I am looking to clean up my credit cards by keeping and using only the best rewards cards. Here are my cards. 1. First USA Visa Signature ($89 annual fee that I hate) 2. MBNA Quantum World Points (just upgraded to this card) 3. Chase Freedom Platinum (5% reward at any gas station. Love it.) 4. Citi Platinum Select Master Card (there has to be a better card from Citi) 5. Fleet Cash Dividend 6. Chase Stockback Card (Just approved) I would like to get the Amex Platinum that gives 5% back. But Amex refuses to issue me a credit card because of a $470 charge off 10 years back. Boooooo.... Are there any other cards out there that are better? There has got to be something better than the Citi Platinum Select Master Card. I like the First USA signature Card and the benefits that come with it, but can't stand the $89 fee. I am going to ask them to waive it. I have accumulated 35K + miles but that took me three years and looks like the free ticket I earned was paid for by the annual fee. I will definitely want to keep the MBNA Quantum, Chase Freedom, Chase Stockback cards. Will keep First USA visa Signature if they agree to cancel annual fee. As for others, they can go and be replaced by better cards. What are the better cards? Thanks.
If the charge-off is 10years back how would American Express know?? If that is still on there I would definetly create quite a fuss with the CRAs to have it removed immediatelty! Tac
The charge-off is not in the credit reports. My credit reports are perfectly clean now. Last year, my wife happened to apply for an Amex Platinum card with me as joint account holder. They approved her and rejected me (I earn three times as much but she has very long good credit history and gets cards with 15K+ limits easily, while any new card I get comes with $5k limit). I asked why and they said due to the previous charge-off (they obiously keep old records). Then a couple of months ago, I got a pre-approval offer from them for the same card and I didn't even bother to accept the offer since they may do a hard inquiry and then refuse to give me the card.
I like BofA for the prime rate for Bal transfer for life and no fees. Citi Dividend or some citibank usa card.
American Express maintains an internal blacklist. If you owe them anything, you will not get a card until the back balance is cleared up. I have never had an American Express product, but hope to obtain one within the next 6 months.
Oh, Got ya, I see now what you mean. I guess if I were a creditor I wouldn't give credit to someone who has defaulted in the past, no disrespect to you but I can see where they are coming from. I wouldn't dare re-apply for any of the cards I screwed over! I do have a feeling they keep those records pretty much forever. With just an entry of your social security number it probably comes up flagged on their in house computers! Tac
If Amex were any smarter, they would consider the current financial situation, in addition to accepting my offer to pay. (they told me to call an outside CA and the number they gave me was no good, probably the CA has moved on). The point of my original post was to find better reward cards compared to what I currently have. I am not looking for low interest rate balance transfer cards as I don't keep balances. Anyone have suggestions?
I would recommend converting the First USA Visa Signature to a Marriott Rewards Visa Signature, if possible. The Marriott card is also issued through Bank One/First USA and the annual fee is much lower ($30 from the second year of membership and beyond). With this card you can use the points towards free stays or airline miles (25K = free ticket). The points never expire either. Another card I would recommend is the Sony Platinum Select card from Citibank. You can earn rewards with as little as 1,000 points. The points expire after 5 years, but there are lots of 5 points per dollar and 10 points per dollar promotions.
