Orchard Bank Credit card

[cirnrab]

hi guys,
I just applied for the Orchard Bank credit card today. The first thing I've applied for since being discharged. I figured it's going to be the only way to start building credit. I was instantly approved My question is does anyone else have a orchard bank CC? How is it? Do you like it? I just want it to build my credit back up. I'm so confused on how to even start that.

[Flamingo]

Got one in my name a few months after discharge. Approved immediately online for $500, $39 annual fee, 14.9%. I use it and pay it off in full. In less than two years they have increased the credit limit to $1,200. We did much better with a Washington Mutual card obtained intially for $3,500 limit, 11.9%, in January 2007. We use it and pay it off and sometimes let a small balance ride. Our limit has increased to the present frmo that time to $9,500 (1 1/2 years after obtaining the card).

I have no problems at all with my Orchard Bank card. Avoid all the offers you will be given. You will be bombarded with them when you receive your card when you call in online to confirm and will also get calls at home and stuff in the mail. Some people have issues with this bank but I have not had any. Probably because I avoid the offers and get payments paid online several days prior to the due date.

[PaKettle]

So why am I not getting any good offers?
I had great credit before filing, but then had to let some go 90-120 days and one co. claims they charged it off before I filed so that is on my credit report as a charge-off. I am not sure they did charge it off before I filed - in which case they'd have to take it off - but I would like to find out.

Not only did I have excellent credit up to the time of stopping payments, but also I had several cards I never charged a penny on, and one that rode through the bk with me that I still have (a big $300 credit limit! Woo hoo! ;-D )

So why am I not getting any offers for credit except those where they want me to pay $267 in fees for a $500 card?

I guess I should find out what my FICO score is? I already looked at my report and didn't really see anything wrong except for that one charge-off and two accounts that do not show Discharged in Bankruptcy but rather show something else (I forget). How high do you think my or my wife's FICO score has to be to get a WAMU card? (She has an account there) I don't want to apply unless I'm pretty sure they'll approve it. (We did not file against them, we had nothing but a hardly-used checking account with them.)

[momof5]

Orchard Bank is really slow to increase credit limits even for those with fairly good credit. I had one about 10 years ago and over a period of 3 years my credit limit went from $300 to $600.
I guess I should thank them though. They were paid off and closed many years ago. They are one of the few creditors not in my matrix.

[CindyLou]

So why am I not getting any good offers?
I had great credit before filing, but then had to let some go 90-120 days and one co. claims they charged it off before I filed so that is on my credit report as a charge-off. I am not sure they did charge it off before I filed - in which case they'd have to take it off - but I would like to find out.

Not only did I have excellent credit up to the time of stopping payments, but also I had several cards I never charged a penny on, and one that rode through the bk with me that I still have (a big $300 credit limit! Woo hoo! ;-D )

So why am I not getting any offers for credit except those where they want me to pay $267 in fees for a $500 card?

I guess I should find out what my FICO score is? I already looked at my report and didn't really see anything wrong except for that one charge-off and two accounts that do not show Discharged in Bankruptcy but rather show something else (I forget). How high do you think my or my wife's FICO score has to be to get a WAMU card? (She has an account there) I don't want to apply unless I'm pretty sure they'll approve it. (We did not file against them, we had nothing but a hardly-used checking account with them.)

I like them. I never got an offer from them...but you can just go the website and do the first part of the application. Its just a soft pull from your report and they tell you what you qualify for. Once you see what the terms are you can choose where to press "apply". Also for WAMA, I never got an offer, I just applied online.

[bkdone]

We've gotten steady increases...

Orchard Bank is really slow to increase credit limits even for those with fairly good credit. I had one about 10 years ago and over a period of 3 years my credit limit went from $300 to $600.
I guess I should thank them though. They were paid off and closed many years ago. They are one of the few creditors not in my matrix.

My husband got a card with Orchard a little over a year ago. He's gotten two increases already, and they were done automatically. We've had no problems or complaints with Orchard. We pay online, and have had no issues.

[Logan]

I applied for an Orchard CC immediately after discharge. $500 limit and it went to 700 after 6 months. 3 months after discharge I applied for a Capital One and was approved for 3k and it increased to 3500 after 90 days.

I will be canceling my Orchard card since they charge a yearly fee and I have the Capital One. While the Orchard Card will help build credit it can also hurt if they don't raise the limit.

Logan

[Logan]

So why am I not getting any good offers?
I had great credit before filing, but then had to let some go 90-120 days and one co. claims they charged it off before I filed so that is on my credit report as a charge-off. I am not sure they did charge it off before I filed - in which case they'd have to take it off - but I would like to find out.

Not only did I have excellent credit up to the time of stopping payments, but also I had several cards I never charged a penny on, and one that rode through the bk with me that I still have (a big $300 credit limit! Woo hoo! ;-D )

So why am I not getting any offers for credit except those where they want me to pay $267 in fees for a $500 card?

I guess I should find out what my FICO score is? I already looked at my report and didn't really see anything wrong except for that one charge-off and two accounts that do not show Discharged in Bankruptcy but rather show something else (I forget). How high do you think my or my wife's FICO score has to be to get a WAMU card? (She has an account there) I don't want to apply unless I'm pretty sure they'll approve it. (We did not file against them, we had nothing but a hardly-used checking account with them.)

I didn't receive any offers until months after I recieved my 1st CC.

[wjnicki]

I got one in April. Limit $300.00 Annual fee: $96.00 APR 8.9%. I use it for either Groceries or gas. I pay it in full.

[Brisco444]

My BK discharged yesterday. I got approved for a $750 card with an 8.9% APR and a $60 yearly fee divided among 12 months. Not too bad. I figure one small purchase paid off each month will help me. The reviews here on the forum helped me decide to go for Orchard Bank.

But, I already know that the card will stay at home in a drawer other than my monthly purchase. We are finally living on a cash only basis, and it is GREAT!

Denise

[Stilltheone]

I also plan on applying for an Orchard Bank when I'm discharged and clean up, credit report-wise.

On their site, it says that their secured card has an annual $35 fee, waived the first year...with 7.9% apr...?

http://www.hsbcusa.com/credit_cards/poorcredit.html?catId=12

[PaKettle]

The offer I got from Orchard was something like a $5/month fee PLUS something like a $40 fee to join, and only around $500 credit.

I already have a $305 credit card and am looking for something better. I am hoping that by disputing a number of incorrect items on all 3 of my reports I can get up to around a 680-700 fico score in a short time. The items ARE incorrect and I have a lot of positive accounts that are old and were not included in bankruptcy as I owed them nothing. So, I'm hoping I can do better than an Orchard or other high fee card in another month or so... Depends on how much the credit bureaus fight me on these disputes...