Lain
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2014
- Messages
- 9,372
I need some input. I am sure I am over thinking this but I can’t help it!
...
Or maybe I just apply as generally as possible and if I get denied then don’t fight it?
You’re definitely overthinking it. Keep it simple, a sole proprietorship, that’s “you” so you shouldn’t need to provide any documentation to prove up your “business.” Use your name as your business name, and your SSN as the EIN or Tax ID number. Don’t get fancy with any other business form that actually may prompt Chase to ask for documentation. It really does seem like those of us who have actual legit businesses are the ones subjected to scrutiny.
I want a CIP now of my own (80k UR hello!) except I don’t know that I even have any “business.” No never sold on line, don’t get on eBay.
You mean 100k UR, because of course you’ll use DH’s referral; he’ll get 20k and you’ll get 80k UR.
My options as I see it are:
Open to all ideas.
- Do what I did to get the Amex Business and do it as travel planning. Except you start to look at the Chase categories and that is more than a little intimidating. I don’t know how to make it fit.
- Apply as if DH did not already have a CIP for his business. My name is on the DBA license, the city license, and on a federal licensing form he was required to do. So if it came to documentation I actually could provide. If I did that though should I do the same business name as his or change it? I could do our last name instead I guess.
- I am a government attorney (prosecutor). So not a business BUT in theory I could do private practice and be a sole practioner on my own. I am not going too, but I guess if Chase asked I could say I wanted the option?!? This option makes me worry a bit and realistically if they denied and wanted more information I probably would just say never mind.
Most of us seem to have most success applying with an online sales “business.” You don’t necessarily have to have sold anything yet; even plans to start up a business counts. This could be the year you decide to start up your side business, but first you need a credit card to put all your planned spend for inventory, supplies, and such, and generally to keep your business expenses separate.
If you decide to start an online sales business, select "retail: books, hobbies, music, sports, general, non store retail" (or the other retail category) > "electronic shopping and mail-order" > "electronic shopping.” You’ll apply with an estimate or projection of your revenue.
Does Chase ever look at spending and see if it relates to the business? If I did get the CIP a big portion of the spending would be spent on travel of some sort so that might make the last 2 options seem weird.
Thanks.
Nope. Can you imagine the billions of transactions that Chase processes on its credit cards every day? There’s no way to monitor everything. Chase has boilerplate language that you should only put business expenses on business cards, but that’s really because business cards don’t have some of the consumer protections as on personal cards. Officially, let’s just say all the spend on your business card are for business purposes.