Credit card stacking is in the news lately.  Mostly, the news isn’t great. In fact, if you’re reading this, you likely know that. You may very well be thinking that this type of funding is a scam.

Is Credit Card Stacking Always Bad? 

No, stacking credit cards is not always bad. In fact, a credit card stacking program can be a very useful tool for funding a business. It even works well for startups. You just have to know how to avoid the scams. 

What is Credit Card Stacking?

This type of funding involves applying for multiple credit cards at once. Then when you get approval, you have access to the balances on all of them. You can use the money to fund a business, even drawing cash if you need. 

There is no need for collateral. In fact, this is totally unsecured business financing. However, you do need a personal guarantee. That means you need a decent credit score. Usually, that is a personal credit score of 680 or above. 

Credit Line Hybrid Financing: Get up to $150,000 in financing so your business can thrive.

Is Credit Card Stacking a Scam?

No, in and of itself, this type of funding is not a scam. Still, there are scams like this out there. You need to know how to tell the difference between a scam and legitimate card stacking program to fund your business. 

Once you know the difference, you can take advantage of this funding option while protecting yourself and your business. 

About the Seed Capital Card Stacking Scandal

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. If you do a Google search on “credit card stacking” you are going to see a lot about Seed Capital. They were running a card stacking scam, and the Federal Trade Commission put a stop to it. Here is how it went down.

First, Seed Capital did not tell companies how this funding would work. Borrowers did not realize they were applying for multiple credit cards. In addition, many times these were personal credit cards, and they had no idea. Furthermore, Seed was filling out the credit applications, not the client.

That’s not necessarily terrible if the client knows about it and has given formal permission, but Seed was also found to be lying about the income of the clients on the applications. In fact, sometimes income was inflated by as much as $100,000.

The result was that many clients were getting approval for multiple cards with very high limits. Again, all of this was without their knowledge.

But There Is More to the Seed Capital Story

Now, the rest of the story. That’s right, there’s more. Most clients found Seed when they looked into some sort of business training program. Behind the scenes, the program had a deal with Seed to use their credit card stacking program to finance the training package for the client. 

The client would realize they did not need to or could not make the cash outlay. The training company would offer financing and have the client apply. Then, they would send the info to Seed, who would apply for the credit cards as mentioned above. After that, Seed would let the training company know what the total limit was, and the client would be charged close to that amount, virtually maxing out multiple cards at once.

Not only that, but most clients felt the “training” was a scam itself, believing it not to be useful once they went through the program. Then, they were stuck with thousands of dollars of credit card debt, and a wrecked personal credit score due to high utilization ratios. Unfortunately, they did not have anything useful to show for it. 

Legit Card Stacking to Fund a Business

This is not how legit card stacking programs work. On the contrary, you can actually even do this to fund a startup.  It’s better if you have someone to help you. A professional can help you find the best card options and the lowest rates. 

One common practice is to find cards with 0% introductory rates. This allows for 0% interest, sometimes for over a year, and at least until the introductory rates run out. Credit Suite has a program like this called The Credit Line Hybrid.

Credit Line Hybrid Financing: Get up to $150,000 in financing so your business can thrive.

The Credit Line Hybrid

You need good credit or a credit partner with good credit to qualify for the Credit Line Hybrid. This is unsecured business financing like all credit card stacking, so there is no collateral requirement.  You can use the funds on anything for your business. 

For example: 

• Real estate
• Equipment
• Working capital
• Even startup expenses

There is no down payment necessary and no income documentation either. This is totally “no-doc” financing. Approval can range up to $150,000. 

The Credit Line Hybrid Requirements

How do you qualify for The Credit LIne Hybrid? You need a personal credit score of 680 or above or a credit partner that does. Other requirements include: 

• No late payments for the past 24 months
• 6 inquires or less in the past 6 months
• No open collections or bankruptcies
• At least 2 open credit cards with a $2,000 limit or higher
• At least 1 ½ years good payment history
• Utilization rate not higher than 40%
• And no bankruptcies in the past 7 years

Benefits of The Credit Line Hybrid

Not having to provide financials is a big benefit.  Also, the minimum credit score of 680 is much less than what other types of financing require. Furthermore, you have the option to use a credit partner if you do not meet the minimum credit score.

Another huge plus is that this program can help build your business credit score, which increases the fundability of your business. This is because often the cards in the line report to the business credit reporting agencies.

How is The Credit Line Hybrid Different From the Scams

There are a number of differences between our program and the credit card stacking scams out there. First, you know exactly what is happening and how it works before you sign up for anything. We will never apply for credit cards without your knowledge.

Next, our program does not include inflating income in an effort to get higher limits. Finally, you are free to use the money how you choose.  We do not work with partners to provide funding for anything specific. We simply help you get the funding you need to grow your business the way you need to do it.

Credit Line Hybrid Financing: Get up to $150,000 in financing so your business can thrive.

Top Tips to Avoid Credit Card Stacking Scams

First, if you are trying to purchase a product or service and they offer financing, ask the questions. Read the fine print, and make sure you know exactly where the funding is coming from. Also, always monitor your personal and business credit reports to ensure there are no unexpected accounts on them. 

In addition, work directly with a trusted company. Part of the problem with the Seed Capital fiasco was that the funding was for a specific service that the client could not afford to pay cash for.  They may not have even realized Seed Capital was involved at all. 

That means they never had a chance to research Seed on their own. When you go to the company directly, you can do your own research.  Looking at reviews and the Better Business Bureau can sometimes save you a lot of pain. 

When you work with Credit Suite directly, you not only get access to the funding, but we can help you find any other products or services that could help you grow your business even more.

Credit Card Stacking is a Legit Business Funding Option

Yet, you have to do it the right way. Don’t try to do it on your own.  Do your research and find a trusted company that can help. Always make sure you know what you are getting into.  

The post The True Story Behind Credit Card Stacking and Why It’s Not Always Bad appeared first on Credit Suite.