The Historical Grapevine

5/27/98

Travelers informed me that my Quicken Platinum Visa is being upgraded to "World MasterCard status". It was only for their "best customers", and will be arriving shortly. I felt priveledged :-) to attain "best customer " status in only a few short months, but I did not want to transfer from MC to Visa. The Visa extended warranty is better then MC's. Besides, the Platinum Visa card looks prettier.

Of Course, I didn't have to accept the replacement and could keep my old platinum Visa. All I had to do was decline - IN WRITING, by June 15th.

I called Travelers and respectfully declined the offer, and was told it had to be in writing. I said that I did not request the card change, & it was easier for me to cancel the account on the phone, then to write a no-thank-you letter. The Customer Rep said she would put through my request & I could keep my old card. I hope she's right.

I am wondering if you have heard anything about a company called First Western, P. O. Box 90672, Henderson, NV 89009-0672, offering to find unsecured credit cards for $29, for those with past credit problems?

Marriott Rewards program has a Visa card is linked with Continental for 1:1 dollars:miles.

I don't have the details with me but I joined the Courtyard club for $10 (got a $10 off coupon for next visit) and requested their VISA card linked to my One-Pass account.

My latest Shell MC statement said that they're moving to this plan:

1% on all purchases
5% on all shell purchases
no cap

Formerly the had:

2% on all purchases
3% on all shell purchases
$70 cap/yr

I called the company and they said this applies to all customers and it begins within 1 month. The http://www.shellmc.com site is down at this time preventing me from checking this...

I saw this from the SmartFlier page:

"1% back and no annual fee with the Fisher Price Visa. E-mail us for details and ask for Fisher Price"

Does anyone know more details or have the contact information about this Fisher Price Visa? It looks like this VISA can take place of my ArtSmart VISA who just began to charge $25 annual fee....

To the poster asking about what non-1st USA cards offer grace periods on balance transfers, the only one I can think of is the Wells Fargo MC. The Private Issue card also gave me a grace period last month when I transferred to them, but they seldom offer balance transfers, and I have a feeling that they're gonna get rid of their grace period for them as well.

5/21/98

Please refresh my memory, are there any cards besides First USA cards that have grace periods for balance transfers? Doesn't necessarily have to be a rebate card that gives rebates for balance transfers but I need another place to store some of my transfers from time to time.

Also to the people trying to get Private Issue to waive the fee, I got them to waive my fee back in March because my anniversary date is November, and I hadn't reached the $12,000 threshold as of March. They changed the program halfway through my (PI) year, after I had already paid the fee. The key to getting them to waive the fee is when your anniversary date is, and reminding them that they changed the program after you paid the fee. If you paid the fee after they sent out the notice your out of luck. The problem with canceling the card is that you will probably loose the cash back bonus you have already earned and not yet received.

I got the First USA 2% card invitation but I already have two First USA cards, I went ahead and applied but not holding my breath. It looks like a pretty good deal to me!

Still liking your site and checking it daily! Approaching $7,000 total from credit card goodies over the last 6 years and going strong, but having to be more creative.

Thanks so much for your work and keeping such a wonderful site going.

5/20/98

I was also upset about the Private Issue annual fee, I told them I didn't want to pay the annual fee, but they just said "sorry, but we still have to charge the fee". I actually requested to close the account, and they did! What does that do?

I was going on a businees trip, and reserved the hotel thru their travel agent and will receive the 5% rebate. Will receive the 5% rebate just before the cutoff date. I will get my rebate next year, and THEN CLOSE THE ACCOUNT!

But in the meantime, there is nothing a customer can do? Please suggest if alternative option is available!

5/19/98

I really enjoyed your site and it gave me many leads on cards. What I am looking for is a card that allows me to take cash advances (or loans), and still get the credit for airline miles. Since universities don't take payment from credit cards, my alternative is to take out loans from the credit card company and repay it from funds I would have otherwise used to pay the university directly. I'd like to try to get airline mileage points in the process. My plan would be to pay off the loan within the "grace" period to avoid interest payments. Do you know of any cards that allows this?

BankRate did a great story on two-cycle billing, the scam currently being used by First USA, Discover and Bank One so that they can claim they have much better interest rates than they truly have and rake consumers out of ridiculous finance charges.

see the story: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/story_home.asp?web=brm&story=news/cc/19980518_two_cycle

5/18/98

I'm not sure how well all of this will e-mail to you. Bottom line is that "coming soon" is suppose to be a 1st USA card co-branded to AutobyTel that will give you unlimited rebates towards any card bought through AutobyTel. A free car is possible. If they'll do balance transfers or convience checks, I'm in! http://www.mobalist.com/mob_rew_visa.html

Regarding the Shell MasterCard's reduction in rebate rate, I still think it's one of the best rebate cards for me. (Don't know about airline mileage cards because I don't fly much anyway). I have gone through many of these cards and I'm a little tired of switching cards: GE Rewards, US West, PacBell, and ArtSmart. Still use Discover because of Costco.

I just maxed out Shell's old $70 limit before the change, so it is now again my "main card". To me, gas rebate is just like cash, and I don't have to wait a year to get it. The 5% gas rebate (Shell only) is pretty good, considering the gas prices we're paying in northern California.

BTW, I just found out that Shell has automatic payment program available, just like Discover. Don't know the details yet, but probably won't have to worry about late/lost payment again.

There is Exxon reward credit card without annual fee. The reward can be obtained from the purchase(1%) and their product and service(3%). The reward will be shown next month's bill and it can be used purchasing Exxon product. Check their website http://www.exxon.com

5/15/98

For the past several years I have been dumbfounded by the lack of interest in rebate cards and the incredible interest in interest.

I have had 3 cards and no balance for some time now and was only affirmed when I saw that we have 3 of the same cards (Bellsouth, Disc, & PI). I have been doing my best to bleed these rebates dry for the last several years. Thanks for the tip on refusing PI the annual fee.

With all the issues about the ArtSmart card I will probably dump mine. Any recommendations for a Visa with no annual fee and a 1% or better cash back ?

Well I knew it was too good to be true. After watching every other gas card give up on the 2% back on general purchases I knew it was only a matter of time before Shell decided to act. Got the notice this month that the 2% on general purchases was being reduced to 1%. They tried to write it off as good news by upping the gas rebate to 5% but it was easy to see through that smoke screen.

5/14/98

regarding the Art Smart new $25 annual fee, according to their web site http://membrane.com/philanet/news/art/artsmart.html they have promised of "no annual fee-ever"

I think we have the basis of a nice rich class action lawsuit for some enterprising attorney. Anyone game?

5/13/98

I just started using the ArtSmart card in May, and my first billing statement also included the $25 annual fee amendment. It won't be charged until you use the card again (after the effective date). I'm going to cancel it after I receive the rebate at the end of the year.

I called Jefferson Bank today (1 800 443 5757) to inquire about the 'Smart cards they offer. The service representative confirmed that starting in July the cards will have a $25 annual fee, so naturally I did not apply.

Also, I called GE Capital Consumer Cards Co. (1 800 677 1050) to inquire about the GE Select Platinum Mastercard mentioned on the

4/29/98

Citibank has been my favorite for their grace period. Now they secretly eliminated grace period entirely. They are also late in their mailing (received 4/24 due 4/27). I may be hit with a late charge as well as a finance charge. No free lunch, I guess!

Well, let me defend the Egghead folks. I don't know if you can still get an Egghead card; I intend to find out soon by trying to change over a TicketMaster. Anyway, with my other Egghead card, I have never had any trouble. I never do any shopping at a store, just the mail order. They have always been very helpful, orders have showed up on time. I always get the lower price of either what I found or what they have. You can't get change on your coupons, but they do hold it on account for you. I really couldn't be happier with the free stuff I've gotten. Just wish their prices were a little lower.

4/28/98

Since I never borrow (their interest rates aren't good), I found the VIP Mall card from PNC National Bank (800-979-4590) ideal. It pays 1% on all purchases and 2% at participating shopping malls. The rebates are paid in $10 certificates good only at these malls. There are over 500 malls participating.

The only downside that I can find is that it's difficult to find out what malls are participating. I have been unable to get a list. Each time I call, they give me a few in my area and promise to send a list, but it never comes.

The Egghead card works ok, you just have to order items over the phone. Ask the person to write it up as a quote order, and you will have to send them the certificates. It took a few days, but I got a brand new printer out of it for 40$. My egghead card is one of the most valuable in my arsenal nowadays. After all, how many cards still give you the grace period on balance transfers. If anyone has suggestions on any other cards that do this. Please let me know. Thanks

How to obtain your free credit reports. The three major credit information companies will supply you with a free copy of your credit report if you have been denied credit within the past 60 days. The trick is, they don't know if you have been denied or not, so if you request a copy and your credit report has been accessed recently, they will send you a free copy. The phone numbers are as follows: Equifax 1-800-270-3435, Trans Union 1-800-888-4213, and Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-422-4879. If needed, one way to be denied credit is to request a credit line increase of a very large amount ($5,000 to $10,000) on one of your credit cards. The credit card company will probably give you an increase, but not at the amount you requested. This is considered "denied credit".

I just a wanted to say that I agree with the person who is trying to switch from the Egghead Computer card that Egghead is a pain to use. I called them recently to order an item and after making me call 4 different phone numbers to put in the order, they finally said that their system is not yet set up properly and that I had to call back in several weeks. What horrible service!

4/27/98

As noted on the 04/20/98 entry about Dining al card, the cost is $49.95 per year, and their web site is http://www.dalc.com/

4/24/98

Worth Magazine dated May 1998 has just released their short summary on premium credit cards on page 120. This article can also be obtained by going to www.worth.com and following the links as noted. Archieves, Articles by date, May 1998, Personal Adviser, Test your metal.

First USA has been trying for about a year to get me to use their credit card. Their newest promotion on their card seems to be a fixed rate of 9.99% on all purchases, not cash advances.

However, it appears that First USA has a new way of calculating interest. How does this method differ from Average Daily Balance?

Two-Cycle Average Daily Balance Method (including new purchases).

What does this mean?

4/22/98

A deal for your viewers who are cheap and want a no annual fee frequent flier card...

Get the Virtually Free United Visa card...

Get a 6-month no annual fee trial of the United visa card by signing up for the SmartFlier.com free newsletter at http://www.smartflier.com

After 6 months, call United visa and tell them you want to cancel your account. They will refer you to an "account closure" specialist who will offer you a special United Visa card that has no annual fee, but only offers 0.5 miles for every dollar spent....instead of 1.0 miles per dollar from the regular card.

First I would like to thank you for great page you have. Your page and RamResearch are the two indispensable sources for new credit card deals info.

I have been rejected for Yahoo credit card. The reason -- I've already have enough credit with them. Now, I have 3 cards with First USA, so I can't really blame them. But I am still well under their 100K limit.

Question: Does anyone know what is Yahoo reward structure? I've asked First USA and they did not know! I am thinking of converting my Egghead to Yahoo. With the stores closing Egghead is a real pain to use.

I was wondering if you had any advice on how to get monthly payments like mortgages and utility bills on credit cards for earning rebates. Another thing would be school and property taxes, auto insurance. Please let me know if you have any ideas on this.

US News & World Report has some credit/debt related articles in today's (April 27) issue. Page and a half or so about how companies calculate what kind of credit risk you are.

4/20/98

(1)The Transmedia Card - can be obtained for a one time fee of $ 4.95 with a 20 % discount on restaurants, catalogs, loging, entertainment, golf, and more. Every eight weeks an updated regional directory is mailed to your home address. To obtain this card call cardmember services in North Miami, Florida at 1-800-422-5090 or 1-305-892-3300 Monday thru Friday during normal business hours. Remember to have your major credit card in which you collect rewards ready to activate your account.

Additional information about The Transmedia card can be found at http://www.transmediacard.com/

(2) Dining A' La Card - is currently running a promotion also. This program allows you to hook up to nine corporate and personal credit cards and you receive 20 % cash back via a mailed rebate check; on restaurants, hotels, entertainment and more. The current promotion is for new members only, and consists of a 60 day trial period, an executive pen set, and an electronic organizer. This offer is available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-342-0499 and by giving the operator the following promo code number 039-368-040.

(3) ATN - ranked the best calling card by Money Magazine 07/95 offers a free discount calling card 17.5 cents per minute / Flate Rate with 6 second billing anywhere in the US, HI, AK, PR, and USVI-with no surcharge and no need to change your existing carrier. This offer is available by calling customer service at 1-800-477-9692 or accessing the vendors web site at http://www.callatn.com and using promo code # EC6929.

4/17/98

Don't know how I found you, just looking for info on the net and there was your most interesting page. I recently dropped a card which was absorbed by another institution. They changed all the perks so I said no thanks. Now looking for another card. Had something come in the mail this week from I believe, Provident Bank. My recollection is there was a N.H. address. Sad to say, had lots of houseguests over the holiday and the info for returning the application was misplaced and I couldn't do a thing. The deal was, if you endorsedthe check you received in the mail ($100) and returned it to them, you would get a new credit card with a $100 credit balance. I was going to do it, but have since called Provident Bank, (they know -0-) and checked on the web (their page is a 404). With your connections, you might be able to do better. Good luck and if you are successful, perhaps you'd give me a holler?

PI has me really irritated for another reason -- the way they run their automatic debit program for paying your monthly bill. I thought this program would save me the hassle of writing another check each month and timing its delivery. I signed up via the web, and may have received an information letter confirming that my request was being processed. But I never received a letter confirming when the bank debits would begin.

Here is the apparent history of events:

2/10 - my statement closes. My statement indicates a payment due date of 3/5. And my statement gave NO indication that my balance would be debited from my bank account on 3/10.

2/14 -- PI later tells me that they sent a letter indicating that the program was beginning IMMEDIATELY with my 2/10 statement. I didn't receive the letter.

3/3 -- A check that I sent for the balance is credited.

3/10 -- PI attempts to debit my bank account. I happen to try withdrawing $$ from an ATM late that day and see a large, negative balance. I quickly transfer funds, so PI gets my money (twice), but my bank hits me for a NSF fee AND monthly service charge.

3/5 - my statement closes. This statement NOW indicates that my bank account will be debited on 4/5, but it is only listed under "Credits." On the payment stub, it STILL indicates that my next payment is due 4/1.

Every other time that I have sent up automatic payments, I have received advanced notice, and the payment stub clearly indicates that my bank account will be debited. But not PI! I didn't receive a separate notice of the rebate changes, or it was buried inconspicuously with free checks. I just received my PI card in November. I had reached the 2% mark, but my most recent statement bumped me back down on my new purchases according to the new rules. I'm back at 2%, but what jerks!

I going to try to get reimbursed for the NSF, etc. charges, but who knows.

P.S. I recently arranged to have Time Warner cable bill charged to my PI card each month. But my monthly cable statements don't reflect this, and they never will, so a Time Warner service rep told me. I just have to "remember" not to send a separate check.

On this page:

http://www.ece.gatech.edu/~flur/cards/flyer.html

United's Mileage Plus should be $70 per year not $0

4/15/98

Does anyone know of any MBNA cards (other than Tower Records) that will give rebates for balance transfers?

Money Magazine in their latest issue, (May 1988) has just published their version of the best cards for big spenders pages 133-137.

This may also be on line at www.money.com, money magazines web site address.

Does anybody knows any cool card from CitiBank (except Drivers Edge and Phillips Magnavox) or Advanta (except Edvance, since it is only distributed by invitations), which would earn points on balance transfers?

While travelling to South Carolina, I happened to go into a Bi-Lo grocery store. They offer the BEST card I have ever seen.

Carolina First Bank 800-473-5252

No annual fee
2% of all charges paid back in the form of Bi-Lo store credits.
3% of Bi-Lo charges paid back in store credits.
Max back each year is $500.00
Store credits are mailed, along with lots of VERY GOOD coupons, 4 times a year.

The credits are not cold hard cash, but they are as good as cash at the grocery store... Everybody goes to the grocery store.

The coupons are not the every day 0.35 cents off a $10.00 item. These are 'Bi-Lo coupons' ranging as much as several dollars.

As with all good deals, there is a catch. You must obviously shop at Bi-Lo if you wish to take advantage of store credits. Bi-Lo grocery stores are not in Florida where I live, so I plan to get the card and send the credits to my family for them to use. I suspect Bi-Loq groceries are located only in the Carolinas.

4/14/98

I am an IGT user but was not aware of the deal through Chase Mastercard for the special $10/yr fee (otherwise I think it is $40 or $50/yr). Especially since I already have a Chase Mastercard, I was wondering who I call to get the discount.

4/13/98

For those of you applied for a Chef Smart (or Art Smart) Visa Credit Card from Jefferson Bank for the 1% rebate, I just received mine and it looks Ok. But, be careful about not being late. The fine print reads "To help with the holidays, our cash back check will be sent to you early in December. However, we will not be provide a cash rebate to you in any Annual Rebate Year in which you were more than 30 days' late in making any of you Minimum Payments or if your Account was closed at any time during the Annual Rebate Year.

It would really hurt to accumulate hundreds or dollars and then be late only one month and loose all the money.

Regarding A's question, I believe he refers to the new Citibank Driver's Edge credit card (http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/drivers-edge/). It gives a 2% on all purchases made with the card (up to $500 per year) towards the purchase or lease of any new car. The rebates expire three years after earning them.

I do not think Citibank is issuing any new Driver's Edge accounts.

4/10/98

Dining a la Card (DAC) works similar to other dining cards such as Transmedia and IGT. DAC gives you back 20% of the entire amount charged including tax and tip. IGT and Transmedia refund you 25% of the food and drink portion. If you tip 15%, you end up with just about the same discount. If you are a big tipper in a city with a high sales tax, you come out slightly ahead with DAC.

The biggest advantage to me for using DAC (I have all three cards)is that it is discreet since you can use any credit card that you have registered. Transmedia and IGT have their own credit cards so your guests and the waiter know you're getting a discount. I'll use my IGT card when I take my mother out for dinner, but if I'm on a date, I'll choose a nice DAC restaurant if one is available.

I actually use the IGT card the most for two reasons. First, their guide indicates how expensive the restaurant is. Second, their guide includes a lot of stores (mostly in New York and Florida) that also accept it. Last year I saved $50 on a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses which no store discounts.

While I have never read anything specific on DAC regarding how they earn their money, I assume its similar to the way Transmedia and IGT earn theirs.

A restaurant will sign up with Transmedia for typically a six month period. An estimate of the dollar value of meals to be eaten by Transmedia cardholders is determined. The restaurant then receives 50% of this amount upfront. For example, if the estimate is $5,000, the restaurant receives $2,500 up front. If a cardholder charges $100, the restaurant's initial $5,000 "credit" is reduced to $4,900. Not until another $4,900 is charged at the restaurant will the restaurant be entitled to any additional cash from Transmedia. In the meantime, Transmedia will bill the cardholder for $75 for the food and drink ($100 less 25% discount). Therefore, the cardholder has paid Transmedia $75 for the meal while the restaurant received $50 from Transmedia. Transmedia has made $25.

Restaurants join the program to help them with their cash flow. That's why a lot of restaurants listed are relatively new - they need upfront cash to get started. You won't find too many highly successful and long established restaurants willing to accept 50 cents on the dollar.

It may be advisable to call in advance before going to a restaurant since these restaurants have a higher chance of going out of business.

Whether these cards make sense, it depends on how oftern they are used. If the DAC costs you nothing and you use it once, you're already ahead of the game. If you pay $50 and don't spend at least $250 at participating restaurants during the year, you lost.

Personally, I have a Transmedia card free for life (an offer I found in a specialty newspaper) provided I use it at least twice every six months. My IGT card costs me $10 per year through a program from Chase Mastercard. I had the introductory 2 month free DAC card which I let expire. I then got a full free year of DAC with AT&T True Rewards program.

These cards have saved me a lot of money since I eat out at least once a week. In fact, my favorite local restaurant joined Transmedia a few months ago. I think these cards are great.

I keep receiving information in the mail about Dining a la Card. It is free for the first year and $50 each additional year. It boasts 20% back at participating restaurants.

Is this useful at all? Or a waste of money. How does "Dining a la Card" make their $$?

4/9/98

A frequent flier card with no annual fee!! For other deals check out http://www.smartflier.com/.

Amex has an optima card called the Sheraton Optima It has no annual fee and lets you get one point per dollar spent These points can be converted, 1 for 1 to frequent flier miles with participating airlines

This is the only no annual fee frequent flier card, except for the 6 months free deal we have on the United Visa

I stumbled upon your Web site, as I am looking for a new credit card. I have been unsuccessful in my attempt to find a new, adequate credit card.

Here is what I am looking for:

no or low annual fee

free or low cost additional card

great rewards or cash back

My wife and I share the same account. Now, we are using the United Airlines Visa, but we have enough frequent flyer points for the foreseeable future. We are planning to not renew Diner's Club and American Express cards. We love the Diner's Club rewards program and would jump on a Visa with a similar program. I don't know of any, even through Citibank.

We spend over $25,000 and pay it off when due. I know the issuers don't like us because we carry no debt. The interest rate, therefore, does not matter.

Consumer World recommends the US West card, but it maxes the payout at $140. At even 1%, I would expect $250 back a year, so US West does not seem an adequate solution.

4/8/98

I've got a Best Western Visa. No Rebate for balance transfers or checks. I really like the variety of where the rebate certificates can be used, HOWEVER, it is not always a full 1% rebate. I don't have the brochure with me, but the rebate goes down for some of the companies. In general, I think the $10 gift certificates will cost you 1000 points, a 1% rebate, but the $20 certificates will cost you 2500 points. I didn't like that part, and will stop using them when I get my account to an even number of points to cash in.

I'd like to know if anyone has any experience with the Best Western Visa card that is offered by PNC National Bank. From what I know, you get a $25 gift certificate for every $2,500 that you charge. That's 1%. You get 3% if you use it at any Best Western hotel. The gift certificates go towards:

Best Western hotels, Dollar Rent a Car, Avis, Carnival, United Artists Theatres, AMC Theatres, Six Flags Theme Parks, Chili's, Applebee's, Domino's Pizza, Red Lobster, Bennigan's, The Olive Garden, Macaroni grill, Steak & Ale's, Stuart Anderson's, The Sport Authority, Macy's, Barnes & Noble, The Sharper Image, Old Navy, Gap, The Home Depot, Banana Republic, Sam Goody, Musicland, Suncoast Motion Picture Company, Safeway, Kroger, Best Buy and U.S. Savings Bonds.

I haven't heard anything about this card. I'd like to know if anyone has any problems with it.

I went to your site again, went to various links, and could not specifically find a rebate card that is set up for an "any car" reward program like the "any airline" programs.

I know it exists, because I read about it in the library in some recent magazine but could not remember which magazine. I need help.

I think it's great that you are dedicated to informing the public on the various details of credit cards. We certainly need a forum to fight back. The most intruiging part of the credit cards, which I have done, is to deposit money in the account to avoid charges slightly in advance of using cash advance checks to earn rebates. This I believe is the greatest deal of all. See if you can devote space to update on the best cash advance check rebate programs.

4/7/98

I received a VISA platinum credit card application from Providian Financial that offers $ 100 credit on account for obtaining the card. What's the catch? The fine print says "We will pay you a $100 reward for trying all the benefits of this VISA Platinum account, which simply means you must charge and transfer minimum amounts to your account once it is opened."

Does anyone have an update on Providian Financial's $100 offer to try their Platinum Visa? (i.e. what's the fine print?)

4/5/98

To answer some questions about FirstUSA cards:

Time-Life Balance Transfers still seem to earn points (no guarantee on how long this lasts).

You can ask FirstUSA (or any other bank) to change the type of card you have. Some people use this to get a series of teaser rates (When one expires, switch) or bonus gifts. Watch out though - if you have ValueMiles or other programs attached to your account, the point balances usually disappear. Also, switching between VISA and MC accounts (even with the same bank) may not work.

Some FirstUSA cards allow ValueMiles (free for the first year), which pays for an airline trip after $24,000 miles of purchases. Initial balance transfers may count towards the $24,000 (again, FirstUSA may have zapped this part of their program).

Recently, a friend informed me of a trip she and her husband took by accumulating air miles on a credit card. She accumulated the miles by purchasing AAA travlers checks and depositing them into a checking account. She then paid the entire credit card balance before the interest period began. It was a technique I had never considered.

She has sparked an interest in me to search for the right credit cards with rebates and air miles. I have had credit cards for years and never considered rebates until now. I always pay off my balance every month. I currently have four cards. Wachovia Visa-no rebates no annual fee. American Express-no rebates $55 annual fee. American Express Optima-no rebates no annual fee. Discover-1% rebate no annual fee.

I am now in search of a Visa/Mastercard with the best rebates or miles. I have received information to change my Optima card to a Delta Sky Miles and I learned from your page that Discover Private Issue is no longer a good choice. I checked on Private Issue as well and it would not serve my purposes because of the annual fee. Also, I wish to keep my American Express because I understand it will help me with financing a mortgage.

My question for you is: after looking at the cards I have, how should I best adjust them to maximize the benefits and which cards would do that?

I have heard of a Citgo Plus and Citgo Companion Visa card that pays 5% cash back with no annual fee and the Centura Visa card that pays 1% cash back with no annual fee. Do you know of any cards that are a better deal?

I just received a letter from MBNA. They are cutting the Plus miles from 1.5 miles per dollar to 0.5 miles per dollar, unless I keep a balance. Interest is charged on the average daily balance.

I accumulated 35,000 miles, which is good for one US ticket. Now it will take me 3 times as long to accumulate a second ticket.

I didn't know a credit card could change the rules in the middle.

Any thoughts as to which credit card I should change to? I don't like being locked into one airline.

4/1/98

Regarding my earlier message on 3/28/98 and the posts a few days later, I was referring to the Advanta Edvance card. My application specifically stated that balance transfers also accumulate points towards bonds. Sounded like a good deal to me so I went ahead and sent in my app. We'll see what kind of fine print they send back to me.

To answer the question about 1st USA giving rebates for balance transfers, the only one I know of is their Southwest Airlines card. It does give Rapid Rewards points for the first $5000 dollars transferred, but none after that.

Private Issue won't give back the $18 because I'm already at $12,000 by March 1st. Looking for someone else that spent $12,000 and did get money back.

3/31/98

Can anyone tell me if there 1st USA card gives rebate points on balance transfers and convience checks, and what kind of card it is? I know that Walden and Egghead will give points for all of the checks, but I was just surprised to find out that my TicketMaster Mastercard does not. I want to switch to one that will give me rebate credit when I use a check, so could folks tell me which ones do.

I have two First USA Credit cards.

Balance transfers on the regular card are slow (7-10 days), but the platinum card transfers are fast
Platinum card customer service has always been impeccable & fast!
Balance transfers by phone are still free.
Convenience checks and balance transfer checks are assessed a fee (unless specially designated) - When in doubt, call customer service and ask out the check numbers on yor checks.

I am an attorney who has brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of 120,000 ShopRite Mastercard holders. The lawsuit concerns the fraudulent and deceptive manner in which the card issuer, Valley National Bank, effected a reduction in benefits to its rewards program. Subsequent to the bringing of the lawsuit, the bank alleges that it has made restitution to the affected cardholders on their February 1998 statements. I notice that one of your contributors stated that he or she cancelled the card. I am wondering if that person would be willing to speak to me. I am particularly interested in finding out whether restitution was made to cardholders who CANCELLED their cards, and thus had no February statements on which to receive the payment.

As there is a court hearing on Friday, April 3, it is important for me to get this information rather quickly.

If you or the contributor would like to speak to me, I can be reached at 732-933-9600. Thank you.

Joseph Lee Matalon, Esq.
Suite 200
655 Shrewsbury Ave.
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702

Lately I am getting conflicting information from 1st ISA about their Egghead Visa. One 1st USA associate told me that this card was discontinued by the bank, while other said it is still valid. Finally the third one found out that while the old cards are still honored the new accounts can not be opened. Too bad, I am late. I guess this card was somewhat too good to last. Who knows how long it has been around, anyway? I also wonder how one can convert existing 1st USA accounts to different ones. I have 1st USA Connect which is useless for me and EMS Visa, which earns me point I can not spend (seems,there are no EMS stores on West coast or am I wrong?).

Can't believe that you never mentioned the Ameritech card which solicited me and gave 5% after 5000 (1% on 1, 2% on 2, etc.) capped at $500. I used this and Private Issue after I reached the limit. I charge upwards of $50g per year and was getting $500 back from Ameritech and as much and more from Private Issue. I got a letter from both in almost the same week. Ameritech just quit the 5% and you know about Private Issue. Now I use Private Issue (after my anniversary date, since I've capped out) and Chevy Chase when I reach the limit on PI.

Are ther any better deals than the Private Issue for people who pay off monthly? Can't seem to find any on your site...

In regards to the posting of 30 Mar 98 looking for a good frequent flyer program. As far as I can tell, they all expire, with the exception of American Express. United, American and the other large carriers offer a free roundtrip domestic ticket at 25,000 miles. You can usually get a roundtrip domestic ticket for about $250.00 (If you shop) Your return is therefore 1%. The best way to use your miles is in business or 1st class. You return goes way up, as high as 10%, or more. That's why you'll see advertisments in the newspaper and online offering to sell business and 1st class tickets, there is enough of a margin for the seller of the miles and the broker or middle man (if there is one) to make money and the buyer of the tickets to still get a great price. You'll never see coach class tickets for sale. Using your miles for coach is just a bad deal.

More to the point if your looking for something that doesn't expire, try cash. Try Chevy Chase bank's Cash Rewards card. You'll get 1% back in cash, same as your airline cards. Although some banks offer a slightly better deal you'll have to check them out yourself, there are too many of them. Good Luck.

To persons attempting to compare the various frequent flyer miles awarded by card issuing banks. I noticed many similarities among the programs. Further investigation revealed that a company named Kendall Marketing is the source of some programs. They must sell the program to various banks. It would appear that the individual banks are able to alter the program a little to suit their needs but most of them are remarkably similar. Check out Kendall Marketing at http://www.vacationmiles.com I also believe there is another firm out there selling banks a program similar to Kendall's. If anyone knows please post the information.

3/30/98

I've been trying to find a good credit card that awards airline milage points. I ordered a USAA savings bank Eagle Points credit card and after the card came I read fine print #18 which stated that points expire 4 years from the end of the calander year in which the points were awarded...and no points under 25000 could be redeemed. Pissed me off so I wrote a letter saying please cancel and I will not pay your $40 fee. What's the best one out there...the interest rate doesn't matter because I always pay on time.

3/29/98

Does anybody know why First Usa's World Mastercard has airmiles that expire? It seems that Visa and Mastercard keep trying to equal an American Express but until they fix this problem, it will never happen.

On another note, for people in Bell Atlantic territory, Chase now offers the Bell Atlantic MC/Visa which was formerly through some other bank.

It offers 1% of all purchases, 2% of your Bell Atlantic home and/or Cellular bill (BA) and 3% of calls made with Bell Atlantic's calling card towards rewards.

Rewards are payable in $20 increments which you can use to pay your home or cellular phone bill.

In reply to posting of 26 Mar 98 looking for information on Advanta National Bank's Edvance card. Their customer servic number is 1 800 492-2500 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM Eastern time Monday through Friday. Please note that the return on this card is 1%. You may have calculated otherwise as the savings bonds are issued at a cost of one-half their face value i.e. you only pay $25.00 for a $50.00 Bond. It's worth $50.00 only upon maturity some years down the road. Also note that you may receive only 10 $50.00 savings bonds in any 12 month period. That means you stop earning bonds after charging $25,000 a year.

On another matter: Regarding the World Mastercard please note that there is a yearly cap of 60,00 points (miles). It sounds like an American Express card look-a-like but I believe there is no cap on the points(miles) that can be earned on the AMEX.

Update to previous posting concerning the GM Master Card.

I went to the Carol Springs, IL post office and mailed two payments, one for me and one for a friend. At 8:34 AM I watched the postal clerk put the envelopes in the mail bin for Household International, which processes the payments.

Their definition of date received is "prior to 9:00 AM at the address on the bill". My frined's payment did not get posted until March 9, and mine didn't get posted until March 10. If you are being charged late fees or if you are carrying a balance on your account you are being overcharged.

I have read through most of your pages with much interest. I am currently compiling information on the myriad of cobranded cards currently available in the US. I am particularly interested in gathering information on music or entertainment cobranded cards such as BMG, Capitol records etc. Are there any cards where a music label is aligned with a retailer including either sportswear and equipment, to produce a three party card? Also can you guide me to relevant articles recently written on whether cobranded cards really generate customer loyalty.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. My address is hero@herocomm.com.au

3/27/98

In regards to posting requesting information on World Mastercard. One of the issuers is Bank of America. I contacted them at Bofacard.Inquiries@BankAmerica.com and they got right back to me. Their phone number is (888) 989-9675. I found details about the card at www.mastercard.com. Sounds like Visa is issuing the same type of card. See Grapevine posting of 26 Mar 98.

For the person who wanted to know about stores in So. California that give cash back at the checkstand: In San Diego, Ralphs grocery stores and Price/Costco will both give up to $30 back when you use Private Issue/Discover. This is counted towards your cash back rebate.

Family Fare grocery stores in West Michigan allows for $30 cashback at the checkout when using Discover. Does anyone know of any other stores in West Michigan that allow this? Also, does anyone know of any "back doors" to get the Edvance MasterCard through Advanta. As far as I know, they currently do not have open solicitations.

3/26/98

I requested an ArtSmart application by leaving my name/address with Jefferson Bank's answering machine. Then, on the advice of an earlier post here, I called again to get a live person to take my name/address. (The post said you couldn't rely on the machine). I received two applications. Moral: Usually better to have a live person, but machines can be reliable too.

March 25, 1998 ... Visa U.S.A. has introduced the Visa Signature Card, a high-end credit product. Associates National Bank (Delaware) is the first Issuer of the card. Other issuers will be announced in the near future. Benefits include:

Visa's Preferred Access Program which will give Visa Signature Cardholders access to exclusive and unusual events where they will receive VIP treatment and hospitality. Visa currently has under development opportunities which involve the NFL, the Olympic Games, Bon Appetit and several renowned orchestras throughout the country.

Preferred Travel Program, based on alliances with leading providers throughout the world, gives cardholders additional priority services and special offers. Hotel partners include Ritz-Carlton and Le Meridien. Benefits can include automatic room upgrades, guaranteed late check-out and access to room blocks unavailable to the general public.

An agreement with Avis provides free upgrades to the next higher class of car through Avis' Preferred Renter Program.

An agreement with Thrifty provides guaranteed airport parking at 50 U.S. airports, an upgrade program and inclusion in their Blue Chip Express rental program.

No pre-set limit on spending, coupled with an option to revolve a portion of the charges each month.

An airmile rewards program, that allows card issuers the flexibility to structure the program in a way that best suits the needs of their cardholders. This may include the option for cardholders to apply mileage bonus points to any participating carrier.

Visa Concierge Service, providing a range of services including reservations for special events and fine dining establishments and coordinated business services.

Visa Signature Instant Rewards program featuring special offers at upscale retailers and other merchants.

Visa's global acceptance network and travel assistance program, which aids travelers in replacing lost or stolen cards and documents, obtaining medical and legal assistance, and managing other travel related emergencies.

Currently available by invitation only. Soon available by request.

3/24/98

Any more Canadian info on this card offering? I could not access the AirCanada/Aeroplan site via your link. You may want to review.

I am wishing to find a bank to issue a credit card with a 1 to 2% rebate. I have a target of up to 1.6 million families. My research indicates that I will get a 16.6% signup. Do you know of any banks that I can contact?

Advanta National Bank's Edvance Card allows you to earn 10 $50 bonds a year. They will allow you to earn the bonds on balance transfers. Well, maybe. They use to allow it. Currently they are running a promotion called 'Smart Move' where you can do a balance transfer and get a very low interest rate for a year on the transfer. These do not earn savings bonds. I asked if I could do a 'Not Smart Move' since I would pay the balance off quickly and would rather have the bonds. She wouldn't let me do it. The promotion is over next month, so maybe then.

Does anyone know of supermarkets in Southern California (Los Angeles) that give cash at the checkstand when one uses a credit card? I've heard they exist, but I can't find any.

(800)635-8503, National Bank of Commerce, P.O.BOX 82408, , LINCOLN, NE, 68501 . This is a Visa card with the Discover like cashback terms. They say there is no limit on the cashback amount, no cashback on balance transfers though. :( You can also read the terms posted at www.getsmart.com ->credit cards->rewards.

Hey, what card gives 1% towards a savings bond, and gives it on balance transfers? And to the poster who set up the scenario using this card, it sounds like it should work, but it's pretty tight. Something going just slightly wrong or being delayed will end up really messing things up. Try & give yourself a little more breathing room.

3/23/98

I'm not sure if this is the right place to write to the "grapevine" but here's my situation:

I have a card (#1) that gives me a point per $1 to be used for airline tickets.
I am considering adding another card (#2) that gives me a point per $1 to be used for $50 US Savings Bonds (up to 10 per year). Points are even awarded for balance transfers which I have not seen very often in my search for cards. No annual fee and at least a 20 day grace period (which I don't care about anyway since I'm paying off in full each month).
I would like to transfer the balance each month from the first card to the second.

Here's a scenario:

3-21 Mail a check to card #2 in the amount that is due on card #1
3-28 Call card #2 to request a balance transfer to pay off card #1 - within 72 hours, according to what card#2's rep has said, card #2 will request card #1's balance paid
3-31 Card #1's payment is due (card #2 said they could pay off card #1's bill within 72 hours of instructions to do so)
Done!

I'm new at these kind of mind games and am wanting to take advantage of the points programs from both cards. Am I thinking right on this scenario? Will it work? Are there any catches I need to be concerned about?

I was one of the high chargers on Private Issue that was going to be hurt by the $500.00 cap. I've been using PI for 1 1/2 years. I wrote to the suggested addresses to complain.

My result? I just received a letter saying that my account has been audited and that I appear to be using my card for business travel in violation of section 3 (card to be used only for personal and charitable purposes).

I do travel for business, and I usually use my PI card for hotel and airfare. This is not deducted on my personal taxes (the PI folks seemed to indicate that they needed to keep things separate for the IRS). I'd actually like to know who can manage to charge more than $30,000 if they don't allow airfare and hotels!

PI sent me an application for a corporate PI card (of course, there's no cash back option on a corporate card). With the graduated cash back bonus on both PI and Discover, I've lost all incentive to use either card if I can't charge airfares and hotels to get to the 1% or 2% mark.

I feel as though PI and Discover used folks like me to get their cards accepted everywhere (they certainly used hotels to display their applications!) Now that they are widely accepted, they don't want us using their cards because we almost always pay the full amount each month and earn lots of cash back.

I'm actively searching for an alternative!

Nextcard.com has a low interest rate credit card

First USA started a Yahoo card that offers Yahoo points that can be used at internet merchants like Amazon.com

Citibank is cancelling their grade period for balance transfers!!

Smartflier.com now has several neat new deals and I would love it if you could mention the deals and the site on your frequent flier page: 6 months free with the United Visa card, and a way to get triple miles on United starting in June.

Greatwestern gives you up to $300 for balance transfers on their rebate card (1.5% on 20,000) if done in the first 60 days.

Do you know if there is a website etc. and what the reqs are for applying to the World Master Card (ffm on any airline, high limit, fee?)and is it a good deal? Let me know. Thanks

3/19/98

I just wanted to know why eveyone is so enamoured with "CASH" back. I don't like the Discover card because you only get the cash after a year and also the rebate rates are low, plus there is a annual fee.

I my opinion, the best cards are as follows:

Shell Mastercard (2% gas rebate credited monthly, up to $70)
Amoco Visa (2% gas rebate credited monthly, up to $70)
Philips 66 Mastercard (1% gas rebate credited montly, up to $200)

These cards do not charge any annual fees. What I do is charge these cards all over the place, and the only time I go to Shell or Amoco or Philips 66 is to cash in the rebates. Remember, the rebates accrue and are redeemable monthly. I prefer this to waiting a whole year for the rebates.

Warning, the rebate for the True Value Mastercard is not in the form of cash. On the web site it states: "The rebate will be redeemed twice a year in the form of a check made payable to True Value." So if cash is desired for a rebate, this is not the best deal.

A correction on 1ST USA convenience checks -- I checked many times and got different answers from 1ST USA. I believe they still afford grace period but the posting date is immediate (the day accepted by payee). I have to test it to confirm it.

Let me tell you and your readers about the Associates Bank Visa credit card. We had a gold Visa card that paid a 1% rebate. They sent us information that we were now being updated because of our good record to a Platinum card (good deal - right ?). Wrong - what actually happen is they got rid of the rebate program and gave us a slightly lower interest rate. Since we always pay off the total, this benefit is worthless to us, however the rebate was what we wanted. I called to get back the rebate benefit and was told by a manager (Jeff Bandy) that they could not do this. Confronted with my statement that I would get rid of their card, he said there was still nothing he could do.

I am currently in the process of applying for an ArtSmart card. If there is something better would someone please let me know.

I, like you, pay off my credit card balance every month. We had a local card that would give 2% back for the grocery store. That was great . . .probably a little too great because they are discontinuing it as of next month.

So I decided to search the web to find out what the next best deal is. I have a Toys R Us card but it does not come with the extra year warranty on purchases and they are often overpriced in my area anyway. The extra warranty would have really come in handy when the ZIP drive I bought died after a year and a few days. I found your site in the quest for a new card.

Have you seen the Ture Value Mastercard? The site is at:

http://www.truevalue.com/tvmc_bin/tvmc_index.asp

The deal is not bad. 2% for stuff bought at True Value, 1% elsewhere, the free warranty extension.

[In reference to 1st USA] I don't think this is true. Is it? The latest change from "posting date" to "cashing date" shouldn't really make much difference, unless it usually takes more than a few days for them to process checks (unlikely).

3/18/98

Jefferson Bank has an answering machine off-hours where you can leave address info to be sent a card application. DO NOT use this. I left my info _twice_ and received nothing. I got an application a week or two after talking to a live human...

Your page is great. I just got one of the ArtSmart/NatureSmart/ ChefSmart flat 1%, no annual fee cards from Jefferson Bank, mentioned in your grapevine pages (as did my roommate, who is tossing his Discover card because of the lower rate and lesser acceptance). I think it should be featured more prominently, for people who don't want to worry about earning enough rebates to cover an annual fee (vs. Chevy Chase, Private Issue), or who might charge more than $1k per month (stupid U.S. West). A table of all the cards mentioned, with rebate tiers and annual fees would be great, though I realize you have things to do apart from maintaining this page :) . Anyway, thanks again for the helpful info...

I am one of you fellow obsessive-compulsive webpals that independently started this same project a few years ago when MBNA stopped their straight 1% gold visacard.

The ideal card would have the following priority of characteristics:

1%+ cash back rebate- not merchandise
no annual fee
grace period
nontiered
uncapped/unlimited
no expiration date accumulted benefits
gold card type benefits-rental car ins, extended warranty...
offered nationally
widely accepted
uncomplicated- no monthly limit, no minimum balance

This should be our checklist. All cards fail here at least someplace, but try to get the most hits from this list. Example-Private Issue has annual fee, tiered, not widely accepted. Drivers edge is 2% merchandise, capped, expiring benefits. I have kept an ongoing database of good rebate cards based on this list. They come and go constantly and you have to be ready to move on when they change the benefits. Keeping this list of alternatives helps.

Forget about the Advanta 1/500 gamble. It sounds exciting, but think about it - this is equivalent to a rebate of only 0.2% (it's actually slightly less because you can only win once per month). Don't allow your emotions to convince you that you are going to "win" the $1,000 purchase - you might, but you will only get 0.2% over the long haul. Take your standard 1%, go to Vegas, and bet black 22 if you want to gamble.

Anyone have any non-First USA cards that will give rebates for balance transfers? I just got the Tower card and I'll see how that one works.

My free Egghead computer is on the way. I couldn't have done it without your page, Peter. CARD SHARKS FOREVER!!!

The recent notice from 1ST USA marks the end of an era for card sharks. Gone were the grace periods for both balance transfer checks and convenient checks! Citicorp may be the only one that still offer grace period for their balance tranfer checks.

Presidential Savings Bank in the Washington, D.C., area has what must be the best deal on checking accounts in the country. While there is a $500 minimum balance to avoid a $5 monthly fee, for balances under $25,000 the bank pays 5% interest. (Above $25,000 pays only 3% interest.) That's right--5% on a checking account! Transactions at MOST and Cirrus ATM's are free, and the fees for bounced checks, etc., are lower than average. What's the catch? The account requires $200 per month direct deposit but there are no other strings as far as I can tell after having banked there for a year and a half. The bank is FDIC insured (or whatever the equivalent for S&L's is). I've since moved away from the DC area and do my banking by direct deposit, mailing in deposits, and getting cash at ATM's without a fee.

Furthermore, if you are in the DC area, the tellers are actually friendly and helpful. My brother was about to bounce checks several times, but they called him and told him that he needed to deposit money to avoid bouncing the checks. My wife and I were talking about taking her pet rabbit to the vet one day, and the next time we came in, the teller asked how the rabbit was doing! Try that at Chase or Citibank.

They have a website at http://www.presidential.com/.

3/17/98

I just got my notice from 1st USA also that the late fee was going to $29. That was item number 1. Items 2 & 3 were about changing the way interest was caluculated; basically that their going to a two-cycle method. Item #4 is the scary one. It says that convience checks will now be included in the daily balance from the date they are cashed, instead of the date they post to your account. Hang on. So far, I've been getting the full grace period for convience checks. They added a 2% fee (max $25) a couple of months ago, but it was still worth it to get the rebate and the float. Now this. Does anyone know for sure what's going on. Anyway to tell a balance transfer check from a convience check? Are balance transfers still going to give a float? I need help!

Just received notice from FirstUSA raising the late fee to $29. Must be a big money-making item for them! For people with (unlimited) online bill payment service and worried about the late fee, I would suggest paying the minimum as soon as possible, and then send out the remaining balance closer to the due date.

I finally got my USWest rebate, only two weeks after the date that they originally promised would be the latest possible date. Better late than never, I suppose.

By the way, I can't understand all the recent fuss about Chevy Chase Visa pulling a bait-and-switch. They are so good at baiting that, in fact, they are well known in the industry as a bunch of master-baiters.

what are the partners that gm card has for 10% off? thanks a lot

For those gamblers in the crowd, Advanta is now offering a "Winner's Edge Mastercard." No rebates but "1 in every 500 purchases is a winner -- guaranteed." Advanta will give a credit to the winner on their monthly statement in the exact dollar amount of the purchase for which the winning purchase entry was made. Each eligible entry (including mail-in entries for the hard core) are placed into a drawing pool of 500 entries and are excluded from future drawings. Limit one prize per household per thirty day period.

Your luck will be that a $5 purchase at Safeway will win over your $5000 computer purchase. For me, one bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. I'll stick to a rebate card.

3/16/98

The Fisher Price Visa has an annual cap of 20 EE Savings bonds. (no rebate after $50,000 in charges!)

Well, the fun is over with the Toys R Us card. Seems their buy out by CitiBank has fixed the computer problem that gave out rebates on credit balances. Still a decent 1% card for people with kids though. I find the rebate building up and then being available at Christmas time very useful.

Saw in the Grapevine a note about how much of a "Merchant Discount" is charged by Discover. My dad's shop (industral wholesaler) is charged 1.7% of the total. This amount is negotiable at the time a contract is being made. This rate is the same as my Dad pays for Visa & Mastercard, too. His average sale is approximately $ 1000 and a three year contract was granted by the card processor (Novus). The 1.7% is shared by the credit card processor and the issuing bank.

3/15/98

When I can't use Discover PI I use a 1% rebate card. For the last year I have been using the Artsmart Visa card. I obtained it from Jefferson Bank, Downington, PA. It offers NO annual fee and 1% on all purchases. The customer service number is 1-800-443-5757.

Re-post from 2-9-98:

Since Pacific Bell stopped their cash rebate program, I'd been searching for a good replacement. I've been getting good informations from this website. I picked up a good lead from your 11-21-97 post regarding Art Smart Visa which I don't see anyone else mentioning.

Art Smart is offered by Jefferson Bank in Dowingtown, PA. 1% cash rebate on purchases with cyle from November last year to November this year. Cash rebate checks will be sent out separately in early December. No caps and no minimum of spending.

Their website is http://membrane.com/philanet/news/art/orjeff.html. Call the toll free number to request applications. It took me several phone calls to finally receiving an application in the mail (it seems they're not efficient in handling phone calls and in mailing). But once I returned the app form, I got the card within 30 days.

March 14, 1998 ... Hawaiian Airlines and Wells Fargo Bank offers a new HawaiianMiles MasterCard that allows you to pool frequent flyer miles earned by up to three people. It is the first credit card to offer this advantage, applicable to travel to and within Hawaii. The card awards one mile per dollar spent. Applications are available at Hawaiian Airlines ticket counters. You can also apply by phone. Call 800-729-6106.

March 14, 1998 ... Colorado National Bank (soon to operate under the name U.S. Bank) offers a King Soopers Visa Rewards program that awards free roundtrip travel for as little as $6,000 in credit card charges. Travel awards are available on Frontier Airlines and American Airlines. There is no annual charge, providing you use the card at least three times per calendar year. Applications are available at bank branches and at King Soopers stores. You receive one point for every dollar charged; double points for purchases made at King Soopers. All award travel must originate at Denver International Airport. Sample award include:

A free Frontier roundtrip to Albuquerque, El Paso, Omaha, Phoenix or Salt Lake City for 12,000 points.
A free American Coach companion roundtrip (48 states and Canada) for 15,000 points.
A free Frontier roundtrip to Bloomington (IN), Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco or Seattle for 18,000 points.
A free Frontier roundtrip to Boston, New York or Baltimore for 22,000 points.

A free American roundtrip (48 states and Canada) for 25,000 points.

Other award options include a $25 King Soopers grocery certificate for 2,500 points (with a maximum of $200 in certificates awarded per year) and other travel benefits including discounts on MTI Vacation packages and ski life ticket redemptions.

I was skimming your page about credit cards. I currently have a master card through The Associates, formerly JCPenney national Bank. What has made me mad (and I haven't seen it mentioned on your page), is that they now charge a $25 late fee if your payment arrives one day late. With the mail service as it is, it just plain makes me nervous. I, too, pay my card off each month. They also pay 1% back, but it must be spent at JCPenney.

Is there a card out there with no annual fee, a grace period, no late fee AND will pay you back at least 1%? I went at it from a different level and asked if they would draft the balance monthly, and they informed me they were not set up to do that. At least that would have made me feel good about never being late with it.

Thanks for the info on Private Issue refunding the annual fee. I spend about 30 grand on the card each year. I called their 800 number and was immediately credited the $ 18. No muss, no fuss.

Just interested if you have information on Fisher Price Visa. A friend of mine has it and has been talking it up, a $50.00 EE Savings Bond for every $2,500 in charges, no annual fee, and I'm not sure on any rebate max. I have looked at your information and thought you may be interested.

3/13/98

I had an M&T Bank Visa card, which was affiliated with our local Tops Supermarkets (part of the Dutch Ahold USA holdings). They pulled out the rug because they were loosing money. It appears that people like to charge, but they also like to pay off their bills. M&T also cancelled with the Giant Supermarkets,(whom I believe Ahold may also own), but Giant threatened to take them to court for breach of contract.

Anyway, I'm looking for a Visa or Master Card with no annual fee, and a cash rebate. I've had a Discover Card for years, but Discover isn't accepted everywhere. I think that the Private Issue cards either require a fee, or require that you charge a certain minimum amount per year, which, when I heard the details, didn't fit me. I ordered a Chevy Chase Visa (info from the web), but I cancelled it due to their bate and switch. I'm not worried about interest rates, since I pay my entire bill each month. I guess that I've been spoiled by rebates, but since I'm not a good "catch" for a bank (they would loose money on me), I'm having problems. Any ideas?

3/12/98

I recently got an offer for a great calling card from Amex called the Connections card. For every $ spent, you get 6 miles. At the end of the year, you receive a 10% cash rebate on all $ spent. Calls cost $0.85 plus $0.15/min which seems like a reasonable rate. Is it?

Anyway, the number for Connections is 1-888-270-1741. They can set you up with a new card. They are very helpful and answer the phone on the first or second ring without any hold periods. In fact, after reporting a minor service problem, they credited my acct for $5.

Does anyone know what percentage Private Issue receives for each transaction we make? I was just wondering if my refusal (and others like me) to use their card anymore, since there are other more attractive offers (1% without tiering), is going to put a dent in their income. Anyone who charges $15,000 or less per year on Discover would be better off using another card that doesn't tier cash rebates. With tiering PI rebate on $15,000 = $165 less $18 Fee = reward of $147 versus $150 reward on a card with 1% back without tiering and rebate checks are usually mailed quarterly not annually--so you have your money sooner. Factor in the present day value received vs future reward etc. etc. etc. we all can see the advantage for not using PI when you charge $15,000 or less per year.

Some grocery store chains (at least in the Chicago area) allow customers to charge up to $50 over their purchase as long as they use a Discover or Private Issue card. The entire transaction is considered a purchase and not a cash advance, therefore, no finance charges apply as long as full payment is made within the grace period. Rebates are earned on the entire transaction amount even though you are receiving $50 back in cash.

This is not allowed if you use a VISA or Master Card.

Jewel and Dominicks are grocery store chains which allow this. There may be others, however, I am not aware of them.

Also, If you choose to make your Discover/Private Issue payment via auto debit, the ACH debit transaction is not initiated by Discover until your account has cycled. The funds then are withdrawn from your bank account two days later.

Bottom line: You hold on to your money for at least an extra week. A big difference if you have a large balance and are also playing the float game.

3/11/98

I utilized the balance transfer with grace period that CItibank had(Driver's Edge and Citibank Gold) until they axed it just recently. Ive closed those cards and I am now searching for other cards to replace them. Do you or anyone you know know of any?

I called Private Issue Sunday night. I told the rep who answered the phone a "co-worker" of mine had his $18 fee refunded because of the change in terms. I stated since I was a good customer also (having charged over $10,000 by March 1), I wanted the same deal my "co-worker" received. She refused, stating my only chances to get a refund were to max out the rebate at $500 or change card options. I complained to her supervisior and also to a manager. They all refused. Can someone offer more details of how they got their fee refunded. Thanks.

3/10/98

I called Private Issue after receiving the latest "update" to my credit terms on the Cashback Award Program. After speaking to customer service and a manager, the best that they would do for me is refund half of my annual fee ($9). They explained that I had received a benefit from the use of the card under the old arrangement. The only other alternative is to forego the rebates that I have earned and they would refund the full annual fee - Great Deal!!

Here is a friendly warning to all potential or current Providian customers/victims. I have suffered much with their non-human (robots) customer service as well as billing practices. Just look over the Credit Card Network Bulletin Board for the ones that Providian mis-treated. Stay away from Providian, if you can help it. Or be ready for the Titanic experience of your life, big time!!

3/9/98

Does anyone know what trickery Providian Financial is up to with its $100 offer to try its Platinum VISA? I mailed in the check, which is supposed to be credited to my new card account, but I suspect there is a catch.

The fine print says: "We will pay you a $100 reward for trying all the benefits of this VISA Platinum account, which simply means that you must charge and transfer minimum amounts to your account once it is opened."

Note: 0% APR on purchases for 3 months, but "...rates for balance transfers will be determined separately." This may mean that you have to transfer balances and pay interest on those in order to get the $100 credit to your account.

Are there any cards out there that offer 1% cash rebate without a fee, tier structure or cap? We would use it as an alternative when we cap out our Private Issue card and where Discover is not accepted.

3/6/98

Thanks for posting the message on getting the $18 Private Issue annual fee refunded; I just used the information to get my fee refunded. When I initially called, the phone representative said that the fee could only be refunded if I changed my bonus option (i.e. from cashback to interest rebate). When I told her (several times) that someone else got their fee refunded without changing their bonus option, she finally referred me to her supervisor, Melody. Once Melody confirmed that I had over $5000 in charges, she agreed to give me a credit for the $18 annual fee on my next statement. From this, I'm assuming that the annual fee will NOT be automatically refunded when you reach $5000 in charges. Instead, if you firmly ask for the annual fee refund and have $5000 in charges, Private Issue will give you a $18 credit to refund the fee.

While I haven't applied for the Mall VIP card, I'm sure the reader who was asked to send in utility bills, drivers license copy, W-2's, etc. was the victim of a clerical error.

A couple of years ago I got the same request after returning a form for a "Pre-Approved" AMOCO mastercard. Considering I've worked for the same company for almost 20 years, owned my house at the same address for years, earn a good salary and even had an AMOCO gas card, it was not the response I expected. But if your name is Jones and the clerk requests a credit report for Jxnes, they'll think you never had any credit.

At least the person who sent the request for this additional information got the name right.

3/5/98

Private Issue refunded my $18 annual fee.

If you have charged at least $5000 by March 1st they will credit your account with the $18 annual fee. Or at least they did my account.

I argued with them about changing the rebate terms in the middle of my term with them and how the card was no better than the regular Discover Card except that I had to pay a fee with the Private Issue. She told me that they had just gotten out of a meeting and it is ok to refund customers their $18 fee. I don't know if everyone automatically get this or if you have to ask for it.

My experience with the Mall Visa card was entirely positive. I merely filled out the application as with any other and received the card in less than two weeks with no additional communication. Perhaps the difference is in our states of residence, or perhaps a difference in initial credit report numbers. Additionally, my understanding is that the 2% rebate certificate is sent monthly when the amount is $10 as a certificate good anywhere Visa is accepted, and not just in the mall. Also, the 2% is for most, not all mall stores. I used the card at Sears and received just a 1% credit. Perhaps the major retailers don't participate? I didn't even bother to look into the whys. Peanuts. GREAT PAGE! Thanks.

I just called Private Issue and offered a suggestion. Since we were the ones to get the Discover card in many stores that did not offer it, why not eliminate the tiers for us for the 1%. This also would help to justify the $18 annual fee from the Discover card, especially for those of us who charge $16,000 or less annually. I told them that I could use a VISA card which pays 1% with no tiering and is excepted worldwide--no longer have to ask "Do you accept DISCOVER".

RE: Providian

There is no phone number in the mailing I received, but I will forward the information that they did supply as follows:

"Providian National Bank, established in 1853, is located in new Hamphire and Providian Bank is located in Utah. These banks are members of the FDIC and of Providian Financial Corporation's $10 Billion family of financial services companies. We serve customers throughout the country by mail and toll-free telephone." (Of course they failed to provide either in their letter).

They also state that if you would like to receive a copy of the account agreement without opening an account please write to the following address:

Providian Financial
PO box 9006
Pleasanton, CA 94566-9981

You might want to mention on your web site the new aol card (equivalent to a 1% rebate) along with some of the other more flexible airline programs like the TravelersMiles program ( http://www.abacard.com/TravelerMiles/MilesRules.html). You might also want to post a link to the merchants miles plan at http://www.mnbank.com/merchant.html

3/4/98

This is in response to the individual who made the assumption Ameritech used "Bait and Switch" tactics. Consumers must be educated in the terms of the credit cards they hold. Up front they are provided info that the program may be altered or canceled at any time(this is standard in many agreements). This is not a "Bait and switch" tactic but a simple explanation needed in case the program must be altered. For instance if the partner/bank decides they wish to concentrate on another feature or benefit of the card or is unhappy with response and customer feedback on the program. Im not saying this is the case with Ameritech, but given the fact consumers, the market and other influences change they must place this in their disclosure to protect themselves and the consumer. "Bait and switch" refers to the entity fully knowing in the beginning this is their plan of action down the road. Im no pyschic and I don't believe the folks behind credit cards are either. Ameritech cards have been aroung for many years. I believe since 1991. I don't think they made a decision at that time to cancel the purchase cash back program in 1998! Do you??? Consumers ultimately must educate themselves on their agreements with the banks and understand alterations and amendments will happen. That is what it boils down to.

I really enjoy your column-thanks for all of the great credit card information. Wanted to let you know that I read about the Chase Cashbuilder Visa card in your Grapevine column today (I thought it sounded fairly attractive because, along with the straight 1% rebate, it offers on-line download of my transactions into Quicken, which would save me time and effort), called Chase to inquire about the program, and the customer service rep just told me five minutes ago that the program has been cancelled. It seems cash rebate cards are going the way of the Studebaker.

3/3/98

Just wanted to reiterate that Ameritech Complete Visa is canceling their Cash Back Program as of March 1, 1998. I urge all Ameritech Cardholders that payoff their balances monthly to cancel this card after they receive their final rebate checks. A Customer Representative told me that "in the fine print" Ameritech reserves the right not to send out cash back checks to closed accounts. However, it is my opinion that people should cancel their accounts as soon as they receive their checks. Consumers should not encourage credit card issuers to engage in these "Bait and Switch", "Introductory Teaser" practices.

Thank you for the informative web site. I greatly appreciate and have utilized the information regarding credits cards offering cash rewards. I've used your information to further research several credit cards; however, I've encountered several problems and would greatly appreciate any advice that you could provide.

Living in the region serviced by BellSouth, that was the first card that I inquired about. Unfortunately, no applications will be taken for an indefinite period of time. Next, I contacted US WEST. This time, I was denied due to insufficient income. I'm not sure which other card to pursue, but thought that with your apparent expertise in this area, that you might have an opinion.

Here's my situation. I'm currently a graduate student, so my income level IS low. However, my credit rating is excellent and I have always paid the entire balance each month. I use a student Visa from Chase, but I feel that I have outgrown it. The card has a fairly high interest rate, no benefits, a relatively low credit limit, and there is some threat of a monthly fee in the future.

I use my card for almost all my purchases and want to take advantage of the cash rewards that are offered. I would prefer to stay with a Visa or MasterCard because of their wide acceptance. I don't think that my annual charges total enough to justify paying a fee, such as that for the Private Issue card. Is Discover the way to go, using a Visa or MasterCard only for backup? I'm planning on calling about the Chevy Chase Visa and the GE Rewards MasterCard next.

It seems that the more research I do, the more confused I become. I'd be grateful for any information.

I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for suggesting Private Issue (PI). I signed up a year ago after GM changed their program reducing the car discount from $7,000 to $3,500 (maximun discount on a new GM car). I was mad then and I guess I'm mad now that PI has capped their cash back program. However, before you run out and switch to a 1% card like Chevy Chase bank has, you might want to consider that you'll have to spend over $50,000 a year before Chevy beats PI. The on-line PI statement is also nice.

I sent letters as you suggested over two weeks ago to PI with no response so far.

Keep up the good work and let all of us know through your web page if there is a better deal out there.

I'm writing in response to: I am bringing to your attention another fiasco, by Pacific Bell Savings Card.

This person asked for feedback.

I had the opposite luck, where I directed my credit to be applied toward my phone bill! I preferred this since I wouldn't have to make a payment to Pac Bell for awhile. This person will save the postage as well. If he has even 12 months without a payment, he saves $3.84 as well as not having the hassle to cut a check every month. Be happy. You'll still get the money. My credit on my Visa was barely a dent. Spend your energy looking for a new card versus getting upset over something like this.

I recently applied for the "Mall VIP" credit card, which boasts big savings. You receive 2% credit for every $1 you spend in the mall. This credit is good toward future purchases in the mall. For every $1 you spend outside of the mall, you receive 1% credits for future purchases.

Sounds great, until the application process. After mailing in the application that I picked up at Valley Fair Mall, Santa Clara, CA, I received a letter asking me for the following information:

Verification of your residence (Please provide 2 recent utility statements and a copy of your drivers license)
Verification of you SSN (Please provide a copy of your social security card and recent pay stub)
Verification of you co-applicant's social security number (Please provide a copy of their social security card)
Verification of your income (Please provide copies of last 2 yrs W-2's or Fed income tax return and schedules)

Are they kidding? I can understand these requirements if you're refinancing your home. No other credit card has ever even come close to being so obtrusive and obscene. It's appears that they don't really expect anyone to provide this information. Maybe they sell applicant's information. Whatever their twisted thinking is, I think consumers should be aware of this practice. From the Mall of America to malls throughout California, I have seen kiosks splashed with Mall VIP savings. Save your time and energy. Don't Do It! I'll stick with my airlines card. I too pay my balance in full and always want to find the latest rebates. I was one of the Pac Bell users. That was a nice program, too bad they had to axe it. No advance warning either. They claimed that letters went out...

3/2/98

Here's a little trick that you can use with Private Issue or any other card that lets you change the billing date. Say it's the 30th of the month and you have a huge balance on your Private Issue. Say your billing is the 4th of the month. Simply call them up and change your billing date to the 27th of the month. That will give you another 4 weeks plus 25 days of grace period before you have to worry about the bill being due again. This works especially nice when you have the money to pay back the bill, but want to keep that money earning interest for another month or so.

Theoretically, I guess you could keep changing the billing date again and again so that you could delay the bill for months, but I can't believe they would be that stupid :)

Yes, the Citibank Driver's Edge card does exist and it used to be the best deal ever. You got a 5% refund on all gas purchases plus free road service and towing -- for no fee.

But they just came to their senses and changed the program. Now a lowly 2% of purchases is good toward any make or model of car.

When I got the card about 4 years ago, I applied thru an application in a car magazine. And unless you physically had that apllication, there was no other way to apply. ( They would not mail you one, you could not xerox it.) It was a strange, unpublicized card.

If you spend over 15,000.00 per year Private Issue is still the best. And you can compare all the cards, and still nothing beat's CASH!!!

Does anybody know of any mortgage company's that allow you to pay with a credit card? My mortgage company doesn't. That would be over 16K in rebate points for me. Just curious?

Can you suggest a good strategy for avoiding the $18 yearly Private Issue fee while waiting for the rebate check and before canceling?

2/26/98

OK, here's the question: If you carry a balance, do you still get a grace period? I think the answer's "no," but I'm not sure. I'm assuming that this is what keeps us from using a rebate card which requires us to carry a balance. Otherwise, we could pay it off completely minus one cent, pay interest on the penny, but not on any new purchases, but still earn the rebate. I have a feeling that one ends up paying bigtime interest and finance charges on ALL subsequent charges because of the unpaid penny. Am I right? Could some one tell me if I know what I'm talking about? Thanks.

I received a letter and a check for $100 for trying this companies VISA platinum card in the mail. You mail them the check and they will credit the account for $100 to "spend as you please". Here is a verbatum statement from their letter:

"We will pay you a $100 reward for trying all the benefits of this VISA Platinum Account, which simply means you must charge and transfer minimum amounts to you accounts once it is opened."

Nothing in the Account terms looks unusual. I get literally hundreds of mailings and phone calls a year offering credit cards, but never one like this before. By the way the same company called me about a week after getting this offer in the mail and offered me $50 to open a new account! I ask the caller why 50 when I got a mailing offering $100. He stated he had lots of similar responses, so the company does not seem to communicate well.

Do you have any information on this offering? I tend to be cautious when someone wants to give me money, but again the telephone companies have been doing it for years!

By the way my primary card is Private Issue which I just got my rebate notice showing that I will get a check for $508 this year. I am dissapointed with their change in terms, but there are not really any better deals out there.

i read your web page "credit card goodies." we've used some common tactics, including use of balance transfer checks for private issue. because the att universal card doubles warranties, i use that and then transfer the balance to private issue to get my rebate.

now that private issue is restructuring its rebate, i'm switching back to regular discover. my primary card now is the GE card, capped @ $10,000. i've applied for the US west card, but that has a cap at $10,000 also. which card provides the best rebate? i'm a free loader and havent paid interest for years. take care.

Re: conoco rebate card: Over the phone, a rep confirmed that it is an uncapped 1% (3% for any Conoco purchases) card, once-10-bucks-accrues-you-get-a-check card.

Re: Phillips 66 rebate card, a Phillips rep emailed me the following URL:

http://www.anbcards.com/phillips66/anb/phillips66.html

there's also a tollfree # 1-888-PHILLUP It is a 1% / 2% rebate (awarded monthly), $200 annual cap, 6.6% intro APR for 6 mo card

While there, I also noticed a 3% rebate ad for Associates Choice. It phases in stepwise (1% for the first $600, 2% for the nest $600) and has plenty of strings attached, such as $25 monthly and $300 annual caps and a need to keep balance (which will, assuming that you only pay once a month and that your average balance is 50% of your statement balance, cost you between .6% and .7% of your balance). Of course, if you pay more often, you loose less on finance charges. All in all, if you don't charge more than justified by $25 monthly cap, you end up pocketing at least $230 a year for $11,200 in charges ($300 rebate ceiling minus ca. $6/mo fin charges). That's $140 ahead of PI, if I calculated it right.

In other words, if you charge the right amount to ANB card and the rest to a straight 1% card, you are better off than with PI alone all the way through $36,000 a year (where you Assoc+1% rebates total is $470). For slightly larger amounts charges, PI is transiently ahead of this two-card combo; but it hits ceiling almost immediately.

The downside is, of course, a need to tightly control your balance and write lots of checks to maximize your gain by pitiful increments of money. I.e. ANB may be fun for a hardcore sharkie, but just too much hassle for your regular rebate enthusiast.

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