First Tech FCU Questions

[wasCB14]

1. Do they offer email alerts on CCs, particularly for large purchases or card-not-present transactions?

2. What are the shipping times to the east coast for the Choice Rewards and Platinum Rewards cards? I've a bit of travel coming up and wouldn't want FTFCU to hassle me for not activating a card quickly.

3. At first glance, the Choice Rewards seems superior to the Platinum Rewards card. Are there any ways in which the Platinum Rewards is superior?

4. Are the CSRs generally competent and helpful? How quickly do they replace cards in the event the card info is stolen? Will they ship replacement cards to members mid-travel or just to the primary home address?

5. Any underwriting criteria I should know about? I've 1 new account in the last 12 months and 6 in the last 2 years. 740-750 FICOs (I was at 770-780 but think I got re-bucketed a while back). No baddies with 8% utilization reporting across several cards (already paid or will soon pay in full). Available credit to 1040 income (some is on a different return) is about 120%.

6. I'd use the card for minimum spend and lightly for travel as PIN functionality was needed. Is advance notice about travel or an irregular purchase necessary?

7. I'm aware of UNFCU, but are there other issuers or cards I might consider for a no-AF, no/minimal-FTF fee PIN card? APRs don't matter and a $5k CL would be adequate. I have a Schwab debit card which is okay, but I don't want to keep a lot in that account, or constantly have to replenish it.

8. I'd be joining the Financial Fitness Association for $8 to be eligible for FTFCU. Does joining that way let me apply for a card, or would I be initially limited to just savings products or anything like that? I believe USAA has various grades of membership and I'm wondering if FTFCU does anything similar.

Anything else I should know?

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

1. Do they offer email alerts on CCs, particularly for large purchases or card-not-present transactions?

2. What are the shipping times to the east coast for the Choice Rewards and Platinum Rewards cards? I've a bit of travel coming up and wouldn't want FTFCU to hassle me for not activating a card quickly.

3. At first glance, the Choice Rewards seems superior to the Platinum Rewards card. Are there any ways in which the Platinum Rewards is superior?

4. Are the CSRs generally competent and helpful? How quickly do they replace cards in the event the card info is stolen? Will they ship replacement cards to members mid-travel or just to the primary home address?

5. Any underwriting criteria I should know about? I've 1 new account in the last 12 months and 6 in the last 2 years. 740-750 FICOs (I was at 770-780 but think I got re-bucketed a while back). No baddies with 8% utilization reporting across several cards (already paid or will soon pay in full). Available credit to 1040 income (some is on a different return) is about 120%.

6. I'd use the card for minimum spend and lightly for travel as PIN functionality was needed. Is advance notice about travel or an irregular purchase necessary?

7. I'm aware of UNFCU, but are there other issuers or cards I might consider for a no-AF, no/minimal-FTF fee PIN card? APRs don't matter and a $5k CL would be adequate. I have a Schwab debit card which is okay, but I don't want to keep a lot in that account, or constantly have to replenish it.

8. I'd be joining the Financial Fitness Association for $8 to be eligible for FTFCU. Does joining that way let me apply for a card, or would I be initially limited to just savings products or anything like that? I believe USAA has various grades of membership and I'm wondering if FTFCU does anything similar.

Anything else I should know?

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They pull Experian 2.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

They pull Experian 2.

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A HP to join? A separate one for the card? One pull if I do both in a short period of time?

5 of my 6 HPs are on EX, but I hope 5 over 2 years won't be a concern.

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

They pull Experian 2.

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A HP to join? A separate one for the card? One pull if I do both in a short period of time?

5 of my 6 HPs are on EX, but I hope 5 over 2 years won't be a concern.

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I asked my brother because he applied and was approved. He applied for the card before joining. When he was approved for his card he immediately joined and he only got one HP. Experian v2.

[Anonymous]

He has the Choice rewards 15k SL. 5 months ago.

[wasCB14]

Thanks, donny.

Any takers for the other questions?

[Revelate]

That's a laundry list of questions bud

1) Their alert system is more comprehensive in terms of options than any of my other lenders, not that I look at that for others often but there's literally pages worth of configurable alert options in their interface.

2) Couldn't tell you on East coast but I doubt it's more than a few days just like normal mail.

3) Not that I'm aware of, when I applied they had a different minimum APR structure but not anymore; they were both capped at 25K limits when I was approved too.

4) Yes

5) You'll be fine, EX v2 is what they took for me, and I maxxed out the limit on the Plat Rewards and you know my scores ain't the prettiest... at the time of my app my EX v2 was 719.

6) I don't know, it's not difficult to give them a notice and I'd recommend doing that anyway with all your cards you intend to use while travelling.  Why hamper their fraud detection and therefore create way more hassle for yourself if something happens which isn't caught with alacrity than the roughly 2 minutes to send them a travel notice?  My thoughts anyway.

7) Haven't checked recently but First Tech (MC) and UNFCU (Visa) are the only two I'm aware of that are PIN default when I checked but the updated list is here.  No FTF on either, but I explicitly wanted a MC (better exchange rate in many places and my CSR is a Visa anyway).

8) Think I had problems with the financial fitness one, wound up needing to sign up for the computer history (w/e, I actually needed the card), I was upsold the credit card while I was opening my share account, only 1 HP for both.  Not limited in any way just like the rest of the CU's: membership = full suite, USAA isn't a CU explicitly and has multiple categories of members... I'm not certain that's even allowed at a CU with their structure.

Nothing really else to add other than I couldn't be happier with them.  I haven't used their card yet TBH but they haven't complained... I should go swipe it somewhere haha, I picked it up for Europe and I haven't and may not get to Europe period with this gig: plenty of trips to Asia so far though.

[wasCB14]

Thank you, Revelate!

[Revelate]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

Thank you, Revelate!

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De nada, owed you one anyway

[Anonymous]

The Diner's Club Masrercards that are no longer issued are PIN default as well.  Not many out there though not sure if it's really that big of a deal as most people will never have any issues signing their card when travelling.