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Can I "reactivate" an old credit card to lengthen my credit history/improve credit score?? Archived From: Finance

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I reopened my Macy's card about 12 to 18 months after I closed it. New hard inquiry, same account opening date, larger credit line.

First USA did not find the SSN in the system about a year after, so reopening was not possible.


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NICE!!! I just re-opened my discover, and i'm gonna reopen my bankone card as well. thanks guys... you're da best!


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Has anyone tried to reopen a card closed by the bank? Thanks for sharing your story.


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The bank will run a credit check on you again if you ask for reinstating your account. Such credit check is a hard inquiry on your credit report and thus lowering your FICO.


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wsailor said:Has anyone tried to reopen a card closed by the bank? Thanks for sharing your story. if the issuing bank closed the account despite your wishes, they may not want you back as a customer


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Chase will let you re-open credit card account within 90 days.


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anyone have any success with household bank ? or is there no light at the end of that tunnel


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Any experience reactivating an AT&T Universal MasterCard?


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tazmania99 said:The bank will run a credit check on you again if you ask for reinstating your account. Such credit check is a hard inquiry on your credit report and thus lowering your FICO.

is this true?


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VirtualET said:tazmania99 said:The bank will run a credit check on you again if you ask for reinstating your account. Such credit check is a hard inquiry on your credit report and thus lowering your FICO.

is this true?


On occasions, yes...most of the time they will.


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I have reopened an MBNA account after 25 months, but I got a hard hit on my Experian report.


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Similiar question, if you merge the balances of two Credit Cards, how does it effect your credit score? Does it work to decrease the length of your credit lines (Since one card is now closed?)? Or is it handled differently? Which start date is used for the new combined account.

(If it varies, this is specifically for MBNA)


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I've heard from AMEX CSR's that their time limit is 1 year.


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I tried with a FirstUSA card (aka Chase, aka BankOne) about a month after cancellation. No dice. They said I have to reapply. And I asked 3 different people. Apparently they didn't want my business anyway. Despite all this, the card still shows up when I log into BankOne. They don't know their heads from their arses over there.


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Just had amusing interaction with CITI.

They sent my wife a nice offer of 5X normal thank you rewards on her card.
You had to phone to register. This was in a nice package with a little gift list binder enclosed and a book of coupons. Computer took registration and urged use of card.

Realized card was one that had recently been consolidated with a Dirver's edge rewards one. At time no special reward program.

Called to see if it could be reactivated. Was told the consolidation could not be undone even though only a few weeks had past. Proposed a new application but was told that a new card would not get the 5X normal reward to end of year.

Since the previous card had not been used for a while, I assume the special offer was to get a card using customer for Christmas shopping. I have heard of promotions being applied when a customer threatens to cancel. Not being willing to reopen a card considered eligible for a promotion strikes me as unwise.

Of course, there is the stupidity of not updating list of card holders before sending out the gift packages (fancy box with gift list holder and the offer).

If they knew they needed a long lead time for the printing etc. of the offer, they could have put a sentence saying if for some reason the customer had canceled the card it could be reopened.

Suggestions appreciated. I tried an E-mail message on surviving card in hope it would be forwarded to someone with common sense.


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Consolidation is forever. There's nothing you can do to reopen that credit line.

I don't understand. You know that they're willing to negotiate and extend special offers if you threaten to cancel, but you didn't?

Pay your account balance down to $0 on the existing card and then threaten to cancel your existing credit line and tell them the reason why you're cancelling is because they aren't honoring the offer they presented to you on your original card.

Worst they'll do is close the card. If it happens, just call back and reopen the credit line. QED.


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Reopened AMEX closed for 6 months, soft pull on EXP, same CL, CSR pointed out that reinstatement is only allowed within a year from cancellation. They might have pulled soft since I have another account with them, and it may have been an account review inquiry.

Also reopend MBNA card closed for 22 months, soft pull on EXP, less CL since I had opened another account with them since then.

Tried to reopen Citi(former Associates) card, denied because of high utilization on other accounts. Strangely, no new hard/soft pulls are on TU (which they supposedly used). I assume they used one of their account review inquiries back in November (I have two other accounts with Citi).

On EXP both reopened accounts show up as if they have never been closed, but on TU, AMEX account still has a closing date, although the comment "closed by consumer" is gone. In contrast, the MBNA account show up on TU still with "closed by consumer" but the closing date is gone.


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I closed my Chase Platinum CC about 18 months ago. At the time, I didn't know any better.
Well they couldn't find any of my info on file.


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ShaneM said:I tried with a FirstUSA card (aka Chase, aka BankOne) about a month after cancellation. No dice. They said I have to reapply. And I asked 3 different people. Apparently they didn't want my business anyway. Despite all this, the card still shows up when I log into BankOne. They don't know their heads from their arses over there.

Same here, at least with BankOne/FirstUSA-originating cards.


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Tried to reopen my old (less than 2 years) associates (now Citi) account, spoke to 2 different csr, both told the account was not in their system, no way to reopen. One guy in this topic mentioned a successful reopening of a 3-year old associates account. An interesting system they have.


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