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.
Your First Credit Card
- Thread starter DWalt
- Start date
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
Member
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
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
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-
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-
Last edited:
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
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.
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.
OP
DWalt
Member
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.
Last edited:
OP
DWalt
Member
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.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,442
- Reaction score
- 1,368
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.
OP
DWalt
Member
That's true. It is nearly impossible to function today without some form of credit or debit card. In some places cash is no longer acceptable as an exchange medium. There is a local restaurant that has a sign that says payment by Credit or Debit card only at the cashiers station. At the supermarket I rarely see anyone at the checkout stand pay with cash.
Some years ago I bought a car with my credit card. I did it mainly to get the cash back reward and my card credit limit was high enough. Of course I paid it down right away so I didn't pay any interest. That was the only time I ever got anywhere close to my credit limit.
Some years ago I bought a car with my credit card. I did it mainly to get the cash back reward and my card credit limit was high enough. Of course I paid it down right away so I didn't pay any interest. That was the only time I ever got anywhere close to my credit limit.
Years back I tried to put a big down payment on a car and they said we only except up to $4,000. The funny thing parts and service departments had no CC limit.
I have a decent limit on my cards, but at least every 6 months I now get a offer to raise my limit.
Though not a "Credit Card" in the accepted genre, in 1966 in Brighton, UK, the local Barclays Bank issued what today would be called an ATM card. I think this might have been (well) before the US got into the ATM card systems. Since the electronics and machinery were not yet established to dispense cash, what substituted were envelopes containing 2, 5 or 10 single pound notes. You entered your card, entered a PIN and then after the Bank systems checked that you had enough money in your account, your envelope was "produced". This was at least 5 years before the US had ATM cards. I came to the US in 1968 and my first Credit card was the Green AMEX one. This was roughly a year after it was introduced. I still keep having AMEX "urging" me to upgrade, but I have refused for over 40 years. Dave_n
OP
DWalt
Member
I have used an ATM once in my life. And that was sort of an emergency when I was out of town. Normally I keep enough cash at home to meet my usual household cash needs. I have friends that withdraw cash via ATM frequently, but don't understand why. I forgot one other large credit card transaction I made. And it involved paying a hospital bill but under unusual circumstances.
Last edited:
My first was probably a Sears card. They were giving them out like peanuts at a bar if you had a job. Somewhere back in the 70s they came out with ATMs. Usually cash was king for me.
OP
DWalt
Member
I had a very bad experience with my Sears credit card. Ended by my cancelling the card and personally boycotting Sears for years afterward. I wanted nothing more to do with them.
My first card was a Firestone card. A buddy's dad was a regional manager for the company here in the Columbus area. We all got cards $150.00 LOC. We bought tires and batteries for our cars since that was really all we might need. We did our own oil changes etc.
The first non-proprietary card was a MC. My dad co-signed so I could get it. I had a $500.00 LOC to be used only for emergencies. I was afraid to use it as it was issued by my dad's local credit union and he would have disowned me if I couldn't make the payment.
Ironically, I spent 31 years in the CC industry retiring from Discover Card in 2022. I have seen some comments both good and bad about them, but I can tell you from an insider's perspective it really is one of the best utility cards out there. Not sure what will happen with the Capital One purchase recently announced. I hope they maintain the on shore, human rep service model. While expensive it is a real product differentiator that people seem to appreciate.
The first non-proprietary card was a MC. My dad co-signed so I could get it. I had a $500.00 LOC to be used only for emergencies. I was afraid to use it as it was issued by my dad's local credit union and he would have disowned me if I couldn't make the payment.
Ironically, I spent 31 years in the CC industry retiring from Discover Card in 2022. I have seen some comments both good and bad about them, but I can tell you from an insider's perspective it really is one of the best utility cards out there. Not sure what will happen with the Capital One purchase recently announced. I hope they maintain the on shore, human rep service model. While expensive it is a real product differentiator that people seem to appreciate.
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Messages
- 4,624
- Reaction score
- 7,841
My wife got me my first credit card. It was like a hobby for her right after we got married. She started with gas cards and store cards and worked her way up to Master Charge (as it was then called) and Visa.
Yeah, we got a bit over extended but I was as guilty as she was. We paid it off and didn't do it again. We have some now but they are paid off every month. I like the points. One card has triple points on fuel and double on restaurants. I just bought some powder with my Cabela points. As long as you don't pay an annual fee or interest, why not? It's free money.
Yeah, we got a bit over extended but I was as guilty as she was. We paid it off and didn't do it again. We have some now but they are paid off every month. I like the points. One card has triple points on fuel and double on restaurants. I just bought some powder with my Cabela points. As long as you don't pay an annual fee or interest, why not? It's free money.
fiasconva
US Veteran
My first card was a BankAmericaCard too. I got it in the mail free of charge around 1965 after I opened my first checking account. It had a whole $300.00 limit. I kept it in my wallet as an emergency fund all through college and never used it. I finally used it in '71 after I graduated to fund the hotel stay for our honeymoon between basic and my PCS.
Started out with a Radio Shack card .
Got married and had a handful of them.
Got divorced and did without them for 20 years.
Got a reality check when I needed to rent a car.
You cant rent a car without a credit card.
Wouldn't take a cash deposit.
Was so embarrassed that my daughter had to rent it for me.
After that me and the wife got one just for traveling with.
Surprising how many places don't want to take cash anymore.
Got married and had a handful of them.
Got divorced and did without them for 20 years.
Got a reality check when I needed to rent a car.
You cant rent a car without a credit card.
Wouldn't take a cash deposit.
Was so embarrassed that my daughter had to rent it for me.
After that me and the wife got one just for traveling with.
Surprising how many places don't want to take cash anymore.
OP
DWalt
Member
Just wait until the world goes to some form of bitcoin.
