Your First Credit Card

[URIT]

When I got out of the Army and started college, I applied for a Shell CC and got turned down. I avoided Shell for 35 years.

My first credit card was a Clark Oil CC, followed by Sears, and then VISA.

I never carried a balance on the Clark or Sears cards, but once I got married the VISA card got a workout from my wife.

 

[chief38]

My very first was Texaco, followed by Sears and then by Mastercard. At one point I had 35 or 40 CC's but that was before the big stores like Macy's, Penny's, Bloomingdales, etc. took the big bank cards. Since that time I carry very few with me. My main card is now Costco Visa but I also carry a Bass Pro MC, Home Depot and Lowes for when they have their discounts and coupons that you must use their cards to get. I also have a Jet Blue and SW Air CC for booking trips. I have not used anything else in decades as almost every other vendor accepts the big ones.

 

[erikpolcrack]

A BankAmeriCard (sp?) in the mid-60s. Was an adjunct to my first checking account. Was still in HS, so I remember feeling like I was a very big deal.

 

[Bald1]

My first was Sears. In 1987-88. I was a motor head and loved me some Craftsman tools. And Diehard batteries for that matter. I was making $5.50 an hr and easily qualified. Funny thing is when I was growing up I hated when mom would use a credit card for school closes and other things. In my mind credit cards were for poor people just like layaways. You couldn’t afford it so you put it on credit. I eventually realized that’s not how things work. I use my debit card daily. I use my credit card occasionally so it doesn’t get cancelled for inactivity

 

[sceva]

My first was a master-Card; It soured me to the point I refuse to have a card, bank, Debit or otherwise with a M-C logo on it.

I have had a Discover card since they were fairly new, No problems.

 

[tomhenry]

I was glad I Discovered Discover.
Then I Discovered how fast I could hit my limit.
Then I Discovered I couldn't pay the bill.
Now they're trying to Discover my new address.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Credit cards make modern life possible. Places such as Amazon couldn't exist if they had to process millions of paper checks.

The first multipurpose card was the Diner's Club card, created in 1950.

There's always a "next" around the corner, I'm guessing it will be something with phones; there's already a segment that uses them for purchases, now they just have to drag the rest of old fogies in.

 

[The Big D]

Sears…was probably 20.

Was working at Sears whilst in college and thought it was cool to have one.

Over the years have had probably too many but now just 5. AMEX Platinum (more about that below), Marriott affiliated Visa, United Airlines affiliated Visa, Southwest affiliated Visa, and American Airlines affiliated Master Card.

All serve their purpose…never a balance incurring interest.

Thought all have yearly fees, the benefits far exceed the costs by far.

Just passed 50 years of AMEX membership and received a quite lovely set of Tiffany champagne flutes as recognition. That was kinda cool.

Be safe.

 

[DWalt]

Credit cards make modern life possible. Places such as Amazon couldn't exist if they had to process millions of paper checks.

The main point made in the History Channel program was how transformative the development of credit card payment technology was. It was, and is, an indispensable part of the e-commerce revolution and it has affected how everything came together, not only the rise of thousands of internet businesses like Amazon and eBay, but also shipping and distribution businesses like FedEx and UPS, to say nothing about banking and finance. Like it or not, we now live in a largely cashless society which was unimaginable 75 years ago. All thanks to credit cards.

 

[pharmer]

My 1st was a Master Charge. I remember my first time using it I felt like I was stealing, taking stuff without handing over the cash. Just came back from Dallas and very few places we went to were set up to take cash. parking downtown uses some sort of "Google Pay" which I don't have and not really sure I want it. Joe

 

[mtgianni]

My wife and I got a sears card just before or after our marriage. I had a master card a year or so before that. I had a boss that was totally against cc's and so was his son. The son and I were on a job 50 miles away when the work truck had a bad tire. The son hemmed and hawed and I just asked the owner if he would pay me back for the tire. When he answered sure, I put it on my card. I think the son had one the next week.

 

[pasound]

First was a local department store credit card, where I worked. Then went to work as a traveling auditor for Sara Lee, and they gave me an AMEX for my expenses and travel. I paid the bill with the expense account money, so it helped build my personal credit. Now, just a MC debit from my bank, Amazon VISA, and a Lowes (got to have some place to buy tools and appliances without shelling out the cash).

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My first charge account was in 1974, Lazaras Department store in Columbus with a $300 limit on smalls and $800 on major things like furniture and large appliances. Right out of H.S. I applied for a Sohio gas card (now BP). Those two could be had by anyone with a pulse! Since I paid off (usually) and on time, by the time a year rolled around They were up limited to $1000/3000 and $500. (Years later I found out good jewelry was in the major appliance category, and my limit was $11,000, Over the years I bought my wife probably $100K at list price by with stacked on discounts that were cardholder only, always got 50 to 70% off and paid off in 2 or 3 months!!)

The other day I applied for a B.J.'s MC to get the extra 15 cents a gallon off of gas (10 to 20 cheaper than Costo and 45 to 60 cheaper than retail), and I noticed a huge limit! So, I looked up my FICO score and it was a huge as it has ever been! No first mortgage, a way under drawn PCL and 1 other credit card with zero balance. Utilities paid on time. Anybody with a pulse can get a credit card. The big profit is in late fees and High Risk interest rates for slackers.

I still have a Kohl's Card but you don't have to carry it to use it, so that's one thing less in my wallet! Only use it with cardholder discounts around Christmas. My brother does the same except; after checking out he goes to the service desk and pays it off before he (or his wife) leaves the store! (yes, you can pay before they even send a bill!)

Ivan

 

[NYlakesider]

Way back when (late 50s) they used to mail out unsolicited cards. I got one, a Mobile Card. I was about 16 and 6 months. I used it legitimately and my buddy change from selling Mobil to another gas company (Sunoco) So I called up the credit card department and they said sure we will send you a card that you could use at your buddies.

I had a good after school job and decided to get a BankAmericard. Got rejected as too young. Gave them a call at their 800 number talked to a supervisor, read her off the numbers on the gas card I had. I guess that was the key got a BOA card about 3 weeks later, think it was for about $250.

Been using good credit cards since then. Now they pay me to use the card instead of I pay them vigorish-

 

[Skeet 028]

Sears card...I established credit at a place called Household Finance... Borrowed 500 bucks for a car(57 Chevy Convertible)..Co-signed by my mother. Paid it off in 2 months...Never needed another co-signer I was also 16 at the time...I also paid auto insurance by the month for a while

 

[TX-Dennis]

56 years old. Never had one.

My Dad passed last year at 93. Never had a credit card. I finally talked him into a debit card so he didn't have to write checks. He got one, but as far as I know he never used it. He didn't trust credit. Paid cash for his home and vehicles, and left a fair sized estate to his heirs.

So, I'd say you're in good company.

 

[Golddollar]

When I got out of school and went to work in Reading, PA I was setting up an apartment with a few pieces of donated furniture from relatives. I was eating off an end table and decided I needed to get a kitchen table. So I found an old time family furniture store in downtown Reading, which I think was called Klein's. They had a kitchen table and 4 chairs that had been left over from a furniture set they had previously sold. So l was able to establish a charge account with the store to purchase my kitchen set. I remember that I had a record book from the store that resembled a bank book for keeping track of my payments. If this all sounds very quaint and old-fashioned, remember this was 1977. I hung on to that credit book for a lot of years because that was my first real charge account and cited it on who knows how many later credit applications.

 

[DWalt]

Sears card...I established credit at a place called Household Finance... Borrowed 500 bucks for a car(57 Chevy Convertible)..Co-signed by my mother. Paid it off in 2 months...Never needed another co-signer I was also 16 at the time...I also paid auto insurance by the month for a while

Household Finance generally handled credit purchases for smaller local stores such as furniture and appliance stores. Long ago when we were first married, we had to buy a new refrigerator from a local store. I didn't know who was carrying the note, I thought it was the store. When I later found it was Household Finance, I borrowed the cash to pay it off immediately from my parents. It carried a really high interest rate. That was my first experience (and also my last) with using in-store credit purchasing. At least I learned what not to do in the future and it didn't cost me anything.

 

[DWalt]

My Dad passed last year at 93. Never had a credit card. I finally talked him into a debit card so he didn't have to write checks. He got one, but as far as I know he never used it. He didn't trust credit. Paid cash for his home and vehicles, and left a fair sized estate to his heirs.

So, I'd say you're in good company.

Exactly like my father. People who lived through the Great Depression learned to be very careful about spending their money. My father was one of the fortunate ones who had a reasonably good job all through the Depression. At least my parents didn't have to stand in soup lines.

 

[desi2358]

Growing up it was cash or check, no credit cards. Wasn't till I got married that I was convinced to get my first, a Sears card (mainly to make it easier to get things a growing family needed). Shortly after got a couple gas cards and over time more cards......... Got behind a few times but worked our way out of it. Only use a couple now and pay off balances right away (unless taking advantage of a special/no interest offer!). With so much stuff online nowadays just about have to have a card to even function.