Archived encouraging team members to sign up for red credit card !

[K AA]

i was approached by logistics ETL just before my 15 and was asked if i have a red credit card i said no , then he said why dont you apply for one even if it gets rejected . so i asked why?

he said we have some sort of competition between ETLS or teams !! , i declined i didnt want to lower my credit score for a card i am not going to use and i already have a red debit card which is good enough.

later i was told by other team members that the same ETL and the TLs asked the rest of the team members to sign up for cards during their 15 .

is that ethical ? or even allowed?

 

[commiecorvus]

It's ethical to ask you to sign up.
As long as they aren't forcing you to sign up it's fine.

Is it obnoxious?
Why yes, yes it is.

 

[redeye58]

We called it "taking one for the team".
They eventually dropped it when it was discovered that several TMs who had crap credit would apply if they were bribed for the 'right' prize.

 

[Kartman]

The card lowers your credit score???

 

[queencat]

The card lowers your credit score???

A hard inquiry (when a bank checks your credit score, like for a credit card, house loan, etc) will lower your score.
It only remains on your record for 6 months iirc and disappears completely after 2 years.
The hit is fairly small (I think mine dropped 20 points?) but for someone rebuilding their credit or looking to get a house or car loan it can be rough.

 

[thetargetman]

It's ethical to ask you to sign up.
As long as they aren't forcing you to sign up it's fine.

Is it obnoxious?
Why yes, yes it is.

yea one of our ETLs tries to use extreme pressure and almost border line intimidation to get TMs to sign up for a redcard!

 

[thetargetman]

i was approached by logistics ETL just before my 15 and was asked if i have a red credit card i said no , then he said why dont you apply for one even if it gets rejected . so i asked why?

he said we have some sort of competition between ETLS or teams !! , i declined i didnt want to lower my credit score for a card i am not going to use and i already have a red debit card which is good enough.

later i was told by other team members that the same ETL and the TLs asked the rest of the team members to sign up for cards during their 15 .

is that ethical ? or even allowed?

yea I know how you feel I just lie if they ask if I have both cards... they cant force me to show them both cards.

 

[LogisticsFox]

I didn't get a hard inquiry when I signed up for the red credit and my credit has gone up substantially since I got it. Credit cards aren't for everyone and if you can't use it responsibly, you definitely don't need one.

 

[Kartman]

Debit cards, bay-bee! Nothing else!

 

[dave white]

I've even heard of TMs entering in false information on the red card sign ups just boost the red card #.....

 

[Deli Ninja]

I knew one TM who ended up with 2 debit cards and 2 credit cards by using their s/o's information for one set. They're not with Target any more, but the pressure to get REDcards is still insane.

I hated it when this one ETL-GE would walk around the store trying to get TMs to sign up for a card while on the clock. It always seemed... sleazy?

 

[redeye58]

I've even heard of TMs entering in false information on the red card sign ups just boost the red card #.....

Yeh, we had a GSTL & an ETL termed for this several yrs ago.

 

[unknown]

We have one gstl who tells people that this or that regarding the redcards won't effect their credit.

Sorry. How do you know this?

It's gotten ridiculous when we have tm's telling guests about their finances.

 

[sher]

A hard inquiry (when a bank checks your credit score, like for a credit card, house loan, etc) will lower your score.
It only remains on your record for 6 months iirc and disappears completely after 2 years.
The hit is fairly small (I think mine dropped 20 points?) but for someone rebuilding their credit or looking to get a house or car loan it can be rough.

Mine didn't change at all... Orrr I have enough positive stuff going on that there was no negative effects. I have a couple new hard inquiries within the last few months and my fico score is up. I have no plans to buy a car or house on credit within the next few years though so none of this worries me.

 

[tgtguy]

I will do the debit card no issue there....free shipping and an extra 5 percent off PLUS I don't have to write a check or use cash to use my discount ...I love it . The credit card I will pass on!

 

[dannyy315]

I love my debit redcard, but you couldn't pay me to sign up for a credit card.

 

[Kartman]

I can't imagine why anyone would use a CC.

Why? A debit card is free!

 

[SlapHappy]

Cash is our friend.

 

[snoboy8999]

Target credit card is pointless. But any other cashback generating card > debit as long as you pay in full.

 

[queencat]

I didn't get a hard inquiry when I signed up for the red credit and my credit has gone up substantially since I got it. Credit cards aren't for everyone and if you can't use it responsibly, you definitely don't need one.

I did get one and 99% of credit cards will do a hard inquiry. Target uses equifax so you might be viewing the transunion report (or vice versa i forget)
Hard inquiries aren't bad and the amount I've raised my credit through responsible use totally outweighs the small hit from the inquiry .

There are advantages to credit cards vs debit cards but overall it is a PERSONAL FINANCIAL DECISION And i wish target would bug off sometimes.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I can't imagine why anyone would use a CC.

Why? A debit card is free!

Cash is our friend.

I would just like to interject here. As a holder of 5 credit cards, I would like to attest to their benefits. When used responsibly, credit cards are preferable to both cash and debit, because of certain protections and rewards they offer. If you pay your credit bills in full each month, you are not charged any interest and can reap these benefits. With rewards cards, this means you can churn a small profit just using them -- can't say the same for cash or most bank accounts. As for protections, most cards will completely repay you for any fraudulent purchases made on your account. Cash is gone forever once it's stolen, and debit card fraud can take weeks to months to be resolved. Finally, let's not forget that a credit card is needed in this day and age to establish creditworthiness. Bad credit makes financial life in America incredibly difficult -- harder to get loans, bad loan rates if you do get them, etc.

In short, I don't understand our country's anti-credit card hysteria. Credit cards are the best form of payment when used responsibly. I have never paid even a single penny in interest, and my Amex rewards points pay for my round-trip vacations.

 

[K AA]

I would just like to interject here. As a holder of 5 credit cards, I would like to attest to their benefits. When used responsibly, credit cards are preferable to both cash and debit, because of certain protections and rewards they offer. If you pay your credit bills in full each month, you are not charged any interest and can reap these benefits. With rewards cards, this means you can churn a small profit just using them -- can't say the same for cash or most bank accounts. As for protections, most cards will completely repay you for any fraudulent purchases made on your account. Cash is gone forever once it's stolen, and debit card fraud can take weeks to months to be resolved. Finally, let's not forget that a credit card is needed in this day and age to establish creditworthiness. Bad credit makes financial life in America incredibly difficult -- harder to get loans, bad loan rates if you do get them, etc.

In short, I don't understand our country's anti-credit card hysteria. Credit cards are the best form of payment when used responsibly. I have never paid even a single penny in interest, and my Amex rewards points pay for my round-trip vacations.

personally , i am not against credit cards at all in fact i have a couple of them , but in the Target case having Targets cc have no advantage over the debit card for someone who already have credit cards.

 

[COextraordinaire]

I choose the Target Credit Card over the debit card.

I hate debit cards. Little charges going out all the time. I can't keep track of my balance. And you never know when the charges go out. Today? Tomorrow? 3 days from now?

The credit card I can pay once a month. I always know exactly what's in my checking account. I pay my bills every other Friday.

Also great is the 30 day float. For example, I am a Girl Scout Troop Leader. If I have to purchase something for my troop, I can do it today on the credit card, knowing that I have 30 days to get reimbursed from the troop treasurer before the bill is due. It's just more convenient.

A credit card is a tool. So is a power drill. When used properly, they're extremely helpful. When used carelessly, they're extremely dangerous.

 

[Backroom81]

I've even heard of TMs entering in false information on the red card sign ups just boost the red card #.....

Everyone did it back when they first started really pushing red cards. You could enter in anything into the system and it counted towards the store's score.

 

[redeye58]

@COectraordinaire: Ditto on the credit card.
My husband tried using the debit card but the charges dribbled thru at various times so he went back to the CC. I manage the account online, get an email with the balance & when it's due, take a check to the service desk & I'm good.