cards which seem to be closed more quickly. It's easy to forget exactly how long it's been since some cards were used, and many consumers don't know cards will be closed if not used often. Moreover, there is no standard on how long cards will stay open if not used. Of course, it also doesn't help that some of these cards get opened in the spur of the moment applications in-store to save on a purchase. So they aren't exactly a premeditated decision in the first place. This is why I recommend that the usefulness of a retail/store card be very carefully considered before applying.
For the fraud aspect, some of my experience with these is more from the days when online/app access wasn't universally available on credit accounts, snail mail statements were how accounts were monitored (no action on consumers part except opening mail!), and credit card fraud was much less prevalent.
Well...don't you think if issuing retail cards is your only revenue source, you'd want to issue them to those who will use them while under impression consumer applied because they frequent "their" store?
When Comenity still allowed shopping card trick, people applied for Childrens Place card. No kids, no intention of buying for friends/relatives, but hey...it's credit line.
Or, *Approved for Banana Republic, what do they sell"
For a lot of members here, they are just utilization padding, nothing else.
Then, there are stores like Lowe's. While some got their card for initial discount/promo financing, are we really supposed to believe they needed nothing else over the past year. It's not like they only sell lumber 🤷♀️
While this may not be the case for you, one of the primary reasons I asked is...People are mad that cards got closed for non-use. Yet, they seldom forget to ask for increases then wonder why Synchrony closed accounts..
Big lenders who have a chunky credit card portfolios tend to have other, more lucrative departments (DDAs, investments, mortgages, auto loans, PLs etc) so they might be a tad bit slower at use it or lose it.
Same goes for CUs, their focus is rarely on CCs, so some tolerate longer periods of inactivity.
Those who solely depend on CC revenue don't have that option. They can make a silly choice to waste time on reminders or pick a new batch of applicants who will use their cards.
I get a nudge from FNBO after 60 days "hey you haven't used your card, look at all the benefits" which is a polite way of telling me to take it out of wallet.
Then at around 120 days, they nip with "we noticed you haven't used your card in OVER 120 days..." Umm, wonder what they mean by that
Besides, one thing I've learned is that if you constantly have to remind someone to do something, there is a pretty darn good chance it isn't forgetfulness, it's unwillingness.
I was just about to apply for the Victoria's Secret MC cuz your neighbor recommended it -- you know that whole gifting thing 💀
I'll be upset if they close it for my forgetfulness to use it.
Not the discount undergarments 🥺
@GrandBaker wrote:Consider it a professional courtesy which FNBO didn't extend to me.
Courtesy for sure, but definitely not an obligation for banks to do so by any means. Most don't.
Wow... @Aim_High my blood pressure spiked for a second thinking about keeping tabs on accounts before online access/apps. We have come a long way. I am definitely thankful for that. 😉
@805orbust wrote:Wow... @Aim_High my blood pressure spiked for a second thinking about keeping tabs on accounts before online access/apps. We have come a long way. I am definitely thankful for that. 😉
I can see how that might be stressful, @805orbust, but it was a different time. For one, there wasn't a need to keep tabs so closely. Cards had to be physically present to be used so unless you lost your wallet, there was zero threat. And clerks more often actually checked your signature against the card or asked for ID. Credit card fraud was very rare compared to today. Ironically, the development and spread of the internet (and taking payments via the webz) which enables consumers to check their account status is also the very reason why we NEED to do it more today than we did 40 years ago. Plus, the development of e-commerce, automatic payments on credit cards, and the sheer volume of payment activity we have today all makes fraudulent activity easier to disguise. Mail fraud was also less common so depending on notification of account activity by snail mail was considered even more reliable than today.
Most stores didn't take cards for small purchases, so you'd have to spend $10 or more just to use credit. Small purchases were paid by cash only. For example, purchases like groceries, drug store purchases, or fast food were never put on a credit card. I worked in grocery stores during high school/college and I don't recall ever taking card payments. You couldn't pay utilities or rent with a card. Credit cards were mainly for travel, in-person shopping, gas, and sit-down dining-out. My monthly statements only had a few total charges per month. Card rewards were non-existent until the 1980's and many consumers didn't even have a credit card. (According to the Federal Reserve, only 43% of American families had a major network bank credit card in 1983.) If consumers had a major network bank card, for most of us it was just one or two cards, plus maybe a gas or department store card. There was much less credit activity to watch.
So I don't know if we've really come a long way, because the social and technological changes have actually led to more of these types of problems. 
Sure, we get the convenience of electronic payments and more rewards but there are downsides to the changes as well.
