Your First Credit Card Story - How did you get your first credit card?

[TechnoFinoTechnoFino is verified member.]

Hello every,
The first credit card is special for everyone. We all remember the experience of getting our first card 😃
Let's share our first credit card experience...
My experience-
My first credit card was ICICI HPCL Coral, which I received in 2015. My home address at that time did not fall within any bank's serviceable area, so they asked me to apply for credit card against FD. But I needed an unsecured credit card, so I talked to my branch manager and I told him I needed an unsecured card.
He told me that... we can give you an unsecured card but for that you have to purchase an ICICI Prudential Ulip policy of Rs. 2 lakhs (minimum).
At that time I desperately needed a credit card because my business was in USA and I needed a credit card for its payment. I was unemployed that time with zero CIBIL score, No bank was offering me a credit card so I had purchased a policy of two lakh rupees at that time and got my first ever credit card ICICI HPCL coral credit card (chargeable), later icici converted that card to a lifetime free hpcl coral credit card and I'm still holding that one 😄

 

[swastik2233]

LTF SBI Card ? how ?

IDK maybe because it's an old sbi account (since 2003) or my profession (gov doctor). Nevertheless , got it !

 

[swastik2233]

What all CCs do you have?

Also interesting that you had 800+ Cibil just from using CC

Had Flipkart pay later too since dec 2019 (idfc personal loan). So 2 accounts overall.

Closed paylater in nov 2021 when I came to know about it !

 

[swastik2233]

What all CCs do you have?

Also interesting that you had 800+ Cibil just from using CC

HDFC money-back , icici amazonpay , icici hpcl supersaver , axis ace , axis FK , kotak League , Bob easy , RBL Traveleasy , One card , sbi pulse

 

[souvikdey2002]

Hello every,
The first credit card is special for everyone. We all remember the experience of getting our first card 😃
Let's share our first credit card experience...
My experience-
My first credit card was ICICI HPCL Coral, which I received in 2015. My home address at that time did not fall within any bank's serviceable area, so they asked me to apply for credit card against FD. But I needed an unsecured credit card, so I talked to my branch manager and I told him I needed an unsecured card.
He told me that... we can give you an unsecured card but for that you have to purchase an ICICI Prudential Ulip policy of Rs. 2 lakhs (minimum).
At that time I desperately needed a credit card because my business was in USA and I needed a credit card for its payment. I was unemployed that time with zero CIBIL score, No bank was offering me a credit card so I had purchased a policy of two lakh rupees at that time and got my first ever credit card ICICI HPCL coral credit card (chargeable), later icici converted that card to a lifetime free hpcl coral credit card and I'm still holding that one 😄

Very interesting story!!!!
I have never heard of ICICI converting any existing chargeable card to a Life Time Free card...
Can you give me some more facts in this so I can try converting mine??
I hold Sapphiro for last 2 year, getting charges weaver based on my spending but they are not converting it in life time free.

Don't know if this post is relevant here.

 

[souvikdey2002]

Many ICICI customers have gotten chargeable cards as LTF

Yes that's the trick I want to know.
How to approach them, whom to approach since I rang almost everywhere without any luck.

 

[souvikdey2002]

I think you have to have some type of relationship with ICICI to get it

Do have a relationship with them, savings account from last 10 years, maintaining good balance, even told them that will shift my salary account with them. Without any luck, even warned them multiple times that will surrender my card but they are just like a stone where you crack your head without any result.

 

[souvikdey2002]

Ah ... Well that's bad

Even though you have a salary account with them they are not considering

You could try applying for other gemstone CCs with them and maybe check if your are getting any as LTF ... And if you do ... Maybe surrender this card

No brother, they said Gemstone collection couldn't be free of cost unless there is a Pre-Approved offer.
I don't know why not even being ICICI Customer my wife has got Rubyx LTF but for me they have not cosidered.
No existing card can be converted from chargeable to LTF.

Let me if anybody knows how to do it.

 

[souvikdey2002]

Strange ... Maybe you should actually consider changing your salary account to some other bank 🙂

Did your wife apply separately?

That's the strange part, she hasn't done anything, no application, no savings account, no loan, no Credit Card, no relationships at all. Got a random call from ICICI stating she has got a Pre-approved card so just an AADHAR verification with Biometrics, that it. Done, card delivered in just 3 days.

Sometime even I'm jealous of her, seriously thinking of changing salary account actually.

 

[souvikdey2002]

Woah ... She got that card as LTF that easily ... Surpsiring ... Banks are strange

If I were in your place, even if I didn't close my account, I would change my salary account to some other bank and probably also would close the card if that card was not really necessary.

Yes, I'm thinking in your line as well, If I'm not able to convert it LTF by this year since I don't wanna pay a single penny for any card. 🙂
That's my motto!!!

 

[souvikdey2002]

I don't know 😄

BTW I think you should make a separate post in this forum about this ... Hopefully you'll get relevant answers

Just joined now!!!
Still trying to figure out where to put this so that it will become more relevant, till the time I find, if you know, please post this on my behalf. 🙁

 

[kochiro]

Yes that's the trick I want to know.
How to approach them, whom to approach since I rang almost everywhere without any luck.

Here's a trick, apply for that customize picture credit card (your current card won't get closed but it's limit will be shared) then wait for couple of days till the card show up in imobile then call cc and ask them to change that customized credit card to platinum credit card which is ltf. There is no point in having any other icici credit card if it's not ltf(lounge need 5k spending and reward system is unknown as they recently switched from payback)

 

[souvikdey2002]

Here's a trick, apply for that customize picture credit card (your current card won't get closed but it's limit will be shared) then wait for couple of days till the card show up in imobile then call cc and ask them to change that customized credit card to platinum credit card which is ltf. There is no point in having any other icici credit card if it's not ltf(lounge need 5k spending and reward system is unknown as they recently switched from payback)

Thanks for your comments!!!

I can easily downgrade my card to Platinum which probably would be Life Time Free with the same limit for but that's not the point.
I want to know how to convert existing Sapphiro to Life Time Free.

 

[kochiro]

Um, points on my mom's Coral card can be used for getting gift vouchers 🤔

If you are talking about payback points then they will be delinked from icici card soon and will be added in your phone number account.

 

[kochiro]

Thanks for your comments!!!

I can easily downgrade my card to Platinum which probably would be Life Time Free with the same limit for but that's not the point.
I want to know how to convert existing Sapphiro to Life Time Free.

I wonder why you feel the need of it as there are other bank cards which are Ltf and give better deal/reward.

 

[kochiro]

Thanks for your comments!!!

I can easily downgrade my card to Platinum which probably would be Life Time Free with the same limit for but that's not the point.
I want to know how to convert existing Sapphiro to Life Time Free.

Also some people got MMT card ltf by the trick I mentioned

 

[souvikdey2002]

I wonder why you feel the need of it as there are other bank cards which are Ltf and give better deal/reward.

Fully agreed.
But my target is to get every possible Super-Premium/Premium category card in LTF category.
ICICI has offered me Emeralde but I denied as it's not a LTF, I think Sumanta got it First Year Free since he has a Wealth Account with them.

 

[souvikdey2002]

Also some people got MMT card ltf by the trick I mentioned

MMT I was also offered I'm specifically looking for their Gemstone collection.

 

[souvikdey2002]

View attachment 259
Click on the 'post thread' button

Thanks

 

[fatehbajwa]

First card was a Vijaya Bank CC in 1996.
Was offered by the branch manager himself because of a 2 years old Current Account in the branch.
I think it was LTF and probably had a very low credit limit.....Maybe 30-40K.
Those were the days of manual swipe machine imprinters and the merchant used to check for delinquent accounts physically in a thick booklet that was updated monthly.

 

[Sub]

First card was a Diners Club from Citi (yea, they owned it then!) as an add-on in the 1990s. And then a Citi fuel card sometime in 2005. Yep, that old 😂