I believe I suffer from a condition. I don't want to exagerate but everytime I use a debit card or cc for any transaction other than online, there is this part of me that's worried about getting declined. I started rebuilding my credit about 1 1/2 years ago and maybe this is a result of carrying the burden of bad credit for so many years. With poor credit any type of face to face review can be painful whether that be applying for a cell phone, auto insurance, a car loan, attempting to open a checking acct. or even renting a car. I have 2 low limit cc's that I won't even pull out of my wallet if I think there anywhere close to the limit and I pay those in full numerous times a month. My debit card has a $2500 daily transaction limit and keep that acct. pretty well funded and I worry about it.
My understanding is even people with stellar credit and prime cards (Amex) can be declined if a pattern is disrupted or a review has been initiated?
Starting Score: 621
@Caliche wrote:I believe I suffer from a condition. I don't want to exagerate but everytime I use a debit card or cc for any transaction other than online, there is this part of me that's worried about getting declined. I started rebuilding my credit about 1 1/2 years ago and maybe this is a result of carrying the burden of bad credit for so many years. With poor credit any type of face to face review can be painful whether that be applying for a cell phone, auto insurance, a car loan, attempting to open a checking acct. or even renting a car. I have 2 low limit cc's that I won't even pull out of my wallet if I think there anywhere close to the limit and I pay those in full numerous times a month. My debit card has a $2500 daily transaction limit and keep that acct. pretty well funded and I worry about it.
My understanding is even people with stellar credit and prime cards (Amex) can be declined if a pattern is disrupted or a review has been initiated?
You're not alone. I experience this, too. I'm hoping that as my credit improves this will fade, but it may be something that will always be there, lurking in the back of my mind. Admittedly, though, it has been getting easier as time goes on and I'm becoming more secure over my credit rating. FWIW, I do understand how you feel.
Current Scores: EQ 775 (03/04/2014), EX 756 (03/01/2014), TU 760 (03/01/2014)
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I don't use my Amex in public 
I suffer from this too. Only I'm on the other side of it. A lot of people get their cards declined at the rental car counter for a variety of reasons. The card company freezes their card because they don't realize they're traveling, obvious declines with maxed out cards, people trying to use debit cards that fail the credit checks.
Informing someone their card is declined sucks
If I'm on a date with a gal I always make it a point to have plenty of greenbacks on the hip. I can't think of a worse scenario than to have a waiter tell you "no dice" when it comes to the meal and drinks transaction. "ahh, hey Lisa can we try one of your cards?"
It gets better. The first job I got after losing my job in 2008 was a temp position. I had been out of work for several months, was way behind on everything including my mortgage. I was juggling so many things, and taking advantage of every trick I could to try to keep all the balls in the air, like initiating some payments before I had the funds because I knew it usually took that company a couple days to withdraw the money even though they would credit me on the day I put the payment through.
Anyway, the very first day on the job I go to lunch with one of the other guys in the office. My debit card was declined after we already had our food. I was into my overdraft protection and they wouldn't approve it. I just met this guy and I was borrowing money from him to pay for lunch. That was humiliating.
Oh well, I paid him back the next day. And as embarrassed as I was about it, I doubt he even remembers it. We're still in touch. In fact, he asked me to write him a letter of recommendation for a law school application recently.
I am a little nervous every once in a while when I've had to put a lot of business expenses on my card and usage gets high for the month, but it's mostly a thing of the past. Before you know it, you won't think about it anymore either.