My First Credit Card

Tuesday, 12 May 09, 8.40am on the bus

Good morning, diary!
I am happy! Finally I got my first credit card, the very first one in my life! Well, when the world is now having economy problem because of the credit card, when people start avoiding/reducing their usage of credit card, I just got my first credit card and will start using it. You know, it was hard for me to get one although my salary is considered enough to apply one.

Ok, I tell you the story. On one fine day, I went to the bank to apply for my credit card. When I saw the details and the requirements, I was quite confident to aim for the gold card. One week passed, I received a letter from the bank saying that I should show them a copy of my employment contract. This was normal. When I submitted my employment contract, I asked them:
Me: "If my gold card application gets rejected, can you just automatically reapply it for a normal card?"
Bank officer: "Sure, you can"
Me: "I mean, can I be automatically considered for a lower card?"
Bank officer: "Yes, of course, you will still be considered for lower card if you reapply it"
Me: "So, can you reapply my card after it gets rejected?"
Bank officer: "Sure, you can. Would you be interested in some financial planning and insurance....."

That was my never-ending-conversation with the bank officer. Another week went by, I received a thin letter from the bank again. You know, thin letter means there was only one piece of paper in it, there was no card! Yes, it was a rejection letter and I was not automatically considered for a lower card.

On another one fine day, I went to the bank again to apply for a normal credit card. No gold. No silver. No platinum. Just a simple normal card. Again, I had to fill in all the forms! No exception! They should have had all my details by that moment, why should I fill in the same forms again? But, I still considered that as normal after I knew what's happening one week after. One week later, a piece of letter came again. Same letter. A letter from the bank saying that I should provide my employment contract! Have they lost the copy of employment contract that I gave them last time? Why should I go through the same process again? I was not giving my employment contract at that time because of 2 reasons; first, it's because I was really fed up, and second, it's because I really lost my employment contract since the last time I gave them! It's all their fault! I'm not a tidy person, I always forget to put the things back. So, I gave up, I didn't continue the application process. And another week passed by, another letter came again. It was not a letter with credit card, ok! It was just a reminder letter that I should produce my employment contract. I ignored the letter. I used to live for 28 years without even a single credit card and I lived well. I was sure that I would live well too without credit card for the rest of my life.

No, I was wrong! When I bought LV bags in Paris, I had to borrow my friend's credit card. I needed a credit card! There was only one way. Suddenly I remembered that I had a husband. He got a credit card and he could apply a sub-card for me! And yeap, this is how I managed to get my own credit card finally. A platinum card. With my full name written on that card. With my signature written at the back of the card. Ok ok, I remember, it's a sub-card, not based on my own merits. I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of myself, for getting a credit card at the age of 28 years old.. and it's only a sub-card!

-Abbie-