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12/08/2002

I am trying to locate an address for First National Credit in Aliso Viejo,CA.Can you help me?

I currently have an ExxonMobil gas card with the 3% rebate deal. But I have begun to wonder whether or not these gas cards are really great deals in the first place. The Exxon and Mobil stations near me are among the most expensive gas stations in the area. There is a Raceway gas station on my way to work that consistently sells gas for about 12 cents per gallon cheaper. Even with a 3 or 5% rebate, it almost never adds up to the savings I would get just going to the cheaper gas station. However, some people may indeed live in an area where Exxon, Mobil, or Shell are the cheapest or most convenient around, so I guess it may be worth it for them. But it's starting to look, to me at least, that these gas cards are just ploys that the gasoline companies made to get people to buy their gas all the time. I'm going to start looking for a better 1% or higher deal out there from now on.

please, let me know, the best card with good rebates fee. I dont look for any special as gazoline , mileage, etc. My montly credit card spending ~$1000, and only today, by reading your page I realize that could be more benefitial from this service.

I need to know how to cancel a credit card on my credit history that i didn;'t know i had. I dont remember ever applying for a credit card, but it is on my history report. How can i get rid of it or better yet how can i find out how it got there. Please respond. thank you

How is the Platnium BP Visa Card? They have a special with 6% gas rebate for the first 2 months then down to 3% after that with 1% cash rebate back. Has anyone had any problems with this card?

I recall that if you purchase airline tickets on a Discover Platinum card you are covered for a $500,000 scheduled airline travel accident policy-- I am unable to find any mention of this benefit on their website. Does anyone know if this is still in effect? Are there other cards that offer this benefit?

I just received my Cashbuilder Platinum VISA from National City bank (www.nationalcity.com) after applying on-line. I called after a week to check on the status, and they had held up my card because my address didn't exactly match the address on my credit report. But then I received the card a few days later. In addition to the cash back, I found out about another perk. If you like to shop online, you can register your card on their rebate site then receive an automatic rebate when you shop at one of their vendor sites (there are about 300). Examples of rebates: 2% for Buy.com, WalMart and K-mart, 3% for Officemax & Nordstrom, 4% for Eddie Bauer and Etoys, 13% for gift certificates to Lands End and Sharper Image, 15% for Carfax and Florist.com.

When looking at doing any kind of business with either Citibank or JP Morgan Chase, I have a difficult time weighing my personal gain against the fact that doing business with either of these banks means supporting financial institutions who were accomplices in the massive coprorate thefts and coverups such as Enron. There were, and probably still are, many others. I have the sense that doing business with either means I'm easily and cheaply bought off. Anyone else struggle with this issue?

Selecting the FirstUSA link at the ned of Subjective Comments results in a "cannot locate page" screen. Is this site still up?

This does not add much to the Shell/Chase upcoming discontinued 5% rebate discussion on your grapevine, but here is some info.

I just wrote to Chase to ask if the "new" program was going to be one of the 13 cards they currently have listed on their web site. Their reply is quoted below. I suspect that the new program will not be that great as they won't say what it is. Their reply can be summarized with, "Trust us, and continue using the Chase card until we send you information and a new card in mid-February." I'll be using up my Shell gas credits in December 2002 and won't add anything new to the card until (and if) they give some information about the new program.

"We have developed an exciting new rebate program for current Shell Credit Card from Chase cardholders. Due to contractual reasons between Chase and Shell, we cannot release details of the new product until January 27th, 2003. However, you will continue to earn 5% on Shell gasoline purchases and a 1% rebate on all other purchases until January 26th. Rebates earned until January 26th will be credited to your Chase billing statement in February. On January 27th you will earn rebates under the new rebate program.

Use your existing Shell Credit Card from Chase until you receive your new card and rebate program details. Program details will be available on January 27th, and you'll receive all of the new program details when you receive your new card and Welcome Kit in early to mid February.

We are confident that your new program will offer you more flexibility in the way you earn and spend your rebates.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at: https://securecards.chase.com/servlet/page/EmailLink

For some years, Kroger and U S Bank have coordinated on a Kroger Visa Card reward program. My Kroger statement for September showed that I had accumulated many thousands of reward points. It also warned that a few points would expire in December. So, in early October, I phoned the 800 number about redeeming points. A recording said that the phone number had been disconnected and to phone another 800 number, which was a US Bank number. The bank said that the rewards program had been discontinued and replaced with another and that all of my points had were terminated on September 20. The incentive is that both companies would receive a lot of bottom line benefits by the cancellation. Every Kroger Visa Card customer would have some loss, as all Kroger card customers received reward points. With the short termination notice and other constraints, it would have been virtually impossible to redeem all the reward points. Kroger and U S Bank have! given conflicting advice on the program termination and the termination notices were deliberately designed to look like the usual marketing junk mail. I didn't know that the program had been terminated until I made the October phone call. I am sure this would require close collaboration (collusion?) between both companies to terminate the old program and design the new replacement and I am sure that a lot of innocent and unaware customers were injured. Since there are other customers out there like me, does anyone have any thoughts whether this situation has any potential for class action and where I might take it for action?

To the person who has been using ACH with American Express for 4 years. My Cash Rebate card has had a zero balance for well over a year, so I cannot try to make a payment now (and see what options are now available). But I am pretty sure that even in early 2001, I didn't have the option of having American Express withdraw from my checking account automatically (I even called American Express to ask); I had to initiate the ACH withdraw myself. Which American Express card do you have? And what is the automatic withdraw feature called? My Fidelity American Express Gold card does withdraw automatically from my Fidelity brokerage account. But I don't get cash back so I don't use it. Then again, even the Cash Rebate Card sounds more and more complicated. (Is somebody from American Express reading this?) To everyone that answered my question about a feature like AutoPay, Thank You! I have applied for a Chase Stockback card and hope it will turn out to be a straightforward 1% card.

Keep this in mind when transfering balances to zero interest cards 1). If you mis/forget one paymnt, your APR will go to 20+... most people think this will never happent to them... however, your bound to mis one paymnt here and there.... 2). If your transfering your balance, you are still in debt, you are not paying anything off.. if your worried about the ammount of debt you have - dont look for a low rate, look for quick way to pay it of (even if it means 9.99%) so look for offers like Capital One's Fixed Term & Fixed Interest or MBNA's many different fixed payment/interest options...

Citi bought out the Shell program.. not sure what program they have.. but look for Shell Citi Bank Card in Feb.

11/29/2002

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to pay my mortgage payment using a credit card account to get a rebate. My mortgage company does not accept credit card payments, but is there another way - like using those checks the credit card company sends, simulating a balance transfer or something?

At http://www.mbnanetaccess.com (or http://www.ibsnetaccess.com for BankCard Services) you can set up your payment for upto 12 month in advance on your MBNA/ BankCard Services account. So you dont have to worry for whole year...

BEWARE of the AMEX cards...First of all to get information on the card is worse than having teeth pulled. The web does not explain the deal at all, the phone numbers that they offer are more difficult than dealing with the federal gov't. No one at AMEX knows the deals. There's the platinum deal,regular cash deal, there's tiered deals and point deals. NO ONE KNOWS THE DEALS. No one can explain which of their cards is best for your particular buying pattern. I received an ad that said "earn up to 5% cash" rebate. So far I've found out that 3% is the max if you don't carry a balance and 1.5% is the max at "non-everyday spending" stores. "Every day spending stores" are "stand alone" stores but they don't include places like Walmart and Target. If you're getting confused join the club. To add to the confusion, a rep just said that tiers exist to achieve the 1.5% and the 3% so you really don't know what you're getting or when you'll get it or where to shop to get it. FORGET IT!!!!!!!!!!

What would you do? I just paid off my low interest/no points credit cards by refinancing my house. Now I want to start using one of my points collecting cards for everything. Either my Fleet Gold Power Rewards or MBNA World. Neither has an annual fee. (Something to factor in: I have had the Fleet card since 1998 which makes my credit report look good. Or does it?) Thanks for this great site!

I called Shell Oil itself yesterday. The Shell Bank Credit Card (MC or VISA) program IS continuing, just NOT with Chase. On January 26, the new program will be announced and widely available. Apparently, Chase is going to try to keep us from going to the new vendor. For me, at least, this certainly changes things... No word on whether the five percent/one percent structure will stay or not, or on who the new bank may be.

Can you offer infomation on a person with bad credit some banks that might offer a unsecured credit card to help me rebuild my credit

i have over $600 in "free" gas on my shell chase card. when the program goes away in Jan/feb, what will happen to my free gas. will I still get to get the free gas or will Chase convert my free gas credit into some other limited use credit that i may not want

Can anyone give me their opinions on which card gives back the best rewards for air travel (since I will be doing a lot of international flying). Currently I am with MBNA, but I was wondering if there is any better deals out there.

To the person who mentioned that American Express does not offer ACH. I am confused. I have been using it for 4 years already. They give you a choice of automatically withdraw from your checking account or you click a button every month.

For the person who asked about paying the BP Visa online, it's a First USA card. http://www.cardmemberservices.com/ same as any First USA card.

Can someone tell me if there is a website where you can sell your GM card points if you don't want to use them for a car.

Thank you for the info on Exxon/Mobil card. I am trying to increase my FICO score by reducing the number of cards I have. A 3% rebate on gas may not be worthwhile for me, since the Fleet gets me 2% cash. I would rather add to the Fleet 2% tier than to get another new card at this point. But thanks again for the info!

For you Shell card folks: I pay off the balance every month, so am in search of another FREE card that will benefit me as much as the Shell card has (avg $300 free gas / yr!) 1) note that the terms in the Chase announcement for the successor card (having a "valuable new rebate program", effective after 1/27/2003) are not defined. IMO, if Chase wanted to retain you, any favorable terms would have been pre-announced so... 2) I am electing to get a different card NOW. Note that since your 5% Shell gas credit is credited to the FOLLOWING month's statement, you need to cease your normal usage of the Shell card as of end of the current billing cycle (ending @ mid Dec, 2002). Then, through the following billing cycle, you should charge enough to the card to soak up the gas credit. 3) You have until the end of the current billing cycle to get a new replacement card (for your 'normal' transactions )in place in this scenario. Only coupla weeks as of this writing - hurry! 4) I will likely go with Exxon/Mobil, thinking that a discount on a commodity (like gas) is preferable to freq fly miles (after all, with milage awards, you are effectively becoming a non-cash creditor to an airline. No thanks!). Anybody got other preferences ?

Thanks for this site. Fleet looks best to me. Have you heard of a Juno cash rebate card? I thought I got junk mail once on it, but I lost it when I lost my hard drive. My comments: Fleet looks the best. The problem with AMEX, is a lot of places I shop don't take it. I used to use Discover Private Issue until they went away from the pure 2% cash rebate. I currently use 2 Bank of America Visas which work there way to 2%, but cap at $150. I use each one until I cap. But Fleet looks better. So thanks.

11/23/2002

I would like to pay my BP credit card bill online. Will you please send me the info. to do this? Thank you!

1% cash back from citi bank, http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/cardserv/divplat/index.htm

For the person who was going to go fill up at Mobil now that the Shell card is disappearing, there's an ExxonMobil card (from Citibank) that pays 3% on ExxonMobil purchases. Everything else is 1%, which is just average. Rebates are paid in gas one month later. You can also pick up another 1 cent/gallon from Upromise with a Speedpass. For the person who asked about AutoPay, Checkfree offers a free bill payment service that transfers money electronically via ACH debit from your bank account. Billers include AmEx, Discover, Fleet, First USA, MBNA and Citibank. They can also auto-pay bills, but only the minimum payment, which isn't terribly useful. They will send you an email bill each month, and you can queue your full payment to arrive on the due date. Checkfree guarantees that payments arrive on time or they will pick up late payment-related charges. (The e-bill feature doesn't seem to work yet on ex-Associates Citibank cards, including ExxonMobil, Sunoco and Citgo.) http://www.mycheckfree.com

Someone had asked whether any credit card banks offer the ability to automatically pay their accounts and withdraw the funds on the due date from a checking account. I know of two that I currently use: Chase (Shell Mastercard) and Discover.

Could the person who was king enough to relate the tems of the new AMEX card please clarify the following statement: "They'll count non-everday puchases first each month to determine tiers, so that everyday purchases could be pushed into a higher tier ..." It sounds to me that no matter how the tiers are determined, you will still have to pay separate tiers FOR EACH type of putchuse. If so, then you will have to spend $6k total in EACH category to get the maximum rebate. (note also that the upper limit of the tier has been increased from $5k to $6k). Anyway, if the tiers are separatlely applied, then I think most people would find it beneficial to limit their spending to ONE type of purchase. Since I find it hard to believe I would spend $50k a year on everyday stores, I would NOT use the card for those purposes. Am I misinterpreting things here? maximum rebate in both tiers

I am using Amex platinum cash rebate card and received new cash rebate card today. Can anybody tell me if the new cash rebate card is DEFINITELY better than old platinum cash rebate card? I have usual pattern of card usage and do not carry balance at all. Thanks.

FYI -- Farm Bureau Bank has changed their program again; once you order a rebate, it can take up to 30 days to post to your account.

Most reputable companies offer the auto pay ACH service. For example, I have auto pay set up on almost all my credit card accounts that include: Discover, Private Issue, Bank of America, Farm Bureau Bank, Capital One, First USA, Chase, Citibank, etc.

Notable exceptions that do not offer it: American Express Cash Back Card, Fleet, MBNA. I serious negative in my mind.

Note that while U.S. Bank does offer the service, they post the payment a full ten days before the due date and thus eat a significant portion of the grace period and thus I do not use theirs and instead pay using a bill pay service instead.

To the person who asked about the "AutoPay" feature: All Chase cards have this feature available. It's called Automatic Payment Service. I have been using it on the Shell Platinum Card and it can also be used on Chase's i-card and Stockback Mastercard (or any other Chase cards).

I have also been using it on my Discover Card for many years. It's called the Direct Payment Plan at Discover.

Take a look at the Stockback Mastercard; I'll probably switch to that once the Shell card is discontinued ...depending on what the "new" program will entail.

To all Chase Shell Mastercard holders: I think it would be wise to wait and see what the new deal is that they offer. I agree that this is the best overall card for those of us who only spen about $1,000 mo on our cards and who do have to buy gas anyway. If the new deal is no good, then we can switch to the exxon card, which is the same as shell, but only offer 3% on gas and 1% on all other purchases.

I usually throw away all the credit card offers that I get in the mail for 0% intro rates for year etc. since I never carry a balance. However, is there a way I could use one of these cards to pay off a home ecquity line of credit balance and take advantage of the intro rate of 0%, or must one transfer a balance from another card to get the 0% rate? Any ideas are apprecitaed.

To get the 0% intro rate on a new card, does one always have to transfer a balance from another credit card? Could I transfer my home equity line of credit balance to a credit card and take advantage of the 0% rate? I think some new card deals give you a bunch of checks to use at first. Am I all wet on this?

Well, I started my PayPal Mastercard/Debit Card today. I had to transfer some money in to the account first. I went out to dinner and the total bill was $24.77. I got home, logged in to www.paypal.com and the charge was already there along with an instant 1.5% credit of .37 cents. That's a net of $24.40, instantly with no tiers, no hassle, no waiting for anniversary dates. Come on Paypal, lets go all the way and do a 2% rebate.

11/20/2002

I just got my Shell MasterCard bill and there is an insert: You will continue to earn rebates on your Shell Credit Card from Chase through Jan 26, 2003. After that date, Shell will no longer be participating with Chase in a credit card program, and you will be automatically enrolled in a valuable new rebate program from Chase. Additional info on the new program will be provided in January from Chase Manhattan Bank USA. Your earned rebates will automatically be credited to your account in February.

Does anyone know if there is another cash-back credit card that offers a feature like US Bank's "AutoPay"?

Essentially, you can set up AutoPay so US Bank (not you) is responsible for withdrawing the appropriate monthly payment from your checking account. This means you never need to worry about when to pay (thus also never be penalized for late payment). When calculating the appropriate monthly payment, US Bank also includes all credits (purchase returns) up to the date of withdraw if you elect to pay off the full balance each month.

I have gone through GE Rewards, Discover Card, and American Express, among others, and finally settled on this King Soopers Credit Card offered by US Bank (the single card has both King Soopers card number for grocery discounts and credit card number). But the reward percentage has dropped from a flat 1% to about 0.83% to now a pity 0.5%. Also, one can now just enter home phone number at check out to receive the same grocery discount.

When I had e.Card back in 2000 (offered by First USA, the company also behind GE Rewards), I was once charged late fees/finance charges even though I clearly mailed check out way ahead of time. We were once late (our fault) on American Express, and even after negotiating a 50% discount on the finance charges, we came out just slightly ahead of a flat 1% for that whole year. When I had Discover Card back in 2000, there was not a feature like US Bank's "AutoPay".

So, if there is a cash-back credit card offering a reward percentage higher than 0.5% and has a feature like "AutoPay", I am ready to jump! Any suggestions?

I agree - MBNA seems to have entered the rebate card battle with a real player...the best flex rebate program I have seen with respect to cash or reasonable free flight miles with no blackouts and tons of airlines. Not a lot of spending needed to get to the 1% rebate level either. Since the demise of the 2% Farm Bureau card, this seems about as good as I have found. It will make MBNA (who I have found to have good customer service) a much more attractive choice. Only better deal is Discover IF you want to get their merchancise choices that generally give you 2%, i.e., double the cash value. Am I missing anything here?

Someone wrote about the National City Bank...Cashbuilder Card. Can that person give me a phone number and/or web site for more info?

Shell (5% rebates on gasoline purchase) is out. Who is next? Maybe Fleet? The 2% (actually 1.5%) rebate is hard to beat! I will purchase my gasoline at my local Mobil station that has 7c off on weekends and using my Fleet card will get another 2%, easily beating the 5% Shell.

Not sure if I answer the question to you or not but the World MC from MBNA is good but they also have one called Gold Points Visa from MBNA that I use instead. You accumulate more points per purchase that can also be used for airline miles. The miles can actually be added to miles accumulated in other ways for example I have about 18,000 miles with Delta through the AMEX card. I can take 5,000 points I have on the Goldpoints card and trade them in for 500 miles that will give me 18,500 miles total.

With the World card you cannot merge their points with others so in order to get a free flight you must accumulate 24,000 miles.

5,000 points for 500 miles does not sound like that good of a deal but you can rack up points pretty quick using the MBNA Goldpoint VISA. You get 3 points minimum per purchase with many more depending on who you go make a purchase from. Check out http://www.Goldpoints.com Hope this helps.

Someone wrote: I am considering switching to the Citgo card. Can anyone tell me if Citgo offers online bill pay, with account balances, etc.? Thanks. Citgo offers on-line account service here: https://www.accountonline.com/BKCD_CITGO/Login

To the person who has paid off her credit card debt and wants to use a card for business expenses - this is the ideal situation for a cashback card, lots of transactions per $ of your own money. But a) choose a no-annual-fee card - (Amex cash rebate is probably best if you have enough expenses to get well into their 1.5% open-ended top bracket, otherwise one of the other cards) and b) look closely at your student daughter's travel needs before choosing an airline miles card since her travel needs probably correspond to frequent flier blackout periods; cash is more versatile.

Someone asked about the new American Express Cash Rebate Card. I received mine. The "everyday" tiers are: 0-2k, .5%; 2k-6k, 1%; over 6k, 3%. Same tiers for non-everyday, with .25%, .5%, and 1.5% respectively. Carrying a balance gets an extra 2% on everyday and .5% on non-everyday. Everyday puchases are those at standalone supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, and home improvement stores in the U.S., and "Non-Everyday Purchases are Purchases that are not Everyday Purchases." They'll count non-everday puchases first each month to determine tiers, so that everyday purchases could be pushed into a higher tier (a good thing! - it would be even better if done annually, but it would make your "running total" more complicated). So far what I've said is in writing in the cardholder agreement. I asked explicitly about "standalone" and was told that was to exclude supercenter type stores (I presume Super Target, Super K, etc.), that include groceries al! ong with significant amounts of other merchandise, from the higher-rebate everyday category.

Someone posted: "I've been inspired to call around: National City Bank...Cashbuilder Card offers up to $1000 per yr ..0-2000 @ .5%; 2-4K @1%; over 4k @ 2%. One annual check....plus free bill pay for checking a/c holders." Actually the 1% tier is from two to forty thousand, not four thousand, and the 2% tier starts at forty thousand until you cap out at seventy thousand five hundred in annual spending. Link is: http://www.nationalcity.com/personal/creditcard/cashbuilderdetail.asp

an inquring mind wrote: "To the person who thinks that AMEX "is next on the block" after the Shell card: Why do you say that?". I am that person, I think that AmEx is next on the block because (1) the terms for new cards changed in July - I find it unlikely they will continue with two cash back cards; (2) the terms of the new card are NOT specified online. LOTS of items are unspecified:eg, the tiers (it is not even suggested that there are TWO tiers, which there are if you call customer service), the definition of "everyday" store, etc. In my (humble) opinion, if the terms are not specified, they are not to the advantage of the customer. (3) the end of the current rebate period is February 2003 - that seems to me to be a likely date for the change (4) however you slice it, between the tiers and the 50K cap, this is a reduction of the rebate, which seems to be par for the course these days

WOW - 5 YEARS!! (10/30/2002)

If you can believe it, I've been keeping this site going now for five years. It's thanks to great readers and friends like you that keep the information current and relevant. Think back to the days five years ago when we had GE Rewards, First USA, and even Discover Private Issue. I hope you've learned a lot over the years... and more importantly - EARNED a lot!

--- Peter

11/17/2002

What goin' down the grapevine on the new MBNA World Mastercard? This card seems very advantageous and flexible: no annual fee, points earned can be redeemed for either cash back or miles, or product purchases. Does anyone here use this card? See any drawbacks? Etc.?

I have 4 questions about the Amex Cash Rebate Card: (1) What are the tiers? The website says up to 1.5% or up to 3%, depending on the purchase, but I do not see the specific schedule; (2) What are "everyday" purchases? Is this a device to exclude rebates on unusual items, such as vacations?; (3) What does "standalone" mean?; and (4) Beyond obvious national chains, how does Amex know what's a "standalone" grocery, pharmacy or home improvement store? I'm concerned that this card has a complicated rebate formula and is full of catches. PS This is one of the most useful websites I know. Thanks for maintaining it.

If you travel quite a bit and stay at Hiltons (Hampton, Hilton, Embassy Suites) the Amex HHonors card is hard to beat. If you are a gold or silver members, you rack up points very quickly. Hilton always has specials for their premium customers. They now have a special that requires 100,000 points for a 6 night stay at a Hawaiin property. I will not go into details, but 100,000 points is not that difficult to achieve if you stay use the Amex card to pay for your hotel bill and all other expenses. I get use a personal card like this for my business expenses, it really is the best I have seen out there.

My husband & I got into credit card debt at up to 22% interest & it took us years to pay off. We've finally paid it all off & are scared to death to take out any more credit cards. However, I am self employed as a sub contractor for a large firm & they want to fly me approx. 6x/yr to various meetings but I have to prepay for the flights & they'll reimburse me with the submittal of an expense report. I don't want to tie up our cash in advance as I've been doing under this agreement for several flights now so think I should get a credit card just for this purpose. It would also benefit me to get 1 with frequent flyer miles attached since I have a daughter attending college far away that we have to pay for flights now and then. What would you recommend?

I got the letter from Feet which said 0% FIXED INTRO APR on purchase and balance transfers until July 2003.

I applied the card. After I got the statement, they didn't give me the 0% FIXED INTRO APR and put 7.9% rate for my balance transfer and said only 0% for purchase. I called Fleet customer service and they told me to fax the letter. I did fax to them and email to them. They reaply below message to me:

"At this time, we have not received the fax. The invitation number you are providing is only 11 digits. We do need the full 19-digit invitation number to determine if the terms on your account can be changed to the offer of a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers until July 2003. "

I didn't understand this. Even on their website also has this offer. And, the https://www.fleetapplynow.com/offers/prescreen_intro/prescreen.html only ask for 11 digits which I have in the letter.

I have no idea what should I do, any help?

Just got my notice about Chase discontinuing the Shell 1%/5% program. Bummer. One of the comments made in the "Your Best Choice" section (near the end) to rack up the freebies when you pay off your credit card every month is to pay your mortgage payment, too. Does anyone out there actually have a mortgage that lets them pay by credit card? Mine (Washington Mutual) doesn't. And paying with those credit card "checks" usually incur a $35 cash advance fee.

I've been inspired to call around: National City Bank...Cashbuilder Card offers up to $1000 per yr ..0-2000 @ .5%; 2-4K @1%; over 4k @ 2%. One annual check....plus free bill pay for checking a/c holders. Private Issue of Discover has No cap - 0-1500 @ .25%; 1500-3k @ .5% and over 3k @ 1%issued in $20 increments Fleet's deal is a $500 annual cap - 0-2k@ .25; 2-4k @.5%; 4-6k @.75%,over 6k @ 1% I use Chase Banks Shell card and get 1% back on every purchase, 5% back on gas...all in rebate for gas..no cap BUT they've cancelled the program as of Jan 26, 03. They say they're coming out with a good replacement....(I doubt it) Great site..thx

After receiving over $700 in free gas, I am going to close my Shell Mastercard account. I am considering switching to the Citgo card. Can anyone tell me if Citgo offers online bill pay, with account balances, etc.? Thanks.

call me confused! I went to online for the sunoco mc to see about paying my bill on line. Never did on line paying before.Anyway I put into search www.su nocomc.accountonline.com and this is what came up. Where is sunoco's site? The web address was given to me from their 18oo #.

Two questions: Fleet Card: Is it safe to assume that Fleet has two different rebate tiers--the one going to 1% the other going to 2%? Could they be slowly phasing out the 2%ers? How do you know unless you ask Fleet and if you innocently ask them will they slyly put you on the phase out list and change you from 2% to 1%? Or must they actually inform you if they do this? That's the first question(s). Second Citgo Card. I have never seen anything about having to use your rebate or the card itself at Citgo stations. Is the person who wrote about this in the know, or just blowing sunshine up...? Thanks for serious replies in advance.

where can I a credit card if I have no credit. I have one credit card and pay it off through one of my banks. But I can never sign up for a credit card without getting denied for not enough credit. Please help!! I am being punished for something that is not my faught.

To the person who thinks that AMEX "is next on the block" after the Shell card: Why do you say that?

11/11/2002

To the person thinking about revolving your balance on the Amex Cash Rewards program, remember: if you revolve any balance, you will incur interest on the FULL balance that was outstanding during the month (not just the 1 cent balance you revolve)!

For the reader asking about finance charges is he/she only leaves a $0.01 balance.... BEWARE -- you WILL be charged finance charges for the month's balance on the card and NOT just the penny you didn't pay. Typically, the extra rebate earned is not enough to cover the total amount of finance charges. Also, keep in mind that once you allow finance charges to be added to the account, you cannot stop the accural of the charges until the entire balance of the card is paid off -- so waiting until the next month to pay the balance per you statement will only extend the time you are accruing finance charges!

Fee-Free Delta Sky Miles, free for the first year only. Worth one year if you want to rack up Delta miles.

To the guy who wants to put his photo on his credit card. Citibank offers that on ALL their credit cards. It's called the Citibank Photocard service. Go to citicards.com, pick any card, go to the "services & benefits > security & protection" section, and there's a little blurb about the photocards. You can put a small photo (you send it in) and a digitized copy of your signature on the front of your card.

Thanks for the heads up on the Shell card - I am guessing that AmEx is the next on the block. I still think their 3% card is not nearly as good as everyone thinks - because I am still under the impression that there are TWO tiers that have to be satisfied to get the maximum rebate, with a 50k max,that is going to severly limit the total rebate. After all, how much money does one really charge at an "everyday" store each year? Unless you are going to remodel your house or something, I can't imagine it is all that much.

To the person who wants hold back $1 after six months 0% apr on your Amex cash card,DON'T DO IT. you will pay interest on the whole amount of last months balance

Hi Guys! FYI, Fleet just offered me zero percent financing with no expiration, if I tranfer a balance over (1-800-CALL-FLEET). I can't make use of that offer right now, but I am still in HOT pursuit of a card that is "CURRENTLY" (that's the key word) offering a 2% cash rebate. So far, this is the best deal I could find. It's a flat 1.5% rebate on ALL purchases but the card acts like a debit card so you have to have money in the account. Here's the catch: www.paypal.com PayPal Preferred Rewards / 1.5% cashback Purchases that qualify: The PayPal Preferred Rewards program provides 1.5% cashback for all PayPal MasterCard Debit Card purchases that do not require a PIN. Most transactions do not involve a PIN, such as restaurant bills or paying online. Many merchants that do ask for a PIN (e.g. at gas stations or grocery stores) offer you the option of choosing 'Credit' or 'ATM/Debit' when making a transaction. To qualify for the 1.5% cash back, you must choose 'Credit'. Even though you choose 'Credit,' the transaction will be processed as a debit to your PayPal balance, not as a loan of any kind. Eligibility. To be eligible for PayPal Preferred Rewards, you must complete the following requirements: Obtain and activate a PayPal MasterCard ATM/Debit Card. Sell on eBay at the rate of at least one auction every three (3) weeks and confirm your eBay information with PayPal. Show PayPal in all of your eBay auction listings as the only online payment option that you advertise.

"[D]oes anyone know of a credit card company that offers to put your personal PHOTO on the card?...[I]f anyone knows of ANY CREDIT CARD COMPANY offering a PHOTO CARD please let me know!" Citibank and Bank of America both offer customers the opportunity to place a photo on their credit cards.

My Bank of America Mastercard has my picture, and my signature right on the card. Even though my signature is there, stupid clerks still force me to sign the strip on the back.

They took my picture at the branch when I applied for the card. I don't know how you would do this if you didn't go into a branch.

11/10/2002

"At first I liked the Citgo Preferred VISA until I found out the rebate can only be applied to Citgo gas (no stations around here)." Do you have any 7-Eleven stores with fueling stations? They carry Citgo. You can use it there.

Just received this: "You will continue to earn rebates on your Shell Credit Card from Chase throught January 26, 2003. After January 26, 2003 Shell will no longer be participating with Chase in a credit card program, and you will be automatically enrolled in a valuable new rebate program from Chase. Additional information on the new program will be provided to you in January from the Chase Manhatten Bank USA, N.A."

Does anyone have the Pleasant Holidays rewards card? If so, is it good/worth it to get? Thanks!

I'd like to add to the thanks to you, Peter, for this site. It can't be easy to manage this and have a day job too. I've been aboard for half those five years and contributed once or twice. Your site has always been and remains a valuable resource!

Hi. Love your site. So hard to find something that talks about anything other than APR. I just got a new card, and I was wondering if you had heard about it. It is the Chase Mastercard StockBack card. Earns you at least 1% on everything and more for certain retailers (Cant remember which right now). The idea then is that the rewards you earn are automatically invester with the StockBack people into a mutual fund. They only charge .65% of your yearly rewards for the handling of the fund. ie, you spend $10,000 and earn $100 in rewards. They take 65 cents for the fee of the fund. However, you dont technically have to enroll in StockBack. In that case, your money just accumulates in an account, and you can either tell them to invest it, or send you a check. From what I've seen so far, they also do NOT tier you at all. So if you have spent $7987.84, then you have earned $79.88 cents, not $60 like on a discover card. Though you might want to look into it.

I apologize for asking this question a second time but does anyone know of a credit card company that offers to put your personal PHOTO on the card? A few years ago I had a credit card with First USA which allowed me to put a personal photo on my card. I am almost 100% sure First USA no longer offers a photo card as I have phoned them a few times and even received written confirmation that they no longer offer a photo card, HOWEVER if anyone knows of ANY CREDIT CARD COMPANY offering a PHOTO CARD please let me know!

While cash rebates from credit card companies are terrific, I have also succeeded from time to time in getting 1.5 - 2% discounts from retailers by holding cash in one hand and the credit card in the other, and suggesting I could save them some money if they would save me some. Of course the double warranty, return convenience, and other benefits are lost, but at least there are no tiers or bait-and-switch rates. If they refuse, I just go on and use the card. Thanks for the hard work on the site and happy anniv.

The CITGO Preferred VISA's rebates are earned on all purchases. The rebate is paid monthly as a credit on your statement. I received my card in June '02 and have never used it to buy gas at Citgo. Go here for more information: http://www.anbcards.com/citgo/external/citgo.htm

Have you heard of the Citi Bank Dividend Mastercard. It gives me 1% cash rebate with no limits. They send me a rebate check whenever the rebate reaches $125.00. I find this to be the best credit card deal. No annual fee either.

I read somewhere that you could convert United Miles to hotel credits - do you have any further information on this?

Am I missing something? I just got the Amex cash rewards. At the highest level (above 6K) they will pay back 3% for 'everyday purchases'. The give examples as gas,groceries and home improvement stores. 1.5% everywhere else. If you carry a balance they will give you a 2% bonus. They offer 6 months 0 APR. I figure that I will let a balance ride for the 1st 6 months and get the bonus. Some of it will be @5%. After that I was thinking to pay all but $.01 of my balance off weekly or so to get the bonus with a minimal finance change. Any comments?

11/4/2002

I have a Fleet Cash Dividend Titanium VISA card, and the cashback schedule is the same as you have listed, except there is no 2% increnent at $8000. I don't know of any of their cards that pay 2%, unless you carry over a balance (and pay them 18%).

Does anyone know anything about the Chase Stockback card and how it compares to other visa/mastercards out there? Right now, I'm considering the Citgo preferred Visa as well. I need a card to supplement my AmEx for those purchases where I can't use it, so I figure a flat rebate rate would be best for me instead of a tiered one. Any suggestions?

I would like to know which would be the best credit card to have: American Express Master Card or VISA Also, how many cards should I carry. Thanks.

I have been looking for a cash back credit card and checked out all the ones mentioned on this site. At first I liked the Citgo Preferred VISA until I found out the rebate can only be applied to Citgo gas (no stations around here). I haven't seen any mention of the cashbuilder VISA offered by National City Bank (http://www.nationalcity.com). Unlike some of the other card's websites, they tell you what the tiers are and when & how you get your cash back (0-$2000=0.5%, $2001-$40K=1%, >$40K=2% up to $1,000 per year). Does anyone have experience with this card?

CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU PETER!! I remember using this web sight just after you went live to learn about "credit card goodies". What a great ride it has been and what a wonderful service you've provided to the public. Kudos and may the next 5 years bring us more 2% cards!!!

To the person that has the $8K/month question: Once you charge more than $7,999 (not monthly), you start to earn 2%; i.e., from $7,999.01 - 30,500. Have no idea why you said that you needed to spend $8K "a month" to earn the 2%?

For the person who asked about the old GM card, I too have the old card. At one time you could accumulate a lot more than $500 per year, and there were lots of bonus offers for miles. The rebates have always expired after 7 years. Now there are very few bonus offers around. You can always check the number of miles you have available by going to the GM Card website, but you have to call them to find out when your miles are going to start expiring. For the record, I redeemed quite a few more than $3500 on the first car I bought with the card, but now that they cap the limit on earnings per year for the old GM card, I use Fleet when I get above the GM cap.

10/30/2002

Heard comments on airline frequent flyer programs and how it is difficult to book flights using them. I have not had a problem with American Airlines Advantage. They recently helped me book a flight using miles all the way from LAX via JFK, Istanbul and on to Baku. I would like to be able to do this without the $50 annual fee.

We've had the Fleet CC since 2000. That year, we got it late so we didn't charge enough to get the $500 max, but they did follow their teired levels. In 2001, we charged enough and earned the entire $500. This year, we maxed out the $500 in August. We NEVER carry a balance and we still get the full $500. Starting just a month ago, we applied for another Fleet CC in my wife's name so we could try to get up to another $500 in 2003. Don't know yet if they'll hold to that new rule of having to carry a balance. We'll let everyone know. For anyone getting something for charges, we put all our monthly bills on the CC. It's easier because you don't have to send a check in every month and you get credits with no charges. Just our utility bill alone runs close to $3000 a year - that's $60 back at the 2% rate!

"I've just received my Fleet Rewards Visa card. The rewards structure is: Rebates will be earned in the following increments: .25% on the first $1,999.00 of your annual qualifying transactions; .50% on annual qualifying transactions from $1,999.01 to $3,999.00; .75% on annual qualifying transactions from $3,999.01 to $5,999.00; 1% on annual qualifying transactions from $5,999.01 to $7,999.00; and 2% on the portion of your total annual qualifying transactions which exceed $7,999.00. The maximum Rebate that can be earned in any one calendar year is $500.00. This will be my default card for any establishment that does not take American Express or Discover. "

Hi,

Thanks so much for the great site. I also got a Fleet card because of the rebate. However after studying several bills I think I misunderstood the rebate plan. Everything you say above is correct EXCEPT replace the word "annual" with "monthly".

I was really ticked off when I learned this. So to get 2% rebate you have to spend $8000 a MONTH!

Have you also found this to be true?

Given this is the case do you have a recommendation for another rebate credit card? I don't want an AMEX or Discover because they aren't accepted everywhere. What do you think about the Principal Bank or Farm Bureau card?

I have Citibank platinum mastercard for 2-3 years...pay balances on time and never have missed a payment..I learned about the 1% cashback thanks to this site..but, I just called them and they tell me that they can convert my card to cashback starting now...they cant retract back my 2 to3 years and give me a rebate or something...has anyone encountered this before? or is there something I can do to earn my rebates back? thanks much for your response in advance

For Citibank platinum mastercard rebate (as mentioned over $10K) do you have to call them to get it or are you automatically approved and eligible? thanks for your post in advance

The Farm Bureau Visa card program is changing effective Oct 31st 2002.

The cash back reward is effectively capped at 1% for all purchases. When I asked about how I could get the 2% they still claim they give on Farm Bureau fees and services. I found out this really means you get the 2% towards you payment on your car loan with them.

The literature is very misleading !!! When I asked if I could apply the 2% towards a Farm Bureau CD, they said that I would get the 1% cash back reward and some extra interest if I send them say $10000 to open a 1 yr CD. How this equates to a 2% cash back reward, I don't know.

Also I was shocked to learn last week, when I redeemed my 52000 points under the old program that I would not receive 2% on the total amount. I was told it works this way, they have redemption grids that have different levels, for example, at 15000 points you receive $150 (1%) at 35000 points it states you receive $700. (2%). One would assume earning more than 35000 points would be at the 2% reward level, but this is not the case.

What I learned when I went to redeem my points is that I would get only $850 not $1000 for 50000 points. Farm bureau told me once you hit 35000 points you get reset on their redemption grid ladder and have to start climbing it all over again,(something that was not stated anywhere in their literature.

Given that the program is changing to a 1% cash back program, I will probably cut up my Farm bureau bank card and go with someone else. Also their customer service stinks compared to Chase, which I had for years.

Hi Peter, For the Fleet card questions, so far I am getting the 2% treatment (without carrying over balance monthly). They changed their card name, so I am sure some further changes (to a 1% card?) must be in the works. JMHO. Best wishes!

I saw someone wondering about their NextCard VISA Amazon points. I lost my nextcard too when they went under, but I got a letter saying no company wanted to take over my account (maybe because I didn't carry a balance, just paid if off each month). Anyway, Amazon then emailed me saying they would honor the nextcard points that were left over in the account (like $40 worth) and eventually sent me a $40 gift certificate. So that worked out for me, I suggest people contact amazon if they ran in to this problem. You might need to prove the points you had when the card went under, of course.

10/27/2002

I just discussed the Fleet Cash Reward program with Fleet. The rep stated repeatedly on questioning that Cash Back for 0.25 (to $1999), 0.5 (to $3999), 0.75 (to $5999) 1.0 (to $7999) and 2.0 (over $7999) with $500 rebate max is ONLY valid if you carry balances on your credit card at any one of these levels. It is no good for those who pay off their CC monthly. The rep insisted this was the case as told to her by the CC department. Please respond with your comments.

Has anyone tried redeeming over $3500 in GM Card rebates on one car? I have the "old" GM Card with $4700 accumulated. Also, does anyone know how to determine how much total rebate money they will allow to be accumulated on this card? I had thought the limit was $500 per year for 7 years but my total keeps going up! Thank you!

Can you recommend a good "cash back" card, say 1.5%, no annual fee, that actually pays back for purchases made? I pay my full balance every month, so cash back related to a carry over balance does me no good.

Here's a new credit card for people to check out. Its from MBNA--Its called the WorldCard. For 25,000 points (1 point per $1 spent) you can get a free airline ticket anywhere within the 48 states (up to $400)--any airline, no blackout dates. While I realize this is not as good as Fleet's rewards program (18,000 miles for a free flight), there is NO ANNUAL FEE on this MBNA credit card, unlike Fleet's program. I have never seen a rewards program that offers free flights on any airline with no blackouts for no annual fee. Check it out yourself at http://www.mbnaworldcard.com Please post to this board thoughts/comments/experiences with this card for others. Everyone, keep up the good work. This is a great site. Thanks.

Are any of you guys ex Nextcard Visa holders? When they went belly up and a new card company took over, we lost all of our reward points. I had a LOT of points built up with Nextcard, but no one told us what was going to happen until it was too late to cash them in. I think this was pretty sneaky. Then, the company who took over the Nextcard accounts told us we could transfer our account balances to their company, but at a higher interest rate. I have a credit balance of several thousand dollars, but they have not bothered to send me a refund knowing I had chosen not to go with this new company. I guess my money was just going to sit there. I finally called and told them I wanted my refund, but so far I have not received it. Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem?

I have an older Fleet account, from which I received 2% rebate for 2001. This year I did the Farm Bureau card, and am now using another 2% rebate, which expires Dec 31. I am hoping to use the Fleet as my primary card beginning in January. Does anyone have any info that says I will NOT still get the 2%? I haven’t gotten any mailings changing it down to a 1% that I am aware of. Help, please.

10/20/2002

Citibank Platinum Select Mastercard offers 1% cashback with payouts after every $10K of spending, not interrupted by the calendar year-end, I believe. Includes car-rental and extended-warranty coverages.

I just turned 18...i need to build my credit history and also i am a full time student as well. i work at toys r us and i need a credit card so that i am able buy things such as a cell phone or a car. what do you suggest is a good card for someone like me. i dont want the credit card limit to be more than 500 dollars because i am afraid i might fall into debt. but i do need a credit card and i need on ewhere their interest rate are not tooo high an di need to be educated on credit cars because i dont know what an A.P.R. is or an annual fee or even the balance fee of a card is. please help me thank you

I just received an application for the Juniper Platnum Mastercard, which offers at rebate of up to 2% (cap of $500). Since I haven't seen this type of rebate for a long time, I am skeptical, but all of the info I read on the card seems to indicate that the card is legit. Can anyone offer any additional insight?

http://money.cnn.com/2002/10/08/pf/banking/q_perks/index.htm

It is a great article on credit card rebates, so you might want to include a link to the article on your site.

I have a PayPal account and I accept online payments from others. If someone uses a credit card to pay me, PayPal charges 30 cents per transaction plus 3 percent of the total. For example, if someone pays me $100, Paypal charges $3.30, leaving me with a net of $96.70. That's a pretty good deal for PayPal (not for me). I'm wondering what retail stores have to pay when I use my credit card at their establishments? Does anyone know? If it's the same as Paypal, then there's a definite 3% to play with and I want most of it back!!!

I have read that Disney is going to issue some sort of affinity credit card to replace its Disney Club at the end of next year. Has anyone heard or read any details?

I've had my Discover card since they were first issued, and have used it all these years. While I tried other programs, I always came back to Discover. However, I don't like their new changes, that they only pay out in $20 increments. I have the original Amex cash rebate card, but was very disappointed when they paid my cash back simply by applying the credit to my monthly bill. I can understand why they would prefer that - cheaper for them - and how it's still a payment to me. But it just didn't sit right. I like the check I (used to) get from Discover. It's a separate check I could deposit into an investment account. Getting a reduced bill doesn't feel the same. I still use my Amex card, but not often. The best program I ever saw was First USA's original 2% cash back program. It was exactly double Discover in all the tiers and such. That benfit added up nicely. I got a $300+ rebate 2 years in a row, and wondered if the IRS was going to make me declare the income someday. But they discontinued the program. Recently I got a State Farm Visa, where I get a 1% rebate which I can use for State Farm products, namely insurance. While I agree with you that cash is king and always best, I will always have insurance premiums from State Farm. I've had State Farm insurance for nearly 20 years, and with 2 cars and a house, I have insurance premiums due every quarter. There is no tier structure to this rebate; it's a solid 1%. I am building up my benefit and will cash it in against a premium one of these days. While this is the card I use most often, it is rather boring. I would like a 2% cash rebate, with no tier structure, and with a check I can deposit in my (ailing) investment account. If I find a card product like that, I would use it exclusively...

hey, I am one of the few college students who pay my full bill every month (with my own money:) Thanks for this site. I appreciate your time.

Try the Conoco Mastercard, know owned by Citi, 3% back on gas purchase 1% on everything else. There is no tier requirements, earnings are deducted each month from your balance.

Farm Bureau will end it's big rebate program at the end of this month, capping it at 1%. And you have to spend $10,000 before getting access to any rebate.

I recently did a balance transfer over the phone with Citi Card. I was told I was pre-approved for 0% for six months or 3.9% for life of the transfer. Two months into my billing the interest on card went to 24.9%.

I called and reported I had not been late so what was the deal. They said the did a credit report AFTER my transfer and found a deliquent on another card.

Is this legal? Why would I agreed to a transfer if I had not been sure my credit was good? Essentially they took my 12.9% loan, charged 3% for the transfer and then doubled my rate after being told I was pre-approved. They offered me 4 months at 3.9% in the mean time I am responsible for clearing it up or it will go back to 24.9%.

Where do I go to complain about this practice and what can I do to correct this?

To the guy still considering a Farm Bureau Bank Card. AVOID IT. It is NOT a 1% cash back card. It is a "points" back card that will net you, at best, 1% cash back some day in the future IF (and it is a very big if considering the bank's past history and current financial condition) Farm Bureau Bank does not change the terms in the future again. A much better alternative is any number of cards that five you 1% back in Cash, as opposed to points that can be changed later. I think the best is the Citgo Preferec Visa card. Go to Citgo's web site for details. They give you the 1% each month as a credit on your statement and no requirements to buy gas. With Farm Bureau Bank, you have to trust them to not change their terms again and no one should trust them at all. In addition, Farm Bureau Bank's website stinks. They have admitted right on the site that some charges are double posted while others may be missing. AVOID FARM BUREAU BANK. THEY WILL SCREW YOU!!!

Hey, Do you know a way to pay something like your morgage payment with a credit card, so you can get bonus points and then turn around and pay it later.

Does anyone know - does Amex give you cash back for savings bond purchases? How about discover? Farm bureau bank? Conoco? I'd love to see a list of what credit card companies are still honoring savings bond cash back.

Re: Fleet vs FBB 1% card. FBB is a straight 1% credit to your account after $10,000 spent (you have to call in to redeem your points) while Fleet uses tiers which resets annually: .25% for the first $2000, .5% for the next $2000, .75% for the next $2000, and 1% after that (so you can never get a full 1% back). FBB has no cap, while Fleet is capped at $500 per year. Other 1% cards to consider are (1) Citgo 1% which pays you a straight 1% back every month automatically up to $40 and (2)Citibank Dividend, which pays 1% back when you reach a $100 dividend. Principal Visa has a straight 1.25% back paid quarterly if you've earned $100 on a platinum or $50 on a classic card. The card you choose depends on how much you spend a year and how often you want your cash back.

Oh this is just too much fun. I do appreciate the fact that everyone can disagree in a polite and civil manner instead of the other b.s. that goes on the web. I am the small buss owner( a him ). If I was crazy enough to let a customer run up big credit and go BK, I get what I deserve for not paying attention. I am amazed that everyone is showing so much frustration at FBB and the Next Card deal has gone with hardly a word (although Amazon.com did honor their card's rewards). They changed the program because the were losing money. If you want to do business with me then we abide by the terms of the contract. FBBs contract says they can change their program whenever they wish (just like just about EVERY other rebate/regular credit card). They are not to blame if you were not able to charge enough or have a high enough credit limit to max out before they change. I have been using rebate cards for nearly 15 years. I charge a heck of alot. ! I pay my bills monthly. I am nice to the girls on the phone. Shazam! I get hundreds of rebate offers a year and enjoy rebates worth about thousands and thousands a year. Many of my cards have changed the programs and I have lost a few hundred bucks every now and then, but I just move on to the next card and start earning more rebates. I appreciate the "windmill poster" offering a suggestion on how someone with a gripe should hire a lawyer. Good idea. That's it for now. Ball's in your court, be nice in your post or just drop it and maybe we can start sharing reasonable rebate programs that everyone will participate in good faith so that everyone wins. Signed The Business Owner Who Wants To Defend The Evil Credit Cards Companies.

10/13/2002

This is BS! I ordered the Fleet Cash Dividends Card in March 2002 and I've spent $14,449 thus far. Well, according to the tier on this website, I should be earnining 2% on my purchases. According to the rebates on my statements and the customer service rep., they are not paying any more than 1% cash back, unless you carry a balance, in which case, you get double rewards.

[Note - it is still this tier for existing customers - but it appears that new customers have a different set of rates.]

looks like the shell mastercard is going to be history. chase will-not accept new applacations there customer service will only say they are servicieing exsiting accounts, it will be interesting to see if a letter turns up in the next couple of months. with a brand new deal with a lessor rebate

Tilting at Windmills. Am I on the wrong webpage here? I think I typed in www.creditcardgoodies.com NOT www.ihopeallcardcompaniescanmake$.com. If tilting at windmills means sticking it to the MAN, then count me in as a tilter. I, and hopefully others, will not give up on the anti-FBB quest. They told us one thing and then changed it before we could earn our max rebate. That is wrong. Remember: “Read my lips. No New Taxes.” What happened to that guy? I hope others will continue to post their good credit card deals here. That’s why I visit the grapevine. In that spirit, here are two ways you all can save money (not card related, though). One, sign up for their newsletter get $5 off at Macaroni Grill http://ecards.macaronigrill.com/campaign/mail.asp?code=4A The other is a printable coupon for .75 off Dreamery ice cream http://www.dreyers-dreamery.com/savings.asp?b=1291 I know, I know, the anti windmillers are asking: how can the! se companies make money by having these offers? Answer: by having a good product and treating the customer right. That should be chapters 1 & 2 in your business book NOT “How to stick it to the customer every chance you get.” See ya.

Hi, everyone! Thanks for the most informative and valuable website. I've narrowed my choices to two cash back credit cards: either the Fleet or the Farmer's Bureau cards. Which one should I choose and why? I'm OK with the 1% cask back situation, if that is correct. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much!

Hi, everyone! Thanks for the very valable website and information. I've narrowed my choices down to two cards: either the Fleet or the Farmers Bureau cash back credit cards. Which should I choose and why? Any comments and responses would be most appreciated. Thank you.

To the people who are pissed off at FBB - Please write to the Office of Thrift Supervision. Hopefully they will be inundated with letters and take action on our behalf. PS FBB Lied to us TWICE ...yes TWICE... 1) By changing the program way before the 3 year period. and don't forget #2 2) Offering with their change of terms letter, a single folded pamplet indicating the "Redemption Grids"... offering to "[d]ouble the value of your reward by applying your points toward an interest or fee credit on a new Farm Bureau Bank account." 10,000 $200 15,000 $300 25,000 $500 35,000 $700 50,000 $1,000 75,000 $1,500 100,000 $2,000 which is not being honored. I was told by the bank that it was a "mistake." TWO changes in a row??? OH PLEASE...... P.S. Please include both of these important facts in your letters.

For those of you that continue to discuss the Farm Bureau Bank incident... I THANK YOU. I am interested in finding out what we can do to salvage the situation and or improve it (if possible). For those of you that think that FBB did nothing wrong or don't want to read it... I say PASS OVER what you don't want to read, no one is forcing you to read it. Others may be benefitting from the information. For that small business owner who is sympathetic to FBB I say... 1) Let me do business with you, with one caveat, that I add a clause to our contract stating that I can unilaterally change the terms of our agreement at any time with or without notice (or late notice.) Now where have I seen that one before? 2. Just because something may...and I strongly say may (even though there does seem to be bad faith) be legal doesnt make it right. For example how would you feel if your larger customers kept buying on credit and then suddenly out of the blue declare bankruptcy? Its perfectly legal, but it'll be you who will be holding the bag (with maybe a few cents in it if you're lucky.)

Does anyone monitor the "data-download" features of the various cards? I use the Discover Card in part for the cash rebate, but even moreso for the seamless interface with Quicken that saves me hours of time each month. For some reason, other cards I use (including the GM Card) don't seem to offer this. I'm NOT speaking of manually downloading a file...with Discover, I simply click update and transactions automatically go into Quicken for review. Before changing cards, I'd need to be sure this feature was available. Thanks

The point about Farm Bureau Bank that MUST be brought up until the bank goes under is that they promised a 2% cash back card then changed the terms so that all the points YOU ALREADY EARNED would only give you 1% back. No one disputes that Farm Bureau Bank could change their policy GOING FORWARD. It is the screwing users out of past rewards that has people so upset. Given the fact that Farm Bureau Bank recieved good publicity on this site BEFORE they screwed everyone, it is only fair that they recieve, and contiune to recieve, deserved bad publicity now that their true colors are out. AVOID FARM BUREAU BANK!!! THEY ARE THIEVES

Yes, credit card companies get a cut, but so do Visa and Mastercard and the bank that processes the card. So they DON'T even get a 2% commission on your purchases. They were figuring that it would take a long time for people to build up to the 2% tier level, which would give them enough time to make up for the 2% loss with balance carriers and interest (on the MEASLY commission they get). If they can't, of COURSE they'll pull the plug. Otherwise, they'll lose money to you whiners big time. Shut up and get over it. >Why do some of you think those of us who bought >savings bonds with the >FB card were exercising some sort of "loophole" >and that we were taking >advantage of FB? What makes you think that FB >didn't get paid the >normal >commission on the purchase? I guess some of you >don't realize that when >you make a purchase (which the savings bonds >were considered) credit >card companies get a cut.

"How did you get a free Delta SkyMiles card with double points for certain purchases? Every skymiles card that I have seen always has an annual fee. thanks" I got my double points Delta SkyMiles card by applying for it and then paying the annual fee. You're welcome.

Great source of info! Finally, a site that devotes itself to the credit card "capitalizer"! May I make two suggestions for additions to the site that would likely also appeal to CC capitalizers: (1) For credit cards, 0% APR balance transfers with $0 transfer fees can be VERY nice. Can serve as a short term, 0% APR loan that can generate interest in your bank account. (2) Bank and brokerage house offers. For example, there is one with Citigroup: http://citi.bridgetrack.com/cbol/newapp/cp56/cp56.htm?BTData=402157270667B63555C4557BBB4A3A0B495938E8FE6EFE7B1CF411&BT_TID=2501 The bottom line: $100 for commiting $1500 (plus an amount needed to make two electronic bill payments) to a bank account. The sections of your web site devoted to these offers/opportunities could provide publicize these offers and could provide a forum for discussing them and their merits/demerits. Anyhow, keep up the good work!

are there credit cards vailable that I can get where it is based solely on the amount of money that I put in the account?

10/6/2002

I heard on CNBC of credit card companies giving low or zero percent cash advances. Can any one tell me if they know who has the best deal for cash advances of this nature? Thank you.

A must have credit card with NO annual fee IF you pay your balances off in full each and every month and you consider benefits like: FREE Shipping and Handling on catalog and online purchases over $50, A 90 Day Return Protection which covers restocking fees, A 90 Day lowest price guarantee, A 90 Day accidental damage or theft, and doubles a manufacturers warranty for one full year. You have to have $5,000 available to open up a Fidelity money market account but you dont have to keep that much there and you don't have to pay maintenance fees if you have your paper statements emailed to you. The Fidelity American Express® Gold Card. http://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?csi=52/20/b/3/0/279082633138/20/n&from=0 I think the best cash back credit card has to be the Conoco Platinum MasterCard® 1-800-242-1567 Issued by Citibank because you get a straight-up, 1% NON-TIERED rebate every month. For every $2000 you spend, you get a free tank of gas. http://www.gulf.ca/buy/creditcard/mastercard.asp That may not sound like much, but if you compare it to the next best credit card I found: The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card - Earn a full 1% cash back BUT the catch is you have to spend at least $10,000 before you can get the $100 rebate. http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/cardserv/divplat/index.htm I also found another deal: You open up this bank account for $1 and they credit you for $25. A family of four can easily walk away with $100 immediately if these bank accounts are set up correctly. It has no maintenance fees and no minimums and pays a pretty nice interest rate to boot.

Like several other recent contributors to this grapevine, I am sick and tired of the rantings of the latter day Don Quixotes who can't seem to let the FBB issue go. If you folks honestly believe you have been cheated, why waste your time tilting at windmills (i.e., boring the rest of us with your whining)? Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, hire yourselves an attorney and file a class action lawsuit? Otherwise, shut up and move on. I must comment in particular on the egregious and unintentional irony in the message posted by the ridiculous verbal bully who compared the viewpoint of the author of a message s/he disagreed with to that of convicted felons Ivan Boesky and Michael Milliken (sic), attacked the contributor for being a "freeloader", baited him/her about leaving the group, yet felt justified to demand more "constructive" future contributions from him/her. Incredible.

American Express offers a 5% cash back card that is tiered .5% for the first $2000, 1% for the next $4000, then 3% over $6000, then another .25% for the first $2000 for the whole year. So it is really a 2.6% cash back if you can spend at least $6000 a year.

I know that there are many credit cards that provide rental car loss/damage waiver when the rental is charged to the card. Are you aware of any credit cards that also provide additional liability insurance when the rental is charged to the card, so that the renter does not have to purchase this insurance (at a typical cost of $10.95 a day) from the car rental company? I do not own a car, and thus do not have automobile liability insurance of my own. Thanks.

How did you get a free Delta SkyMiles card with double points for certain purchases? Every skymiles card that I have seen always has an annual fee. thanks

Why do some of you think those of us who bought savings bonds with the FB card were exercising some sort of "loophole" and that we were taking advantage of FB? What makes you think that FB didn't get paid the normal commission on the purchase? I guess some of you don't realize that when you make a purchase (which the savings bonds were considered) credit card companies get a cut.

You've put together an impressive site with some very useful information. I checked out your site after the mention in the Wall Street Journal and I will now be switching cards. Thank you.

Hi! I have a site extolling the virtues of a new type of credit card http://www.accucard.net, as well as providing a guide to using a credit card.

The door won't hit me on the way out. I am not a freeloader. I don't tow the company line. I run a small business and meet lots of folks who try to take advantage of me. It is very simple math, you can't pay out more in rebates than what you make on income. Especially when its from Savings Bonds. The folks that have a REAL gripe is with Next Card. That bank folded and everyone lost every rebate with no warning of any type. They had a pretty reasonable rebate/marketing struture but the FDIC closed them down. As for FBB, if you guys want to spend all your energy trying to find ways to stick it to credit card companies, more power to you. I hope that if you ever have your own business, that people don't try to take advantage of you as some have tried to do to these credit card companies. I will be content on using the rebate programs as they are intended from issuers who are making a reasonable profit on my transaction. Now if you excuse me, I just received 3 credit card statements that I actually bought stuff with and have to figure out what to do with my $400 something in rebates from september.

10/3/2002

Your daughter who just graduated from college...it would have been better if she had applied for the card when she was in college (they give college students cards a lot more easily than anyone out of college). Anyway, try Capital One (capitalone.com) or Associates (anbcards.com).

Looking for a cash back credit card greater than 2%. I know about the cards that offer a better rate at certain merchants, but looking for a card that greater than 2% on all purchases. If you cannot find a credit card greater that 2%, can you find one, with no limit on the cash back reward. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciate.

Got a solicitation for an Advanta Platinum BusinessCard in the mail today. Don't think I can use it because it appears to be only for businesses(application asks for info like sales of business, number of employees, etc). Too bad, because it looks a like a decent rebate card for real power users(not that good for normal credit card usage, though). Rebates: 0.25% on 0-$5,000 0.50% 5,001-$10,000 0.75% 10,001-15,000 1.00% 15,001-25,000 1.50% 25,000+ And, if you charge over $50,000 in a year, you get an additional 0.50% on ALL tiers(i.e. it takes tiers from 0.75% to 2.00%. Also, unlimited rebates, no annual fee, 8.99% apr, and 0% introductory rate on balance transfers(until 6/03) and primary car rental insurance coverage. You can also access it online at www.applytoday.com. HOWEVER, I did look at the website and there was no mention AT ALL of the cash rebate feature, so you may well need an invitation to get this specific card-the web site notes that if you don't have your invitation(i.e. the invitation number), you may well get a different card(i.e. non cash rebate) than the offer. Also, don't know much about Advanta one way or the other.....

To the poster who complained about the whining about FBB (“STOP WHINING! FBB has every right to change…”). Thanks for toeing the company line with regards to FBB. Your defense of how a credit card company makes money makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ivan Boesky and Michael Milliken would be proud. We have a legitimate beef with FBB b/c they promised one thing and then turned around and switched it in midstream. As soon as I identify another card that offers me a better deal, I will switch to it. Plus, I use this board to help me make that informed decision. Your comment about keeping good deals to yourself (so others won’t take advantage of them) is the anathema to this grapevine. As a matter of fact, it is against everything that the web stands for. So, if you want to share good deals about credit cards, give us some constructive posts. Don’t be a freeloader. If not, leave. And, don’t let the door hit you in the back of the a**.

Hi, Love your site! In case you didn't already know, Farm Bureau Bank is changing their rewards program - the new cashback rate will be 1% starting in November. Points can be redeemed at the current (tiered) up-to 2% structure until then. I fortunately just hit their top tier (35000 points) this week - right before the rate gets lowered! Now I guess I get to look for a new card.. or settle w/ 1% from Farm Bureau Bank..

For the daughter who couldn't get a credit card. My daughter had the same experience, though she is an attorney with a six figure income. She had to apply for and received several gas company credit cards with low limits, After 3 months of paying promptly she had a "sufficient credit history" for other credit cards.

I wish you guys would stop it on FBB. You complain that they won't let you charge savings bonds anymore. Heck why should they loose money just so you can get your points. With that type of attitude, I hope none of you ever work or shop with my company. Credit Card rebates are for folks who use their cards to buy things. If you find loopholes and abuse the loopholes, how long do you think everyone else should subsidize your games so you can get an extra hundred dollars. When folks abuse the rebates and play the games, then everyone looses. That is one (not the only) reason so many companies are ending or changing the rebate programs. Rest asssured, I will not be sharing any more rebate cards with anyone as to make sure I can still enjoy the benefits of being a good customer.

Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!