Personal Finance

Apply for a credit card in branch or online?

  • Last Updated:
  • Oct 18th, 2016 11:50 pm
Banned
Nov 29, 2015
1424 posts
524 upvotes
Brossard, QC

Apply for a credit card in branch or online?

I am trying to apply for BMO World Elite Mastercard. Any difference between applying for it in branch or online? Which one is better?
12 replies
Deal Addict
Oct 22, 2015
1678 posts
585 upvotes
I think if you go in they will try to sell you on other products.
Member
Aug 3, 2013
488 posts
289 upvotes
Durham
Apply online. If you get rejected, take your rejection letter in branch, and a human will be able to help get your application approved.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Aug 8, 2012
10198 posts
4028 upvotes
BC
It's worth searching online or asking if there is any benefit to applying in-branch.

I think it may have been CIBC recently that had a card that was first year free only when applied in branch.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16787 posts
12570 upvotes
Markham
ace604 wrote:
I think it may have been CIBC recently that had a card that was first year free only when applied in branch.
I dont know why they do that? Isnt branch is more expensive in terms of acquisition?
Jr. Member
Aug 31, 2005
175 posts
11 upvotes
BMO world Elite is a bit of a joke. When it arrives, it tells you to ACTIVATE NOW online at BMO.com/activate, which will promptly reject and give you a toll free to ... Wait for this ... Their fraud investigation line!

So the fraud officer will come on and tell you that you need to go to the branch to give more info even if you have given everything they asked for online in your application.

Do you wanna cancel? Guess what. You have to show up personally as well with 2 pcs of ID.

Ahhhh world Elite something!
Member
Apr 14, 2006
415 posts
277 upvotes
I find in person application is usually better and faster.

BMO card was instantly improved when I went to the branch.

CT Card instantly approved when I applied in store

Rogers bank I applied online, waited a week then received a piece of mail saying I was approved and but I had to go in to in store to verify my ID. They mailed the card afterwards.

If I applied straight to the store I would have saved 7 days not waste time waiting for the 1st letter asking for my ID.

Anytime you are able to confirm ID in advance with your application you will save time and more likely to satisfy fraud checks.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Aug 24, 2016
11664 posts
14020 upvotes
Win-ter-peg
zbigniew wrote: BMO world Elite is a bit of a joke. When it arrives, it tells you to ACTIVATE NOW online at BMO.com/activate, which will promptly reject and give you a toll free to ... Wait for this ... Their fraud investigation line!

So the fraud officer will come on and tell you that you need to go to the branch to give more info even if you have given everything they asked for online in your application.

Do you wanna cancel? Guess what. You have to show up personally as well with 2 pcs of ID.

Ahhhh world Elite something!
The bank protecting themselves, as well as you (from identity theft) is no joke. You should be happy they have these safe guards in place.
Member
Nov 26, 2015
389 posts
207 upvotes
zbigniew wrote: BMO world Elite is a bit of a joke. When it arrives, it tells you to ACTIVATE NOW online at BMO.com/activate, which will promptly reject and give you a toll free to ... Wait for this ... Their fraud investigation line!

So the fraud officer will come on and tell you that you need to go to the branch to give more info even if you have given everything they asked for online in your application.

Do you wanna cancel? Guess what. You have to show up personally as well with 2 pcs of ID.

Ahhhh world Elite something!
I had no problem with activation, but I had an extremely bizzare experience on actually receiving the card when I upgraded it.

Around early July I upgraded my card from Cashback to World Elite. I finally got my card on hand in mid August.

It took me a total of 8 phone calls, 2 presences in BMO branches, 4 languages (I spoke to the English, French, Cantonese and Mandarin agents in both banking & credit card hotlines), 1 normal delivery attempt and 3 express delivery attempts (2 to my home and 2 to branches, where 3 of them were "lost", "untrackable", "I don't know where it is sorry") and a total of 6 weeks for me to get my card. Ah they told me they would call me when they receive the card at the branch, and I took a leave and sit and relax on a Second Cup table right in front of their branch for the afternoon. I waited until 5pm and decided to walk into there to ask what's happening to my card, and oh they got it in the morning and the branch manager said "sorry I forgot je suis très fatigué". Moi aussi, stp.

They obviously refused to deduct the annual fee for that month, but whatever. I got over it but BMO logistics is really hell. I upgraded my credit card travel insurance and I'm still waiting for their policy document, for 5 weeks now lol.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Sep 9, 2012
6959 posts
6077 upvotes
Oakville, ON
smartie wrote:
ace604 wrote:
I think it may have been CIBC recently that had a card that was first year free only when applied in branch.
I dont know why they do that? Isnt branch is more expensive in terms of acquisition?
While the branches are a higher cost chennel, there are benefits for why they would do this.

There's a greater chance of fraud on mail-in or online applications, whereas with an in-branch application your identity can be confirmed up front and with greater certainty.

Also, the possibility of a cross-sell or up-sell via mail-in or online applications is nil, whereas if you're in-branch speaking with a rep they can try (and often succeed) in either getting more business for you or by yodelling to a better product.
Deal Addict
Feb 17, 2015
1143 posts
454 upvotes
Windsor, ON
I've had pretty good success online with the non premium cards or preapproved offers but my Equifax and transunion are both up to date with employment info and address, my TU was outdated at one point and triggered a visit to a branch and a few automated calls to get a card, I found most online apps auto approve as well based on your score, whereas I had a good score and went into branch at some point and was declined, for the more premium cards that require income verification possibly it could be more hassle applying online as they will request pay stubs bank statements that you need to fax them and they may take weeks to call and let you know this
Deal Guru
User avatar
Aug 8, 2012
10198 posts
4028 upvotes
BC
zbigniew wrote: BMO world Elite is a bit of a joke. When it arrives, it tells you to ACTIVATE NOW online at BMO.com/activate, which will promptly reject and give you a toll free to ... Wait for this ... Their fraud investigation line!

So the fraud officer will come on and tell you that you need to go to the branch to give more info even if you have given everything they asked for online in your application.

Do you wanna cancel? Guess what. You have to show up personally as well with 2 pcs of ID.

Ahhhh world Elite something!
Did you click the activate link from an IP not in Canada / near your home location (e.g. from a work PC routed through a US network?)
and/or did you call the activation # from a non-home phone #?
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
Deal Addict
Nov 18, 2015
2684 posts
3199 upvotes
my sister got rejected online filing for her very 1st CC. she was a student. she went and talked to the branch manager abd he approved it and pushed the paperwork through. I guess it can work

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