Journey with the "it" card

**Square Obsidian** · Feb 13, 13, 11:04 am

Just received my Discover it card today. (02/13/13) Along with my measly CL of $750 and 18.99% APR (After the last day of my billing period ending during 04/2014, before which is 0.00%)

This would be my second CC, and my Discover is better than my first, which is a Capitol One Platinum card which is an even smaller CL of $500 and 24.90% APR.

I really couldn't stomach using Cap One card all that much, basically opened it to get me started. And I would say their customer service is abysmal, at best. Attitude counts a lot with me.

Anywho...I hope that Discover will grow with me, along with my credit history, as I plan to pretty much pour everything into it. I've already read quite extensively on utilization and all the talk about %10 and what-not.

One or two questions, though, for everyone willing to enlighten me, as I've seen this answered more than a few ways;

Do you leave the %10 on the card until you receive the statement, and pay it of, to let it report, or pay it off before you receive the statement? Also, what type of utilization will most help me improve my overall credit, and reputation with Discover?

Thanks in advance for everyone's witty advice and sarcasm that seems to come along with it, like the prize in the bottom of the cracker jacks box. They keep getting cheaper. Haha..I jest. <3

My first impression of Discover and the "Discover it" card:

The app process was fairly easy, and the benefits of the card could be found on every available margin of the page!

I did receive the message which said it would be reviewed over some period of time, and I would hear of the decision later..I want to say it was 5-7 business days?

So, the next day, I received an email indication they needed additional info from me, in order to approve me. Which turned out to be proof of address. Easy enough. I used their nifty little tool and uploaded my bank statement with my address on it. A few hours later it still said I needed to upload the document, so I decided to call the customer service line, since everyone who has done business with discover boasts about it. I was on the line in less then 2 minutes with a friendly and helpful rep, who immediately stated they had received my proof of address and congratulated me or being approved. After which she stated that my new card you be sent VIA Fedex on a 2-day rush to my address. This was a Sunday, so I expected the card to arrive on Wednesday, today, which it did!

I took the card out of the cardboard package, took a moment to look at the nifty box, and then pulled out my card, along with all of the other documents they usually send along with cards.

First impression of the "Discover it" card design?

I actually think its pretty neat. I like orange and blues, for one. Its different then the embossed, front design of my CapOne Platinum, which is also a plus. And I did not find it flimsy as others have stated theirs was. At least this card to me feels more substantial to my other one. Then again, I don't really have all too much experience with credits cards, so who am I to judge?

Per usual, my card came with my credit score, this one from TransUnion.
So, my score? 710. Seems to have taken a 25 point drop from when I checked it on 1/25/13. Most likely from the Hard Pull I took from my bank and the one from Discover.

And no, I don't plan on doing any more until much later down the road.

So..back on to my experience with Discover. Next, I called to activate my card. This rep, had a bit more personality than the first. Humor always gets my attention. But as before she was polite, friendly, and obliging to all my newbish questions.

I quite like their customer service thus far, and hope I continue to do so.

Well, that's pretty much it for now, I will continue updating this thread with my experiences with Discover. Hopefully they will all remain pleasant.

NOW ENJOY MY WALL OF TEXT!

**Square Obsidian** · Feb 18, 13, 10:21 am

Is the wall of text too big? TL: DR?

**432521** · Feb 18, 13, 10:29 am

The biggest reason why I use my discover card as my main card is because of the customer service, its nice to pick up a phone when I need to and talk to an American person.

Your limit may be low now, but if you use it as your primary card and charge like probably 300 every month or so any pay it off before your statement closes they will probably give you a automatic CLI and if not you can always call or chat with them in 6 months and get them to up it, just tell them you want to do a BT and they should give you something.

**Square Obsidian** · Feb 18, 13, 8:52 pm

So utilization does not apply as long as you pay it off monthly?

**432521** · Feb 18, 13, 9:29 pm

Originally Posted by Square Obsidian

So utilization does not apply as long as you pay it off monthly?

It doesn't count if you pay your bill before your statement closes. For example this month I charged around 500 on my discover card. My statement closes on the 20th of every month. I have already paid off my entire bill and will not use my card again until probably the 23rd, and this charge will go on my next bill. In doing so my utilization will be zero because I paid it before my statement closed. But you have to remember utilization is over your total credit lines, in my case my 4 cards, and I have done the same thing for all of my cards. I always pay ahead so that when I check my discover account and it says something along the lines of "*** due by March 18" is aways $0.00.

**MemberSince99** · Feb 19, 13, 4:47 am

What you want to do is call Discover and ask them what your cut off or statement date is. They will tell you. That is the date on which your current month closes, and they will report your balance from that date to the credit bureaus. The trick is, if you want as you mentioned the "ideal" score and utilization, which ideal is considered these days between 1 and 4% of your limit on any given card as well as across your cards (ideally let a balance report on ONE card). So with your 750 limit ideally you'd let about 30 dollars report - pay the rest off BEFORE the statement date, then immediately AFTER the statement date, pay your 30 dollar balance. This way you pay no interest, and where you pay interest or not has NO effect on your score - it only affects Discover's profits (and your bank account).

Discover likes heavy use as well. Cap One won't grow very far, Discover is conservative but it will grow over time if you do it right (use it and pay it, manage your credit well). As you mentioned Cap One customer service is absolutely pathetic, they are a bunch of script readers who have no clue what the hell they are doing and their answers seem to come from a Magic 8 ball as one will give you answer A today, and tomorrow another one will give you answer B, totally the opposite of what you were told today. Discover is all based in the US and I've never had a bad experience with them. Discover is good to be in with, in my opinion. Cap One, not so much. They are ok for starting out but once you properly outgrow them, you'll find you don't use or need them anymore.

Hope that answers your questions if not please feel free to ask whatever you would like and I'll help if I can.

**Square Obsidian** · Feb 19, 13, 11:00 am

@432521
Oh, okay, thank you very much for the information.

Originally Posted by MemberSince99

Hope that answers your questions if not please feel free to ask whatever you would like and I'll help if I can.

Yes, it does. Thank you very much for your info. My statement cutoff date is the 26th and the Due Date is the 1st. I don't plan on paying any interest, so I will definitely be paying it off before the due date. I'll also be making sure that I pay off most of it before the 26th to keep my utilization down.

After reading the advice you guys had for other people here, I've started using my new Discover it card in place of my debit card, for my checking account, just making sure I have the available funds to pay it off every month.

I actually have a question regarding the ShopDiscover feature. In my area of Missouri, a lot of people are switching to Walmarts Straight talk plan. it's $45 a month, unlimited everything. They have the iphone 5 and 4s in store which you pretty much have to buy outright, as you would through apple with no plan. I noticed through ShopDiscover I can get 5% off apple's online store. If this is the case, and as long as I speak with a rep for the straight talk plan to make sure they would be able to use the apple bought unlocked iphone, then I should just go ahead and buy it through shop discover, correct? Unless there's some hidden benefit from buying the phone in store?

**ncosky290** · Feb 19, 13, 12:05 pm

Originally Posted by Square Obsidian

@432521
Oh, okay, thank you very much for the information.

Yes, it does. Thank you very much for your info. My statement cutoff date is the 26th and the Due Date is the 1st. I don't plan on paying any interest, so I will definitely be paying it off before the due date. I'll also be making sure that I pay off most of it before the 26th to keep my utilization down.

After reading the advice you guys had for other people here, I've started using my new Discover it card in place of my debit card, for my checking account, just making sure I have the available funds to pay it off every month.

I actually have a question regarding the ShopDiscover feature. In my area of Missouri, a lot of people are switching to Walmarts Straight talk plan. it's $45 a month, unlimited everything. They have the iphone 5 and 4s in store which you pretty much have to buy outright, as you would through apple with no plan. I noticed through ShopDiscover I can get 5% off apple's online store. If this is the case, and as long as I speak with a rep for the straight talk plan to make sure they would be able to use the apple bought unlocked iphone, then I should just go ahead and buy it through shop discover, correct? Unless there's some hidden benefit from buying the phone in store?

As long as you get the correct unlocked model. CDMA LTE is for Verizon and Sprint. GSM LTE is for AT&T T-Mobile or any GSM device.

Nick*

**Square Obsidian** · Mar 1, 13, 3:02 pm

Got my iPhone through shop discover, earned my cash back, and made the usage of this card already quite high for the month. It's been paid off, of course. I'll be paying no interest. Unlocked gsm works fine with straight talk. Just had to cut the SIM card down to size. But all is well. Loving my it card so far. Hope they love me just as mush and grow with me and my credit. C:

**bgalakazam** · Mar 6, 13, 10:26 am

After being denied repeatedly by AMEX (why don't you want my money for the charge card?), I applied for the IT and am pending review. I, too, have also only the measly Crap1 $750 1%... maybe by the end of the year I can finally go for AMEX.

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