Easy way to build credit

[Tinker 0]

Okay, I'll whisper this so no one catches it

Walked into both Target and JC Penny. I asked if they gave credit cards to Canadians. YES, show your drivers license and give them your SSN..sign and walk away....omg.

Just bought a couple things my daughter needed for school anyway, made the payment on the card right away and it was DONE!

[G&A 1]

Okay, I'll whisper this so no one catches it

Walked into both Target and JC Penny. I asked if they gave credit cards to Canadians. YES, show your drivers license and give them your SSN..sign and walk away....omg.

Just bought a couple things my daughter needed for school anyway, made the payment on the card right away and it was DONE!

Great!!!

[piosenka 0]

What about Sears? I hate their CC rates, but my fiance is in Thunder Bay and doesn't have a lot of the large chain stores that offer Credit cards. He has AMAZING credit in Canada right now and could probably get approved for just about anything.

I also remember reading that American Express does something similar when moving from Canada to US. Can anyone verify?

[Tinker 0]

I asked Walmart about that. I asked if I got a card up here, once I move, will they just change it over. I was told NO, you have to re-apply down there. Sears probably works the same way. No harm in asking.

[cmartyn 0]

Man, you know, these companies are forked. The issue is, you gave them your SIN, and they will report to the credit bureaus like that SIN was an SSN.

I hope your SIN doesnt map to the SSN of some litigious credit savy American.

My wifes mapped to a dead person. So no harm done I guess.

[Tinker 0]

I just noticed I put SSN number....cmartyn is right, it was my SIN.

Woman at Target didn't seem to care there was a difference *sigh*, got me worried on that one now. JC Penny did ask specifically for my SIN number.

[Jeremy + Kristy 0]

What about Sears? I hate their CC rates, but my fiance is in Thunder Bay and doesn't have a lot of the large chain stores that offer Credit cards. He has AMAZING credit in Canada right now and could probably get approved for just about anything.

I also remember reading that American Express does something similar when moving from Canada to US. Can anyone verify?

Hmm, American Express may have something to offer, I'm not sure. They are very international, and they issue their own cards, so it's not like Mastercard or Visa where a bank issues them. It might not hurt to dig around their website.

[LindaB 0]

Target? Oh hell, you just opened a can of worms...

...but luckily there isn't one near Vancouver, or that would've been messy.

Sure there is Nini, in the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham

[Emancipation 2]

I asked Walmart about that. I asked if I got a card up here, once I move, will they just change it over. I was told NO, you have to re-apply down there. Sears probably works the same way. No harm in asking.

Sears is that way.. I checked

[trailmix 77]

The info about transferring your American Express Card is here:

http://www.americanexpress.com/globaltrans...ansfer_en.shtml

I might give them a call today and get details, will let you know what I find out.

Edited August 23, 2007 by trailmix

[trailmix 77]

The info about transferring your American Express Card is here:

http://www.americanexpress.com/globaltrans...ansfer_en.shtml

I might give them a call today and get details, will let you know what I find out.

Ok so I called them. Basically when you are ready to transfer your card you just call them at 1-800-453-2639 (North America) and give them your card number, they transfer you to the department that handles global transfers and voila, they transfer it for you.

[G&A 1]

The info about transferring your American Express Card is here:

http://www.americanexpress.com/globaltrans...ansfer_en.shtml

I might give them a call today and get details, will let you know what I find out.

Ok so I called them. Basically when you are ready to transfer your card you just call them at 1-800-453-2639 (North America) and give them your card number, they transfer you to the department that handles global transfers and voila, they transfer it for you.

you are my new hero!!!! I love my costco amex!!!!! THANKS

[J&K 0]

I still have an Ontario licence and my parents still live at the address where I was before moving down here, so I took the chance and applied at Macy's a couple of weekends ago and was approved! It felt good to actually have something, knowing that they used my good credit up there, instead of getting the 7-10 DENIAL letter which sucks big time.

Since I started working this week, I've needed to get some new clothes, and thank goodness I read this forum, because I have fallen in love with JC Penney. I did the same thing with them tonight and was approved for $1500. Hubby gets jealous because his credit isn't that great, and can't get any prime CLs.

I pretty much outfitted myself completely tonight...not to mention, got the 10% off

Most of the time, if you live in not so urban areas where they don't get a lot of Canucks, they may not know they can process a credit app. for you...just be persistant. The lady at JCP, had to phone her manager and they said they didn't think they could, but they could try. On the application where you sign it actually states (SIN for Canadian Residents) haha. Both at Macy's and JCP they had to call credit services to get me to confirm some info, but all has worked out well

At least it's a start. I highly recommend that if you can before you come down, say on a visit, to try and get these cards that are available to Canadians. And if you're down here already, if you have the opportunity to still have mail delivered to a Canadian address to take advantage of it to start your credit history with these store cards. Believe me, credit down here is like a drug, and people don't know how to use it. A lot of SUBPrime cards, and too many people with Collection accounts. My husband included.

I refuse to lower myself to these subprime cards and will wait to get a Visa with my bank down here. Heck, I've already had Cap1 send me their subprime 'preapproval'!

If you don't want this junkmail to appear, go to https://www.optoutprescreen.com and fill out the info there.

Hope this has been helpful!

[dearheart 0]

My husband (CDN) has recently applied for the AMEX card also. We were told the same thing - that it would just transfer. It's great to see things confirmed on this thread.

[Emancipation 2]

I still have an Ontario licence and my parents still live at the address where I was before moving down here, so I took the chance and applied at Macy's a couple of weekends ago and was approved! It felt good to actually have something, knowing that they used my good credit up there, instead of getting the 7-10 DENIAL letter which sucks big time.

Since I started working this week, I've needed to get some new clothes, and thank goodness I read this forum, because I have fallen in love with JC Penney. I did the same thing with them tonight and was approved for $1500. Hubby gets jealous because his credit isn't that great, and can't get any prime CLs.

I pretty much outfitted myself completely tonight...not to mention, got the 10% off

Most of the time, if you live in not so urban areas where they don't get a lot of Canucks, they may not know they can process a credit app. for you...just be persistant. The lady at JCP, had to phone her manager and they said they didn't think they could, but they could try. On the application where you sign it actually states (SIN for Canadian Residents) haha. Both at Macy's and JCP they had to call credit services to get me to confirm some info, but all has worked out well

At least it's a start. I highly recommend that if you can before you come down, say on a visit, to try and get these cards that are available to Canadians. And if you're down here already, if you have the opportunity to still have mail delivered to a Canadian address to take advantage of it to start your credit history with these store cards. Believe me, credit down here is like a drug, and people don't know how to use it. A lot of SUBPrime cards, and too many people with Collection accounts. My husband included.

I refuse to lower myself to these subprime cards and will wait to get a Visa with my bank down here. Heck, I've already had Cap1 send me their subprime 'preapproval'!

If you don't want this junkmail to appear, go to https://www.optoutprescreen.com and fill out the info there.

Hope this has been helpful!

Excellent post!!!

Let me ask this question though...

I don't have my PEI license any more - they took it at the DMV.. I do have a CDN credit card but it's now in my married name not my maiden name.. and I do have a passport & an address I could send it to (as well as my SIN card)..

how would I do the above now?