Simply Be Preapproval Letter + App at Login

[Anonymous]

Good morning, folks. 

Well, something unusual happened for the first time ever in my life. I got a letter this morning from Simply Be telling me I'm preapproved for their store card. I've applied for a couple Comenity cards in the past, but I was always denied likely due to FICOs around 500 and no open tradelines. I decided to go log into Simply Be (I like their clothes! I'm a size 8/10 and it's hard to find things that fit me right - small waist & big hips lol) to check out the terms, interest, AF, etc. 

I got a little distracted when I got to the site and started checking out their jersey dresses. Haha. I put a couple in my cart, then realized I wasn't even logged in. I clicked the login button, put in my info, and.... as SOON as I logged into my account there, I was greeted with the store card application. I've never seen this happen before. I thought the SCT happens during checkout - not as soon as you log in. I think this is the actual application, though. 

I was going to try to garden a while, but reading through credit recommendations from all 3 CBs, it's become clear that I need at least 5 TLs to really look creditworthy to lenders. I have two CCs, FH Advantage, and Self-Lender, so I do technically need another TL. What do you guys think? I know this is a store card and doesn't weigh as heavily, but per my research, it can count as one of my five TLs to help me build my credit. 

Two questions:

1 - How accurate are these Comenity preapprovals? If I get the letter, am I really likely to be approved? If I'm going to take another HP, I want to do it now so that they all fall off within a couple months of each other. 

2 - If I'm approved for this Comenity card, how likely am I to be approved for another with a different store? I'd like to have a Bath & Body Works card (also Comenity). I REALLY want Kohl's as I shop there all the time, but I apped for that one a couple weeks ago and didn't get it, so I want to wait on that. My FICOs have gone up quite a bit in the last couple weeks - YAY! 

I was hoping Citi Secured would be my 5th TL, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I got the 7-10 days message more than 2 weeks ago. I've called them twice since (including this past Friday just before the holiday weekend) to see what's going on, but they won't tell me anything - only that they have all the info they need and they're still processing my app. I'm assuming I'm going to be in perpetual processing until I'm in my 80s, so I'm going to move on. I actually like Simply Be, so this would be a good one... unless I'd likely be approved for a different Comenity store card that has some kind of awesome reward system much like Kohl's/Cap1. 

Thanks a ton! 

Erin 

[SweetCreditObsession]

Be patient with Citi...all may not be lost. If you don't want this card, Overstock is a Comenity card that grows fast.

[SweetCreditObsession]

Also thanks for the heads up on a good clothing source 🙂

[Anonymous]

It seems there's not a Bath & Body Works card anymore. BOO! LOL. 

Still researching this. Can't get SCT to work on any of the other Comenity cards, so maybe this one's just a fluke. Still can't decide whether to go ahead and apply. 

[Anonymous]

If you want a Comenity card that grows decently fast, I also recommend Overstock (which I have, though I've been on the fence lately about keeping it since I don't use it that often these days). I've been skittish about getting any more Comenity cards - particularly majors - because of their legendary touchiness (more specifically, a very common thread in these Comenity AA's you keep hearing about is that the victim had a LOT of SCT cards and then went to apply for one of their co-branded majors, which caused the issuer to take a much closer look at their overall profile, and then zap!), but no lie, I've been looking off and on at the Williams-Sonoma Visa. I actually partially filled out a SCT popup for that card (one of the very few actual majors that Comenity offers via the SCT) last week, but didn't complete it; imagine my surprise when I got a letter from Comenity yesterday with a pre-approved offer, complete with code to enter, for that card!

Being candid, though, if I were to get a Comenity major, it'd probably be the BJ's Perks Mastercard, since I do belong to BJ's; the two closest stores are a bit further drive than the nearest Costco, but BJ's accepts all majors in-store unlike Costco and they also have quick-checkout lanes. I don't think BJ's does the SCT but I do know they offer pre-approvals, and I've read at least one account of someone being offered a pre-approval in-store, so it can't hurt to swing by the customer service counter next time I'm there and inquire (whether I actually apply is another question, we'll have to see).

[MB2714]

Simply Be is a pretty good approval. My DW got one through SCT in January and they have increased her limit by $100 every month since approval but she uses it regularly and pays off the balance each month too. It will grow from what we have seen. I have Overstock myself and it seems to grow along with Wayfair which I have