@Anonymous wrote:
@b wrote:I've looked into combining some of my 3 accounts, but I keep getting turned down. The reasons cap 1 lists as to why I could be turned down don't apply to me though. 2 of my accounts are kinda new at being 7 months old, but it does say they need to be open for at least 6 months which they are. The 3rd I've had open for about 4 years, but it's only been a cap 1 account for the last 2 years or so as cap 1 had bought it from a different bank.
I've had nothing negative with these accounts, tried combining them with 0 balances and still am unable to. My cards are all linked as well.
Anyone have any idea why I keep getting denied? Thanks.
Eep. This is the kind of thing I hope does not happen to me when mine are eligible to combine at end of January. Sorry this is happening OP.
My accounts are all originally Capital One accounts. OP mentions that one of his accounts was transferred over from a different bank. Possibly this may be the issue.
I look forward to hearing if you're able to successfully merge your accounts!! Yes - I didn't realize that there were 'other determining factors' for eligibility outside of those that they list as requirements to do so ... so, it is interesting (while not encouraging) to hear that other factors may be considered to determine eligibility.
One other consideration to look at - when choosing which card to combine into, remember that generally the Capital One Visas are considered to be prime cards, while the Mastercards are generally considered to be subprime. So, you would not want to close a Visa by combining it into a Mastercard, as you are going from prime to subprime, and CLI's as well as other elements of your account could be less favorable than what you were used to. It's not worth getting a subprime card out of the deal even if it is your oldest card or lowest interest rate, simply because it is a subprime card and is in a different lending tier. Hope this helps. 
@Anonymous wrote:
@UncleB wrote:Lots of good advice here so far... as somebody in a similar situation, I just have one addition.
If you can, time your combination so that you can get a CLI on each card right before you 'merge' them, since combining accounts will likely 'reset' the clock on your CLIs for the remaining card. Getting a CLI on either (or both) does not impact you ability to combine.
In my own case, I just got a CLI on each of my cards ($1k on each) in December and my QS1 AF isn't until July... so I plan to wait on combining until I get another CLI on each card again in June, then combine just before the July AF is due. I didn't plan the dates out in advance... I just got 'lucky' that it worked out that way.
If you have an AF due before your next eligible CLI, it might be more desirable to go ahead and combine them to avoid the AF. You've got options!
Edited to add: Happy New Year!
Great advice, UncleB! I will wait for my chance to ask for a CLI on both before merging.
One question that I do have though, can I PC my Venture into a QS and then ask to merge both cards in one phone call? Or should I space out the request for PC and the request for the merge?
My current QS is 22.9% while my Venture is at 17.9%. I've heard that it's easier pulling teeth than it is to ask Cap One for a lower APR, hence my wanting to PC Venture into QS (lower APR + no AF).
You definitely have the right idea! 
While there is evidence of the occasional permanent APR reduction from Capital One, the handful of cases all reported going through the EO, and most folks (myself included) aren't going to go to that much trouble for an APR reduction on an account that is normally PIF each month anyway. (Note: I'm talking about permanent reductions here, not a 6-month temporary reduction that the front-line CSRs often offer folks - those are actually quite common).
The PC on your Venture will have to be done via CSR (either on the phone or chat) while the account combination is only available online (I know... it makes no sense to me either). If it were me, I would PC the Venture right before the AF came due (so you can maximize your rewards), then do the actual combination after you had a chance to get a CLI on each account. Once the Venture is PC to a QS, there's no urgency since both of your cards will be no-AF then.
That being said, some folks prefer to not wait too long, since the combine feature has been unpredictable at times... you'll have to make that judgement call for yourself. In my case, I'm choosing to wait, and if by some chance they pull the feature and combination isn't an option in June, I'll just close the QS1 anyway to avoid the AF. The CL on my QS Visa is quite usable as it is, and while the 'combined' credit line would be nice for utilization, in my case it's not a show-stopper.
Good luck!
@UncleB wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Great advice, UncleB! I will wait for my chance to ask for a CLI on both before merging.
One question that I do have though, can I PC my Venture into a QS and then ask to merge both cards in one phone call? Or should I space out the request for PC and the request for the merge?
My current QS is 22.9% while my Venture is at 17.9%. I've heard that it's easier pulling teeth than it is to ask Cap One for a lower APR, hence my wanting to PC Venture into QS (lower APR + no AF).
You definitely have the right idea!
While there is evidence of the occasional permanent APR reduction from Capital One, the handful of cases all reported going through the EO, and most folks (myself included) aren't going to go to that much trouble for an APR reduction on an account that is normally PIF each month anyway. (Note: I'm talking about permanent reductions here, not a 6-month temporary reduction that the front-line CSRs often offer folks - those are actually quite common).
The PC on your Venture will have to be done via CSR (either on the phone or chat) while the account combination is only available online (I know... it makes no sense to me either). If it were me, I would PC the Venture right before the AF came due (so you can maximize your rewards), then do the actual combination after you had a chance to get a CLI on each account. Once the Venture is PC to a QS, there's no urgency since both of your cards will be no-AF then.
That being said, some folks prefer to not wait too long, since the combine feature has been unpredictable at times... you'll have to make that judgement call for yourself. In my case, I'm choosing to wait, and if by some chance they pull the feature and combination isn't an option in June, I'll just close the QS1 anyway to avoid the AF. The CL on my QS Visa is quite usable as it is, and while the 'combined' credit line would be nice for utilization, in my case it's not a show-stopper.
Good luck!
Thanks for the advice! You're right, there really isn't any rush to combine accounts if I can successfully PC my Venture to QS. I'll continue to wait it out as I don't plan to carry balances on either cards and there will be no AF, so no harm, really! I will make sure to ask for the CLI's before considering the merge. Thanks again, UncleB!
OP, my apologies for hijacking your thread. My question felt in-line with yours, and I didn't think I should start a new thread for a question similar to yours