Has anyone had any experience with U.S. Bank secured credit card graduation?

[stewart504]

I opened a checking account with U.S. Bank and am considering getting one of their secured credit cards.  I keep getting mixed reviews.  Some will say the card graduates in a year but you have to take a hard pull to get a CLI, otherwise you are stuck with a $300 CL forever, others said their card never graduated at all.  I know some companies make you call to request graduation then they hard pull your credit.  I don't know if having a checking account with them will help with approval and help graduation or not.

[IntegerIntrovert]

You must call, yes a lot of times it will require a hard pull. If you are talking secured cards, hard pulls are the least of your worries. It's a good product.

[Lurker22]

so I opened my Cash+ secured 10/26/21 (during a 13) - since 10/26/22 it's said they're automatically looking to see if the card can upgrade but it hasn't...wasn't much a big deal (what's funny is they gave me a Fidelity Visa with $17K CL) ... finally called today and the CSR said "no you have to call to request the graduation" ..Fico8 is 811 so it better graduate  

PS - it's a great rebuilder card (as is secured Alt Go) 

[Troopscott]

My secured cards they have not graduated. One is 3 years old they said no and then sent me a pre-approval offer with a 5k limit for an unsecured card a week later. 

Had it six months now 

You can apply for a CLI increase just deposit the amount in your account 

I believe it is a soft pull

[Jeffster1]

My old USBank Secured graduated in 1 year 7 months. They did a HP when graduating. I IIB USBank in my 2017 BK 13.

By comparison, both BofA Secured and TD Secured graduated in 7 months from opening. No HP. Neither BofA nor TD IIB.

[Lurker22]

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@Jeffster1 wrote:

My old USBank Secured graduated in 1 year 7 months. They did a HP when graduating. I IIB USBank in my 2017 BK 13.

By comparison, both BofA Secured and TD Secured graduated in 7 months from opening. No HP. Neither BofA nor TD IIB.

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I also IIB USB in my 13 (can't remember but want to say something around the tune of $25K so didn't want to poke the bear)....so yesterday I did call, this morning I woke up to an email a new card was being issued on my card but when logging in it still showed as a secured card so I called, the CSR informed me the card was approved to graduate and it was in the process which is why the card was mailed but not all of the systems updated yet

[SilentTraveler]

I didn't realize that you needed to call US Bank to request graduating.  I've had mine for over a year and it hasn't graduated.  My Discover graduated exactly at 7 months so I thought it would work the same with US Bank.  So I gave them a call today and they submitted the request and confirmed that you need to call to prompt them.

[Lurker22]

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@SilentTraveler wrote:

I didn't realize that you needed to call US Bank to request graduating.  I've had mine for over a year and it hasn't graduated.  My Discover graduated exactly at 7 months so I thought it would work the same with US Bank.  So I gave them a call today and they submitted the request and confirmed that you need to call to prompt them.

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there are reports of it automatically graduating but that didn't happen to me on either card (have C+ and Alt Go) 

[sjt]

I was told ( a few years ago) you can request unsecured status after 1 year. If you have a BK record you have to wait 4 or 5 years from the date of filing. 

[SilentTraveler]

I heard back from US Bank on my request to go unsecured after one year.  They denied it because of my bankruptcy.  So I will wait a week or so and then close my account.  They already have $5,000 for the security and then I opened a checking account for the rewards and that is about $1,000.  I would rather have my deposit back since I am not willing to wait a few years for them to decide to return the deposit.