Do CCC judge you by the cards you have?

[AverageJoesCredit]

In an age where information and data rulz all, i wouldnt be suprised at all at what there is used to classify credit card users

[Anonymous]

Makes sense to me, especially with humans looking at it. I also wonder if existing creditors look at where you shop...if AMEX sees you shopping at Walmart does that mean something different than if you shop at Nordstrom?  Is it good or bad?  Worse yet, if you USED to shop at upmarket stores and suddenly shop at thrift shops, that could be a  really bad sign, or it could just mean you are tired of paying retail...

[SarahJo]

I was wondering this exact thing yesterday...if the types of services/merchants where charges are made has bearing on your creditor's projection of credit worthiness?

[Anonymous]

Well we have data points that a consumer finance account hurts you, but that's pure FICO there.

There are data points that having large credit limits will get you new large starting limits, so it is feasible that having toy limit bank cards may hurt your chances at getting high starting limits from prime banks -- although that's only true until you have high limit cards over time.

I started my credit repair by getting two big secured cards: $2500 and $3000 right away.  I would have gotten a bigger secured limit if they offered it.  But those high limits didn't help at all with other SLs for me ($400, $400, $500).

[creditgambler2018]

I am embarrassed of the walmart card. LOL. It seems like I cant pay for simple stuff. It is getting closed as soon as the new statement reports a zero dollars and zero cents owed balance in 4 days. Mortgage loan officer named it from report and I felt like a broke person on welfare and section 8.

[Anonymous]

I agree about the WalMart stigma...I couldn't bring myself to carry an Allegiant Airlines card or heaven forbid, CheapOAir.  Call it snobbery if you like, but I think EVERYONE judges you by the card you whip out.  Plunk down a metal card or high-end AMEX and I have to think the waitress looks at you differently than if you had dropped a prepaid debit card of some sort.  Is it relevant, NO, but people judge other people all day long.

I get treated completely differently when I'm dressed in a suit for work than when I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt running errands.  People call me sir and are really polite when I'm dressed up.  I have had people ask me if I'm going to a funeral and I can truthfully say "yes, we have 4 of them today".  That tends to shut them up!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I agree about the WalMart stigma...I couldn't bring myself to carry an Allegiant Airlines card or heaven forbid, CheapOAir.  Call it snobbery if you like, but I think EVERYONE judges you by the card you whip out.  Plunk down a metal card or high-end AMEX and I have to think the waitress looks at you differently than if you had dropped a prepaid debit card of some sort.  Is it relevant, NO, but people judge other people all day long.

I get treated completely differently when I'm dressed in a suit for work than when I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt running errands.  People call me sir and are really polite when I'm dressed up.  I have had people ask me if I'm going to a funeral and I can truthfully say "yes, we have 4 of them today".  That tends to shut them up!

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I dont' think anyone cares which card you plunk down.   When I worked in a grocery store when I was in college and someone used a credit card for groceries over a debit card I assumed they were having financial difficulties as they had to charge their food. I felt sorry for them.  I think that was the common sentiment that if you were charging food you were close to being broke.

The only time I had people notice my card was when my bank of america debit/visa broke in half and I used he tiny one that is supposed to attach to your key chain.  Everyone loved that.  They would even show it to other people who worked there. 

Also I am sure some very rich people shop at Walmart.  A lot of people ge rich by being frugal.  I don't shop there but to each their own. 

[Anonymous]

I used to go grocery shopping with a customer of mine at Walmart together as I was helping him lose weight.  His business made him 8 figures one year (yes, tens of millions of dollars).  He avoided Whole Foods because he said he didn't get rich buying expensive things.  Funny guy, drove a nice car but it was at least 7 years old (probably cost him $120,000 tho).

I don't think people will even see credit cards anymore, soon enough.  Between Apple Pay and Android Pay and Samsung Pay -- and now Amazon Pay is popping up in some businesses -- we may not even have a wallet for much more than ID.

I don't go to the store with all my cards.  I take out the card I planned to use (cash back calculations) and a back up and that's what's in my wallet right now.  When I get home, I put the main card back in my safe and keep my emergency card in my wallet.  If I travel, I tend to take 3 cards with me just in case of a security freeze.