Thanks to all of you for your advice. I applied for the Crown Jewelers Card and it said a rep would be calling me in a few days after the application is processed. I will keep you all posted. Thanks again!

You are absolutely correct!

I advise people to get this card before applying for master/visa cards because they show a nice line of credit on your credit report. When you get this card, yes you should order something but the best bet is to shop on the clearance isle just to get established with them because they do ask for a small down payment. After 6 months, they let you shop on good faith but it is well worth the establishment. I had my sister and husband to apply for this card about 6 months ago, and it helped my sister get a $1k limit with Hooters. Hooter's will try to match your highest line of credit, which was $1.5 for my sister, thanks to Crown Jewelers.

Another thing that I've been hearing a lot of is Crown Jewelers Store Card. You can get a credit card without them pulling an application, the catch is that you have to buy something from the store. I've heard of people buying things for like $50, maintaining a good report and it reflecting well on their credit report (Crown Jewelers reports to all 3 credit bureaus).

https://www.crownjewelers.com/Application.asp

There's a lot of info on it around the net.

Good luck.

I would just try since it will not make a hard pull on your credit. Household Bank (which is part of Orchard) also do this. They both do the pre-qualification process. If you don't get approve for anything, it will not hurt your credit score. If you are approve, then you just continue with the process. Like I said, the only downside is the low credit limits. I have had my Orchard since 2006 and have a cl of 500. But this is the card that has help me re-build my credit. I also had First Premier, but they have alot of fees. The only fees that Orchard have is their annual fee. I think you should just check it out.

So you think Orchard Bank will approve me for another account after my bk discharges even though I included them in the bk? I guess maybe they will give me a second chance with a secured card?

Just FYI, Orchard will now pre-qualify you for a card before they do a hard pull on your credit report. I think they pull experian. You just put in a little information and they will tell you what cards you quailfy for. If you do not quailfy, you will not have an inquiry. If you do qualify, you just continue with the appilcation process. I have had my Orchard MC since 2006. I like them alot because they don't have all the crazy fees. The only downsize is the low credit limits. But right now you are trying to rebuild, so I would take whatever they offered. I also have a BofA secured Visa. It took about a month of processing before I received the card. Since you have the BK, I would see if Orchard would offer you one of their cards.

Thanks for the quick reply. I contacted BofA awhile back to get a secured card from them, and the customer service agent I spoke to said I could not even get a secured card from them with a bk on my report. A couple of the other major banks had the same thing listed in the "fine print". CitiBank was the only major bank I saw that would give me a secured card with a recent bk, but the application process take a month or more.

I would consider applying for a Bank of America Secured Visa Credit Card. You can start off with a minimum 300 dollar deposit and that is where your cl will start. Add more to increase your limit. With on time payments and no lates, your card can go unsecured after 9 months to a year. I have FPB and Credit One Cards right now to help me rebuild but the fees and low limits are something that I have to deal with for the time being. I am leaning toward getting a secured card from BOA (greater clout) based on the research that I have done. I am even considering looking at my options at credit unions as well.

Came across this forum while doing some cc reviews and I am very grateful that I did! I have a Chapter 7 bk that will be discharged in early April and I am wanting to rebuild my credit. It seems that the only cc companies that will approve me are the one's with all the high fees, i.e. Tribute, First Premier, etc. I know Orchard, Cap 1 and others are much better cards with no fees, but unfortunately, I had prior accounts with them that were included in the bk. Am I basically stuck with thse high fee cards (or go with a secured card instead?), or once my bk is discharged will I be able to get another Cap 1 or Orchard, etc? As of now, my scores are 592/528/575. Thanks for all of your help. This forum has helped me tremendously!