Embarrassing Credit Cards

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've never heard of Orchid and FP. May I ask why that would be embarrassing?

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Orchard or First Premier (FP) are cards for people who are rebuilding their credit. FP is definitely the worse of those two, with a ridiculous amount of fees attached. Orchard cards rank above that. Although it's true that most Orchard cards are held by people during rebuilding, I heard of cases where the cards grew to sizable credit lines with solid rewards and were worth keeping, which means that they are not a sure sign of where on the way to good credit a person that uses such a card is.

[Anonymous]

I'm not uppity enough to care.

I don't use AMEX or Discover because of their usurous fees to the merchants.

[Anonymous]

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@tntexans72 wrote:

With exception to your situation....most of us don't have a $5000+ CL from Cap one unless it's a Venture card. For every 1000s of $500 CL, there's a few $5000 CL from Cap One. I didn't mean to disrespect you in any way...but Cap One, HSBC, Orchard, Premiere as most of us know are sub-prime cards with a few exceptions. There's no ifs, buts, about it....that's how they have made $$$ in their business, by giving low CL, charges a high AF and they rarely give increases. 

Personally, I would never want a Cap One card ever again....unless it was a Venture card. But if I had to choose between a Venture and Sapphire card for no FT fees, I would hands down app for the Sapphire card. At the end of the day, in my line of work....status is everything. With all due respect to OP who will disagree, and I know ppl going to give me an earful for being blunt. I respect everyone's situation as I was one in a similar role.

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Guess I'm glad I'm not in your line of work, if status is derived from what kind of credit card one uses!

Tessa

[FicoScore626]

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@DI wrote:

Hypothetical question.  If you were out having lunch/dinner at a high end restaurant, and someone within the group pull out an Orchard or First Premier card, would you be embarrassed?   I expect to see meals being paid for with an AMEX card or some other uber card. 

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I would never be embarrassed for someone else.

And as long as the charge clears on their First Premier card, that's all that matters to me.

[john398]

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@ChesterPDexter wrote:

"I'm thinking taking out a Hooter's CC and using it at say Wingstop might be awkward."

That just reminded me -  until recently I had a Target VISA and I used it constantly at Walmart.  It was red with the Target logo all over it, too.  I thought it might get a giggle out of a cashier once in a while, but no - they didn't care at all and never mentioned it.  I thought it was sort of funny!

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I used to get comments when I used my Best Buy reward zone master card at Conns but I could care less

[daylove]

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@aftermath wrote:

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:

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@aftermath wrote:

If it's not an Amex Centurion, JP Morgan Palladium or a Citi Chairman... then there's nothing impressive about it nor does it do anything to hint towards others the illusion that you are of a higher status/class.

Think of credit cards as if they were cars.

People who drive a Ford Fiesta (Orchard) might not turn heads and just because you drive a BMW (Amex Gold) you assume you are better then them, but in actuallity no one turns their head for your BMW (Amex Gold) either because almost every other car (credit card) on the street is a BMW (Amex Gold).

Now if you drive a Bentley (Centurion), Ferrari (Palladium) or Lamborghini (Chairman), THAT will get my attention and I will think to myself "Wow, that's impressive.  That person must be rich!"

So to me a credit card is a credit card until someone pulls out something I rarely see.

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Oddly, the only thing that these cards would tell me (assuming that I pulled out my reading glasses and could even see what they were) is that the cardholder was willing to pay hella bucks to get a little rectangle so as to look cool. 

lol at the others with black cards --my USAA AmEx and BofA affiliate cards are black. Every now and then the USAA card will get a second glance (black + AmEx logo, I guess), but it's generally by someone awfully young.

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I don't think it's really about looking cool, but reaping the rewards and rights to show off for all your success.

I think you and I both know in order to possess these cards it takes more than just "paying hella bucks".

Don't forget the qualifications and requirements that you have to meet on top of the initial sign-up fees:

Amex Centurion: Must charge $250,000 within 12 months and be invited

JP Morgan Palladium: $30,000,000 in combined assets

Citi Chairman:  Must bank with Smith Barney for a rediculous amount and be invited.

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Only if you are invited based on the Platinum card, if you are invited by other criterias spending $250k is not required. 

[Anonymous]

I take a lot of clients, etc., out for drinks/dinner/coffee (have been doing so for years) and got my first-ever comment on a credit card a few weeks ago when I whippped out my Barclay's iTunes card.  It's plain white with silver lettering - just says "Barclaycard" on it, nothing about Apple or anything else.  The client's comment was just to ask if I had spent time in Britain because she had, and that was where she'd started her relationship with Barclays.

The funny thing was that I've only ever vacationed in Britain but was using my iTunes card for the rewards because lately I've been mainlining British TV shows on iTunes and wanted the rewards.  I didn't cop to being a Doctor Who nut to my client, but it opened up a nice conversation about hiking in Northumberland.  So. . .thanks, Barclays, I guess. 

[KingAdrock]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't use AMEX or Discover because of their usurous fees to the merchants.

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I do that as well, but only if it's a small family-owned sort of place. Then I even tend to use cash if I have it on me. But big box stores? Forget it. I WILL get my rewards off those purchases.

[dead9uy]

I have only ever had comments on my Barclay's itunes card as well. Mine is the all black, matte finish card. It definitely looks more prestigious than it is and I have had mulitple cashiers make comments on how cool it looks or that it seems fancy. That said, when I did have an Orchard card, I wasn't embarrassed to use it. As has been stated before in this thread, the vast majority of the public have no clue what cards are builder, prime, signature or whatever. 

[Anonymous]

I, as an employee of a bank, having to travel from time to time have a Corporate Business Card from the bank I work for.  It's nothing fancy at all. Just a silver American Express card with the company logo and red lettering at the top that says "business use only."

I'm with the person above, it doesn't make a diffrence as to what card you use, as long as it is approved. Pertaning to business anyway. When you are paying, I've never known or met anyone who complains or would give you a dirty look as to what credit card you used when paying the bill.