creditscholar is correct but probably didn't say it the right way. 
For people with a solid, long, history of credit management none of the aforementioned cards are hard to get.
Even people with average credit and decent scores can get most cards.
There are hugely emotional component to spending, credit-seeking, home purchases, and other financial aspects of our lives.
Personally; getting the BCP pretty much felt like my credit repair journey was complete. That being said, I really don't want to be emotionally tied to a piece of plastic and how well a bank loves me. I learned to manage credit and finances better. Time let the past mistakes fall off.
One of the biggest changes, in me, was understanding: Banks approve behavior and credit profiles, not people.
Starting Score: 675
@drkaje wrote:creditscholar is correct but probably didn't say it the right way.
- LOL...Creditscholar's analysis is top notch, as always. These cards aren't difficult to get, unless there are some negatives, which are sometimes unavoidable in life.
One of the biggest changes, in me, was understanding: Banks approve behavior and credit profiles, not people.
- Right, their decisions aren't personal, but based on a set of clearly defined parameters, especially Citi. While it's human nature to take a rejection on a personal level, for one's own sanity, it's far easier to try not let it affect you. Keep app'ing once every 3 months (not daily) for that coveted card, and in time the approval will follow.
The last thing we want are for decisions made on "personal" judgement, which will lead to all kinds of unfair decisions. This is the same reason Visa/MC/Amex do not allow (Visa/MC actually spells it out) for the checking of IDs in their T&Cs. If there is an issue, they will decline the charge, rather than letting mininum wage employees (not disparaging minimum wage) with very little experience in life making judgements on declining a charge.
Last year, during travel, I had lost my wallet and belongings (or, it was stolen). Amex overnighted me the card. Imagine if "ID" were required, how would I check into a hotel? Buy another ticket to return home? Or, what would I do during the 4 weeks to replace my ID? Imagine trying to buy a prepaid cellphone at Best Buy only to be rejected because I didn't have ID?
So, while it has it's faults, in the end, computer approval process may be the best, even with all of it's shortcomings. I think Chase does it the best with recon followed by the computer process. Citi the most inflexibile, where not even a credit analysis can override a computer rejection.
In my opinion, I think the normal everyday person's "trophy" cards would be from Amex, Chase, US Bank and/or Citi. Not that there aren't other viable options or more difficult cards out there to get, but no one out there really offers anything "better" for the value than options offered by them.
@TyLey wrote:
Let's be real. Anyone with less than a good credit can't get those cards and that many people. Alot of people are either in debt, don't have the knowledge about credit or just don't know how to handled credit hence this forum. I had tried for the AMEX 3x times before I received it and I had good to great credit for over 2 years straight. Very few have 800 credit like you.
Whether or not you're in the 800 club, 50% or 60% of Americans can qualify for all of the aforementioned cards - essentially, as long as you have 2 years credit history (bendable), no more than 1 30 day late in the past two years (and even this "rule" can be bent), under eight to ten inquiries (again, bendable), and utilization under about 40% (pretty much the most unbendable rule there is).
@RhubarbPie wrote:I don't know if I'd call them 'trophy' cards, but pretty much any card that allows me to sit at the front of the plane, is a card that I want to have (right now, that is primarily CSP, Delta AMEX Plat, and AMEX PRG...if the sign up bonus goes on on the Freedom, I will add that as well).
Is the 50k offer for the CSP or the 30k offer for the Freedom back? PRG had a 50k offer a few weeks ago (100k for the Plat). I'm not sure if they had a 75k offer, there was some noise on the internet about it, though. The British Airways, Citi AAdvantage and Southwest RR are offering decent bonuses right now (100k, 50k, 50k), or at least they were a few weeks ago, and I think the SPG is still offering 30k (30k SPG = 50k+ of any other points).
You notice I leave Delta out of my post. Sky Miles aren't worth the bits they display on your computer screen. Kind of like ThankYou Points. 92k TYP for a domestic economy RT....
