Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

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Topic Author
markfaix
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:47 pm

Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by markfaix »

I am considering applying for this card to replace my Fidelity 2% cashback Visa, but when I read the previous thread about the onerous application process, it gave me pause.

Has anyone, especially those with self employment income, recently applied for and been approved for this card? What was the process like? I have mostly self employment income and a little W-2 income, and I didn't really want to have to send in old tax returns, after which they often ask for my business tax returns, which they don't understand, etc. etc.
Liam Friend
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:58 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Liam Friend »

I applied for and obtained this Alliant card about six months ago. I found the application process to be relatively easy. I honestly don’t recall if they required a copy of my most recent tax return. If they did, that and my FICO score was about the extent of it.

Happy so far with the card. I used it for an $11,000 purchase a few weeks after I got the card. Seamless.
Liam Friend
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:58 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Liam Friend »

Oh, and I am self-employed and compensated via a partnership K-1 with zero W-2 income.
Topic Author
markfaix
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:47 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by markfaix »

How has the customer service been? Lots of complaints about unhelpful CSRs.

Online reviews also complain of slow posting of payments, eg, you have a $5K credit limit, you spent $1K, you pay the $1K, so your balance is $0, but your credit limit is still $4k for 1 week.
Nummerkins
Posts: 673
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:41 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Nummerkins »

I had the card but converted to the 2% offering before my AF hit. I really did not like the CS. When you contact Alliant about any credit cards with them all of your requests go back to a third party servicer. Extremely annoying. However, the 3% cashback was very valuable.
Today's high is tomorrow's low.
reimann
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:31 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by reimann »

I signed up a year ago without any problem.
Have had no issues since.

Happy with the CC
DrivingFun
Posts: 313
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:12 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by DrivingFun »

It has been my main card for nearly a year. I don't mess around with Chase and all the travel points since I don't travel enough to take advantage of accumulating them. I don't recall having any issues with the application process. Customer service is definitely third party. Their website is third rate. Don't take your cashback as statement credit (it won't reflect it for a good month), take it as cashback to your savings account (2 days). It's the highest everything cashback card out there as far as I know.
Liam Friend
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:58 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Liam Friend »

Only used customer service once. No problem.
Topic Author
markfaix
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:47 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by markfaix »

In addition to customer service, any issues with slow posting of payments. For example, you have a $5K credit limit, you spent $1K, you pay the $1K, so your balance is $0, but your credit limit is still $4k for another week.
Laren
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:06 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Laren »

Alliant wanted a copy of my tax return in order to complete my application for the credit card. They initially said they needed all of it, but I talked them down to just the first couple of pages.

Customer service for the credit card is outsourced, and it can take forever to get through to a human on the phone.

And payments are very slow to post. I'll transfer money to pay the credit card from an Alliant bank account, and it still takes a week for the credit card limit to become available again. So annoying that a transfer from their own bank takes so long to clear.

I really liked the 3% for the first year. Now that I'm getting 2.5%, I find myself debating if the card is worth the hassle. I'll probably hang on to it since I jumped through hoops to get it (and my next-best card earns 2%), but it's not quite the favorite card I thought it would be.
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by sunny_socal »

I've had the card for a little over a year.

- Yes, the application process was rather involved (still worth it)
- I probably get 2k/year from the card, the $59 fee is a paltry sum to pay for that benefit (last year I got 3k)
- No issues with their customer service, whether the bank or the CC. I seldom need to call.
- The rebate goes into my Alliant savings account where it earns another 2%/year

Strategy:
- Costco card for gas and restaurants
- Alliant for everything else

Simple and effective! :beer
dacalo
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by dacalo »

markfaix wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:59 pm In addition to customer service, any issues with slow posting of payments. For example, you have a $5K credit limit, you spent $1K, you pay the $1K, so your balance is $0, but your credit limit is still $4k for another week.
I haven't noticed that but our limit is $20k and we don't go anywhere near that and we pay off the balance in full. Never had to call for CS. The sign up was pretty seamless.
ERISA Stone
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by ERISA Stone »

I've had issues with slow posting of payments. I now know to pay off a large purchase as soon as it hits the card. Other than that I've had no issues. Claiming the rewards process is a bit clunky but a small price to pay for 3% back.
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batpot
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by batpot »

I have noticed slow posting of payments, and it's bitten us once when the card was nearly maxed.

Last month I scheduled 2 partial payments a month, the 2nd of which adds up to the statement balance.

3% cash back allows us to use Plastique for a very large monthly child care payment; worth it even at 2.5% to float the money for 30days, while earning 3% on their 2.5% fee :greedy .
mugworts
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:14 pm

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by mugworts »

I had never heard of Alliant and was happy to stumble across this thread. I have a 2% card and get about $2000 of kickbacks a year with it. I just jumped through the admittedly large number of hoops to apply for an Alliant card. It might have taken 15 minutes or so and was much more detailed than any other credit card I have ever applied for. I am self employed, but only thing I had to send them was a copy of my drivers license. Even with the less than stellar customer support reported here, I am looking forward to using this as my main card in 2019 and beyond!
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mrmass
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Location: MA

Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by mrmass »

I have had their 3% for 3 months. So far I like it. They lack bill due notifications and seem to be somewhat low tech. I have had to talk to them a few times about pulling a payment from Fido (not Alliant's fault) and they were very helpful.
Millennial
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Millennial »

I applied in September, and a portion of my income is rental income is from rental properties (reported on Schedule C). I needed all of my income as they have a strict limit on debt to income, and they were counting rental property mortgages in my debt. I actually had to add my wife to get the income up (needed her W-2 income, in addition to my W-2 and the rental income).

They did not ask me for any proof of either my W-2 or Schedule C income.
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cockersx3
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by cockersx3 »

I've had the card for about a year. I believe they asked me for a copy of my prior year 1040 for, but that was it. More onerous than the automated approval process other card issuers use, but I thought (and still think) That the benefits are worth it.

I have not seen the issue others state about slow posting of payments, but account limit is high so that has not been an issue. I have not had to deal with their CS on the phone, but have exchanged secure messages with them and not had any issues...all inquiries were addressed within one business day.

The only drawback I have noticed is that the web site does not seem to "play well" with Quicken. It will frequently download transactions twice, which makes it kind of a pain to reconcile. I have dealt with that by limiting downloads to only the last few days rather than the entire month (which is the default), which makes it bearable but still a bit of a pain. That said, I'm still planning to stick with the card after my 12 month anniversary.

FWIW, we also have the alliant checking and savings account, and they work great with no issues at all (including Quicken downloads). Rates on savings and money market accounts are very competitive. They also offer checking and debit cards to kids age 13 and older, with a parent co-owner. Our oldest daughter has found this very useful, much easier and safer than carrying cash. It also allows us to teach her how they work and monitor spending, which I think is better than the alternative of doing that in college with the attendent pressures to overspend.

Both of our kids have savings accounts through Alliant as well, and IIRC the rates for those are similar to their money market accounts. They get a kick out of seeing the interest they are earning on their savings, and have started competing with each other to see who can save more and earn more interest. Bogleheads in training maybe :D
Trism
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Re: Alliant CU 3/2.5% Visa application process

Post by Trism »

Discover IT Miles card pays 1.5% back on all purchases, and they pay a 100% bonus on your rewards at the end of the first year. So 3% back with no annual fee.

With two adults in the household, close the first IT Miles card at the end of the first year and have the other adult open one and add you as an authorized user. Use this for one more year at 3% for everything -- with no fee.

Keep doing this until the year-end bonus offer ends (which it will), but by that time the rewards on the Alliant credit card will also be devalued and there will be some other more compelling product/s in the market).

The big downside is that this is a Discover card, which is pretty low-rent compared to V/MC/AE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgZL27H_yxk
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