I wanted to wait a few more months, but I got really impatient and applied for the cards LOL. Would love to get the Amex Zync card by the end of this year, and then I’ll “garden” for 2 years and wait for my inquiries to fall off. My credit score probably isn’t good because I opened the new accounts + added inquiries. But I’ll wait until they go back up with some good payment history.
I applied for the Discover and Citi cards online. I actually applied for Discover back in July 2011 but was declined due to no credit history. They kept an eye on my credit report I guess, and then in December 2011, I received a letter from them saying that they have my updated credit score and I can call them to open an account if I was still interested. One of the best Christmas surprises! The phone call was quick and easy and I got approved. They offered me a cashback bonus for the new account as well. Discover’s customer service is very good!
I also applied for the Citi Forward card back in July 2011 when I was starting out, and got declined. Applied again in December and they asked for address verification. Took about a month to process and then I received a very generous limit from them, my highest credit limit at the moment.
I would think a credit union card is easier to get because credit unions tend to have more personal relationships with the customers. They would want to work with you. I hear credit unions are likely to give out generous credit limits too.