@Anonymous wrote:The limits "based on current and future income" part sounds like another case of a credit card maintaining constant access to your banking info situation to me.
+1 ^ ^ ^ No thanks.
That's the other point I forgot to mention. I don't see it mentioned directly but we've seen some other "revolutionary" products aimed at Millenials and Gen Z that want access to personal data like bank accounts. I'd never agree to that, similar with the Experian credit score Boost that is being advertised.
Unfortunately, it appears Millenials and Gen Z are generally less concerned about privacy violations that older market segments and businesses are trying to capitalize on it.
What are the conditions for being an AOD or Alliance member? I assume you must be a member before applying for a card?
The part of this card that I like is the virtual credit card numbers: if executed like privacy.com, this can be a good tool to manage subscriptions most effectively.
@ReturnOfTheCredi wrote:What are the conditions for being an AOD or Alliance member? I assume you must be a member before applying for a card?
I see you haven't been on My Fico much in 2020, @ReturnOfTheCredi! 
AOD FCU and previously Alliance FCU were all the buzz earlier this year with their respective 3% uncapped and uncategorized cards. US Alliance was first and then they closed off new applications before AOD revealed their new 3% card. Since then, US Alliance has resumed taking applications.
Yes, they are both credit unions so you'll need to be a member to get a credit card. As always, membership info can usually be found on the CU website by looking for "membership," "eligibility", "About," "how to join," or even just "open an account."
AOD FCU is geofenced to parts of northeast Alabama and selected employer groups (SEGs). However, many of us found alternative ways in by joining member organizations. Complete listing under the website. The most popular was Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association (NEABA) but there were other ways. No guarantees that any of the backdoor methods that were previously available haven't been closed off. You might consider checking the Approvals section for recent AOD approvals to see more current information.
You can find all the details about the application process with AOD and how our members got the AOD Visa card at this thread:
https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Juicy-new-3-CB-offering-from-local-CU/td-p/5971983
Another very helpful resource is the AOD Visa Discussion thread:
https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/AOD-Visa-Siggy-Discussion-Thread/m-p/6005027
I should also mention that while many members were approved, there were many denials for a credit card based on higher debt-to-income ratios, high student loan debt, and for people with irregular incomes such as those self-employed or working commission-based jobs. Basically, they have conservative assumptions about both income and debt repayment. There are postings about all this on the threads.
The websites for US Alliance and AOD FCUs are:
Thanks, I appreciate that info. I did look up the AOD one and saw their requirements, but I didn't see anything outlining membership conditions on US Alliance's site. I'll probably skip these, but was just curious. The 3% on all transactions is nice, but it's not the end of the world and may not really be worth another HP.
@Aim_High wrote:
@ReturnOfTheCredi wrote:What are the conditions for being an AOD or Alliance member? I assume you must be a member before applying for a card?
I see you haven't been on My Fico much in 2020, @ReturnOfTheCredi!
And between the two the better choice generally is AOD. AOD offers:
1) lower rates
2) no FTF
3) The 3% is automatically taken off the amount due, no separate redemption process (OK, some might consider this a negative, but they are wrong!)
Another reason, which is a little harder to quantify: when we got our USAlliance cards, it indicated that the 3% is a limited time offer, the card usually was just 1%. (This was annoying as there was no indication of this in the application material) Now AOD could also nerf, but IMO it's much easier for a CU to just declare that the limited time is over, than to have to officially reduce the advertized rate. That said, USAlliance is still paying 3%
One exception for going for USAlliance is if you are in their region, which makes joining easier than going through the AOD hoops (but the USAlliance process wasn't that smooth either).
@ReturnOfTheCredi wrote:Thanks, I appreciate that info. I did look up the AOD one and saw their requirements, but I didn't see anything outlining membership conditions on US Alliance's site. I'll probably skip these, but was just curious. The 3% on all transactions is nice, but it's not the end of the world and may not really be worth another HP.
You're welcome. AOD is an all-around awesome card if you can get it. I did just update my post with the paragraph about denials for higher DTI, student loan debt, and irregular income patterns. Other than that, I would strongly recommend it. It's not just the high 3% payout, uncapped and uncategorized. They also have exceptionally low fees and APRs as low as 7.49% with that, and the customer service experience we all have reported have been great. The cash back is automatically applied to your posting statement month-to-month. No minimum redemption and everything is automatic. If I had to slim down my lineup to only a few cards, it would be one I would keep since it fills so many squares.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
@ReturnOfTheCredi wrote:What are the conditions for being an AOD or Alliance member? I assume you must be a member before applying for a card?
I see you haven't been on My Fico much in 2020, @ReturnOfTheCredi!
And between the two the better choice generally is AOD. AOD offers:
1) lower rates
2) no FTF
3) The 3% is automatically taken off the amount due, no separate redemption process (OK, some might consider this a negative, but they are wrong!)
Another reason, which is a little harder to quantify: when we got our USAlliance cards, it indicated that the 3% is a limited time offer, the card usually was just 1%. (This was annoying as there was no indication of this in the application material) Now AOD could also nerf, but IMO it's much easier for a CU to just declare that the limited time is over, than to have to officially reduce the advertized rate. That said, USAlliance is still paying 3%
One exception for going for USAlliance is if you are in their region, which makes joining easier than going through the AOD hoops (but the USAlliance process wasn't that smooth either).
Joining isn't smooth with USAlliance? I thought they even make the donation to the charity on your behalf? Didn't sound all that bad to me.