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I Heard It On The Grapevine!
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I would like to suggest a site for the credit card section - http://www.pulaskibank.com.
Dell Visa holders - The program was canceled 9/01. You should have received a letter stating that points were good til 9/02. When I went to redeem there was quite a bit of confusion and they tried to tell me that my $2200 in points did not exist. First USA is great, they found my points and are in the process of reaffirming them to DELL. Looks like when they shut down the program they did not set up a redemption cross link on the systems. I expect no problems, if so I will let everyone know. The point of this story is that if you wait til the last minute or are counting on getting your system quick, you may want to give yourself some time. Probably should call ahead to First USA customer service and verify they have a record of your points. Hope everyone kept their old statements.
I have searched the Internet to my best ability and cannot find a place to apply for the "Fleet MasterCard Rewards" card that you say is one of the cards you carry.
Is it poss. Fleet no longer issues this card?
Can you give a hint where I might go to find the card?
Fleet seems to only issue Visa cards.
Just my 2 cents worth... to the posting on 12/23 where someone is upset over paying a Fleet bill "on time" but then getting charged a late fee... it seems obvious that payment was NOT paid on time! The person even STATED "and if you are too late". Well, DUH!!! If payment had been made within a reasonable time frame there should NOT have been a late fee accessed. Anyone who tries to cut things to the very last second should be willing to be burned. It's these kind of whiners and complainers that drive the credit card companies to stop their programs ... it's always a few that ruin the benefits for others. Fleet's customer service has been MORE than friendly whenever I have had to contact them because they shut down my card due to too frequent usage, and the account needed to be reset, or for a charge that was being disputed. I don't think Fleet deserves a bad rap for charging a late fee for a payment that was not made in time.
I've been using the Chase iCard with a 1% rebate. The problem is redeeming the rebate...you must establish an account with WebCertificates.com and they have lots of fees that you can get trapped into in you're not very careful. I don't rebate program should involve a situations that I have to monitor closely to keep from getting shafted!
the link in the last paragraph of the "analysis" page regarding FirstUSA is not working. please update if you can. I would be interested in seeing the site because FirstUSA has a tempting "free cash-rewards" card - essentially, 1% cash rebate every $2,500 spent. But, I have cancelled credit cards when the service isn't good. thanks a lot.
I tried clicking on the link on your site for the Juniper credit card and it gave a message that the offer had expired. I know they still have the same (or a very similar) offer available so you probably just need to update your link.
I have had a Fleet Visa for a year; I like the rebate but hate everything else. I use the online payment feature--very convenient but it takes 3 business days for the payment to post. And if you are too late, what an expensive mistake--the late fee of about $30 plus finance charges, all for a payment that was made "on time"! Compare this to Discover which posts the same day if the payment is made before 1 pm eastern to its website. Very frustrating and not consumer friendly at all. So I am looking to switch cards, most likely Farm Bureau. Is there a "fleetsucks.com" or something like that other than this website? Keep up the good work and happy holidays!!
I enjoyed your site. A couple of weeks ago,I ordered the AMEX card. I just received it and I am looking forward to using it. The balance amount is lower than I am used to ($7,500), but I hope over time they will raise it.
I also ordered the Fleet card and expect to receive it any day. In reviewing the fine print, it appears that one must revolve their balances in order to obtain up to the 2% rebate. If you pay off your balances each month then you will only receive up to a 1% rebate. Please confirm if I am misreading the fine print.
I enjoyed your site. A couple weeks ago, I ordered the Amex card. I just received it and I am looking forward to using it. The balance amount is lower than I am used to (7,500), but I hope over time they will raise it. I also ordered the Fleet card and expect to receive it any day. In reviewing the fine print, it appears that one must revolve the balance in order to receive the 2% rebate. If you pay off your balances each month then you will recieve only up to a 1% rebate. Please confirm if I am misreading the fine print. Thank you for your assistance.
Who knows if there are any free or reasonably priced services left which allow you to send $$$ online using a credit card as a PURCHASE? C2it can onlu guarantee it with a Citigroup card. Yahoo Paydirect does not take cc's any more. ecount.com only works with certain banks, if you do not want to hit cash advance fees. Payme.com, paypal.com, payplace.com are all gone. So is exchangepath.com. Would appreciate any info available.
Hi. I have really enjoyed reading through your website. I had a question for you on a specific card that you recommended. Based on your advice, I applied for and received a Fleet Rewards Visa. Upon receiving the card I have learned that the only way to earn a 2% rebate is to let your balance from a previous month go at least partially unpaid. Here is the tier system I was sent:
.25% $0-1999 .50% $1999.01-$3999 .75% $3999.01-$5999 1% $5999.01+
Did I apply for the wrong card? The one I received is specifically referred to as the Fleet Titanium Visa Cash Rebate Card. Any direction you could offer would be much appreciated.
I'd like to try buying bonds and transferring the balance to a 0% card. I've never done a balance transfer before. I'll read all the fine print so I'll avoid fees, but what concerns me is the length of time it might take for the BT to occur. If I do it the day after a cycle ends, will there be enough time for the BT so I won't have to make a minimum payment? Thanks.
Can you find me a Visa card that pays me 1% on ALL purchases and services? Of course, NO annual fee, etc....
I spoke with a Fleet customer service rep this morning. She was very nice and helpful, but I didn't like the answers I got. She had to check with a supervisor. First, the yearly rebate period DOES end with your December statement date. Second, they WILL be converting all existing rebate accounts over to the new terms where you must carry a balance to get the 2%. But, the date for conversion is not known yet.
For the person who asked whether Fleet rebates for all of 2001 purchaseswill count towards 2001. If they do it the way they did last year, the rebates were calculated through the December statement of the year. Hence, if you make a purchase in 2001 that does not show up on the December statement it counts toward the next year's rebate.
It appears that Fleet's new reward rules applies to NEW cardholders. The rest of us get to keep the "old" program.
It seems that Farm Bureau is still a better deal than "old" Fleet. If this is so, why would anyone stay with Fleet?
Farm Bureau limits to 60,000 points per year, which is $1,200 in rewards at the 2% rate. This seems to be the highest limit around (except for Amex Cashback which is 1.5% uncapped).
I called Fleet, and they deny that any changes have taken place to the rewards program - either for existing or new customers. I told them what I had read on the Grapevine (about the 1% cap if you do not carry a balance) and they said that it is not true.
Any comments?
FLEET 1-800-492-2500
just wanted to update your link to First USA scams ... It is now http://www.firstscams.com, not http://209.67.19.99/~FUSA1/ I just applied to First USA - Free Cash Rewards Platinum Visa (flat 1% (good for me cause I don't spend much in a year)) hope I don't regret it.
I love your web site, and carry the same cards as you. However, I max out my rebate on my 2% Fleet Visa first, and then go Amex; I thought the two added up to a larger rebate overall. I notice you use them in opposite preferences and am wondering where my calculations are off? The other advantage is that Visa is always accepted, Amex often not. Also -- if you go to savingsbonds.gov you can buy bonds on-line, using a credit card, with NO FEE. "I" bonds are especially attractive now, and what a great way to rack up the rebates! (Unfortunately I did this without remembering the rebate cap on the Fleet Visa.. aagghghghhhh!! :-( Last, Fleet has HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE customer service so it's almost not worth dealing with them for the extra .5% Thanks again for such a fantastic web site.
I received an offer in the mail for a First USA "Free Cash Rewards Visa Card". Does anyone have any experience with this card or with First USA? This card provides a 1% rebate payable in $25 certificates any time your "points" reach 2500. Max points/year are 60,000 which equates to $600.
To the guy who recommends using the Amex 1.5% Cashback card. He recommended using the Amex card for people who "spend above $30K a year or so" and don't want to juggle multiple credit cards. I disagree with his recommendation. Using the Farm Bureau card, you can earn 2% cash back on up to $60,000 in purchases a year. In addition, you'd have to charge another $20,000 on the Farm Bureau card before your overall cash back percentage would reach 1.5%, the cash back bonus for the Amex card. So, if you don't want to juggle multiple cards, and you charge less than $80,000 per year, my advise is to use the Farm Bureau card. If you spend $80,000 or more, then go ahead and use the Amex card.
I know you're locked into buying a GM vehicle if you want to redeem points earned on a GM Mastercard but earning 5% and thus being able to make a down payment of over $4,000 on my last vehicle purchase by just using my accumulated GM Points sure was fun. I now regret not having 2 GM cards going at the same time so I could have been earning 5% on a second card for my next car purchase instead of starting from scratch. The new GM card now has an unlimited earning potential but caps you out being able to use only $1000-$2000 towards your vehicle purchase.
In response to the Fleet rebate cycle timing question: Last year, the "rebate year" ended with the statement I received in December, so purchases I made toward the end of the month that appeared on my January statement were back to the lower rebate %. This doesn't seem to conform to the "calendar year" program in their terms, but I suspect that similar timing will happen this year.
I've been an Amex Platinum Cash Rebate cardholder for a number of years now, and have been very happy with it. However, it has just come to my attention that the other features on the card are lacking. For example, the card does not provide car rental loss and damage insurance. Thus, this card does not seem like the card to use for travel. Charging $30,000 in a year results in cash back of $395. The Delta Sky Miles Amex card, however, seems to be a pretty good deal for the first year at least. Although the card has an annual fee of $135, charging $30,000 on it results in at least 55,000 sky miles (30,000 for the purchases, 15,000 as a first use bonus, and 10,000 when annual charges exceed $25,000) which is good for 2 round trip tickets with miles to spare. Am I missing the boat here?
Thank you for weighing in with your perception as to how long these cards will last, Peter. I wasn't aware that anyone was talking about marrying a card forever and ever. My first 1% card was in 1988; most of these only lasted a year or two before tightening the rules (such as tying the rebate tp carrying a balance), and my credit report has pages of "account cancelled at customer's request". Amex might have staying power but they'll want eventually to move to a fee base like their green card; Discover is a more likely candidate because it's way down the acceptance/use pack. With the others we can have our little affair and then move on when they start testing our commitment.
re: 2%rebate cards
while I basically agree that the economics and therefore the duration of the 2% rebate card is questionable, it should be noted that Fleet bank does not have a good record with regard to standing behind its offers.
I believe Fleet curently faces one or more class action suits for changing interest rates once a card offer has been accepted, and I know for a fact it has reduced the rebate terms on its Gulf card this year (and those offers were much less than the 2% rebate)
so I personally avoid Fleet no matter what the offer
You know who is getting on my nerves? Discover. They call constantly (I have told them to stop - 6-8 week wait) and the salespeople a very,very deceptive. On several occaisions they have said I'll earn "up to 2%". When I explained I have read their application & that they never pay 2%, they are - or at least seem to be - completely unaware of the tier system. Of course its really less than 1% unless you want to spend it where they tell you to spend it. To me, their phone calls border on fraud. I just wonder how many people fall for it. If I can't trust them BEFORE I have their card why should I after? Seems like Discover would have their sales people read what they're selling...unless they don't want them to understand. Hmmmmm. Providian is another case. A big-time junk mailer. I have to wonder that if I get this much junk mail from them now, how much junk will I get after I sign up? Its Farm Bank for me - live friendly sales support. A card accepted everywhere unlike AmEx. A REAL 2% cashback. No annual fee. No need to carry a balance (why carry a cashback card if you're going to carry a balance?). Even if they stop the plan now I'm still at the 1% back level- about what other similar cards are giving. Seems like no risk to me.
Folks - I'm going to interject something here and basically say that I return to my advice - and that is stick to the Amex Cashback card if you are a big spender. I don't believe that the 2% cards can or will survive, and you are just playing a game by trying to piggyback them. Amex gives 1.5% cashback *uncapped* which means if you spend above $30K a year or so, you will continue to earn 1.5% regardless of how hi you go, without switching cards. I've been skeptical of the 2% cards ever since US West pulled theirs after only 3 months. Think about it - Amex is the only one that can consistently offer those higher rewards because they own BOTH sides of the transaction AND they charge a higher per-transaction fee than Visa/MC or Discover. It only goes to show that Amex has the ability to offer the best rewards - and as consumers, we can take advantage of it. Merchants may not like it, but...
I just got my Fleet Platinum Visa statement and the rebate showed on the it is consistent with the "up to 2% rebate" method as before. My question is (for those of you who already had the Fleet card last year): the rebates are calculated on a calender year basis. The closing date for my next statement is January 7, 2002. Would the 2001 transactions on that statement be counted for Year 2001's rebates (even though the closing date is 1/7/02)?
Check out the fine print for Juniper's card. It says ***UP to 2%***. Here are the details: * For the first $1,000, rebate is .25% * For the next $1,000, .50% * For the next $8,000, 1.0% * In excess of $10,000, the rebate is 2.0% of the "excess" The maximum for any Reward Year is $500.
The Jupiter MasterCard is not a straight 2% cashback card, like the Farm Bureau Visa. The Jupiter card is tiered. If you max out the rebate of $500, you will have earned an effective cashback of 1.63%.
Sure enough, the Fleet Cash Rebate card has changed its reward cycle, now requiring you to carry a balance to get up to 2% cash back - it should be dropped from consideration: .25% on the first $1,999.00 of your total annual qualifying transactions; .50% on the portion of your total annual qualifying transactions from $1,999.01 to $3,999.00; .75% on the portion of your total annual qualifying transactions from $3,999.01 to $5,999.00; and 1% on the portion of your total annual qualifying transactions which exceeds $5,999.00. You can also double your earned Rebate (thereby earning up to an additional 1% Rebate on qualifying transactions), for any billing cycle in which your Account carries over an unpaid balance from the prior billing cycle. Of course, I and probably others who got the Fleet card before the change are likely shifting to use the Farm Bureau card ($35000 spending over up to 3 years gives $700 back == effective 2%, instead of Fleet's old program of $30,500 in one year gives $500 back == effective 1.6%, or less if you don't hit $30K in a year). http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm
New cash rebate credit card Check out the new Juniper Rewards Program Only $2000 to get to 1% but it stays 1% until you get to $10,000
Note that the Juniper Mastercard maxes out at $500 AND charges a 3% fee on transactions in foreign exchange. So a good card, within limits.
The folks saying that the Fleet card only gives you 2% back if you carry a balance are only partially correct. The new ads for the card specify that you must carry a balance to get the 2%. For those of us who obtained the card earlier, the 2% reward still applies after reaching $7999. Fleet has changed the program for new applicants. I wonder what they would say over the phone if a new applicant pressured them for the old deal.
The Citibank StockBack card gives 1% flat return. The only catch is that you have to open an account with Stock Back (which is free) since Citibank give you the cash rebathe through them. Go to www.stockback.com for more info. Basiclaly, they're like a finance managing company. Your rebates either go into a savings program, or you can just withdraw them.
New cash back card, Jupiter MasterCard: http://www.juniper.com/app/banking/marketing/10167.jsp?siteid=0037907736&clickid=3588433435&campaignid=0000007&obcreative=0001284&ibchannel=03 The standard offer is 2% cash back. I've read some people get an invitation for 3% cash back.
any opinions on the amaco or bp multicard,these cards offer discounts on motels resturants ect, the card has a $3o.oo year fee
I have been doing some research on the best rewards program for credit cards. Like you, I have perfect credit and always pay my balance. I had the Amex Blue card, but many merchants like Blockbuster have dropped out, so I can no longer redeem points for things I use. I wanted to bring to your attention some of the fine print details I've learned about the cash back programs. Fleet Titanium Visa and Discover Platinum only offer the 2% rate if you carry a balance. Otherwise, the highest percentage rate is 1%. The best I've found so far is Juniper - it also has a percentage tier based on the amount you spend, but you don't have to carry a balance, only spend more that 10K a year, to get the 2% cash back. As I wrote before, its the best I've found, but I would be interested in your feedback if you disagree. Thanks.
I finally found a print copy of the Sunoco Mastercard offer. Turns out the non-Sunoco rebate is "up to 1%", and is actually one-half of one percent (1/2%) on non-Sunoco purchases under $7500, which means that it's pretty useless for non-Sunoco. You do get 4% back on Sunoco purchases, but not on the current statement, only on future statements, which means the $20 bonus I received for opening the account will come off this coming month's purchases and not those I made during the opening month. BTW seeing a banner ad for the e.card on this site reminds me that if you buy stuff at Amazon, you MUST get that card, because it gives you an instant 5% rebate on that. In fact, since Amazon is handling so many places these days (Target, Toys R Us), you can presumably get the 5% back on stuff from those stores as well since they are billed through Amazon!
I just wanted to know if you had a credit card, dbt card, or anything like that for teens. I am 15 and I'm looking for one. If you could get back to me I would appreciate it. Thank You.
can anyone give me any info on the amaco, or bpmulticards, they both have rebates on travel, motels, resturants ect.
Are there certain methods that can be used to get your credit card company to lower the interest rate on a card?
I am looking for the best Visa/Mastercard to use. I spent less than 10k last year and Amex just doesn't give much of a rebate when you spend that little.
At that spending level a "straight 1%" cashback card would be your best bet. There are several of those available. The one I use is the Phillips 66 card which gives a straight 1% "gasback" that can be redeemed each month if you desire.
The Fleet card approaches 1%, at that level (and crosses the 1% level at $11K) and has online services.
The info on the Fleet Cash Rebate card is wrong.... "and 2% on the portion of your total annual qualifying transactions which exceed $7,999.00".... this only increases to 2% if you carry a balance.
Re When you have to wait a year (or three) to get your rebate, don't forget that inflation can eat into or even totally wipe out the value of the rebate. I disagree. First of all, inflation does indeed eat into the Farm Bureau rebate. However, inflation will also eat into a Citgo rebate that is put into an interest earning account. Money in an interest earning account is not exempt from the effects of inflation. Now, let's take an example. Let's conservatively assume it takes each of us three years to charge $35,000. I'll use the Farm Bureau Visa. At the end of the three years I cash in my earned 35,000 points for a $700 rebate. Now, with a Citgo Visa, you earn a straight 1% on your charges monthly. Assume that you immediately put each rebate into a 5% short-term bond account. Compounding interest monthly, you would end up with $360.40. This is $10.40 more than if you hadn't invested the rebate. To summarize, you end up with $360.40 using the Citgo Visa and I end up with $700.00 using the Farm Bureau Visa. (I haven't deflated these amounts by inflation because they are both equally affected by it.) What math are you using that says "inflation can eat into or even totally wipe out the value of the rebate"?
Regarding cards you can use abroad, you *really* have to check with your Bank before each trip, as these things change. Cards issued by First USA and Bank of America all charge an extra 3-4% on top of VISA/MCs 0.5% fee on the interbank exchange rate. Fleet does not charge extra, most credit union cards do not. Amex charges 1% (but this is close to VISA/MC fee, and is better than the retail rate (i.e. changing cash or TCs at a money changer).
Hi, I am looking for the best Visa/Mastercard to use. I spent less than 10k last year and Amex just doesn't give much of a rebate when you spend that little. I also need the credit card to have an online payment option. I am currently in college, so would it be better for me to get a airline miles card, since I spend so little or maybe the GE rewards card. Any help would be appreciated thanks.
Another thing about the Amex Platinum Cash back card, there is No Auto Insurance and small $100K travel accident insurance for a platinum card! Other platinum credit cards (MC and Visa) offers auto insurance and travel accident insurance of $1Million. I don't use it to buy airline tickets or rent cars which are some of my bigger purchases. They gave me a very low credit limit, the lowest of my credit cards; lower than my other platinum and gold cards and even lower than my old regular Visa. Applied for another MC later and they gave me more than 5 times the credit limit of the Amex.
I was just wondering if you could tell me where I could find a listing of what credit cards don't require a membership fee and that don't charge interest from the date of purchase. I'm just looking for the old simpl credit card, minimal fees and interest that does't kick in for about a month. Thanks a lot.
Can you tell me of a card company out of New Jersey, called titanium blue? My friend recieved a pre-approved for $3000.00. Helps people with bad credit!Sign up,pay $249.00 recieve free cell phone,computer,& satt.dish.Then after 1 or 2 yrs. you'll get a visa or mastercard. I am afraid she is being taken!!! She paid them over phone by bank transfer. She has 4 days to stop transaction,or so they said!!! Any information please, She is a recent widow.
further follow up of AmEx convenience checks: I received the checks today, and as suggested earlier, they do NOT qualify for the rebate or grace period, and begin to accumulate interest as soon as used. further, checks are limited by the amount of your cash advance limit.
about the only good thing I can see about them is that they are not subject to a cash advance fee...
once again I apologize for the erroneous information
Just a note of thanks. We especially liked your interactive graph under "Your Best Choice". Very sophisticated site for a "non-commercial" site. The link to feedback imbedded in the text at the top of the home page did not work with Netscape 4.7 on a PC. (received a page stating the link did not exist). The link at the bottom worked.
Has anyone checked out the Citibank Driver's Edge MC? I have had one for several years and it's perfect for my situation. It rebates 2% at the very first dollar, no tier systems, and caps at $500 per year and will start to expire after 3 years. The rebate goes towards purchase of ANY new or used vehicle. My last vehicle was subsidized by this rebate two years ago. Right now I am closing in on another $1500 worth of rebate which I intend to apply towards a minivan next spring. Obviously this card is not for everyone unless you are in the market for a car or charges $25K per year in order to take full advantage of it. However, with the 2% straight up, the Citibank name, and the flexibility of using it on any vehicle (unlike a Ford or GM card) makes it very attractive. It goes by calendar year and I would always charge right up to $25K for a given calendar year, then stop and use other rebate cards the rest of the year. One last note: For max benefit, you do have to time your vehicle purchase between the time you reach the $1500 limit and the start of the rebate expiration. But then nobody will stop you from redeeming only $100 either.
is there a site that lists what bank issues which credit cards? [for instance which bank issues western union credit cards?]
I’m writing to you about the GE Rewards card (serviced by FirstUSA). There is at least one reference on your site to a rumor that the rewards program will be dropped. I just want to note that so far, there has been no change to the rewards program, at least for my account. Perhaps the card is not being offered for new accounts.
If it is still being offered, I think it would fit well into your “Your Best Choice” graph for those charging about $9K-$10K (and perhaps less, I didn’t do all the math.). At that level, it beats the Platinum Discover and the Fleet Card (and I think it beats the Amex Cash Back Card). In fact, if you charged $12K per year and used only the GE Card, you’d still get more back than from using the Discover or Fleet cards, even with the $10K cap on the GE Card (of course, the smart consumer shifts to another cash back card after reaching $10K on the GE Card, but I was just trying to illustrate a point.) Obviously this requires that a consumer have a sense of how much they charge to their credit card. Some people may think that is a hassle and wish to use another card if they think they will be spending $13K or more (which seems to be the point that other cards start beating the GE Card.)
Again, this information is only useful if the GE Rewards cards is still available to new accounts. If not, I assume those who hold the GE Card have already done a similar analysis and putting it on your website would be less useful.
In any case, thanks for the site and keep up the good work.
Damn...I wonder how the changes to the Fleet card will affect current cardholders. They do state at the bottom of the agreement that they could change the terms at any time. If you look at your monthly statement, it does say "Your Rebate Earned This Year" and the amount is consistently with the old rebate percentage tiers.
Do you have any recommendations as to a Visa or MasterCard since Fleet has now made their program not as attractive?
In reference to Fleet's cash rebate changes, does this apply to the platinum card members?.... The link I saw was for Fleet Titanium Cash rebate card. If it is all across the board, that would be bad for the all of us....
I have read below about the Principal card which offers a 1.25% rebate. Can anyone offer a website or phone number to apply?
What credit cards work best when you are travelling abroad? Are there any that do not charge a conversion fee when you charge purchases in a foreign currency? Thanks for your help.
Recent note claimed - "When you have to wait a year (or three) to get your rebate, don't forget that inflation can eat into or even totally wipe out the value of the rebate." - I will appreciate it if the author could elaborate how value of the rebate will be totally wiped out in one (or three) years. I am not even clear if the value of a 2% rebate will go down to the (1% rebate + bank interest of 2% on the rebate amount) in one (or three) year.
"I have used my Amex platinum cash rebate card checks several times for paying insurance and doctor bills. I have never received a rebate for checks."
wow!I feel like I am in the twightlight zone. AS I previously posted, I spoke to one AmEx rep who assured me that convenience checks were treated differently depending on who you wrote them to. After receiving the above post, I immediately called back and asked again, this time I was told there was no grace period or rebate regardless of the recipent.
so I may have misunderstood what was being said, but it was a very long and specific conversation, so I can't imagine that I mistuderstood everything. in any event, I apologoze if I got anyone's hopes up...
More on Fleet: The cardholder agreement to which a link was provided was for a Titanium Visa card, but my card from them is a Platinum Mastercard. Moreover, they say every month on the statement the amount of rebate earned, and so far mine has agreed with the original terms (2% when above a certain tier, and they gave me a bonus for the late check for the year 2000).
Re Fleet's rebate changing: I can't get into their website this morning, but this MAY apply only to new applicants--does anyone know for sure? As some of us who have been reading for awhile will recall, Fleet's rules for new members tightened about a year ago, and they may be tightening again. I saw in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that Fleets' Credit Card head is leaving to go to another bank, so that may lead to more changes.
I have used my Amex platinum cash rebate card checks several times for paying insurance and doctor bills. I have never received a rebate for checks. Am I missing something? Do you have a different type of Amex?
Is there a credit card that allows you to earn money to pay for college tuition? thanks.
Uh oh! Looks like the folks at Fleet have decided to be tightwads and drop the top 2% tier from their cash back card. Now it's even worse than Discover. See for yourself at: https://www.fleetapplynow.com/offers/titanium_685C/terms.html#CASHREBATERULES
When you have to wait a year (or three) to get your rebate, don't forget that inflation can eat into or even totally wipe out the value of the rebate. And don't think the bank doesn't know that. I'll stick with the Citgo card, which gives me the money (off my bill) each month. Theoretically, you could even put that monthly rebate away somewhere and earn interest on it.
Re: Redeeming points from Farm Bureau Bank Visa. As I understand it from the paperwork I've received, you should call FBB at 1-800-492-3276 when you have accumulated 35,000 points and they will credit you $700 (that's 2% back). If you redeem anytime earlier, you will receive less than 2% back and your points will be subtracted accordingly. So if you redeem 15,000 points, you will get $150 credited (that's 1% back) and 15,000 points will be permanently removed from your account.
Some cards have a low payphone fee. Costco offers an MCI card for $20 575 mins (3.48c/min) with a 24c payphone surcharge.
MCI's card is good for 2 years (not the 3-6 months which is common).
- A few phonecards still don't charge an FCC fee on payphones They pay the charge themselves, but charge you a higher per-minute rate. Fastlink is 7 c/min.
- Some cards have a low payphone fee. Costco offers an MCI card for $20 575 mins (3.48c/min) with a 24c payphone surcharge.
- Places like tel3.com give 3.9c/min with a monthly surcharge. 49c pay-phone surcharge.
- On longer calls, the pay-phone fee and connection fee may be worth it.
In your opinion, what is the best card for most miles/dollar that can be awarded as cash? I have excellent credit and only spend about $5,000/yr on hotels,gas and misc. Thank you!!!
I used Discover as my primary card, until they bounced a transfer check on me. Their system had a wrong credit limit for my card. I called and told them axactly what I was doing. The check was my 4/15 check to the IRS! Don't ever bounce their check unless you want to pay penalties through the nose. Discover would only say they were sorry and they changed their policy on IRS checks. DO NOT CANCEL YOUR CARD UNTIL YOU GET YOUR ANNUAL REFUND. Their gal on the phone was nice enough to tell me. Discover is a mess.
I have been reading with interest the comments on how Amex convenience checks made out to a business count as purchases and can earn rebates. I used to charge my university tuition and housing to a rebate-earning Mastercard but the university just added a 2% convenience fee for payments made with credit card. I would like to hear more about the Amex convenience checks. For example, which Amex account(s) allow this? Do they have an annual fee, or are they free? Is it just American Express, or would an Optima card have the same features/benefits?
Check out http://www.dodgecreditcard.com for a Rewards program
very nice site. am looking for a credit card for our business that has frequent flyer miles that can be carried over . we now have a card that does this but will not up our credit limit.the reason they stated is because we do not use our full limit now. we have excellent credit but we would like to use a card for our food supplier but in the summer when we are especially busy one supplier can cost 10 to 20 thousand and we now have a limit of 10 that's why we haven't used the card for food purchases. got any thoughts?
For those that have not caught on, prepaid phone cards are the way to go. It's like realizing that you don't have to pay $24 a year for the "plivilege" to hold a MasterCard Gold card! I guess I am dating myself with that comment. PPD phone cards have a downside. You need to monitor and maintain your balance, but as metioned earlier, you get online realtime call history. Another downside is the pay phone charge. If you happen to find a pay phone that works, and you use the phone card. A charge for using the pay phone is passed-through from the pay phone people. My understanding is .50-.60 is typical. The way a PPD card works is you complete a 1-800 call, to your card company. You then access your account (via acct #), and make your call. This is easy on a speed dial phone (3 long numbers). It's a pain on a cell phone. The important point is that you completed a 1- 800 call even if your party doesn't pick-up the phone! You will be dinged for the pay phone surcharge. In general I find you do better to buy and recharge your account online with your credit card as necessary. Rather than buy a card. The onesuite.com (mentioned earlier) is a great domestic rate. Dynasky.com is a little better to Taiwan. Any ethnic market will sell the card with the better rate to their specific country. Look by the cash register and then look them up online. San Francisco Chinatown is a mecca for these things. Can anyone else add to this? It fits the mailing list topic, in that we are all after "something for nothing" (in a good way). Assuming you use a phone, this is another way. Please add your findings.
Great website. Thanks to the comments I read concerning First National Credit in Aliso Biejo, CA., I will not be sending them "$37" for a membership fee for a "Gold Card". I was wondering when I recieved the "Acceptance Certificate" why I couldn't find the words visa or mastercard on it. That's why I decided to look on the internet to see if I could find out what it was all about. There should be a law to prevent companies like that from being so misleading. The old saying is still true. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
I have recently aquired a Farm Bureau platinum reward card and have alread built up 15000 points. My question (which i cant figure out from there fine print is) how do i get the 2% cash back on all my points that should acrue in a few more months when i reach the 35000 level because--if i redeem my 15000 now , i will only be in the 1% level- but in a few more months my total points will be at the 35000 level if i would have left in the original 15000 instead of cashing in. Do i lose the 1% on the 15000 by redemning early and not letting my points build to the 35000 level-- or do they have a way of keeping track and allowing you to redem the extra 1% when your total acrual gets to the 35000 level. Maybe i am never supposed to get the 2% on the total when i reach 35000 but thats what all. your readers have said- is that it retroactivley goes back and gives you the full 2% on everything. Or is it just 2% on everything over 35000?
I also took a look at this Juniper rebate card. However, if I calculated it correctly, it appears to be slightly less rewarding (by only a few dollars) than the Fleet rebate card, even if you spend up to the max $500 rebate.
Glad you liked onesuite.com - I agree it's the best
re AmEx convenience checks, the way you get them is to call customer service and ask for them - they will also happily tell you what qualifies for grace period/rebate and what doesn't.
btw, you can even pay your taxes with the the checks, but you don't get a rebate... still you get the grace period, so you get to hold onto your money for another 50 days!
I have HAD it with Discover Private Issue. I have been with them from the beginning, and I have begrudgingly accepted (1.) the cashback cap of $500, and then (2.) the elimination of both the cap and the 2% cashback tier after $6000. After that second event, I basically redirected our household credit card spending to our two GE Rewards cards (for the first $20,000); then our American Airlines AAdvantage Card, and then and only then, to Private Issue. So this year, I have a whopping $75 coming back to me. Whoopee! Hey, money's money, so I'll take it. Well, what's infuriating is that my anniversary date (i.e. the close of my cashback cycle) was AUGUST 13th. It's November 21st !!!! Where the HELL is my cashback check? My one phone call to Private Issue a month ago was an absolute waste of time. "It'll come, sir, but payments got delayed with the events in New York." Huh ... using the 9/11 tragedy as an excuse. Whatever. I am writing a letter about my EXTREME DISSATISFACTION to David Nehls, President of Discover Financial Services, P.O. Box 15314, Wilmington, DE 19886-5314. I highly encourage other disgruntled Private Issue cardholders to do the same. I will make sure to post the response I get from Mr. Nehls (if any) to the Grapevine.
Re: "Is the American Express Cashback better than Farm Bureau Visa?" Farm Bureau Bank's 2% Visa is far better because you can accumulate your spending up to 3 years. AmEx only has a 1.5% cash back after $5000 spent (an additional 0.5% if you keep a balance), and you start over on their teir system each February. Even if you don't spend much (not enough to reach FBB's 2% mark which is $35K), say only $5000 per year, at FBB, you'll get $150 back in your third year, but only $60 ($20/yr) at AmEx. Plus, Visa is more widely accepted than AmEx. Check out the math for yourself: http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm versus http://www25.americanexpress.com/apply/jsp/fmac/i_know_which.jsp?0/20/b/2/0/325095757790/20/n&from=0
For the person mentioning onesuite.com for making phone calls, Thanks! That's the best deal going, especially considering you don't pay taxes, etc. I just signed up and tried it. Another great aspect is you can see your calls realtime, you don't have to wait until your statement closes like with the major carriers. One question about AMEX convenience checks, how do you get them? Ive had an American Express for years and I don't think I've ever got any of these checks.
Principal has a limit on rebates of $600 per year. They may have had it last year but this is the first year it has caused a problem for me. As I have encouraged folks to get this card (1.25%) rebate, it appears not to be the best option for big spenders. Probably give mine back.
Hi we're currently self employed and carry a Delta Amex and a Bank of America Visa. We always pay off our balances in full every month. Both of these card have an annual fee of $125 and high credit limits. I am looking for a new card to replace our VISA, I have had trouble w/them posting payments on time then charging me interest on the balance plus charges. I am looking for a new card that can give me high credit, 20-25 day grace period, cash back or rewards toward travel, and most importantly an end of the year statement w/purchase itemization.
To the person with the bad experience with Discover .... I've had a Discover card for nearly 8 years and have never had an issue with Customer Service. I've asked for credit limit increases in the past and it appears that they are cautious about granting large jumps in credit limits but no more so than Fleet or other credit cards I hold. In fact, I have appreciated the many times in the past that Discover has contacted me to question an unusual charge. There were a couple times when this type of customer service notified me of a stolen card before I even got my statement to notice the suspicious charges. Their rebate structure may not be the best out there for some spending levels, but I have never had a complaint with Customer Service. In fact, I've had more trouble in the customer service area with my Fleet and American Express cards than Discover.
For the fella complaining about Discover. I would hope you would think it through. Many card companies will raise credit limits for cardholders over the phone but take a few days to run credit and make sure you are not overextended. This is prudent common business practice. If you had a bank and just raised your limits every time someone called, how could you be sure they were not doing the same with all their cards, how could you be sure they had not just maxed out their other cards or lost their job. The fact that you did not plan ahead to make sure you had available credit is not Discover Card's fault. I often can call in and get credit increases in minutes. Why, becuase I charge hundreds of thousands a year, pay it off before the due date, don't yell at the phone reps and understand that some things take times (disputes, credit increases, tracking lost payments, etc...) Next time do what I do make sure you always have 20-30,000 in available credit so that you can take advantage of a situation like the one you described.
Is the American Express Cashback better than Farm Bureau Visa?
well I am somewhat blurry eyed having just finished reading all 293 archived grapevine messages (in order!)
two things strike me:
- onesuite.com has better phone rates than any mentioned so far on this site: $0.029 in the lower 48, 24/7. works like a calling card, and you can program your home/cell phones so you do not have to enter the pin. $10 minimum funding, and $10 required every 6 months to keep your account open. once, my sister had trouble accessing on a Saturday, so now we keep a 1010 number in case of emergency (never used). I even use onesuite.com for all my intrastate toll calls too
- many many people have asked if there is anyway to write checks on their rebate card, and the answer, my friends, is buried in message #201. American Express convenience checks will be coded as a purchase (and therefore qualify for the grace period and rebate) as along as they are made out to a business - so you can pay all those people who do not take a credit card by using these checks: for me, that's house, car and health insurance; doctors who don't take credit cards; my accountant; my lawyer; well, you get the idea.
you can't pay your mortgage or your car loan with it, you can't write yourself a check and deposit it in your account, you can't pay off another credit card account etc, but I believe it is the answer to many requests
it also makes more sense to evaluate using AmEx at the expense of other cards, for example, $22k in purchases will break even with the 1.25% Principal card, so if you were to spend over that amount, it wouldn't make sense to use both.
In your opinion, what is the best card if I don't carry a balance, I charge about $50,000 for hotels and gas,I'm looking for the highest dollar return/dollar spent and can be used on any airline and especially can get cash back.
At your spending level FarmBureau would be the choice, no question. You would get a straight 2% cashback reward, every 8 months (every $35,000).
Thanks for a great site! Just one note---you mention using credit cards when making donations to charity. Certainly if you're going to use a credit card to make a donation, using a cashback card makes sense. Moreover, many people give to charity who wouldn't otherwise if they couldn't do it with the convenience of a credit card. But someone who reads your site is, I think, a little more careful about money. If you really care about a charity, donating by credit card means a percent of your gift disappears immediately to the bank---and does your charity no good! Charities are one of the few cases where I think checks are preferable.
If you have a business entity, sign up for the American Express Corporate Cash Back Card. Look on the web site at: http://www56.americanexpress.com/sbsapply/servlet/FmacServlet?request_type=LearnMore&wsid=094ade9fb4ac000000ea47d73df0277f\401&ct=58&iep=35&bos=b
It is a small business card so it is based on your personal credit history. Rebates scale up to 2% over $10,000 with no maximum. You also get 2% off at Mobil and 10% off at Fedex. Great customer service and on-line website to see transactions.
I attempted to double my Discover Card cashback bonus from 1% to 2% by trading in my money for the optional gift certificates and the private vendor who does this has never made good on their offer. If you have Discover Card and you get your 1% bonus check.. Just cash it and don't waste time trying to get the extra benefit.
In your opinion, what is the best card if I don't carry a balance, I charge about $50,000 for hotels and gas,I'm looking for the highest dollar return/dollar spent and can be used on any airline and especially can get cash back. (How's that for a run-on sentence!)
I use webtv, which has been renamd MSN. I'm like you and pay off my credit cards in full each month. Is there a place on your website where I can see which credit card company offers he best rebate (2% or more) for people like us. I looked and couldn't find it.
I just applied for a Platinum rebate card from Juniper Bank. It offers .25% rebate for the first $1k, .50% for $1k-$2k, and 1% up to $8k and 2% for everything over that, for an maximum refund of $500.00. It also calculates on an anniversary year, not on a calendar year like Fleet does. Does anyone have any experience with this card ?? It sounds pretty good to me !
I don't know if the customer service on the Discover card has changed since my experience about five years ago, but from some of the other grapevine comments it would appear that it hasn't. My experience was that my mother wanted me to accompany her to London on the Concorde because she was taking the QEII back on a trans-Atlantic crossing with a friend. At the time she had had a Discover card for some time and so hoped( planned) to charge this trip on her card for the rebate. Well, getting Discover to raise her credit limit was impossible so we opened a USAir miles VISA over the phone, with a high enough credit limit to charge the whole trip, which she paid off in full as soon as the bill arrived. So she got USAir miles back instead of Discover's cash rebate and Discover got a cancellation of an account from an excellent cardholder. They were so ghastly that their behavior still leaves a bad taste in my mouth all these years later. I would not recommend Discover to anyone who ever might need any decent customer service.
I just received an offer in the mail from First USA for a Cash Rewards Platinum Visa. It sounds like a new program, and it's not avail on their website (yet). It's basically a 1% cash back. It uses a point system: every dollar charged earns 1 point; once you accumulate 2500 pts, you can choose between $25 cash back or a $25 gift certificate at certain retailers. No annual fee. Not as good as Farm Bureau's 2% cash back or Citgo's 1%, but if anyone is interested, try 1-888-466-9550 to get more details.
I don't know who else has received this offer, or how widespread it is, but in August, Chase started sending me credit card apps every two weeks or so. I usually just ripped them up, until I noticed that they included 0.0% APR on balance transfers for the first 12 months. You might want to be on the lookout for this one. I just bought $10,000 worth of I-Bonds, transferred the balance to the Chase Card, and have made the minimum payment for the first month. Also, I received 10,000 miles for "paying off" the old card
For the fella that posted about the income tax taking out the benefit of the 3.99% rate. Not true. You can deduct the interest you pay on the 3.99 as an investment expense so that you only have a tax liability on the spread (2.01%). I agree its alot of work for a small bit of money but if you have the time to earn the spread, its worth doing.
Do you know of any credit cards that award flyer miles for Qantas Airlines based in Australia? I will be moving there in January and hope to earn some rewards for my travels in the next few years.
First of all your website saved me. I received an acceptance certificate from FNC stating I was preapproved for 15,000.00 of credit. My first reaction was to start making out my Christmas list. Than I started looking and reading and thinking. No phone number. No website. Nothing... just send in your money. I called information for a #. It was busy for two straight days. So I did a search, and found you. You saved me from allot of b.s. THANK YOU!!!
I am looking for a credit card that offers check writing against the credit line. Any help?
This is in response to the 11/11 question about asking Discover to lower their interest rate on your $12,000 balance. You might as well save yourself the aggravation. We contacted them after receiving a "pre-approved" (really just an invitation to apply) Master Card, which after the initial "0" interest period, STILL had an interest rate less than HALF of what we've been paying to Discover. We contacted Discover & informed them of the offer in an effort to re-negotiate our 22.99 interest rate - only to be told "Sorry Charlie - no can do". We called Master Card & applied over the phone. They've graciously set us up with the same credit limit that we had with Discover - NO balance transfer fee. It was well worth the 15 minutes on the phone. Hope this helps you with your dilemma!
The offer for MBNA for borrowing money at an intro rate of 3.99% with NO transaction fee is a very good rate if the money is used to pay off higher rate debt. If you deposit cash into your bank acct and earn 6%, the spread appears to be 2.01%. However, if your federal marginal tax rate is 28% and your state rate is 4%, the taxes will consume 32% of the 6% interest earned. This will effectively reduce the rate earned from 6% to 4.08%. After adjusting for tax rates, the effective spread would be 0.09%. This would only provide a profit of about $5 on a $10,000 deal for a 6 month term. It's a really good concept, but simply borrowing for this small of rate spread does not really provide much benefit.
I have a suggestion for a nice addition to your site. Add a section where people can post the best "freebies" just for signing up for a credit card. In my experience I have received gift certificates, golf balls, and other nice items just for signing up for a credit card. Absolutely no fees, then just cancel the card if you don't want it. I'm sure there are lots of other great "freebies" out there.
What do you feel about that upromise program and how it can possibly be applied to an already existing credit card rebate program?
Exxon/Mobil have just started promoting their co-branded Mastercard, which features a 3% rebate on Exxon/Mobil gasoline purchases, a 1% rebate on all other purchases, and no annual fee. The website can be found at www.getgasrebates.com or call 1-866-427-7322. Remember to also link up your speedpass wand at www.speedpass.com and register at www.upromise.com for additional savings for the college.
Actually I have a question....We have a $12,000.00 balance with Discover Card...with the going interest rate which I sadly can't tell you what that is..but I am planning on calling them and demanding a lower interest rate or I am switching companies..can you please give me a ballpark interest rate that is reasonable to request from them..I may only have one shot at this and I want it to be a good one..Thanks..really appreciate any advice you can give...
re Farm Bureau card: I have applied and been accepted for this card just about two weeks ago, nothing unusual about it, but have these comments: 1) very low credit limit received - I am self employed and just put down the minimum income of 35K, maybe that's it, I figured I'd ask for an increase in a couple of months (limit received was 1/2 the usual limit I get) 2)the "balance due" posted on the internet direct access feature is about 10% higher than actual purchases. I inquired and was told that the higher "bal due" figure reflected finance changes if in fact I did not pay my balance in full, if so, that's one hell of an interest rate. (the disclosure says the rate is 16% or so) also re: LL Bean. Bean only gives a 1/2% coupon rebate on purchases other than from LL Bean. the best discount from the LL Bean card is the free shipping -that amounts to 10% on a $60 order! shell rebate card: if Shell has a local station and is one of the lowest prices around, then I think it is a no brainer. also, another advantage is that they give you your rebate every month, none of this waiting a year or turning in points....
Thank you for your excellent work. I have come to the same conclusions as you and it is nice to have my thoughts valadated. I am looking for a new card to replace my NEA/MBNA card that has done so well for me. $300.00 to ward air for spending ten thousand dollars. Can't find anything like it.
MBNA called to offer me a cash advance / balance transfer on my exiting VISA with them for intro rate of 3.99% but NO transaction fee. What was amazing was, they will deposit cash into my bank acct from which I can choose to do what I want. Since intro rate is upto April 2002 and I have another bank a/c with promo interest rate of 6% until March 2002, I will simply earn 2.01% on $10,000 that I took cash advance for ! Anyone done anything like this before ? I have done this once w/discover on similar deal for 6 months.
Beware the MBNA "select rewards" that offers a no annual fee "airline miles" program. Your interest starts accruing on the day of purchase. There is no grace period! They don't tell you that wehn you apply.
Capital One credit card at 9.9% seems too good to be true. I was accepted but now I am beginning to wonder if this comes under the "if it is too good to be true, it probably isn't true" Can you advise?
FYI - you may or may not have heard of this - go to http://www.rei.com and at the bottom of the page is an REI visa card. It has a 1% flat rebate (10% back on REI purchases). To receive the rebate, just select to receive a check at the end of the year. i think one needs to be an REI member to use it - that is a 1 time fee of $5 or $10, I don't remember. Anyway, just thought you might be interested.
This is an addendum to my previous note regarding TJMaxx credit card. Just rec'd another preapproved offer..this time the interest was lower. They would not switch my current card over to the new lower rate. Have to wait 45 days. I cancelled card.
I just received a credit card offer for a Providian Visa Platinum card with NO annual fee that earns airline miles. It has a grace period of 25 days, "any major airline", "no blackout dates". 1.9% intro APR & double points for first 6 months. 25,000 pts for free round trip (U.S.) I can't find anything wrong with this card. I'm in shock!
I noticed a lot of people are talking about the Fleet rebate card. If you sign up for the card through Netflip.com you will get an extra $16 and $3 when you sign up with Netflip.com. If you're interested I would appreciate the referral. Just click here: http://www.netflip.com/
For the $350k charger, nice to see there are more of us out there. You will do well to split up your charging as to avoid the 100k limit on AA. I have an AA personal & business card so I can get 200k out of them. If you are an elite flier, there is no limit but you will have to check with AA to verify conditions. I use my Amex cash back which has no limit and goes up to 1.5% rebate. This gets me a grand or two a year. The Principle has a 1.25% rebate card with no limit but they have had some record keeping issues so you have to watch statements closely. The Hilton Amex is pretty good as you get 3 points per buck spent and can be used for lots of things besides Hilton, including Disney Passes, Car Rentals & Airline tickets. Lots of options for big spenders especially if you use several cards. This will also give you protection if one or more vendors changes the rebate rules.
I'm looking for a card that has no annual fee that either gives me cash back, or miles towards any airline. Is there such a thing?
For those who have enquired recently about cards offering frequent flyer miles, my wife just received an application from MBNA for a "Select Rewards" no-fee account paying 1 pt per $ spent and redeemable at more or less equivalent to airline programs (US=25,000 pts, US-Europe = 50,000, etc.) with no blackout date (also redeemable for merchandise). Miles cannot be combined with airline miles and expire after 5 years.
Regarding the Citi switching its VISA customers to MC, I believe this has to do with the antitrust suit against the two card institutions. Citi, as a major issuer, has to decide on which it will serve on the board and use this as its major vehicle. You can look up the details on the suit on the web.
Citibank tried to switch my American Airlines Platinum VISA this month to a Mastercard also. One big problem with this is that the fine print says that there is a 100K mile award limit per year on the Mastercard. My exisiting Platinum VISA card has unlimited miles. The yearly fee is $85 versus $125, but since I normally charge 350K a year, this would be disastorous for me. I would be loosing about 250K frequent flyer miles per year and saving a total of $40 in fees. Not too happy with the way they presented this. Glad I read the fine print when I did.
For the fella who did not like the Chase check marketing program. Relax. These companies need to earn a living just like us. They use creative marketing techniques to offer services to customers. It does not take an engineer to figure out that if someone is sending you a check with an attached letter that there may be something else involved. If you think these card companies are going to sit back and just keep giving away rebates without earning interest or getting marketing referral fees, you will probably be surprised when they stop these programs. If everyone just reads the rules, stays away form the marketing and promotional programs (no matter how good it seems) and pay your bills on time, then you should have no problem. If they make a mistake call up and politely discuss the mistake with the call reps and then take notes of who what when why where. I have spent considerable amounts on ccards over the past 15 years and everytime there was a problem, they would handle it.
Hey I was wondering if you have a list of the credit cards that have the lowest intrest rates on the site. I heard about it over the radio and they directed me here. I just cant seem to find it. Thanks
I responded to a pre-approved TJMaxx Visa card by submitting a transfer for 4K...letter stated credit limit up to 20K. Just got letter stating transfer denied, credit limit only 2K!
Re: Chase's $4 check. You actually thought they were going to send you a check just for the hell of it because they like you? Do you think that AT&T sends you checks without some string being attached (such as switching your local and/or long distance service)? Yeah, you have to read what they send you, but you'd be foolish not to.
Chase Platinum Visa sent us a $4.00 check with verbage indicating it was a thank you for being a good customer. In reality, and ONLY disclosed in very tiny print, cashing the check gets you automatically enrolled in "Chase Essentials" (discounts on consumer purchases) for a free 30 day trial. If you don't proactively cancel within 30 days, you get charged $79.95 for membership! Chase has been pulling a lot of this kind of crap in the past year - do yourself a favor and forget Chase
I don't understand the big deal of Citibank switching the person's card from Visa to Mastercard is. So long as the card features on the new account are the same or better than they were on the old one, what's the difference? The only thing I know of that is better with Visa than with MC is their double warranty feature, I believe that Visa will add an extra year on anything up to 3 years, while MC only adds to a one year warranty. Yes, Citibank has been getting rid of Visa cards for a while now, they obviously struck a better deal with Mastercard. But what difference does it make?
To the person who can't find the LLBean Visa. Why don't you try http://www.llbean.com/ That would seem the most logical way to find it. On that page you will find a link to the llbean visa card.
For the fella who is complaining about the Citibank switching to MC, maybe you should read the newspaper more often. It is commonly known that Citibank (about 1 year ago)began switching all their cards from VISA to MC as they signed a new marketing deal. I am guessing they are switching existing card holders on anniversary/expiration dates. If you call and ask nicely they will probably give you other options on rebate/mileage cards. For someone who charges 40,000 a year, there are lots of options other than Citibank. I often charge $60,000 a month with a great payment history and have found a multitude of card companies seeking my business. For the fella complaining about merchant charges on his card. I am guessin he got enrolled in a magazine offer, discount club, etc... What ever the charge is, there usually is a phone number or description. If it is a normal merchant and the charge is truly incorrect, call the police. The card companies are putting numerous offers in the bills, by separate mailings and even when you call in for service. Many of them offer a free period to try a service and then automatically bill your account. I have never in my 15 years of rebate charging history had a charge posted from a merchant that I did not (even in error) authorize in one fashion or another. AMEX has never allowed the cash back cards to be enrolled in membership rewards.
I tried to sign up for Membership Miles using my Amex cashback card, it did not work. If someone has pulled this off, please le tus know.
WARNING!!! CitiBank is pulling a switcheroo on it's customers without consent! I've had my card for 6 years and I spend ~$40K /year. They CANCELED my VISA and "upgraded" me to a MasterCard?!? No, they did not ask, they are just doing it. According to CitiBank "You shouldn't notice a difference really" and "We will be able to offer our customers better plans with our stronger relationship with MC". Um, what about the plan I wanted? Remember the one I signed my name to? When asked "Does Citi make more $$$ off MC customers than VISA they responded "I'd be lying if I said No."
Are there any credit cards available that build points towards the purchase of Dodge,Chrysler or Jeep products?
I clicked on your "LL Bean" website link for info on the 1% cash back on all purchases and I think it's history...no mention of it on the website. THANKS (!!) for putting up this website; I've tried to do the same analyses but you have much broader info than I was using. Thanks again....
10/29/01 is there a site that lists what banks issue what cards? What I want to know is: what bank is the issuer of western union credit cards? [westernunion.com]; and what bank is the issuer of citgo cards? [www.anbcards.com/citgo/external/citgo.htm] also, why has citibank been arbitrarily changing their visas over to mastercards?
Beware MBNA affiliated cards. I cancelled mine due to unauthorized merchant charges. MBNA subsequently resolved one charge in my favor. But after the account was closed they added another annual "preauthorized" merchant charge. Regardless of whether or not the charge was preauthorized, I don't think they should charge anything to a closed account!
TO the person suggesting using the amex cash rebate card along with membership rewards...the verbage on the membership rewards site specifically excludes the cash rebate card from being eligible for membership rewards.
Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!