🚀 The Best Times of year to do The Shopping Cart Trick

The Shopping Cart Trick (SCT) can work year-round, but timing is critical for success. Certain periods increase approval odds due to retailer promotions, bank quotas, and seasonal credit policies. Below, we break down the optimal times to try the SCT, how to leverage them, and special perks you can unlock.

Why Timing Matters

Banks and retailers adjust approval criteria based on:

1. Sales Cycles: Holidays and back-to-school seasons drive credit card sign-ups.

2. Quarter-End Goals: Issuers (e.g., Comenity, Synchrony) relax standards to meet targets 

3. Credit Reporting: Soft pulls may be more common after credit score updates (e.g., paying down balances) 

Top 5 Times to Try the Shopping Cart Trick

1. Black Friday & Holiday Season (November–December)

• Why? Retailers aggressively push store cards to boost holiday sales.

• Best Stores:

  • Victoria’s Secret: Highest success rate; often offers 25–25–50 sign-up discounts

  • Walmart/Synchrony: Reports of pre-approvals during checkout (though some hard pulls occur).

  • Overstock: Soft pulls reported in Q4, with limits up to $2,000 

• Perks: Instant discounts (e.g., 10–20% off first purchase) and waived shipping fees 

2. Back-to-School (Late July–August)

• Why? Retailers like Target and Express target parents with financing offers.

• Best Stores:

  • Buckle: Frequent pre-approvals with 300–500 limits 

  • The Children’s Place: Soft pulls reported for loyalty members 

• Perks: Extra coupons (e.g., 15% off school supplies) and bonus rewards points 

3. Semi-Annual Sales (January & June)

• Why? Stores clear inventory and incentivize card sign-ups.

• Best Stores:

  • Bath & Body Works: Pop-ups during "Semi-Annual Sale" (June/Jan) 

  • J.Crew: Pre-approvals for cardholders with 10 rewards per 200 spent 

• Perks: Exclusive early access to sales (e.g., Victoria’s Secret’s "Angel Card" holders) 

4. End of Fiscal Quarters (March, June, September, December)

• Why? Banks like Comenity loosen criteria to hit approval quotas

• Best Stores:

  • Sportsman’s Guide Visa: Soft pulls reported in late March/September

  • Boscov’s: Higher limits ($1,000+) near quarter-end

• Perks: Instant approval for in-store purchases (e.g., Lowe’s 5% discount at checkout) 

5. Weekdays (Tuesday–Thursday, 10 AM–3 PM EST)

• Why? Less website traffic = fewer glitches

• Pro Tip: Avoid weekends (high denial rates due to system overloads) 

Real User Reports (2025 Updates)

• Victoria’s Secret: User "FireMedic1" reported a $400 limit with no hard pull on 2/11/2025 9.

• Overstock: A myFICO user got a $1,500 limit in December 2024 with only last 4 SSN digits 5.

• Express: Denied initially but received card in mail after 1 week (1/23/2025) 9.

Step-by-Step: How to Capitalize on Peak Times

1. Opt-In to Offers: Visit OptOutPrescreen.com to enable pre-approvals

2. Disable Pop-Up Blockers: Essential for offer visibility

3. Use Incognito Mode: Prevents tracking from past attempts

4. Add $100+ to Cart: Mimic real purchases (e.g., 3–10 items) 

5. Check Out Slowly: Pause at billing info to trigger pop-ups 

Special Perks During Peak Times

• Instant Discounts: Up to 30% off first purchase (e.g., Kohl’s, NY & Co) 

• Bonus Rewards: Victoria’s Secret offers 4X points during holidays.

• Higher Limits: Overstock and Boscov’s often approve $1,000+ in Q4

Final Tip

Avoid these times:

• Major holidays (July 4th, Christmas Day): Websites crash  

• After hard inquiries: Banks flag "credit seeking"