Miles from my Cat
 

My cat has several credit cards, including the Amex HiltonHonors Platinum.

Whenever a CC offers me something for ordering an additional card for a family member, my cat gets another card. That's how he got the Amex HH Plat.

Now my cat is getting his own targeted offers.
Hilton wants him to sign up for his own card, and they'll give him 20,000 points.
He's even pre-approved.

My question is, can I get my cat to sign up for his own card, then somehow funnel the bonus miles/points to me? As of now, there's no Purina award. And he hates flying, so it should be no loss to him.

Free miles from my pet?
Surely, the cat's meow.

Wait, wait! Slow down! First thing first.

Does your cat have his own SSN? If so, go for it all the way! :p:D:D

What's your cat's credit rating?

I don't get it. :o

Come on, guys!
Don't yank my tail.
Serious question here. Really.

Seriously, how can your cat get his own credit cards if he has no SSN? Credit card companies require the SSN of the primary cardholder. Moreover, any application filed "by" your cat would be fraudulent, since your cat can't legally sign the application. My answers to your questions would therefore be, "No, not legally." Of course, IANAL, I have no idea what the CC company may or may not catch, and I am neither encouraging nor discouraging this idea.

If your cat's name is the same as yours, you could just put in your FF #s ;)

I am as serious as a heart attack as well.

He was able to get his credit cards so far because you signed him up as the authorized user on your own cards. He's been "surviving" on your credit rating/history, which obviously you don't mind.

Theoretically, if your cat DOES have his own SSN, there's nothing to stop you to get him his own creditcards.

Well, just a second. I think the cc application also asks for state ID. Have you got him his own state ID yet? (I don't think he will get any driver licence. His eyesight may be perfect. Can he paw through the written & road tests? What about photo? :p)

Age may be of concern too. If you use cat age, he will be under-aged. How old is he in human age?

To apply for a credit card in US, you need (at least):
1. a physical address.-- (checked)
2. SSN (or tax ID number) -- ??
3. 2nd ID (state-issued) -- ??
4. a signature (to sign the credit card). Would a paw-print count??

What does Cat Bidkat have? (Please don't sign him up for this suggested FT handle, yet! :D)

My older, smarter, anxiety ridden dog has credit and is protective of it. On the other hand I won't allow my little dim dog to open cards because I know she would run up her balance with reckless spending on toys, treats, trips to the bark park, cute clothes and accessories, more toys, doggie massages and pedicures.

My cat has received numerous credit card offers, but hasn't fallen for any of them yet.

Seriously, once a name gets on a mailing list (we ordered some cat treats in the cat's name once) the list is sold and resold and could end up just about anywhere. Tilly never gets any frequent flier offers, but she used to get solicitations from real estate agents wanting to sell her a house.

Since you have signed 'him' up as an additional cardmember he has become a statistic in a marketing file so that is how you get the pre-approved offer. As soon as you try to accomplish the application it will probably get bounced when you cannot provide the key info other posters have pointed out. Of course, you could try to send it in without SSN and see if they accept it. As to sending the points to your account, try it with putting your FF number in the application. I don't know how close they look at names versus numbers, but I have used my kids' numbers on hotel stays in the past to keep activity in their account or get them past a mileage threshhold.

I believe that phrase is copyrighted by Catman!;)

My dog has his own SPG Platinum card as an additional user, and did not have to have a SS# to get it. He uses it to buy gas and make purchases online. He did have a sub to the Wall Street Journal and now gets mail and calls to have a financial advisor.
It is funny to my friends who cannot even get a credit card!!

JudyJFLA

Authorized users (or additional users) don't need SSNs since they are not the PRIMARY account holders.

What support/sustain the cats'/dogs' cards are the credit history of their masters (such as you and Bidkat), the primary cardholders, who have willingly added the pets to their own credit cards as authorized/additional users. (And swipe the credit cards on their pets' behalves. ;))

As for your friends who can't even get their own cards, I can only say your credit ratings obviouly outnumber them. If you like, you may give them a helping hand and add them to your cards as well. Be aware though. Your friends might not use the cards as "responsible" as your dog and your credit could be dented as a result. ;)

Reminds me of that dog a bunch of Harvard or Princeton students got through 4 years of college 30 or 40 or more years ago. They took all his tests, did his lab work, wrote his papers, etc.

I haven't been able to come up with the right set of keywords to Google up that story yet.

PS I've cerainly racked up a bunch of miles/points through vet bills charged to our CCs.

:D

Are you sure you're not talking about GWB? ;)

SS#s
 

According to one federal identity theft advice line, a SS# is for use by the IRS only and may NOT be required as ID by private businesses. I have successfully opened a cell phone account as well as other commercial relationships where they strenuously insisted they HAD to have my SS#, but eventually caved when I stood my ground. Good credit rating helps.

How persistent is your kitty? ;)

i would love to hear how you deal with the likes of citibank and amex who will all refuse to open accounts online or over the phone without ss number or accept any IRS tax numbers.

How did those business verify you had good credit ratings without your SSN? Are you sure they knew about your good rating via going by your name alone?

I believe Cat Bidkat has persistent purr. :)

#3 has never been required by any of the cards I've received, though some sort of income and emloyment information is.

#4 is definitely not required. I have never signed the back of a credit card. I always write "SEE ID" on it with a big Sharpie. The only place that won't accept it that way is in person at the Post Office.

That used to be true (based on the original Social Security Act), but has not been enforced in many years.

I don't recall I gave any 2nd ID info in cc applications years back either. However, in the last year (or last couple of months?), the state-issued ID/driver license has consistently been required in the online applications (At least for Citi and Chase).
As far as signature goes, during the online application, I recall they ask for some clicks (or initials or something) in lieu of pen-based signatures.

It's always my understanding that the verification of legit cc usage, i.e. fraud prevention, is to check both ID and signature for in-store purchases (even though in practice, not every merchant checks ID, let alone signature on the back panel ;)). For the newer cards with chips or transmitters (Chase Blink...), the requirements may be different. I am not sure if the terms on the cc have specified the signature requirement. However, all the recordings I hear after activating a new cc over the phone keep telling me to remove the stickers and sign the cards. I have no idea you can get away with signatures.

Of course, for the "lucky" cats and dogs, who get to be the authorized/additional users, they never have to worry about any of of these "procedures". :p

Has your cat gotten any quotes for life insurance?

I wonder how that would work...what with its nine lives and all... lol

This is a very funny thread. :)

My Eddie does not want credit cards. He says he's a cash only Cat!

I thought of signing up Eddie for United Mileage Plus and Starwood... but maybe Cats can't earn miles and points.

I sign up Eddie for Cat food and litter coupons and he gets college applications and even an invite to join the Army! (I put in his age as 19)

This is an oversimplification of a complex topic. See, for example, this discussion published by the Department of Justice ...

http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/1974ssnu.htm

you are being too serious

~~~~
I have heard many stories of such things and sometimes, when we do NOT like it, someone gets our info causes havock.

There have even been sad stories of people getting cards where someone's 3 year old now has bad credit before they even would have been able to legitiamtely GET credit! And it's the parents of that 3 year old who have to fix it.

Nonetheless, if you were able to get a card for your cat--and somehow the cat's application process circumvented the need for an SSN, then that's great! I would think it would be relatively easy to just claim the cat died and then ask to have the miles transferred as the executor of a will might. Or, maybe do a transfer in the airline. My question is, if you needed to get an award ticket from say, United miles that the cat holds, and it was to fly on a partner airline like US Air, then how would the airline handle the "bluey?" I mean, would the cat have to go to the airport, show ID and sign it over to you or what?
:D

What bluey? :confused: Didn't you just pronouce the death of that say cat? :D:D

Seriously funny, isn't it?

Don't know about cats getting miles/points since they don't get their own tickets when flying. (Do they?) However, I heard at least one cello has elite status on AA. I guess that cello did earn it, in a butt-in-seat way. :cool: I recall there are more threads about cello with status. Can't seem to locate them right now.

According the the FT posts, to get a frequent flyer account for an unborn baby, a cello, or a pet, is more feasible than getting a credit card in their own names. But that's a different issue from this thread. ;)

Stupid question...what's a bluey?!? (seriously, don't go for the obvious:))

I manage three sets of FF acounts (mine, my dead mothers, and an exes), have used the accounts that are not in my name for rewards without ever having to do any "in-person" authorization. Have I just been lucky or not used the right (wrong) progtam yet for a reward?!?

Mike

clarification of BLUEY
 

sorry about that...
Um, well, in United, yes, you can use your miles to get an award for anyone... and yes, you can give them awards on UA's partners, BUT...

The airline makes it hard to do this if the ticket cannot be purchased online. As we know, some cannot be.

The owner of said miles can call in (pay the $15 fee too) to reserve the ticket for I think 48hrs max but then he needs to--get this--Go to an actual UA desk (normally just found at airports these days, which means it's not always convenient to do it) and sign a blue card--hence the name--which authorizes the use of his own miles for and award ticket in someone else's name. That is, unless it's I think the same last name or something (not hyphenated ones, and probably not pets but who knows)

Big pain in the ars.

The owner of said miles needs to show ID and unless you choose to wait some horrid length of time to have them mail you the tickets (now paper tickets though, and no longer E tickets) this is your ONLY choice!

There are threads on it in UAs forum.

The cat, therefore, would need to have more ID available for examination by a defunct airline than to just get a freakin credit card! :D

I won't trust my cat with her own cc or be my card's secondary owner. I'm' already suspecting her surfing online while I'm not home.

A merchant may NOT ask for ID as long as the card is signed. If the card is not signed, the merchant should ask for an ID, verify the name and ID match, have the customer sign the card, then accept the transaction. The retailer for which I work has drilled this into our heads a lot recently.

We used to ask for ID on things >$500, but that is apparently not allowed under Visa/MC/AMEX rules.

Is her name by any chance Pepper? This must be your cat then. :D:D

I have also heard stories of declaring tehir Cats and other pets (but mostly people with several dozen cats) as dependants on tax forms.

Maybe that's getting carried away. I NEVER did that. tempted but never.

I did not originate Cat's MEOW but I named my Cat sitting business that. Five yeras later I'm a little successful ;)

I did originate the saying "Have a MEOWY Day!" :)

A dog getting a degree from Harvard!
Hopefully my Old English Sheepdog does not hear that since he would want to get a "sheepskin" too!

Actually for travel programs, Murpf has been known to have some point earning programs for Hotel points..........

JudyJFLA

Dogs have masters; cats have staff.

Staff? Since when do we get a salary? Cats have servants!

Now the US Post Office has new rules whereas your card needs to be signed AND you need to show ID. Some people have come in, they say, with fake IDs--you know, to buy stamps and all...
Overzealous? Well, that's our government fer ya!\
And yet I have heard many tall tale of credit cards being swiped at stores like Target where the picture on the ID or card was that of someone's dog or cat :D
Sometimes the clerk doesnt look, he just needs to make it appear that he did for teh sake of the overhead security camera watching him!

[QUOTE=Marathon Man;9631813
And yet I have heard many tall tale of credit cards being swiped at stores like Target where the picture on the ID or card was that of someone's dog or cat :D
Sometimes the clerk doesnt look, he just needs to make it appear that he did for teh sake of the overhead security camera watching him![/QUOTE]

Using a Simon Visa (gift card), often the clerk asks for ID, says "Thanks," hands it back, continues. Never noticing the name on my license is not Simon Visa Malls.

:D

My experience is the same as mahasamatman. I haven't signed a credit
card in over 20 years, and the only place where I haven't been able to
use them is at the Post Office. (Except now they have the automatic
machines at the Post Office where I sometimes use them.) I get asked for
an ID about 30% of the time at other locations. I've never been asked for
an ID over the internet or on the phone. A few times I have been
asked to sign the card by a clerk, and I refuse.
Most, but not all of my cards, say "Not Valid Unless Signed"

And should we wonder why credit fraud is at an all-time high? But since there is no voter fraud in states where it is illegal to ask for ID that must be a media myth, right?:rolleyes: