Simultaneous On Line Aps

[thom02099]

I recently paid off approximately $5600 in outstanding balances on 4 credit cards, getting them all down to zero balance, and now am just awaiting for changes to occur.  I already have seen a score bounce int the reporting by HSBC of zero balance, now awaiting Citi/Lowes, First Command, and GEMB/Home Depot to also report.  I should also note that each of these have also given me CLI's (Lowes from $3000 to $6000, First Command from $2500 to $7500, Home Depot from $5000 to $8200).  My Ficos are 702/TU 703/EQ PRIOR to paying off these credit cards and the CLI's, EXP showing 744, also prior to paying off credit cards and CLI's.  I'm waiting til perhaps mid-September before updating my Ficos, so all of them have a chance to report.  I'm expecting a bit of a bounce upward.

There is absolutely nothing negative on my report, the only thing that's been holding my scores back is the utilization percentage, which will change.  Realistically, I'm expecting scores in the 750ish range once everything reports.  That said, I want to apply for Discover More and American Express (haven't decided which one).  I know that they can be picky, and the number of inquiries can be a factor.  Was curious if anyone has opened multiple windows and basically applied for several credit cards simultaneously?  I think that, with AMEX, I want to apply for the Blue Everyday Card, and perhaps a Zync or Gold card, just to see what I can get.  Simultaneous to this, I'll apply for the Discover card.  Could this be a way of "faking out" the number of inquiries?   Opening 4 windows, getting the aps set for 4 different applications, then basically transmitting each one in rapid succession...would this work??   Any comments or suggestion? 

[Anonymous]

I suspect the first hard request for your report locks it until updated for the new inquiry. You might want to investigate which creditor pulls which bureau where you live, and apply with less multi-tasking frenzy but so that you spread the new inquiries across the three bureaus. Of course, even this suffers from the potential impact of your new creditors seeing your other new creditors' accounts reporting. Good luck! 

[-Cain-]

Multiple AMEX apps on the same day used to count as one, so if you do them all of once it may help you. Amex usually pulls EX, Discover usually EQ, so that may help also. Good luck, but keep everything legit.

[CreditMuppet]

From a sysadmin/programmers point of view, assuming you could even apply simultaneously at the exact moment to the millisecond, there are other factors such as server load, network latacy, database locking etc etc which would make it extremely unlikely that the API hit at the CRA would happen at the same time from two different locations on the internet.  These transactions happen in milliseconds not seconds and any application will lock the database prior to writing to prevent this very thing.

So in a word. No.

[dude11]

Don't inquiries take a few days or up to a month before it reports on your CR? Therefore applying at the same time or day one creditor would not see if you applied somewhere else the same day or week?

[Anonymous]

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@CreditMuppet wrote:

From a sysadmin/programmers point of view, assuming you could even apply simultaneously at the exact moment to the millisecond, there are other factors such as server load, network latacy, database locking etc etc which would make it extremely unlikely that the API hit at the CRA would happen at the same time from two different locations on the internet.  These transactions happen in milliseconds not seconds and any application will lock the database prior to writing to prevent this very thing.

So in a word. No.

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^^^ this

[laz98]

i've never heard of inquiries taking quite that long, but i suppose it could happen!  but i have also read here that some people are able to see the inquiries just a couple of hours after a credit app.  now that i am more attentive to my credit, i have noticed that they do tend to show up fairly quickly.  my walmart card even showed up on my credit reports the next day after i applied!

[Walt_K]

This won't work.   But more importantly, it's not even necessary.  4 inquiries isn't that big of a deal especially if you have a clean report.  As mentioned, they're likely not even all going to pull the same report.  Just don't go too overboard beyond the 4 and have it turn into 16.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I suspect the first hard request for your report locks it until updated for the new inquiry. You might want to investigate which creditor pulls which bureau where you live, and apply with less multi-tasking frenzy but so that you spread the new inquiries across the three bureaus. Of course, even this suffers from the potential impact of your new creditors seeing your other new creditors' accounts reporting. Good luck! 

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My thoughts exactly. This is how I would approach this situation, and it is actually the way I went about my app process.

[thom02099]

Hey...thanks for all the feedback, it's appreciated! 

I know, the idea of it was a bit zealous, I'm just anxious to move ahead!  HOWEVER, cooler head is prevailing especially after reading these response.  AMEX pulls appears to be EXP in Colorado and Discover seems divided between TU and EQ, neither particularly prevelant.  Last I checked, EXP was my best score, but I'm still going to wait til all the reports are in before pulling another FICO report.  I use Quizzle and Credit Karma to simply monitor changes, I'm aware that their FAKO scores are not the same as the FICO scores -- used only to monitor trends.