I have some information about Dillards American Express card

[stilltrying]

I have some information about the Dillards American Express card (for some background on this, go to google and search for "Dillards American Express").

I had called this afternoon and reached someone who didn't know too much about this card.

I called this evening and reached someone who was a lot more knowledgeable.

Some of those who currently have a Dillards charge card will have a chance to have their card automatically converted to the Dillards Amex card.
This conversion will happen in two phases.

In phase one, letters will be sent out between March 10-March13th to those who haven't used their Dillards charge card for awhile and/or those who use their card infrequently.

In phase two, letters will be sent to those Dillards charge card holders who actively use their cards (she didn't know the date(s) for when the letters would be sent out in phase two).

When these letters arrive, the autoconversion process will be handled similarly to the way that Sears and Target handle their charge cards, i.e. if you are interested in having your Dillards charge card converted to the Dillards American Express card, then you don't have to take any further action and your new card will be mailed to you. If you are not interested in the Amex card, then you will need to contact Dillards.

For those who don't receive these letters, you will have a chance to apply either in-store or on-line.
The on-line application should be available at the end of this month.

Regarding applying in-store, apparently only some stores (in certain states) currently have the applications. I guess to save yourself a trip to the store you could/should call Dillards to find out if your state is one of the ones with Dillards stores that have an in-store application.

Regarding the in-store/online application, for those who already have the Dillards charge card I asked if there will be the option of indicating on the application that you would like to have your card automatically converted. Or will this application involve having your credit checked to see if you qualify ? She said that those who receive the letters in the mail will have their cards autoupgraded without a credit check while those people (who haven't received the letters) who fill out the application will have their credit checked.

[Board Monitor]

Thanks for the post and the detailed info.! We are actually running a news story on http://www.CardRatings.com on this topic soon...

[stilltrying]

Thank you. I really enjoy this forum, and I hoped that this would be helpful information. I hope that the timing of my post didn't interfere in any way with this upcoming article.
I came across some additional specific information about the terms and conditions of this Dillards American Express card. Would it be alright to post that ?

[Board Monitor]

Would be great! Please post here. The Dillard's article should be posted this week.

Out of curiosity, how did you find out about us?

[stilltrying]

I was reading here "Dillard's Upgrade to AMEX" that there is a way to access the online application link for the Dillards Amex. The key here is the extra "t" at the beginning of the website address which the regular application does not have.

According to here, Online Account Servicing will be available for Dillard's American Express accounts starting on 3/22

I found out about your site through a friend of mine who recommended it to me.

https://twww.onlinecreditcenter2.com/Dillards/Dillards-apply.html?&splashlink5=5
Earn Dillard’s Reward Points every time you shop

* Earn 1 point for every dollar spent at Dillard’s with your Dillard’s Credit Card

* Earn 2 points for every dollar spent at Dillard’s with your Dillard’s American Express® Card1, plus 1 point for every dollar spent anywhere American Express is accepted

https://twww.onlinecreditcenter2.com/Dillards/CreditTerms.html

https://twww.onlinecreditcenter2.com/Dillards/step_1.html
DILLARD'S AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD TERMS
Annual Percentage Rate
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
19.49% 17.49% 15.49%

Other APRs Delinquency Rate*
Cash APR 22.49% Delinquency Rate* 28.49%

The APR for Purchases may vary and will equal the prime rate plus (i) 11.99%, but not less than 14.99% for Tier 1 Accounts; (ii) 9.99%, but not less than 12.99% for Tier 2 Accounts; or (iii) 7.99%, but not less than 10.99% for Tier 3 Accounts. The APR for Cash Advances may vary and will equal the prime rate plus 14.99%, but not less than 17.99%. The Delinquency Rate may vary and will equal the prime rate plus 20.99%, but not less than 24.99%. The "prime rate" for a billing period is the highest bank prime loan rate as published in The Wall Street Journal in its Money Rates section on any business day of the three calendar months preceding the first day of the billing period.

Grace Period for Repayment of the Balance for Purchases
25 days, if there is no previous balance or balance is fully paid; otherwise none.

Method of Computing the Balance for Purchases
Average Daily Balance (including new purchases)

Minimum Finance Charge
$1.00

Transaction Fee for Cash Advances and Convenience Checks
The greater of $5.00 or 3% of the amount of the Cash Advance

Transaction Fee for Balance Transfers
The greater of $5.00 or 3% of the amount of the Balance Transfer, but no more than $75.00

Foreign Transaction Fee
3% of the Transaction

Late Payment Fee: The amount of the Late Payment Fee will be based on your New Balance at the time your delinquent Total Minimum Payment was calculated. The Late Payment Fee will be $15.00 for a New Balance of $49.99 and under; $20.00 for a New Balance of $50.00 to $99.99; $29.00 for a New Balance of $100.00 to $999.99; and $39.00 for a Balance of $1000 or more.

5. Paper Copies of Communications.
Upon your request, we will send you a paper copy of the Agreement, GEMB'S Privacy Policy for the Dillard's American Express Card or Dillard's Credit Card Program and/or other material provided pursuant to the Consent to Electronic Communication. If you would like a paper copy of any of this material please write to us at P.O. Box 981430, El Paso, TX 79998-1430 or call us at 1-800-643-8278. There will be no charge for a paper copy of this material.

[stilltrying]

I have an update. Prior to tonight when I had called Dillards, the extension that has more information on the Dillards American Express card was not available.
(At the end of my conversation I asked if this extension will have a direct number or extension number that the customer can dial to reach that extension directly. She answered that eventually the automated system will be updated where the customer will be able to call the current customer service number for Dillards charge card customers (1-800-643-8278) and press "1" if he/she has one type of card and press "2" if he/she has the other type (in other words, apparently the customer service phone number for the Dillards Amex card will be the same as the current number for the charge card). But for right now to reach this Amex extension, a customer needs to call the above 1-800 number and asked to be transferred to the Amex extension -- the phone reps have also been referring to the Amex card as the "Dillards dual card".)

I tried to think of all the right questions to ask. The Dillards charge card customer service person to whom I talked before he transferred me to the Dillards Amex extension apologetically said his department is still in the dark about some things like the customers are. So if you have some particular question(s) about the Amex card you might want to begin with to ask to be transferred to the Dillards Amex extension.

I had read elsewhere on the internet that a Dillards store employee had told a customer that supposedly eventually the charge card will be discontinued and that Dillards will offer only the Amex card. The person at the Amex extension tonight told me that is not true. There are no plans to discontinue the charge card.

Regarding those people who will be receiving letters in this first wave, can a person call to see if his/her account has been flagged to indicate that this person will be receiving a letter ? The answer is yes. She also had specific information about the criterium for the period of inactivity to be eligible for this first wave. The letters in this first wave are being sent to those whose accounts have been inactive for three or more years.


Another big question in my mind has been about applying in-store/online. For those of us who do not receive one of these letters and want to apply in-store/online, here is some important information:
1) I asked if we will have to fill out the same form and submit all the same information as those who do not have an account with Dillards -- yes, we will. I guess that's not a real big deal, but in my opinion that is a little bit of a disappointing hassle that I was hoping we who currently have charge cards wouldn't have to go through.

2) Once the credit is checked, will we wind up with two cards (a Dillards Amex card and a Dillards charge card) ? Yes, will. When she said that, I was pretty surprised. She said that after being approved for the Amex card a person can close his/her charge card if he/she wants to; after being approved for the Dillards Amex card, regardless of whether the person holds on to the charge card or closes the charge card, the person's account history for that Amex card will be starting from scratch.
Here is the next thing that really surprised me. Regarding those people who will be receiving the letters, I had been assuming that the account history would be carried over to the Dillards Amex card (which is the way that Target handled my account when my Target Guest charge card was upgraded to the Target Visa account). According to this person tonight, that will not be the case: even those receiving the letters will be starting from scratch regarding their account history for the Amex card -- The only difference, she said, between a person who receives a letter and a person who applies in-store/online is that the person who receives the letter will not have his/her credit checked. (I didn't think to ask until I got off the phone about whether the person who receives the letter will, like a person who applies in-store/online, wind up with both a charge card and an Amex card or whether that person with a letter will have his/her charge card upgraded and the charge card will be automatically closed.)

For those who do not currently have a charge card with Dillards, here is something important. That person on the application can check mark whether he/she wants to be considered for only the charge card or whether he/she wants to be considered first for the Dillards Amex card and then be considered for the charge card if he/she is not approved for the Amex card. If the person wants to be considered for the Amex card and is not approved, there will be a second credit pull for being considered for the charge card.

When I mentioned that the online application is currently available by typing a "t" at the beginning of the website address and that does this mean that the online application portion of the website for the Dillards Amex card is still being tested and, therefore, not yet ready for people to use, she suggested to be on the safe side waiting to apply until this Thursday the 23rd. She said that she was told that the 23rd is officially when people can start applying online. Can people apply over the phone for the Dillards Amex card ? No, only instore or online.

Since this person I reached tonight was very knowledgeable, after I got off the phone I wished that I would have thought of asking her if she had any specific information about when the second wave of letters are going to be sent. Unfortunately, my account has been inactive for only a year, so I won't be receiving one of these letters in this first wave. But I wonder what the specific qualifications will be for the second wave.

Lastly, here is an application that you print and mail:
https://twww.onlinecreditcenter2.com/Di ... endly.html
https://twww.onlinecreditcenter2.com/Di ... le_App.pdf

[stilltrying]

I'm still excited about the Dillards Amex card, but I'm disappointed by a few things.

If you don't want to gamble on/wait for a letter to come, as I've explained earlier you can apply for the Dillards Amex card in-store or on-line. The approval process for applications is apparently handled entirely by computer. If you indicate on the form that you want to be considered for the Amex card and you are turned down, then you will automatically be considered for the Dillards charge card even if you already currently have a Dillards charge card:

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=166170
I applied and was approved for a $200 regular dillards card. but I already have a Dillards card that I have had for 14 yrs and has a $7500 limit. so I guess no Amex for me and a stupid $200 card.

and then my hubby applied and got the 10 message. no $200 card. but he also already has a Dillards card with a $2300 limit.

So I asked tonight what a person could/should do if he/she already has a Dillards charge card and is then, after applying for and being turned down for an Amex card, approved for a second charge card. The only advice that the rep could offer was picking out of the two charge cards the one with the higher limit and closing the other one. Furthermore, if a person winds up in the situation of now having two charge cards, the two charge cards and their credit limits cannot be combined. Also, in regards to the credit limit for the second charge card, not only is the approval process handled automatically, but the determination of the credit limit is handled automatically, too.

In regards to the two waves/phases of letters that are being sent out, the first phase just ended two days ago. The company wants to allow a little time before beginning the second phase. The rep tonight doesn't know when the second phase will begin. I asked how the Dillards charge card customers will be selected for the letters in the second phase. He answered that people will be randomly chosen.

He didn't have any information about what the criteria are for being approved for a Dillards Amex if one decides to apply in-store/on-line. But here's a hint of what the computer might/will be looking for:

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=167673
heres why i was denied according to the letter from GE Money Bank:

box 2 checked.

"In evaluating your request, a credit scoring system was used......
............Nevertheless, the factor(s) where you did not score well compared with other consumers have been determined and these factor(s) were: "

# OPEN REVOLVING ACCTS W/ BALANCE 75%+ OF HIGH CREDIT LAST 3 MTHS

[stilltrying]

Until you asked, all this time I assumed that they are in every state. I didn't realize the number of states in the northwest, north, and northeast that have no stores or only one or two.

At the main website, after clicking on "store locator" there's a map showing the present locations across the country:
http://www.dillards.com/sec/SecHeaderServlet?secflag=s or http://kivera.dillards.com/

As a rough comparison, in terms of selection, quality of merchandise, and pricing, I would say they're inbetween Nordstrom and Kohls/Mervyns but closer to being like Nordstrom.

[mouse]

Where is Dillards? Never heard of them here in the Northeast.

NOT IN THE NORTHEAST!!!

http://kivera.dillards.com/

Most of the stores are in the BOTTOM 1/2 OF THE USA