No credit card required
Browse credit cards from a variety of issuers to see if there's a better card for you.
Hello,
After a recent app spree, I just found out ill be overseas for an extended period starting in December. I want to get a new card with an EMV chip and no FTF if possible. Any suggestions on what to app for based on my credit profile below?
21yo - 170k income
All my reports contain 4 baddies 2 years old. 3 paid in Full. (3CO, 1 90 day late) but Equifax is the worst because of screwed up dates and no showing an account as settled, but rather past due)
Current accounts:
Amex Optima ($112/$500)(12/1996 - Amex Backdated)
Amex PR Gold (NPSL) (09/1996) -AU
Amex BCP($0/$2000)(09/1996) -AU
Capital One Quicksliverone ($0/$500)(08/2013)
Chase Freedom($1300/$5000)(08/2013)
JcPenny/GEMB($0/$4200)(12/2010) -AU
Old Navy/GEMB($196/$2000)(07/2003) -AU
HVFCU Platinum Secured($0/$100)(11/2012)
HVFCU Secured Loan($0/$100)(11/2012) (CLOSED/PAID)
NFCU Flagship Rewards Visa($0/$10,500)(03/2013)
NFCU Platinum Mastercard($3500/5000)(09/2013)
NFCU NavCheck($0/$500)(09/2013)
Sears/Citibank($400/$6000)(10/2012) -AU
Home Depot/Citibank($0/$5001)(04/2005) -AU
Current FICO Scores: EX- 658, EQ- 598, TU- 660
I cannot recommend cards approval odds but see that you have the Cap1 Quicksilver which has no EMV chip but my Cap1 Cash rewards card is working even at unmanned terminals with pin. Grocery self- check out, train ticket vending machines, etc) BofA has the chip but cannot be processed at unmanned terminals because it is a chip and signature version. Also tested Barclays Arrival at self check out grocery and yes worked with magnetic stripe and pin....just have to insert the card differently. Other than a few home delivery services which can read chip only cards (mobile device) I have no issues in Europe with magnetic stripe cards....most important is to make sure you have no FTF because this would sum up and make sure it is a VI or MC. Also you need to know where to swipe the card as some merchants have not much experience with non chip cards....10+ years in Europe with chip + pin. If you are concerned about security then forget it. Just make sure not to leave your card out of sight and use caution at unmanned terminals (this includes chip cards too) as skimming is quite common in Europe. (Fake double card readers )
With your scores, I'd suggest seeing if you can get EMV chips on your AU cards. I simply can't see you being approved for many EMV cards at this point.
Request the EMV version of your Amex Gold?
Not sure about the FTF on Gold, though, and if the Primary card holder would have to request it.
Maybe use that and arrange to drive your spend and payments through that?
I suspect you'll have to compromise. AmEx offers EMV on several cards but they are chip & signature and IIRC most cards do have FTF's.
USAA (only mentioning this since you have NFCU) has chip & PIN but FTF's.
PenFed has chip & PIN and no FTF but you'll probably have difficulty qualifying.
If you Google you can find lists of cards with EMV that you can use as reference.
Also, where overseas? In much of Europe, chip&sig cards have little advantage over swipe (I found one exception, others have found a few) whereas chip&pin would be much more useful, although as others have noted, might be hard to get with your scores. Elsewhere, chip&sig might have more advantages over swipe.
@lg8302ch wrote:I cannot recommend cards approval odds but see that you have the Cap1 Quicksilver which has no EMV chip but my Cap1 Cash rewards card is working even at unmanned terminals with pin. Grocery self- check out, train ticket vending machines, etc) BofA has the chip but cannot be processed at unmanned terminals because it is a chip and signature version. Also tested Barclays Arrival at self check out grocery and yes worked with magnetic stripe and pin....just have to insert the card differently. Other than a few home delivery services which can read chip only cards (mobile device) I have no issues in Europe with magnetic stripe cards....most important is to make sure you have no FTF because this would sum up and make sure it is a VI or MC. Also you need to know where to swipe the card as some merchants have not much experience with non chip cards....10+ years in Europe with chip + pin. If you are concerned about security then forget it. Just make sure not to leave your card out of sight and use caution at unmanned terminals (this includes chip cards too) as skimming is quite common in Europe. (Fake double card readers )
What sort of unmanned terminals were you able to use a non-EMV card with a PIN? Was this just a random PIN? Or 0000 or something? I've found things like Oyster Card machines which accept swipe, chip & sig and chip and pin without asking for any pin, and people have reported chip&sig working with a default PIN, but haven't heard of a swipe card taking a PIN!
@longtimelurker wrote:What sort of unmanned terminals were you able to use a non-EMV card with a PIN? Was this just a random PIN? Or 0000 or something? I've found things like Oyster Card machines which accept swipe, chip & sig and chip and pin without asking for any pin, and people have reported chip&sig working with a default PIN, but haven't heard of a swipe card taking a PIN!
Grocery store self check out (MIGROS, IKEA) and train ticket vending machines (SBB). The pin used in combination with the magnetic stripe is the card pin (4 digits) and this is the same pin as for ATM use. This worked for Barclays Arrival WMC and Cap1 Cash Rewards Visa Signature. My next test will be the BofA Travel Rewards Visa Signature by "forcing" the card terminal not to read the chip but the magnetic stripe. At the grocery self check out line this can be done as the card needs to be inserted in a different slot for swipe transactions. This might also be successful as the chip is not programmed for PIN but the magnetic stripe is ...will see.