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5/29/2001

GE REWARDS: If it has been canceled, they didn't tell me. I expect to receive a check for $140 come June. I maxed it out in March and nothing has changed as far as my online access or statements go.

An additional benefit to the Diners Club is that for the several years I've had it they have had a promotion every summer where if you transfer points to British Airways you get double miles.

For those who might be using the MBNA/NEA travel card that awards feee air travel for $15,000 in purchases, you should be aware that MBNA is putting the screws to cardholders. As or 12/31/01, they are raising the purchase level to $25,000 and also raising the annual fee by 50%. Best approach to combat their actions, if you have at least 15,000 points an do not plan to use the miles before 12/31/01,is to book a $500 ticket for 15,000 miles. Once you have the ticket, cancel the reservation. The airline will credit you the $500 and then charge you $100 for changing the reservation. You cna then use the $400 for travel. Seems like a much better deal to cash in the 15,000 ponts for $400 than to charge another $10000 for $100.

I just received the Farm Bureau credit card. In the rewards program rules, it states: "Points earned in the Program shall be subject to expiration at the end of the third calendar year after accrual. Any unredeemed points will be forfeited." Sounds to me like they only give three years to redeem points, not four years as someone previously stated. This means a card holder would need to spend $11,667 per year to get the full 2% rebate.

Warning to anybody with a 3.9% balance transfer promotion on their AT&T Universal Card. . .

A few months ago, AT&T did a 3.9% interest "until the balance is paid off" promotion. If you still have this rate, DO NOT agree to sign up for any of their new promotions. Obviously they've decided this was not a good deal for them, and they are trying VERY HARD to get you off that rate.

I've gotten probably 5 solicitations offering me 0% for x months, 1.9% for x months, etc. But if you read the fine print, when the rate expires (of course) you will have lost your 3.9% and will end up with something closer to 12 - 13%.

Keep the 3.9% - it's an amazing deal, and you won't find any cheaper place to borrow money right now!! My only regret is that I didn't max the card on it when I had the chance. . .

I was just looking at the Fleet web page for their 2% cashback card and item #10 caught my eye: 10. Termination. The Program is not scheduled to terminate on any set date. We reserve the right, however, to terminate the Program, in whole or in part, at any time, with or without notice to you. In the event that the Program is terminated, accumulated Rebate dollars may be forfeited. Not a great sense of security. With this provision they could terminate the program in the first 45 days of the year when EVERYONE with the card is due to get their rebates. From my past experience with Fleet, it wouldn't be a big shock.

I don't see any mention of the Citibank Dividend card on the site anymore. Its the one I currently use and offers a straight 1% cashback from the first $1. Once you get to $100 they automatically send you a check. The cap is $300 for a calendar year. It has a better dividend than the Fleet card up to $11,000 charged.

A warning on those credit card kiosks set up at events that offer a free item when you apply for a credit card. My wife & I went to Tampa for the Super Bowl this year and applied for several MBNA cards in order to get the free Super Bowl souvenirs they offered. We had no intention of ever activating the cards. Included on the application was a trial subscription to Sports Illustrated. Soon after we returned home the credit cards and the free Sports Illustrated magazines started arriving. We never called to activate any of the cards and since Sports Illustrated had no credit card to bill us, we weren't concerned about the expiration of the trial period. WRONG! MBNA had supplied SI with our "new" card numbers and when the trial subscription offer expired Sports Illustrated billed the new card, thus activating it automatically. We called both companies and eventually got everything undone, but not without some hassles. MBNA stated that by using the card to make a purchase (the SI subscriptions) we had automatically activated the cards. Luckily I had checked my credit report and saw the new cards shortly after they were activated.

About the AOL Visa card rebate... by paying the AOL bill as Bell Atlantic Visa does (until June). This is a 1% rebate?

To the person considering paying $389 to get a 9% "Benefits and Savings USA" card, I suggest you go to the Arkansas National Bank website (http://www.arknatl.com). They have a 7.92% Visa and Mastercard with only a $50 annual fee; the 7.92% is for purchases, cash advances and balance transfers (if I remember correctly, there is also a flat $5 fee for each balance transfer and probably cash advance too).

5/24/2001

The farm bureau bank card almost sounds too good to be true. Is anyone else fearful that after they spend 35K on the card the company wont pay up? Is it a reputable company? Thanks

I doubt you'll have any success disputing your CyberRebate charges. If you got the products you ordered then CyberRebate has fulfilled its end of the deal as far as your credit card issuer is concerned. Any dispute regarding pending rebates is a side issue that isn't covered under your credit card terms.

i have a question.....have you heard of a business called "Benefits and Savings USA they called me about an offer to lower my credit card to 9% fixed interest rate......however i needed to let them charge $389.00 to my credit card in order to recieve the "pre-approved" packet where 20 banks want to do business with me because of my past visa-paying history the savings to me would be the 9% fixed rate and the $389.00 would be absorbed in the new 9% rate credit card that i am supposedly pre-approved for.....the name of the co. is Benifits and Savings USA THE NUMBER IS (866)866-6009 AND (514)940-2800 IF YOU CAN GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ON THIS COMPANY I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT....IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE.....THANKS....

any comment about direct merchant bank card???

This city boy applied and was accepted for a Farm Bureau Visa. (they send you approval notice within two hours).

5/23/2001

I'm having trouble finding telephone contact information for Fleet Mastercard Rewards and Amex Optima Cashback cards, the two highly-rated cards on your cash-back chart. Do you have contact information? Thanks -

Thanks very much for the information on your Website; it was just what I was looking for: info on what cards are the best choice for people who pay their balances on time. The chart of the best cash-back cards is great, saving time otherwise spent wading through and comparing card terms.

I think that you might want to put the Farm Bureau Bank card on your best choice comparision.

What is the best rebate rate going for a credit card right know. My company is going to spend about $500,000 in purchase from wholesales that take plastic - is anything better than Discover at 2% ??

Is there anyone on the list who is knowledgable about disputing charges? There appears to be at least several of us on this list who will be burned by the bankruptcy of Cyberrebate.com. Assuming that we are still within the 60-day time limit to dispute a charge to Cyberrebate, how likely will we be successful and not have to pay the charge (or will our credit card companies just tell us too bad, you took that risk)? I also used to recall that if the charge had been paid for, you could no longer dispute it (even if it was within 60 days). Is that still true?

As per the Farm Bureau Cash Reward Visa Card, could you please post what you found out with regards to whether or not there is an annual maximum,

Yes -- 60,000 per year.

do the points expire over a certain time (i.e. can I take three years to accumulate 35,000 points and then redeem them for $700)

They expire after 4 years, so you could take 4 years to earn 35,000 (8750 per year) and then redeem them for $700.

Thank you for inquiring about the Farm Bureau Reward VISA Card. The Reward card is paid in tiers. Please check the redemption chart listed.

Redeem Receive
5,000 $25.00
10,000 $75.00
15,000 $150.00
25,000 $375.00
35,000 $700.00

You have to have at least 5000 point on the account, in order to start redeeming. The points are cumulative, up to 4 years, per year. Once you have reached a specific tier, you can contact the bank, and speak with a personal Banker, they will help you to redeem your points and a cash reward is placed back on the account.

Should you have any questions, please contact us at 1-800-492-FARM (3276). We are available Monday - Friday 7AM - 7PM, CST.

What I am understanding about this card is that you really need to keep your "points" for 4 years.. I don't want to wait 4 years to get my money back. Also I don't know any of these higher rebate cards that have lasted for 4 years. Most drop the program after a year. You have to open a bank account to get the money deposited in that.

Regarding the Farm Bureau Visa program...don't you have to be a member of the Farm Bureua? I'm just a city boy!

Thanks for all the information. You say your preference is AMEX Cash Back card, but if you purchase $25,000.00 the Fleet Mastercard rebates $440.00 against $320 for AMEX, over $100.00 more. It isn't until you spend much more that AMEX gets better but only by $60.00, the maximum. Where can I get a comparison of the cost of the card programs? Thanks.

5/20/2001

Any of you who dealt with Cyber Rebate - they declared bankruptcy! Call your cards and try to get your money back. I bought stuff and I'm trying to send it back. Hope it works.

Unfortunately the absolute best reward card program available(If you like to cruise)will be changed at the end of May this year. The program was run by MBNA for Carnival Cruise Lines. It allowed you earn 4% credit from your purchases (Limited by $500 per anniversary year earned). You could use your rewards of $500 and $800 for cash payments against any Carnival cruises, purchased at the best price available, from any travel agency. MBNA is trying to keep it's customers by changing the program to their Cruise Card, you keep your current card and account number. But they have reduced the reward earned to 2%, and you can only redeem the rewards as cash off cruises through their in house travel agency, although you can use the cash off against any cruise line, not just Carnival. Limiting your use to only their in house agaency is a big disadvantage as their in house agency does not offer reduced commisions on their rates, as do many on line cruse agencies these days. Carnival started a new program through Capital One, but it is not nearly as attractive as the original MBNA program. The new capital one Carnival Visa, is only a clasic card, so you do not get any of the gold or Platinum Visa benefits, and they have watered down the benfits to less than a 2% reward. The old Carnival program was to good to be true, or maybe nothing good lasts forever.

The Farm Bureau Visa program is very good. I have just applied over their Web Site, which is: "http://www.farmbureaubank.com/". The maximum points that may be earned over one CALANDER year, not your card 12 month anniversary year, is 60,000. They indicate they do not charge a foreign currency sir-charge like First USA and others on top of Visa's foreign exchange rate. They also indicate they accept ACH electronic payments and can auto write a check against your checking account on the due date to pay your Farm Bureau Visa balance. Only negative I found is that you cannot view your previous statements on their on line banking web site, although they do let you view your transactions from the last six months. They indicated they are working on adding the viewing statements feature to their web site. I particularly like the fact you can redeem the 35,000 points for a $700 check as soon as you have accumulated the points. No loss of the time value of money of your redemption until months later, or after the calander year, or your 12 month annivesary many other cards (GE Rewards, B of A Rewards, Fleet, etc.)make you wait for. Interesting that this is not affiliated with the National Farm Bureau, but is offered through the Farm Bureau Bank in Nevada, which is a spin off of Farm Bureau Insurance Company. Thanks for the heads up which allowed me to investigate this offer. Your web site is the best one available for responsible users of "reward" cards.

Did anyone else have a National Bank of Commerce cash back card? This was recently bought out by Wells Fargo. The letter I received in March informing me of the buyout said that my account would transfer as would the cash rebate program. The program paid 1/4% for the 1st 1,000 in purchases, 1/2% for the 2nd 2,000 in purchases, 3/4% for the 3rd 3,000 in purchases, and 1% back for purchases above 3,000 during the program year. Wells Fargo has not lived up to this agreement. I was at the 1% level for this year with the National Bank of Commerce and Wells Fargo has dropped my rebate to a small pittance (between 1/4 to 1/3%). I have called several times for information and have gotten every story under the sun. Most recently I was told that I had been given too much rebate since joining Wells Fargo! I'm totally fed up and am getting a different card. I am wondering if this is just a problem with my card or if Wells Fargo has done this to all National Bank of Commerce customers that they inherited.

For those of you who have not checked into this company, here is a little information from their local Better Business Bureau. First National Credit is also known by the name FNC Investments, Inc. The BBB does not have any idea when the companies were first started, but opened their file on 08/03/00 and have been putting complaints into the file ever since. The latest one was only yesterday - 05/11/01. The bureau's file ID #13138491 will enable you to file your own complaint if desired. First National Credit's phone number is (949) 448-8822; fax number is (800) 890-8282; no EMail address is available; and the web address is HTTP://www.firstnationalcredit.com. The "gold card" offered is good only for purchases from the companies own catalog of "gift store" type products such a ceramic figurines. First National Credit also requires a payment of at least 25% of purchase when orders are placed. Lastly, the company will sometimes take back returned products for a refund, but other times they just ignore requests. BBB advises consumers NOT to get involved with this company, First National Credit (aka FNC Investments, Inc.)

A newcomer to our midst asks:

"I was wondering if perhaps you might direct me to info on a credit card company called "First national Credit " i recieved a letter telling me i was approved for a gold card but they never stated what kind of card ect. left no forwarding # or contact info or even acceptence of terms info .. sounds like a scam .. i am thinking it must be some outrageouse card that i can use only to buy crapy products threw mail order catalogs or something ??? please help i don't want to be ripped off ..."

Frankly, that question has been asked and answered here many times. In the future, you may wish to consider searching a site before asking a question, to see if the information you're seeking is already here.

That said, the following is from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of the Southland report on First National Credit of Aliso Viejo, California, who hawks the "credit card" you describe.

"We rate this company as having an unsatisfactory business performance record. The company uses deceptive and misleading advertising to entice customers to send membership fees for a First National Gold Card. The company's solicitation letter contains an "Acceptance Certificate" that states approval for a "gold Card" with a $15,000 credit limit and no interest for the first year. Consumers are asked to send $37 or $43 for rush processing of the card. Some recipients believe the company is offering a Visa or Mastercard. The company has a pattern of complaints alleging deceptive sales practices. Complainants allege that instead of a Visa or Mastercard, they receive a credit card which can only be used to purchase items from the company's catalog. The company's catalog contains ceramic objects typical of the kind sold in gift shops. Orders for any of the merchandise must be accompanied with a payment of 25% of the purchase price. In general, the complainants who received the gold card felt deceived. The company responds to some complaints by sending the gold card or by offering refunds if the package is returned. Other complaints remain unanswered by the company. On April 27, 2001, the California Attorney General's office filed a consumer protection lawsuit against this company and it's principals; Mahmoud Karkehabadi and Steven Golgolab. The complaint alleged that First National Credit used misleading solicitations to enroll customers in their credit card program. The case is currently pending."

Love the web site. It was just what I was looking for. As per the Farm Bureau Cash Reward Visa Card, could you please post what you found out with regards to whether or not there is an annual maximum, and more importantly, do the points expire over a certain time (i.e. can I take three years to accumulate 35,000 points and then redeem them for $700) Thanks again.

5/17/2001

I am a Visa Card holder in Israel for more then a decade. I would like to know the shortage way to have a credit card in USA. how to apply and being aproved

I was wondering if perhaps you might direct me to info on a credit card company called "First national Credit " i recieved a letter telling me i was approved for a gold card but they never stated what kind of card ect. left no forwarding # or contact info or even acceptence of terms info .. sounds like a scam .. i am thinking it must be some outrageouse card that i can use only to buy crapy products threw mail order catalogs or something ??? please help i don't want to be ripped off ...

I'd just like to know the phone number for the Fleet Rewards Visa card. I've already maxed out my benefits for my cruise visa, so I see no reason to use it any more this year. Thanks!

5/15/2001

It sounds like the Farm Bureau Cars Rewards card is the now the winner of cashback cards. You could make as little as $8750 purchases annually and still get a full 2% cashback!!! (by accruing points for four years and then redeeming them as soon as you have 35,000 points)

Here are Farm Bureau's answers to my e-mail questions...

You can earn up to 60,000 points a year. You can accumulate points up to 4 years. If you do not redeem any points within the 4 years, then you will lose them. Just a reminder on the statements each month, there is a breakdown of points earned, points due to expire and the expiration date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 800-492-3276, Monday-Friday 7am-7pm CST. Thank you.

This looks like the best credit card cashback deal, yet. This the first card in which "up to 2%" actually means that you can receive a full 2% cashback bonus. All of the other cards I have tiers, and you can reach a tier in which you are making 2% on your purchase above that level, but this card pays back $700 when you redeem 35,000 points, for a true 2% cash back (Fleet returns a maximum of $500 on $31,000 in purchases -- an actual return of 1.61%). At the $25,000 level, Fleet still edges Farm Bureau at $390 to $375 in rebates.

There is no mention of an annual maximum rebate (I e-mailed them to ask that question). There is also no mention of how before the points expire. (i.e. can I take three years to accumulate 35,000 points and then redeem them for $700 -- I asked that question, too)

This looks like the card for anyone who makes $35,000 plus in purchases, annually. It may be the card for everyone else, too, if they let you accumulate points across anniversary and and calendar year boundaries.

This looks like Farm Bureau could be the best deal yet, if you charge $35,000 you receive 35,000 points whith which you receive a rebate of $700. This card is the first one that I have seen in which "up to 2%" actually means 2%. All others that I have seen allow you to get up to a 2% tier, but your actual return is less because you recieved less on the lower tiers i.e. Fleet gives you a total of $500 rebate on $31,000 in purchases -- an actual return of 1.61%, where Farm Bureau gives you an actual 2% return on $35,000. Fleet still beats Farm Bureau at the $25,000 level ($390 to $375), but Fleet maxes out at $500 rebate ($31,000) and Farm Bureau pays $700 for 35,000 points doesn't seem to have any annual maximum (none is mentioned -- I e-mailed them to ask if there is an annual maximum).

This card is also unique in the ways its tiers appear to work. You accumulate points and then redeem them in a lump sum. The tiers are at: 5,000=$25, 10,000=$75, 15,000=$150, 25,000=$375, and 35,000=$700. That means that at 15,000 you are receiving a real return of 1.0%, but at 18,000 you are still getting only the $150 (your real return has dropped to .83%). That is not an issue if you are allowed to hold onto points across anniversary or calendar year boundaries (a question I already asked them in an e-mail). If there is no expiration for these points, any of you could earn 2% back on any purchase, just by accumulating 35,000 points across a few years.

Here is the info I received from Farm Bureau:

Below are the redemption rules for the Reward Rules. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 800-492-3276, Monday-Friday 7am-7pm CST. Thank you.

Points earned through the Farm Bureau Bank Rewards Program can be redeemed for cash or Farm Bureau membership dues reimbursement. Accumulate points and redeem at the levels shown below. Call 1-800-492-FARM (3276) to redeem points you have earned with your card.

Looks like Farm Bureau Cash Reward Visa could be the card for anyone who spends $35,000 plus in an year (or even those who don't if they allow you to accumulate points across two or more years).

I have a Phillips 66 Mastercard through Associates National Bank. Their customer service number is 1-800-884-1930.

Regarding the person who applied online for a Discovercard, charged $20 of gas "just once",received the $20 rebate, and is now "not going to keep" the card, what is your point? Why waste Discover's time? In addition, perhaps what you did had something to do with the amount given for a rebate being reduced to $15. I am all for getting "something for nothing," but why did you apply in the first place?

Info on Farm Bureau Bank Visa - tier structure:

Cash Rewards

To redeem your points for Cash, earn as few as 5,000 points or as many as 35,000 points, then call 1-800-492-3276 to redeem. Tell us how many points you would like to redeem, and we will credit your account with the amount of the reward. The more points you redeem, the higher your reward.

FARM BUREAU CASH REWARD

Redeem Receive
5,000 $25
10,000 $75
15,000 $150
25,000 $375
35,000 $700

I point earned per dollar charged. 2500 points awarded when you open the account. Hope this helps.

There's a nice calculator comparing a bunch of popular cash back cards based on how much you spend annually at http://www.eyeoncredit.com/cash_back/index.html It's a bit easier to use than the graph method. It just gives you a bottom line, if you like that kind of thing.

5/14/2001

You can buy Series I savings bonds from the government at their web site using your credit card. The transaction is treated as a purchase not a cash advance. The series I bonds are indexed for inflation and are currently yielding about 5.9%. One caveat is that unless you hold the bonds for at least 5 years you forfeit 3 months worth of interest. If you use the proceeds of the bonds for college expenses the interest is not taxable. So using a rebate card to buy these gives you an extra up front 1 to 2% immediate kicker.

I just took the Discover card that is offered on-line. It took only a minute to apply, and the card arrived a week later. I'm not going to keep it. But the offer promised to pay me $20 if I used it just once. That turned out to be true. I bought exactly $20 worth of gas. My balance is now 0. (Unfortunately, I see that they've now reduced that $20 offer to $15.)

The Discover card pays 1% cash back -- except on the first $3000 spent, which earns only 1/2%. Compared with other 1% cards, this costs you $15 a year. In effect, this is a $15 "annual fee."

Yesterday, I received an offer for an "up to 2%" cash back Visa card from Farm Bureau Bank. http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm Having been a First USA 2% cash back and now a Fleet 2% cash back, I am always on the look out for something better. Anyone know anything about this new offer? The offer mentions some kind of point system for every dollar of purchase, but no other specifics. I could not find any info on tiers or how points relates to dollars, etc.

5/13/2001

Regarding UPromise and Citibank, based on what I've read you could add a card such as the Citibank Dividends card, which gives you a 1% rebate normally onto the UPromimse program which would result in an additional 1% rebate (2 % total). Do need to factor in the annual fees, which are $20 for the Citibank card itself and $24.95 to sign up the Citibank card with Upromise. At an annual spending of $15,000, your effective rebate rate would be 1.7%. Meanwhile at that spending level, Fleet's effective rebate rate is 1.3%.

Shell Mastercard still does not allow online payments. I sent them an email about a year ago inquiring about this and received a prompt and apparently personal response implying that they were planning to implement this feature "in the near future."

I recently obtained a Principal Bank Platinum Visa that rebates 1.25% (without tiers or limits, as far as I can tell) to a Principal Mortgage Loan or other Principal financial account. Since I already had a Principal mortgage, I expect to benefit not only from the rebate, but from the interest savings on the prepaid principal over the life of the mortgage. If you're interested, here's a link.

Learned a lot on your sight, thanks for all the information, but I was wondering if you could answer this question. Are purchases made in Canada insured by Cibc Visa. If a purchase made was stolen right after it was made is this protected by Visa? I would, if it is possible, appreciate informatin on this.

5/8/2001

It's UPromise, not Up Promise. URL is http://www.upromise.com. A handful of merchants (AT&T, etc), restaurants, etc. Citibank offers a 1% contribution on the first $30k of qualifying charges (subject to a $24.95 annual fee) on a discrete number of their cards.

Have you heard of Up Promise Rebates for education?? You're looking for http://www.upromise.com/ When you buy from select merchants, a percentage is put into a college savings account.

Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's both offer credit cards with rewards programs.

Someone had a question about the college savings rebate program called U Promise. You can look at the details at their website; http://Upromise.com

I am looking into the Shell Mastercard. Does anyone know if you can pay your bill on their website like you can with First USA? Thanks for your help.

5/6/2001

What do you know about the First National Credit Gold Card and what are there advatages and disadvatages?

Does anyone know of any Retail stores that offer a Visa credit cart through them. For example Macys Department Store offers the "Macys Premier Visa to customers who aquire $1.000.00 in charges anually. Sears and Toys'R Us have similar programs. Are there any others that anybody is aware of?

Can you give me any information on any Retail stores that offer Visa in conjunction with their own store credit card. For example Macys offers the "Macys Premier Visa." Toys 'R Us and Sears offer similar plans. Do you know of any others that have such offers?

Given the information available it seems that the best strategy, if you are going to charge over $11K annually (which I believe most people will), is the following: 1. Use Fleet's Cash back card until $30,500, and after that use 2. Amex Platinum Cash Rebate card if you plan to spend at least $12,000 more on an annual basis (for a minimum of $42,500 or $3,542/mo on average), otherwise use 3. Any flat 1% visa or mastercard, and only use the Amex card when the merchant does not accept any other card (not typical).

I recently received solicitation for an unsecured Gold credit card from First National Credit of Pacific Park Plaza in Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. There is a pre-approve limit of $15,000 (no misprint from me). Is this a scam?

See below; apparently yes.

word of caution to Fleet cardholders who pay their balances in full each month... I just found out (the hard way) that Fleet will charge finance charges if your full balance isn't paid off by the payment due date (rather than the statement closing date as other cards permit). My last payment arrived 2 days after the payment due date, and I was hit with finance charges.

Check http://cards.fleet.com/apply/default.asp for information on how to sign up for the Fleet Platinum Cash Rebate card.

Have you heard of Up Promise Rebates for education?? I have been trying to find mre information with no luck. They are supposed to be rebates tied to your credit card to go toward education.

GE Rewards has apparently been cancelled. First USA has another GE card on his 'partners' list. Fleet's rebate card has been discussed here, with a tiered rebate system that requires $6000 in charges (in *calendar*) year before hitting the 1% level, and the rebate is only payable after the end of the year. They also offer an EDVANCE card which I find more attractive. The payout is in US Savings Bonds, a $50 bond (costs $25) every time you charge another $2500, i.e. 1% rebate.

Someone posted a question regarding the First National Credit Card, Aliso Viejo, CA. THIS IS A SCAM!! According to a posting on the eyeoncredit website, all you get for your $37 is a certificate entitiling you to buy ceramic doo-dads from their catalog. I mean think about it: $15,000 line of credit, 0% interest, no credit check--and they don't provide a phone number in their junk mail or on their website, and never ask for your social security number or any other real identifying info. Plus nowhere does it say it's a VISA or MasterCard or have any affiliation with a bank. steer clear!

The URL to apply for the Fleet rebate card is: https://apply.fleetcards.com/offers/cashrebate_551Z/fleetcc.ds?Offer=cashrebate_551Z (I just used it recently after the Indiana Wesleyan University Mastercard announced it was discontinuing its rebate.)

To the person who has a Phillips 66 Mastercard and can't find a telephone number to reach them. . .Why don't you look on the back of your card or on your statement for the number?!!!

I found a credit card through mbna that has no annual fee as well as a milage card but no grace period. do u guys no of any other cards that offer milage as well as no annual fee. i heard that one world has one but i cant find it

5/2/2001

Hello, there... I was most please and impressed to find your page. I have, for years, paid my credit card off at the end of each billing cycle and have been receiving a 1.0% rebate from Chase Visa. They have, however, modified their program to an "incremental" program like the others you mentioned on your page. I don't use credit enough to warrant the Amex card (between 1M & 2M/month) so I probably would find the "Fleet" card most advantageous. I could not find a link for the "Fleet" card nor an address to go to in order to get more info and apply. If you have that information available, I would be most grateful for it.

Also, on one of the pages, you had the following piece of info:

If you charge a lot of money, Amex Cashback is your first choice for any expense - charitable donations, groceries, gas, dry cleaning, taxes, mortgage payments - anything you can possible get on the card. If you run into some place that doesn't take Amex, then use your Fleet card.

You mentioned paying one's mortgage payment by credit card. How is this possible and how does one go about doing it? My mortgage-holder is Wells Fargo.

Any additional info you can provide will be extremely appreciated... and, again, thank you for the site. It is gratifying to know that someone else thinks (like I do) that credit is to be used judiciously and to maximum advantage.

The American Express Black Card is called the Centurion card. Information on the benefits are on the American Express web site under press releases 1999

I am looking for a card with college tuition credits for use when my kids are older and ready for college. Are you aware of any such card with this type of benefit? Thanks.

What do you think is the minimum that a person would need to charge on a card to make worthwhile? For example if you only charge $2000/year on a 2% card, you would only get $10/year. I don't think $10 is worth the hassle.

I disagree with you. $10 is $10, and the only "hassle" is signing up for a card once..

Reply to the inquiry about a credit card for the private school... Have them apply to AMEX for a Small Business Corporate Optima Cashback Card. Be very specific with the phone rep because most will not be aware of it. It pays 2% cashback (over $10k) with no maximum.

Hi! Great site! I reviewed your info! I was wondering if you could give me some advice on which cards & programs are best to use for my new situation! I just started new job in sales and I will be spening alot of money on gas,hotels, and meals in southern california area. I will get corporate card from company but I wanted to get as many airline points-car points etc... as I can. Should I get a separate gas card plus another one or just use one where I could rack up alot of points. How good is that GM card? thanks alot and I would appreciate any advice!! or yea, Is there any type of courtyard by marriot card?

4/28/2001

Is there any credit card out there that does not impose a 2% surcharge on foreign transactions?

Greetings, soliciting comments on the freshest info available for either a Visa or a Mastercard cashback card. Which are the ones currently out there offering the best cash rebates? We currently don't spend more than 5K per year on credit cards (but that could change) so the primary interest would be in those cards whose rebate percentage tiers are the most generous at the low end of the expenditure scale - though we would be interested in hearing about ANY and ALL Visa/Mastercard options. We currently have Discover and Amex which are not taken everywhere, sadly, which is why we are also seeking a rebate Visa or Mastercard. Thanks in advance!

http://www.llbean.com/customerService/oap/index.html# On your analysis page you indicate the LLBean card gives 1% cash back (if I read it correctly). However, see the above URL: Bean gives coupons as a rebate redeemable only for LLBean purchases. Great site!

Hi, I have a Phillips 66 Mastercard through Associates, I can't find the number online anywhere where I can reach them can you help with that information? Thanks for you help!

Re: the CITI dividend card, is it a Visa or MC? Or is it a generic card that not everyone accepts?

I'm a student and i dont'know much about credit card. I want a credit card with no annual fee and recieve the most money back. Also,how fast can i have good credit. I heard about verizon, but wasn't sure if it was the best deal to get money back. I only spend about $2000 a year on credit card. Please Help

Can anyone give an update on online payment services? Moneyzap has introduced a 2.8% service charge on CC transactions, which does not have a cap. THis means I will not be using them any more and let them choke on their own greed. Exchangepath, Payplace and Payme.com are all dot-com history. c2it.com backed by Citibank is quick and easy to use, but has now introduced new fees: 1% on Citibank-issued cards and 2.2% on others. EMoneymail.com charges $ 1 regardless of the amount of $$ sent but has VERY low limits. Yahoo Paydirect is still free but VERY slow. Any ideas?

I received a form letter of apology today from Fleet, saying that they were crediting my account with $35 extra rebate for 2001 because of the delays in processing the 2000 rebate.

Also, I sent you an e-mail about a week ago, in response to the person asking about credit cards that allow you to pay your bills online. I mentioned GM and Discover, and also said that Yahoo has a free service that allows allegedly all Mastercard and Visa bills to be paid online. The nice thing about Discover is that you can set it up so that they automatically take the whole thing out of your checking account on the NEXT statement date. Fleet also will allow you to pay online, but I am not sure whether I would trust them--I have my account set up so that they send me a message when they receive my check, and it usually is 5-15 days after they receive the check before they send out the notice. I don't know what happened to this response I sent you about a week ago.

Guys, This is my first visit to this website. Looks good and also looks like a lot of visitors are interested in Rewards. For the past 1 year, I have been using the NextCard Visa card and I am really HAPPY with it. But to really get its worth here's a few imp. things one should remember: 1. If you have a good credit history Nextcard will allow you to enroll in the rewards program for free if you do a one time balance transfer of 2000$. (I did this and sent in a payment of 2000$ ASAP to reduce the interest). 2. If you do the 2000$ balance transfer you get 2 points for a $ spent on the card. 3. You can redeem your rewards for a HUGE selection of things, e.g. Blockbuster, Shell, American Airlines / any other airline. 4. A free ticket on American Airlines is just 25000 points(12500$) which works out great for me since I am from Chicago which is American's hub. 5. The Catch is, you MUST keep some balance on the card, so that Nextcard can charge you interest. I normally keep 1$ as the balance. That way I pay the minimum interest(per average daily balance rule). Also I pay the Nextcard bill electronically, the day after my billing cycle ends to get minimum interest. 6. I pay by card for EVERYTHING. and have set up to pay the utilities at the end of my billing cycle, which works perfectly since on average daily balance, if you charge MORE later in the cycle, your interest is lesser, if you pay it off right away(Go figure!! :-) In Summary, after spending 20000$(now it will be 25000$) on my card, following above rules, I paid about 140$ interest, got back 80$ for my friends' referrals, 10$ gift from Nextcard and 2 non-stop flight tickets on AA from Chicago(which cost 680$ for the flights that I wanted). U can go anywhere in the US on these tickets. For some more points, you can also get free flights on any airline!!! It will take some amount of Math, to figure the whole thing out, but once you do that and you know how to get the most out, u wll be ok!!

I have a question. My child attends a private school. The school spends about 10,000 a month on individual (parent) credit cards. I would like to have the school get a card with cashback incentive. What should I look into?

There have been a number of questions and comments lately about foreign exchange fees. The last time I checked MBNA did not charge any fees but Citibank did.

4/25/2001

To the fellow that recommended using Spree.com and CyberRebate.com: I did sign up for Spree. I noticed your deceptive trick of referring us to www.rnp3.com, instead of www.spree.com. That enabled your Spree ID, mcbrewski, to appear as the person referring us to Spree if we signed up. (Members who refer people get 40% of the commission that the person they signed-up receives.) Because you were deceptive with your tactics, I decided not to use your Spree ID as the person referring me. Instead I just left the referring ID blank.

Just wanted to share with you some brief information about the credit card "goodies" that we offer:

Our web site is: http://www.weeshare.net wee$hare is a consumer rebate service. Membership is FREE!

With our "No cost/No obligation" Membership, you can apply for our VISA card (with USBank) online through our website. Our Members earn a 1/2% cash rebate on all their own purchases, (beginning with the very first $) Members also earn additional cash rebates when they refer others to our web site. With the two combined, it's possible for members to earn 5%, 10%, 20% and more on their credit cards (Not just at specific stores, but all 17 million places worldwide that accept VISA) Plus a lot more...

Regarding which credit card to use in E. Africa, you must telephone your credit card issuer to see if it adds a fee (some add 4-5%!) on top of MC or VISA's small fee for foreign exchange transactions. That applies to all overseas purchases. Except for Nairobi and perhaps Dar, a credit card (or a Cirrus or Plus debit card for ATM access in Kenya) is not much use except for hotels, car rentals, other expensive "international" purchases and the few who accept might add the 3% transaction fee to the purchase price - cash is king.

Juniper Bank has no transaction fees for balance transfers. Part of their standard operating procedure, I believe. Also, they have some good introductory deals (0% for 5 months on purchases). The only drawback is my credit limit was five times less than my other cards, and I have very good credit. http://www.juniper.com.

Regarding automatic bill payment: FirstUSA does. You can pay either the minimum due, the full balance, or a fixed amount per month. No additional charge.

4/21/2001

For those of you who occasionally do not get your bill or are out of town, here I what I hae learned about automatic deductions: Verizon (Chase) will do it--but they are history Discover does it American Express will not do it Amoco Gas will not do it Exxon will--but they charge $10/mo Shell Gas (Chase) may do it--the folks at Chase said they see no reason why they would not do it, but that you have to get the card first to find out If you know whether other cards will automatically deduct, please post--maybe some day our webmeister will assemble it all into a section.

I'm looking for a care that treats balance transfers like purchases (Grace period to pay off w/out any penalty or charge for the balance transfer). Any ideas?

Sea-West Federal Credit Union/Long Beach Ca. has frequent flyer miles for MANY airlines, no yearly fee. Call the 800#operator for a phone number.

Would like information regarding best credit card to use overseas( East Africa). It seems like there are no severl extra charges to use these cards or to get cash. Thanks.

I'm looking for credit card companies that direct rebates to charitable organizations. Can you direct me to a location where I will find them listed?

Neat site, helpful well designed, easy links. One update for you since you ask for feedback...on the frequent flier site, Seattle First National Bank (affectionately called SeaFirst) is part of the Nations Bank/Bank of America family and had to officially change its name to its parent, Bank of America.

The Chase Travel Rewards program costs $25 annually. Points can be used for any airline. It requires 25,000 points for a flight anywhere in the continental US but they require 65,000 for a flight to Europe. Other programs require only 50,000 points. You can get this card if you have their Platinum Visa card.

Is it possible to get a list of Credit Cards that apply air miles for purchases for SMALL BUSINESSES? Check with Citibank for the AA card for small business. Another option would be the AMEX Cash Back card for Small Business. I know that you want miles, but cash is always an option in my book.

4/18/2001

I am looking for a bank that issues credit cards for which I can earn air miles but can use them with ANY airline, not just one specific airline.

SUBARU PLATINUM PLUS MASTERCARD - Great for Subaru Owners 3% rebate useable for the purchase/lease of a new Subaru, Subaru accesories or maintenance & servicing costs. Its great ! Apply online at http://www.webapply.com/subaru-yuof or call 1-800-WEB-APPLY (1-800-932-2775) (Please mention priority code YUOF.)

A few weeks ago I sent Fleet a complaint through PlanetFeedback.com regarding the delays in processing their checks. I argued that they owe me late fee and interest for the two month delay since that us what they would charge me if I were to miss a payment. Imagine my surprise when a few day ago I have finally received my rebate and a letter of apology from Fleet notifying me that they credited $60 (two month late fee) to my account.

What is the address of or toll free number of the Smithsonian Discover card? Many people give great recommendations but fail to give the address or toll free number of the cards they recommend.

http://www.discovercard.com/

Someone wrote that, when buying from cyberrebate.com, he uses a cashback credit card and gets an additional 5% rebate from spree. Ebates.com also offers a 5% rebate, but dealitup.com is offering 6%. (Too bad these offers can't be combined somehow.) You have to send them a copy of your cyberrebate invoice, and they'll send you the check after your account reaches $10.

Is it possible to get a list of Credit Cards that apply air miles for purchases for SMALL BUSINESSES? I have contacted BankOne, First USA and Bank of America, none of which carry that benefit for small businesses. Can you help us?

We are a church that send many of our congregation overseas to the mission field. The air miles would be very helpful to us. Any information on this matter would be extremely helpful.

The Web site for the Citgo Preferred Visa Card is vague about some things, so I have a couple of questions: 1. Does the 1% rebate offset any purchases or only purchases of Citgo gas? 2. Does the card include other Visa benefits (rental car collision insurance, air travel insurance, extended warranty, etc.)? Thanks in advance.

Two friendly warnings: Citi has a strange way of dating the annual reabte maximum. My anniversary date (start date to use the drivers edge) is 12/29/98. They use monthly statement date as the start, so it starts counting for the "new' year from my statement of 12/5. I lost two month worth of rebates since I thought it started the new year from 12/29 (according to their way they included my last Nov/Dec charge as this year's charge rather than last year's). Who would know this strange way of counting?? Another scam: E-Bay charged my $15 for inactive account that I do not recall they warned me. Anyway, I got my $75 bonus for signing up, I closed the account and just protested with my feet.

To the person who wants the Subaru Mastercard telephone number: The number on my card is 800 421-2110. MBNA America Bank issued my card. I applied for it over the internet on the Subaru web site. It is a Platinum Plus Mastercard. I had used my card for three months. They sent me three $100 rebate checks so far. One can use them at a Subaru dealer to purchase or lease a new vehicle or to pay the Subaru dealer for reapirs or parts. The Subaru card gives a 3% rebate. My two GM mastercards give 5% but they are good only on purchase or lease of a new GM vehicle with some exceptions.

To the person who was surprised at the terms in the Fleet Credit Card agreement about how complaints on purchases are handled--you have to be in your home state or within 50 miles--this is a standard clause in almost all credit card agreements, and is written that way because Congress and/or FTC (spelled lobbyists) put the restriction in there a number of years ago. I don't remember seeing a credit card agreement in the last few years that did not have such a clause. However, many credit card companies will "go to bat" for you if you are a good customer, even if you don't meet those restrictions. Whether Fleet will go the extra mile or even the extra inch is a good question.

To the person who asked about MasterAssist: this is part of the services that is offered by Mastercard for Gold or Platinum accounts. It is one of several services, like doubling warranties and travel insurance, that comes with those accounts. There are all sorts of strings attached (naturally) and cardholders get a brochure annually that describes these strings. It does not duplicate AAA, but potentially has some benefits. As many of us have discovered, there is no such thing as a free lunch, but to get back some of our own money is nice.

4/14/2001

This is a great web page, because it is produced by someone who is thinking clearly and telling us the premises of his thoughts. One additional factor that is worth including when possible, is whether the company will automatically deduce the balance from one's checking account. Discover does, Verizon does (but R.I.P), the American Express Platinum does not. These automatic deductions really help those of us with poor mail delivery.

I opened a credit card account with Fleet on September 28, 2000. On April 13, I finally received my rebate check from them. Included with the rebate was a letter of explanation for the late rebate check. The letter is dated April 9, 2001. It reads: Thank you for using your Fleet MasterCard account. Enclosed is your year 2000 rebate check, which you earned for purchases and cash advances made on your Fleet Card through your December 2000 billing statement. Due to a processing error, your year 2000 rebate check was delayed. Our process has been modified to ensure prompt delivery of future rebate checks. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Just a reminder, your Fleet MasterCard account earns a rebate of up to 2% on all purchases and cash advances, making your Fleet Card the smart choice for all of your spending needs. For any additional information regarding your account, please contact Customer Service toll free at 1-800-492-2500. We appreciate your business and look forward to servicing you in the future. Sincerely, Patric J. Coll Executive Vice President

Does anyone know about "Master RoadAssist", which is supposed to be attached to some of the platinum and gold Master Cards? Does it provide the same type of services as AAA does? I run into that when I applied for Golf Gold MC (from Fleet), however, surprisingly my application was declined. Please let me know if there are any other credit card programs with that benefit.

Hi All. FYI: I got my Fleet bank refund check yesterday. It also has some apologetic note for the delays. Hope everyone is getting theirs now!

Thanks for your website, but I have a question. You mention AMEX Cashback card, but what I have is called a American Expresss Platinum Cash Rebate Card. I believe they just subtract from your anniversary bill the appropriate rebate earned throughout the past year. IS that the same card? What I'm looking for now is either a Visa or MC with cash back (for places that don't take AMEX or Discover...like the two grocery stores I use!) I had the Visa from FirstUSA and it switched off the cash back on 12/31, so I haven't used it since. I'm a bit leery about Fleet from all the bad comments on your feedback section.

Smithsonian Discover card gives points which translate to savings bonds and you are also helping the Smithsonian

I just wanted to correct everyone in regards to the Shell Mastercard issued by Chase. The Shell Mastercard issues 5% rebate on Shell purchases and 1% rebate on all purchases. There is no annual fee as long as a minimum amount of Shell purchases are done yearly. It doesn't take much to waive the annual fee.

Good news for all about Fleet, I hope. I got my check today (4/12), along with a form letter saying that unavoidable delays had been involved and steps have been taken to get the checks out in a timely fashion in the future.

First USA's AOL VISA is basically a 1% reward toward your AOL usage. *The good thing is that you can transfer balances to earn the reward.* I'll transfer $6000 and have enough to cover for 6 months in the Bring Your Own Connection plan @ $10/month (I have cable access, but I didn't feel like giving up my AOL account that easily).
I have a Citgo Preferred VISA from Associates National Bank that gives me a straight 1% cash credit each statement with no strings that I've seen. If I charge $100.00, my statement will reflect the $100.00 charge AND a cashback credit of $1.00 and my current balance will only be $99.00. Truly, the best card I've got. Unfortunately, they've only given me a credit line of less than $1000.00. I can't work with that! "This program is made available through an arrangement with CITGO Petroleum Corporation".
By now, you've heard of Cyberrebate, where you can get overpriced items with a 100% rebate. I've been using this for a year now to accelerate my rewards. (Currently, I'm using a US Bank Quixtar card that gives me 1/2% annual cashback and "1% PV/BV". But that's not where I make my money.

http://www.spree.com - sign up for Spree
from Spree, click through to Cyberrebate (5%)
shop, receive goodies via UPS in a week, submit rebates in 3 months, you'll get a 100% rebate from Cyberrebate, and you'll also get a 5% rebate from Spree

This means that I'm investing money for 3 months and get back in return: products, 105% cash, and whatever my credit card rewards me. Do this 4 times/year, and we're looking at a 20% interest investment, plus products, plus credit card rewards.

I didn't see any mention of the MYPOINTS Mastercard. I've been using it for a year and I'm very happy with it. I receive 1 point for every dollar I spend. Some internet sales through their website earn double and at times they have offered quadruple points for purchases. There is no annual fee. Interest rate is relatively high, but I pay off my balance every month, so it doesn't matter to me.

I also receive points for visiting web links through their site. The points add up quickly and can be redeemed for merchandise and gift certificates when you have as little as 1,200 points. The gift certificates they offer are through reputable merchants like Home Depot (my personal favorite, because I always need something for the house or garden and they give you cash back when you don't spend the full amount of the gift card). I've also received phone cards, Spiegel gift certificates, free dinners at restaraunts, etc. They have a very good variety.

You have to join the MYPOINTS program first, then apply for the card through their link (They give you 500 points for applying)

Visit http://www.MYPOINTS.COM for details.

Hello! I just received a letter from Kraft Foods Credit Union on interest rate changes that will be charged [on your KFCU credit card] starting May 1. It is based on YOUR credit rating, how you have paid. They will update annually via a credit report etc. Doesn`t sound like a big deal but...try and interest rate IF you carry a balance, at 9.5%. The bad boy will pay more. This looks a bit like auto insurance: better driver lower rates.

I normally pay it all each month [$900-1,200] and move along. When I buy building materials or prescription medicnes [$150-$500], I sometimes carry a balance. That`s cash flow vs need. I use the lowest rated card, and it has been 11.4%...still a good deal compared to the street. Now with a 9.5% rate assigned to me: better. Their latest auto loan offer [same mailing] was 6.08% with best credit rating. It pays to follow the rules. I have had two mortgages, several auto loans etc., over the past 20 or so years: all done by the tele/fax and mail. They are in New Your state and I`m in Florida...we have never met! It`s a win/win situation when you follow the rules.

On the other side TDWaterhouse Bank is dropping their 1% rebate April 1, and offering a free trade with every $2,000 worth of charges made. A trade to me is $12-15.00 [must be used in 6 months] and I don`t trade because it`s going to expire. This is an odd incentive, time will tell how it`s received. I liked the 1% deal and we used the card fully while on our 90 day summer vacation. It was about $150 worth of rebate to my account.

While were on the subjects of cards. With the oil companies `outsource` of credit card services to Bank One and the like...they all became the same...the same expensive and third party`ed. We cancelled all of them. Last year we travelled one one card [TDW above]; we never had a problem anywhere [19 states]. It is now happening to a lot of bank cards. The smart play is to find a credit union you like and do business with them. TDW`s new [Bank One] late fee is $29.00. That is just bad business...and the dumb will patronize them. Yes, we are retired...and love the `Fool` stuff.

juniper cannot commit to the state of iowa. i tried to get their credit card. and was denied. please let me know it this is true. i still want their card if possible. let me know either way.

Great website!! Does anyone know of a rebate card (preferably cash back or airline miles, but it doesn't really matter) that you can also download the account info. directly into quicken to categorize where the heck I'm spending all my money. Right now I do it manually and it's a real pain in the neck. Thanks for your help!

Although you favor cash over frequent flyer miles, note that if you wish to buy an airline ticket on short notice, the full coach fare is usually charged. When my mother passed away last year, and i needed to fly within 24 hours, I requested a bereavement fare, which was 20% off of full coach fare, so it would have cost me $1295.round trip to fly to florida from California on one days notice. No other airline had a lower price. However, I was able to use 25,000 frquenst flyer miles ( i usually spend around $40,000. per year on my credit cards, as i charge EVERYTHING on one card (Citibank Aadvantage) for American Airlines. For only $75.00 extra, I got to use my miles on an immediate basis, and arranged all details over the phone. Since my miles cost me about 60% of my annual fee of $50. or $30.00)( i figure 100% of my annual fee is the cost of the 40,000 miles I get per year), I basically got a round trip ticket to Florida on one days notice for $105.00 INSTEAD OF $1295.00. There is no way that a cash card could have helped me save that much money. I have had other occasions to fly on short notice, and so i find that the really high short term fares can be avoided by using my frequent flier miles juyst in that situation. Although this is an "indirect savings" the savings works out to be really signficant. Also, on very inexpensive flights, don't use your mileage. Instead, pay for the flight, get the mileage from the flight and you then you can set yourself up to save the big bucks when you have to.

can you show me the credit card rebate graph with a lower amount of money spent, so I can see the up to 15K part clearly? also. I've stopped doing "point" systems that cost anyting. I never did. I had a nice one from first usa but they cancelled it with 1000 pts left. Oh thanks. i would join freq flyer chase but for 25 $ a year? I don't think I buy enough to make that up. nor do I fly enough.

Fleet also offers an Edvance card. It rebates from the first dollar at a full 1% with a cap for the year. For each $2500 billed, they send you one $50 savings bond (cash value at issue: $25). Over the past several years, I have received about 3 dozen of these bonds. In 5 years or so, my wife and I will take a trip to Hawaii on these proceeds and flier miles. Its a great way to save for the future rather than spending the $50-100 rebate.

Haven't any of you guys checked out the Citibank Dividend Card? It gives 1% cash back up to $300 (or $30,000 in charges) per year. I think it's a better deal than that Fleet card, because there's no minimum you need to spend in order to get the full 1%. They automatically send a check whenever your dividends reach $100. We've had the card for over a year and received our first check with no problems or delays.

Does anyone know the address of or toll free number of: MBNA Platinum Plus Subaru Card; Someone recommended it on here if you are a Subaru owner but did not give address or phone number

Angry Fleet customers await late card rebates from the Boston Herald.

In comparing the Citgo card, which gives 1% per month, with the Amex Cashback card, remember that you must spend $11,000 in a year to get 1% back.

I went to the Fleet titanium cahback site, and found--buried in the fine print the following: "SPECIAL RULE FOR CREDIT CARD PURCHASES If you have a problem with the quality of property or services that you purchased with a credit card, and you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the remaining amount due on the property or services. There are certain limitations on this right, including: (a) You must have made the purchase in your home state, or if not within your home state, within 100 miles of your current mailing address and (b) The purchase price must have been more than $50" This means if you buy something while on a trip, and it never arrives, Fleet will not help you.

To the person who needs a link to Principal - I am on AOL and simply used keyword - Principal. I found their site and signed up - paperwork is coming in the mail.

Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!