Switching my Target card to my SSN

[bluegreen 0]

Okay, I know this answer has to be in here somewhere, but I can't find it.

Before I filed for AOS, I applied for and received a Target card using my Canadian SIN. I intended, once I got my SSN to switch it over so I could start building US credit. I thought this was such a glorious plan. I even told everyone here what a glorious plan it was.

Except I just kept forgetting to switch it. In fact I kept forgetting about the card all together. Two months ago, I even forgot to pay it and had a 2-day late payment (I have NEVER done that before).

So now, I do want to switch it to my US SSN. But, I am not sure if that late payment will follow me. Will the credit history from that card follow me? I don't know enough about this stuff to know if the benefit of having that credit on my report, even with one late payment, outweighs the benefit of having a very limited credit history but with no blemishes and just starting a new card with my SSN.

Or, when I switch it, do I just start building credit based on the report from the Target card from that moment onwards? 'Cause that would be great. It is completely paid off and has a pretty high limit.

I am tempted to just leave it as is, since I have actually had a credit report run here using my Canadian SSN, and that card is the only thing that shows up. I think it is just floating around in credit limbo land. I don't know if it shows up on my Canadian credit report.

Does anyone know the answer to my convoluted question, oh wise Canadian VJ credit experts?? If you do, I will tell you where I have found a constant inexpensive supply of Coffee Crisps and Heinz baked beans...

[bluegreen 0]

Does anybody have a clue about this...??

[Carlawarla 1]

Hi,

I've read your issue a few times now, thinking perhaps that something would jump out at me and I'd be able to respond, however I really don't know too much about credit issues, so I can't knowingly answer you. Maybe by my just replying it will bump this higher in the thread list and someone else will read it. Perhaps this isn't just a Canada/US thing and you might get more knowledgeable responses if you put it in "Moving to America" or something?

Just my uneducated guess, if you're really worried that this will follow you...one question I have, did you change your name after marriage?

I'm thinking that if you did, you should just close out this card that has your Canadian info, and perhaps open a new account with your SSN and your new married name and maybe then it won't follow you. But truly, I don't know.

OR...you could always have a credit report run after you switch it over to your SSN, and see if it shows up. Does a late payment of 2 days show up at all? I really don't know. I wouldn't think so.

Sorry I can't really answer this for you!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Okay, I know this answer has to be in here somewhere, but I can't find it.

Before I filed for AOS, I applied for and received a Target card using my Canadian SIN. I intended, once I got my SSN to switch it over so I could start building US credit. I thought this was such a glorious plan. I even told everyone here what a glorious plan it was. GOOD IDEA, WISH I'D DONE THE SAME

Except I just kept forgetting to switch it. In fact I kept forgetting about the card all together. Two months ago, I even forgot to pay it and had a 2-day late payment (I have NEVER done that before). 1 LATE PAYMENT DOES NOT MAKE A BAD PERSON, ESPECIALLY IF ALL PREVIOUS PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ON TIME

So now, I do want to switch it to my US SSN. But, I am not sure if that late payment will follow me. Will the credit history from that card follow me? I don't know enough about this stuff to know if the benefit of having that credit on my report, even with one late payment, outweighs the benefit of having a very limited credit history but with no blemishes and just starting a new card with my SSN. IF YOU CAN, DO IT. SO MANY OF (INCLUDING ME) HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET EVEN A TARGET CARD SINCE WE HAVE NO US CREDIT HISTORY - THIS IS AN EASY WAY IN

Or, when I switch it, do I just start building credit based on the report from the Target card from that moment onwards? 'Cause that would be great. It is completely paid off and has a pretty high limit. I WOULD ASSUME SO, RIGHT NOW NOTHING IS BEING REPORTED TO THE US CREDIT BUREAUS (SOMEONE CORRECT ME ON THIS IF I'M WRONG)

I am tempted to just leave it as is, since I have actually had a credit report run here using my Canadian SSN (DO YOU MEAN SIN? AND HOW DID THEY RUN A US CREDIT REPORT WITH YOUR CDN #?), and that card is the only thing that shows up. I think it is just floating around in credit limbo land. I don't know if it shows up on my Canadian credit report.

Does anyone know the answer to my convoluted question, oh wise Canadian VJ credit experts?? If you do, I will tell you where I have found a constant inexpensive supply of Coffee Crisps and Heinz baked beans...

I WOULD SAY KEEP IT, SWITCH IT AND KEEP USING TO BUILD CREDIT HERE - sorry having a caps kind of day

[bluegreen 0]

Thanks for the input, Carla and U&W!

Udella&Wiz, the reason I had a US report run on my SIN is this: we were applying for a line of credit down here and I asked the banker to run my Canadian credit report using my SIN. They CAN do that. I don't think she totally understood that or something, because she called me back and said, "The only thing that shows up under that number is a Target card". Well, if she had run a Canadian credit report as I had asked, she would have seen a mortgage and a credit card and a car loan and more.

Sooo, I think what happened is that somehow, Target has my SIN entered in the system as a SSN, and luckily it has not tracked to anyone else in the US with the same number. SIN and SSN have the same number of digits. I HAVE seen a discussion on VJ about that happening. I remember one person saying their SIN tracked to a US person who had passed away. I think the way to find out for sure is to have my Canadian bank run my Canadian credit report and see if the Target card shows up.

I have thought about this a lot, and I really think you are right. I don't see how badly one 2 day late payment can affect me, and I think the benefit of having a high limit credit card down here under my SSN would outweigh that anyways. I am betting that as son as I change my card to my SSN, Target Visa will lower my limit, but it is still credit.

I will let people know what happens! I have to mail them copies of my DL and my SS card. Scary.

[dash-tx 1]

Hi there!

Yes, you can change your CAN number to US ssn and you should do that.

Just having one late payment with long history is way better than starting a new credit history. The late payment will follow you, but it won't matter. I do not know how it works for the Canadian credit.

For the US credit report, you need to first update your number with Target, then get on the 3 credit bureaus website and look for information on correcting mistakes on your file. You'll have to send them a copy of your DL, SSN, Utility bill etc proving that your SSN is the correct number to be in your report. On the letter just say that the CAN number was used by mistake by a financial company and now you would like to update your file with your SSN.

They should reply to the letter and after a while you should check your credit to make sure it got updated.

In case you don't know the three companies are: Experian, Transunion, Equifax.

Good luck!

[bluegreen 0]

Ohhh, thanks Dash tx! I never thought of updating the credit bureaus, I'll make sure I do that too.