I cringe every time I see someone at the grocery store paying with their ATM check card rather than a cash back credit card.
These days, there really isn’t a reason not to pay for your everyday purchases with a credit card. Card issuers frequently have cards that pay 3-5% cash-back at grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, and gas stations.
Bankaholic has surveyed all rewards credit cards to find the top cash-back cards available.
For the Chase Freedom Card, the 3% rebate on purchases made in the 3 bonus categories where you spend the most money is capped at $12.00 (twelve dollars) per month. For some reason the review neglected to mention that fact.
Good point by steve ( capped at 12.00 a month) for the freedom card…. also i recommend shell gas card by citi at 5% off gasoline, not diesel and 1% everything else. rebates redeemed every billing cycle. must have decent credit kinda hard to get
im in portugal can i apply to any card here and have that conditions??
I wish I would have read Steve’s comments before applying for the Chase Freedom. But nevertheless, you still get $50 CashBack after first use. That is a decent signup bonus. That is all I’ll use the card for now!
At least with Chase Freedom, your cash back balance is posted each month with your statement. Once you are at a cash back balance of $200.00, you can receive a check for $250.00.
American Express Blue Cash will only credit your account once a year.
I cancelled American Express and will stick with Chase Freedom.
Chase sucks ass. I have been with them for 6 years; I pay off my credit card in full every month with a minimum of 2,000 a month (that’s a lot of interchange money for them). For some reason 1 payment was 1 day late I guess because of the mail … they refused to reverse the fee. I am finding another card simply based on this. POOR LOYALTY.
Listen, all these offers are full of crap. These sites are financed by the credit card companies. I contacted Capital One and they would not release their data (fine print) until after you applied and then you do not have to “activate the card”. So what happens to your credit score if you shop them all? Most likely it is lowered?
Solution…write your Reps. in Washington and tell them how crooked these guys are and to pass laws that fully expose their games of trickery. Afterall, if the gov. expects us to manage our credit, we need to have clear concise information before we apply.
What a bunch of scumbags these bankers are!
I totally agree with Holly. I was with Chase for over 18 years, always pay my balance off in full and never made a late payment in my life. I went online & paid my monthly balance but it obviously didn’t take. They charged $39 late fee & $44 interest. I called and they acknowledged that I have never been late & apologized for the error but would do nothing to waive their fees. I got online the same day and applied for a card with another bank. Loyalty means nothing to Chase Bank.
Today, I received a letter from Chase regarding my Rewards Card. I was receiving 5 points on gas, groceries and drug store purchases and 1 point for everything else. In the letter, they are lowering the rewards to 3 points and 1 point. I pay my bill, in full, every month. Never late, either. I worked hard to get that bonus check every couple of months. Now, it will take me longer to get the 50 dollar check. At a time when Americans are feeling the economic crunch, Chase takes away a little more. How sad.
I got the same letter that JR got about Chase reducing their rebate amounts. Is there another card that offers 5 points on gas, groceries and drug store purchases and 1 point for everything else?
Also, are there any other good introductory freebie offers with any credit cards?
I also received the Chase letter reducing the 5 % to 3% . There are no other cards that give the 5% on gas, grocery or drug stores on an “ongoing basis:. You’ find some introductory offers for the first 30 days and then it changes. When it comes to these credit card offers, neither I or the company have any loyalty. I applied for the card simply to get the “free rebate money”…..not be loyal or be their friend. I pay off the balance on time each month. What Chase is hoping for is for me to miss the payment and get hit with fees and overcharges to offset the reward payment program. Chase does not consider me a valuable customer because they do not profit from me…..I cost them money. So I consider it game…….I’ll let Chase keep paying me each month (even though the rewards have been lowered)…..and all I have to do is pay on time which I ABSOLUTELY will continue to do.
EmigrantDirect online bank has a credit card that pays 1.4% cash back on all purchases if you also have an online savings acct with a balance of at least 10k. also it is ongoing, it’s not just for a few months.
Check into it at emigrantdirect.com
anyone know how to apply this kind of card
i am in china
really need this kind of thing
Ok. So, which card(s) would you recommend going with? I buy groceries and gas, not much else right now with the economy the way it is. Any advice on the best cash back card on all purchases/gas? – Thanks!
If you’re a credit union member, check there first. Pentagon Federal Credit Union offers 5% gas, 2% groceries, 1.25% everything else and they take your monthly bonus off your bill each cycle. No nonsense about making a phone call to ask for a check and waiting for weeks to get it.
I did get a fee reversal from Citibank Reward Credit card. It was totally my fault. I tried to pay with a closed checking account at BofA and the rep still reversed the charge! One more reason I like Citibank.
I have the Chase Rewards card. It’s still doing the 5% for gas/grocery/drugstore. I just recieved a check for $950. However, there is a 30,000 point per year cap, so I’m now using my Costco AmEx Business card for my Gas. It too pays 5% for gas, plus 3% at restaurants, even at McDonalds… 2% on traves… plane/train, hotel/motel… an d1% on the rest… I’m liking it.
Does anyone use the Amex Blue Card? Supposedly it pays 5% on gas and groceries after the first $6500 spent.
I recommend you avoid Chase like the plague. I have a card with them and after 4 years of constant use, always on time, they now attack my credit on a disputed (and paid) medical charge from 5 years ago. In my opinion this company is made up of the 2008 Wall Street people that brought us disaster. Don’t do business with disaster. Ever. I won’t ever work with these folks again.
I have had a Citibank Diamond Preferred card for four years (it’s my second card ever). So far I’ve really liked Citi’s customer service. They’ve reversed finance charges and always follow through when I tell them about a suspicious charge. The rewards are pretty good as well. There is no “cash back” option, but they do give you 5 points per dollar on gas and groceries and they offer lots (over 200) bonus merchants online where you can get up to 10 points per dollar. They have tons of product rewards and also offer Visa gift cards.
I was actually on this site because I was shopping for a new card. I’ve always paid off my balance in full, but it’s become harder for me to do and I don’t like the finance charges. However, it looks like I may already have a pretty good deal . . .
Add one more Ex-Chase customer. Have a perfect payment record, account for over 8 years, avg $2500/mo in charges ………….one payment was 1 day late and they want to hit me with $60 late fee/interest. Those morons have calculated that they will come out ahead by charging this one time fee and losing my business forever. That’s exactly why the banking/credit industry is where it is today. Fuk’em and feed’em fishheads.
I agree with all the Chase haters… I always pay my bill online on time, sometimes twice a month, and for some reason one of my payments didn’t go through and they would not reverse my late fee a few days later. I cancelled my card and am looking for another. Customer service is much more important than the cheap gimmicks they offer.
I used to use Citibank all the time, but applied for a Chase card because of a good reward program. What I like about Chase even better than the reward program is that they let me set up an automatic payment from my bank account so I don’t have to remember to log in every month to pay it. So I don’t get late fees. Same for my Target Visa. So I don’t end up using my Citi card much anymore, because they didn’t have that in the past. I wish more card comparison sites showed whether you can have automatic payment at your due date online. Very important feature for forgetful folks like me.
How funny that so many people have the EXACT same experience that I had with Chase. I was a Bank One customer and was switched to Chase when they bought out Bank One, so I’ve had the same credit card and checking/savings accounts for many years. I pay in full every month on time but this past month the charge didn’t go through and I got charged a $39 late fee. As soon as I saw the late fee, I paid off the statement (again), so it ended up being less than 1 business day late, but they refused to waive the late fee. PLUS, they lowered the returns to 3% for the top places where money is spent and 1% for everywhere else.
I’m going to cancel my Chase Freedom credit card and also get a new checking account with someone that values their customers!
I have been using the Citi cards and they are great. I’m always looking for others but havent found anything better yet. I have different cards
to use for different situations
Drivers edge gives 6 cents on each dollar the first year on gas/food and 3 cent on everything else after that 3GF/1
no annual fee. It also gives you a point for each mile you drive! So if you
go 20K a year you get 200 dollars
There is a cap of $ 1000 earned a year of which $500 can be from driving
American Express Platinum gives 5GF/3 the first two years with
no annual fee the first year and $125 after that also 15000 points
after I think $750 use However this card is not accepted everywhere
so then I use Drivers Edge for GF which now gives me 3 points
per dollar and Premium pass Elite (below) for other things which gives 1 point which
can be matched agains the miles from a flight.
PremiumPass Elite gives 2GF/1 (20000 points for first $600 spent) however if you get flights, the
mile you fly get matched agains points you earned e.g.
if you flew 10000 miles and you bought 5000 in gas the
5000 in gass would give 10000 points and then the 10000 miles
flow would be matched agains the 10000 points to give 20000
points. This card also has a deal that for 20K points you get
a flight in US/Canada up to $400, Europe 60K points gives up the
$1200, Asia 80K points gives up to $1600
YOu can also merge the points from all cards on the thankyou network
and then use the Premium plus to but the ticket.
So for instance using the drivers edge if you put 7000 on in gas
and food on it the first year thats $420 or (42000 points for thankyou network) and drive 20000 miles you would be able
to transfer 62000 points to thank you network. Then if you
have the Premium pass you could by a ticket to Europe with
60000 points which costs up to $1200.
Furthemore you can get great flight/car/hotel deals through
Premium Pass. During the summer I was interested in
going to Denver from NYC for 4 days. With a 4 star hotel,
flight and economy car it was 65000 points.
It is interesting that so many people have had the same experience at Chase. I have only had the card for a year but use it exclusively (~2500/month). I pay via my online checking account the same way each month and a few days ago they said my payment was one day late and charged me $39 plus finance charges. My bank said the money was withdrawn from my checking account the day it was due. It took about an hour of transfers but Chase finally reversed the fee and I think the finance charges but they were not clear about that. Either Chase is scamming customers with this one day late ploy or the current credit crises is causing payments to be delayed by a day. Either way I’m not happy the way customer service treated me and am canceling my card.
I went on this site to obtain valuable information and all that I’ve found is that Chase gets bashed and Citi gets praised. Hmm, this has NOT been my personal experience – I have found BOTH to be about the same.
The skeptic that I am, though, came out even more when I read the Dec 2 post from Matt and Dec 8 post from Craig R. Gosh, both start out almost exactly the same way – as if they were following a script!?!
And don’t overlook that wedged between those two posts is Reid writing about how great Citi is!?!
I’m NOT a “conspiracy” type of guy, but there are an awful lot of coincidences on this site.
BTW, I have a Citi Diamond Preferred and a Chase Freedom card. I mostly use the former – so, I’m clearly not flacking for Chase – just expressing my “opinion!”
Chase is full of it….I always paid my balance in full before due, yet they have begun to charge interest. After reading similar postings about Chase I am cancelling the card after 5 years of use. All of you should consider Penatagon Visa with their 5% rebate on gas. I also used them for an auto purchase loan and got 4.75%!! I have nothing but good things to say about Pentagon!
Add me to the list of fed up Chase customers. I also go hit for the $39 late fee plus interest for being one day late, even though the due date was on a Sunday ( I pay by electronic transfer from my bank). This after many years of perfect payment history. I almost cancelled on the spot, but the phone rep reminded me that I would lose any accrued points and I was due a $100 cash bonus. I have stopped using the card and once I get the check, I’m bailing on these guys. Good riddance…
In my opinion, both Citi and chase are equally – BAD. I cancelled my citi card because they tried to sneak the interest rate to almost 30 percent, when I was late to pay my bill for a day or two. When I called them to cancel my Citi card, the clerk tried to persuade me to change my mind saying that since I have been a very good and a long time customer, they would like to have another chance. They even willing to lower the rate back to 7 percent. I told them I have no time for their cheating game and insisted in cancelling my card. Citi bank is an dishonest loan shark.
Funny about Chase, because I am at this site looking for a new card because of Chase’s recent model of service. Over the past few years, I have had a payment or two late (either because of mail or otherwise). With a good payment history (pay in full each month) they always waived any fee AND finance charge.
In December, I completely forgot to schedule my online payment (my fault), and paid in full 2 days late. They agreed to waive the late fee but not the Finance charge, saying this is their “new policy”. This from one of the supervisor—not the call center rep in India.
While I don’t feel any of these companies care about customer service, the only thing I can do it take my business elsewhere.
PS: This is not a fradulent message–just an individual consumer’s point of view.
I am here too cuz of chase but also cuz of Citi card, i’ve been with Chase for over 17 years and this month my payment was late because of their website glitch and they didn’t reverse the charges. They think I’m gonna pay that lol i will make them “chase” that $39 plus “29″ finance till it cost them more than its worth. As for Citi Card DO NOT Get them either their customer service is crap if you have to dispute something you will go through hell, plus they have people working over seas and frankly we can’t understand each other.
For all those looking for a great gas card and have their stores near them, I recomment the Marathon credit card, for new customers they are 10% for all Marathon purchases and 2% for all others, after the trial it goes in half, but what I really like is that it goes for all purchases made in the store!! so 5% of a 12 pack of beer when I get a fillup is good!. Unlike Shell where its 5% only for the gas and not their store purchases. I think that really sucks.
As for the all the Chase haters, I had a similiar issue where I was one day late, but they reversed it, I have the freedom and I am not capped at 12 bucks a month. I also have the mastercard freedom which I don’t believe they offer anymore.
I used to have the citi advantage where it was 5% off gas/grocery/drugstore, then they dropped it down to 2%, then I dropped them.
Discover card is really great too.
See ya Chase! After years of loyal use and service you got me. I made a same day payment that posted the next day and you got me for $39 late fee. FIRST TIME EVER! Customer service’s hands are tied. Thanks upper management. Try this Chase: look up loyalty in the dictionary. Your company’s name and picture will never be there. My business will be elsewhere. Goodbye to 2 Chase credit cards and a bank account!
Dittos on Chase! I actually got so torqued off on this that I filed a complaint with the FTC. I have also been with Chase for years with no, repeat no, late payments. I was paying my Chase Credit Card from my newly set-up Chase Checking account. I got the Chase Checking for their on-line bill pay capabilities. The FIRST time I went to use the on-line bill pay, it didn’t post on-time and they charged me the $39. I complained a lot and got it reversed. They then charged interest and wouldn’t reverse that so I cancelled the card. After I cancelled, my final bill pay was “delayed” again. My complaint fell on deaf ears until I filled out the FTC complaint form. Never had this problem with Discover, but it isn’t accepted internationally or at golf courses; otherwise I’d stick with them.
Anyone interested in a class-action lawsuit?
CHASE sux. Pathetic customer “service”. They change terms too often, and none of these changes favor the customer. They say their Freedom Plus card has no fees . . . NOT true. It costs $30 a year to earn the cash back rewards. COnsumer beware.
It gave me great pleasure to shred that worthless card.
It’s funny how people will change credit cards after a fee is charged to them. It’s probably because there are so many options of applying for credit cards these days. I’m weary of these cashback cards simply because of the high fees for not paying on time. Some charge 18% interest and they give people back 5%, they still make their 13% off of consumers.
This is not about rewards but I think anyone considering a Chase card should be made aware of this.
About 2 years ago I used a Chase card cash advance check for 3.99% interest on a $14000.00 cash advance.
The terms were pay 2% of the balance monthly for as long as it took to pay in full.
I was never late and had a high FICO credit score (in the vicinity of 800) the entire time
Last month I called chase about a $10.00 monthly service charge that began appearing on my bill, I was told that the terms of my agreement had been changed do to the changes in the economy??????
I addition to the $10.00 a month my payments would go to 6% of the balance; at this point my balance was $12500.00 changing my payments from $250.00 to $750.00 per month (they could not explain how the rules can change during the game)
I was told I did have the option of (opting out) and accepting new terms (7.99% interest and back to 2% of the balance also no Service charge) not many people can afford to have there payments tripled so this amounted to blackmail.
Luckily I have a line of credit on my house and paid off the loan after opting out to get rid of the service charge (no more dealings with these thumb braking lone sharks!!!
I am fed up with Chase. I always pay my balance in full each month on time for years. Two months ago I paid my balance after 4 pm on the due date, Chase said it’s past due according to the policy, I was charged with late fee and finance charge totaling $80. The 1st time I called, even when speaking to supervisor, they would not remove neither the late fee nor the finance charge. The 2nd time the late fee was removed, but not the finnace charge After I paid the balance in full, the next statement still has $20 finance charge. I was told it takes TWO billing cycles to pay off the finace charges. Chase really knows how to treat customers! I am taking my business somewhere else!
This is my first time visiting the website to search for a new credit card. I have used Citi Diamond card for years, which offers 5 points for each dolloar of gas, grocery and drug store purchase. I just received a letter from Citi that they are going to change the reward to be 1 point. I love Citi bank. Their service has been great. I know Cit is in deep fiancial trouble and sort understand why they are changing their reward program. I was surprised to see so many Chase fed customers. I am one of those. I had an freedom account with them for 2 years, and always paid the balance in full and in time. I did not know they cancelled my card until my transaction was disapproved one day. Called them and asked why. No appology from Chase. They just said based on their credit rules. After 8-9 months, I received a promotion from them and asked me to open a continental account. Due the attractive openning incentive, I opened one. The account was cancelled a couple of months ago. I asked them to refund me the annual fee for the months I have not used. I was told after 30 days they would not refund any annual fee. I will never apply for a Chase credit card again. Chase sucks.
I have had the Blue Cash from American Express for 2 years now, and I absolutely love it. I first got their One card, which offered 1% cash back which they automatically deposited into a high-yield savings account, but when I was approved for the Blue Cash and realized there’s only no annual fee for the One card in the first year ($35 thereafter), I closed that account and now I try to only use Blue Cash for gas, groceries, and drug store purchases and my Household Bank card for everything else (it gives me 2% everywhere all the time , no matter how much or little I spend).
Drawbacks with Blue Cash:
If you spend less than $6500 in a year, you only get 1% back on gas, groceries, and drug stores and .5% everywhere else. However, if you do spend more than that, you’ll get 5% on gas, etc and 1.5% on all others. Also, you get your “cash back” once a year (the anniversary of when you opened your account) and it’s automatically credited to your account.
I don’t know if Household Bank still offers the 2% card to new customers, but if it does, I would highly recommend it. There’s no minimum to spend to receive cash back, and there’s no cap on how much you can earn in one year. Also, you can request a check for your cash back any time you have earned $25 (I’m only slightly upset that they just changed it from $20 to $25).
I have used a Citi rewards card for years getting their 5% on gas, groceries and RX but I really hate that if you want cashback you have to use 12,500 – 14,000 points to get $100 back in some from of cash. Some gift cards are 1 for 1, 10,000 points for $100. It is also 1 for 1 if you want to pay off a student loan, seems to me 10,000 points should be worth $100 bucks in cash, student loan, mortgage payment, etc. So even if I earn 5% in points it is really a lot less with the surcharge on the cashing in of the reqards!
http://cardbonus.spaces.live.com/blog/
There has a free $100 amazon card to get in a simple and clear way.
Addition $200 credit if you apply sony card, end tomorrow.
Chase stinks. I paid big bucks one day too early and they charged me a late fee for the following month. They wouldn’t reverse it. I’m dumping them.
I love my Chase Freedom cards. Chase also has my checking account, increasing me to 5 categories for 3%. Plus, in those months I spend a lot, I opened a second credit card to overcome the limit on the 3% cap. All the complaints seem to be about missing a payment and blaming Chase for holding the person to the terms of their contract. I don’t feel I am entitled to preferential treatment, not sure why others feel deserving? The world does not operate for my benefit. If you have concerns about missing payments, set up automatic payments 2 days prior to due date? All this loyalty belief is silly. Most of us are fickle customers of limited duration. We have no loyalty to Chase, why do you expect it from them? All those preaching loyalty would leave Chase the moment they get a better offer from the competition. I know I will. For now, I am milking Chase, and Citi (Driver’s Select) for all I can.
Recently AmEx Delta stopped rewarding with double miles, but they are still saying double miles in their ads. Somebody ought to tell the FTC. I’m too lazy.
well i just recieved notice from discover card that all the card rebate will bereduced by more than and on some of them they are reducing rebates to only 1/4% how about that crap ..i am cutting my card up and will send it to them with final billing..
Been Chase Freedom card user for past year and just love the reward money I received. Now I have maxed out the amount the will give out for the year. This web site is helpful to see what other people have to fit my needs. It seems the web sites are not as clear about their rewards from when I shopped last year for this type of service.
Waiting for your input. Thank you.
Discover just launched a new cash back credit card. Gives you up to 5% cash back on popular purchases and 1% for all others with no anual fee and 0% intro APR. Low 10.99% after 6 months. You can get the card here:
http://www.cardz.com/Compare_Credit_Cards/Discover
Here’s the reason you should not ‘cringe’ when you see someone paying cash for purchases instead of using a reward credit card. They are actually saving money. I don’t know where he gets the 12%-18% statistic, but in my own experience, we did notice a significant decrease in our spending when we switched to paying with cash.
http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/index.cfm?intContentID=3478
People who pay off their balance in full every month are NOT considered GOOD customers for credit card companies. You’re using them and they don’t make any money from you. So when they get a chance, they sock it to you. Loyalty is to money.
I have had this card for about a year and was enjoying the great rewards, especially getting a check for $250 when you accumulated $200 in rewards. Yesterday, I got a letter from Chase ( the outside of the envelope said: Good things are coming from Chase Freedom. Enclosed:News about improvements to your account”). I opened the envelope to find that Chase is doing away with the 3% rebate on the top 3 spending categories each cycle and also doing away with the $50 bonus for accumulating $200 in rewards. Now the card will only give 1% back on everything. Some improvement! NOT! Chase is like all politicians- CHASE after votes and support with big promises and then screw everyone when it costs them some $ off their bottom line. I’m looking for a new card.
Been a “Chase Rewards” customer for 5-8 years…never late with any payment, always pay off in full…approx $1500/mo. Yesterday got a notice from them that my account was being “Updated” to “Chase Freedom”. Instead of 5% on gas, groceries & drugs, plus 1% on everything else…my “Updated” account will now get 3% on gas, grocery & fast food (up to $12/mo = $600 max on bonues) plus 1% on remaining. And now after the first year there will be a $30/year charge.
You know if they had told me that times were tough and we gotta cut your rebate I would have respected them a lot more, and not been ticked off. But the flowery, good news, “Update” correspondance is a an indication of what they think of their customer base….ie they think we are idiots. I am looking elsewhere.
BTW…during my complaint call the guy advised “Yes, the benefit was going down a little.” I responded since when is 40% a “little”!!…he then added I can now get my rebate in gift certificates from Star Bucks, Target or some other businesses….that’s a LOT better than cash huh!!
Holly has it right…there is no customer Loyalty any longer.
Bob K
I just got a letter from chase, both my cards, the cash rewards and freedom will now have a 30 dollar yearly fee in addition to lowering the cash back bonus amounts…I will be cancelling both cards which is terrible because I have used them for many years and it will KILL my credit rating. I am certainly going to file a HUGE Complaint with them. People stay away from CHASE and double check if you have either rewards or freedom you will be getting a 30 dollar a year charge
I love how people think that since they use a banks credit card they are doing the banks a huge favor and that the bank owes them rewards because of this, the bank makes about 1% every time you charge your card. Is it a huge surprise to you morons that since the government is limiting how they do business that the rewards are decreasing, interest rates are going up, credit cards make money with fee’s, yes even a day late….. but if you want to get the hallowed 5% cash back and a rate under 10% the banks need to charge the people that mess up, even a day or two late. I work at one of the big three and know a lot about the business of credit, lets just say the credit heyday is over. I can personally tell u what to expect and this is strait from the horses mouth, No more life of the loan balance transfers, significantly reduced rewards, interest rates 12% or more even w/excellent credit, just wait the changes are coming so expect to get a change in terms notice on your account. The bill that congress passed only helps credit deadbeats, people who regularly default, people that pay on time or pay in full will only lose out on a good deal.
Just this morning received email and US mail piece advising that Advanta Bank is closing all Advanta Business Credit Card accounts and cardholders will not be able to use their card or account for new transactions, including purchases, checks and balance transfers beginning on May 30.
Four days notice to close a business card account used almost daily sucks. I hope the bank fails if this is the way it treats customers.
I have been a loyal Chase Freedom card holder for almost 3 years now. While I have read all the unfortunate customer service incidents with many of the above, I have been late on payments maybe 3 times by one day (I forgot). I always pay in full and when I call them to talk about this, they more than willingly waived the late fee and never charged me interest. They have been great. They are making some changes to the reward program, so I am not sure if I will stick with them, but they have been great to me!
@ LeRoy: I got the same Advanta treatment. I now have 2 days to find a new business credit card. I liked the Advanta 1% cash back. Where can I find another M/C that pays back decently?
eric g said:
on May 13th at 09:26 pm
I just got a letter from chase, both my cards, the cash rewards and freedom will now have a 30 dollar yearly fee in addition to lowering the cash back bonus amounts…I will be cancelling both cards which is terrible because I have used them for many years and it will KILL my credit rating. I am certainly going to file a HUGE Complaint with them. People stay away from CHASE and double check if you have either rewards or freedom you will be getting a 30 dollar a year charge
*******
Now that you cancelled your chase accounts, please let us know the product you found which was superior to the revised chase program. Eventually, all the rewards programs will be similarly affected.
I too used an Advanta credit card for my business for years and receieved a letter this week telling me as of May 30th all business accounts were closed. Each month I paid my balance off in full. THe only credit card used at my business. Nice to know our government is helping the credit card compaines, insurance companies and auto industry while small business owners have to work through the recession on their own. THANKS Advanta and federal government!! I now to need apply for a new credit card for my company.
I paid my Discover and Lowes in full last month and this month Lowes sent my statement with zero balance. Discover sent me a bill for $74 interest owed this month. I had to pay th $74 to close the account. I will never use Discover again! CROOKS!!
I will never use Discover again! CROOKS!!
It is called double-cycle billing. Most if not all cards use this billing method. I would not say they are crooks. You had carried a balance over from a prior billing cycle. I guess the averaging irronically helps you as your balance grows. However, harms you as the balances drop.
I belive this practice will be outlawed with the new legislation.
Wow! Talk about a Chase bank bashing! I personally think every credit card has its issues. They are deceptive, lying, manipulative. You just have to be careful and aggressively proactive…..but you can make credit cards work for you. I purchase everything with my credit cards. Everything. Even 10 cent items. I like it because it allows me to track my spending in detail. It is easy to slip $1 here, $15 there…and then wonder where all your money went. But when you have a printed page listing all the glory details- it is helpful. I’ve used this feature to cut my spending to practically nothing. I pay my credit cards off in full on time every month, since I was old enough to get my first one. If you have no self control, credit cards are not for everyone. It is soooo easy to get caught up in that credit tsunami…and once you are in it, it is super hard to get out. I also like my credit cards because I get rewards. I use the system. I hop in and out of credit cards. They reduce the rewards? see ya!
I don’t agree with folks complaining about Chase charging a late fee. Umm…you paid late? That seems to be the biggest complaint here! I started something this year that has changed my life. Automatic payments! All my credit cards, utilities, everything…is automatically deducted from my money market account. I was always forgetting to pay, or getting too busy and not having time to pay. No more worries! no more late fees! Priceless!!!!!!!!!
I will note that I have had Citibank Dividend forever (back when it was Shell MC, and then something else and then Dividend- they changed it three times!)….and they will forgive one late fee and finance charge a year. I know, because I used to forget to pay at least once a year. They were very good about it.
So that’s good..however if I told you the horror story of a $5000 dispute gone wrong, you would cringe. I would have rather had the late fees charged. It took me months to resolve a dispute that Citibank messed up big time…..boy what a debacle! But the story is too long, so the moral of my story is…..
There is no loyalty. Loyalty? Are they your brother? No. It is business. Don’t take it personally. All credit cards are scavengers, and they all suck in their own way. Use em to your advantage. Pay your bills on time every month, or don’t buy the stuff already! Don’t got the money? Don’t freaking buy it! Don’t let these banks that need bailouts to run their operations ruin your life. Use em, pay em, get rewarded, that’s all.
I have to add my voice to the people who are wondering about all the complaining. If I pay my bill late, I should get charged a late charge. Exactly why do some people have this sense of entitlement that the rules don’t apply to them. I’ve had a Chase card since 2002 and have never had any trouble with it. It’s not Chase’s fault (or any other credit card company) if you can’t read and comprehend the contract you’re agreeing to. I will be canceling my Chase card before June 2010 because they will start charging a fee (contrary to what “eric g” states, the first year of this change the annual fee is being waived, again, reading comprehension problem).
What I find funny is that I’ve had affinity cards that have been issued by Chase (Toys ‘R’ Us & Sony) and when I’ve called to cancel those they have basically begged me not to cancel them. When I told the CSR that once I found a new card I’d be canceling my Chase Freedom she didn’t care one bit.
I have the Costco American Express that pays 3% on gas, restaurants and air tickets – no limit. I have to pay $50 per year to be a Costco member, but since I spend a lot on air travel and eating out, it’s worth it. I have the 3% Chase card too, which does what it advertises, if you play the game right. For everything that the Costco and Chase don’t pay 3%, I use a Fidelity Visa that pays a flat 2% on everything. You need to open an account with Fidelity, but has very good, low cost mutual funds — a good place for your IRAs. I make every possible purchase with these cards and over the years I have received a LOT of money ($1000’s) in cash back with no problems. Here’s how you can do it:
Always read the fine print before taking a card because most (though not all) cards are not what they appear to be (for example, don’t take a card that says “up to X%” because it is unlikely that you will ever get X% on anything, don’t take cards that pay in “points” instead of cash because they can change what your points will buy, and don’t take cards that vary the categories for which they pay their highest percentage. If you don’t understand the fine print, or if you have any unanswered questions when you are finished reading the fine print, don’t take the card.
Always pay in full each month. If you don’t, then you should not be using cash back cards or any credit cards at all. Pay cash or use a debit card and forget out trying to get any cash back.
Sign up for the card’s automatic on-line payment program, but only the program gives you the option to pay in full. Fidelity’s doesn’t, so I have to remember to pay the bill on time. So far I haven’t missed a payment, but it makes me nervous. But I keep the card because I can’t pass up that 2% on everything though. If a company with a good auto-pay program comes out with a 2% card, it’s bye-bye Fidelity.
Since your credit card company has no loyalty to you, you should not be loyal to them Since its goal is to make you pay high interest and penalties, your goal should be to make it pay you as much as possible without paying them anything. Check the cash back offers every few month and change cards whenever you can get a better deal.
If you read the fine print, go with the best deals, use the right card for every purchase, use auto-pay to pay in full each month, the cash back cards can put a tidy little sum in you pocket each month.
i just wanted to add to chase being scammers. the first month i signed up for my card i paid my bill by phone with my debit card 3 days before payment was due. 2 days after payment was due i checked my account status online and they had charged me 40$ for a returned payment and 40$ for a late payment. i called and they told me i hadnt given them the number of my debit card correctly and they would not argue with me or waive the fee. because i had no proof and they did not record the phone call i had no evidence to prove they were cheating me. i also just used one of the checks they send with my statement, because i was out of bank checks, and was hit with a 15$ transaction fee which no where did it say on the check or in the statement that there were fees. (thats my fault though for not thinking) but its still crooked banking
For those people that said “my credit card company does not make money off of me since I pay off my bills each month.” Did you know that everytime you make a purchase the merchant pays the card issuer (ie BoA, Chase, Citi,etc) 3-5% of the transaction…each card company has a lot to gain by providing great service – by losing you – they lose 3-4% of each transacation you make using your card. Card issuers make most of their money this way – and via the fees everyone has talked about. I’m looking for great service (someone who will waive an occassional late fee,etc) – has anyone found this?
I have a Bank of America Rewards Platinum Plus card that pays 1.50% for everything, period (although strictly speaking, it’s 1.25% each month, and then another 0.25% for everything in the previous year, as of the annual “birth day” for the card).
I don’t know about all you guys, but I looked for a card that couldn’t play any tricks in terms of what counted and what didn’t, toward higher-percent rewards. I’m sure a few of you have a great handle on your budget so you could work out the math well, and know that it’s perhaps more important to have 3% toward gas and 1.0% toward the rest, than 1.5% for everything – but I don’t have such a good handle, so I chose this route.
I’ve had the card almost a year and it’s been working fine. I pay in full via automatic monthly withdrawal against an account (not a BoA account).
One tiny drawback is that when you cash in your Rewards, they send it as a check. To me, that’s an annoyance… why not pay it electronically into my credit card or some other designated account? They are obviously hoping some folks will lose the check and they don’t have to pay. Because otherwise it’s cheaper for them to do it electronically. But of course, most other credit cards cut their Rewards asa check, too.
Chase has just sent me a letter, deleting the direct cash back rewards, making the deal complicated and less attractive. They are done.
I strongly recommend the Charles Schwab credit card. 2% cash back on all purchases, plus there are no international fees tacked on when you use it overseas. You do have to have a schwab account to get it though.
Discover is the best card to have by far. No annual fee. You can get up to 5% cashback bonus on gas up to $1200 worth a year. (You have to convert your card to a gas rebate card. You can convert it to the type of card that gives you the most cashback on the types of things you purchase most. Also the payment each month is simple once you have everything set up to use the automatic payments either over the phone or online. And did I mention its FREE. No 9.95 or 14.95 fees to make a payment online or over the phone. It is by far the best credit card out there
I am also one of the chase customer who paid two times $39 late fees for only being late for few seconds that’s only due to different time zone.
But it seems all the banks are same..
Chase really is bad news. Another “always pay on time and in full” customer here. When I got my new charge plate a couple of months ago, I called in to activate it. The agent asked if I’d like to set any particular due date. I asked for the first of the month, figuring how easy it would be to remember.
The next bill comes, and I don’t bother opening it until the 29th. Surprise! The due date is the 28th. Therefore, the payment is one day late (although two days before the first of the month). I call Chase immediately to let them know the payment is one day late because the new due date is not what I had been promised. The agent tells me to wait until the next bill.
I wasn’t so surprised to open up the bill and find $100 in fees and charges. I call Chase, and the agent kindly reverses the charges for me, the valued cardholder.
The NEXT statement comes, and there’s another $20 in finance charges from the SAME incident. I call Chase again. This time, no mercy. I tell the agent, hey, this is from the same bad communication about my due date, and the same one-day late payment. Still, no mercy. I tell the agent, hey, I’m outta here if Chase doesn’t value my business at more than $20 over what is their (probably deliberate) miscommunication about my due date.
And that’s the end of my relationship with Chase. There’s a reason Chase keeps surfacing here, and it has to do with deception. BTW, my preferred card is Amex. Always first class service, and they never charge a fee or FC’s as long as the payment reaches them before they print the next statement.
Phil, that Schwab card sounds great. Assuming it’s cheap to open a dummy Schwab brokerage account (smile)… I’ll be checking into that.
Brendon, gas at “up to” 5% does not necessarily sound interesting… does it also have, like, 1% on other purchases? Even so, I suspect I’d like 1.5% back on *everything* with my Bank of America Rewards Platinum Plus, or maybe 2% with Schwab, rather than “up to 5%” on one small category and 1% on the rest. Dunno, I’d have to do the math. It’s really sweet to get a reduction on almost everything.
There’s only one notable thing I can’t put on my card: My mortgage. I know, that’s dangerous, but god willing and the creek don’t rise (knock on wood), we pay our one and only c.c. bill in full automatically each month and have plenty left over. (This leftover is going into an 8 months’ income savings account per Suze Orman’s recommendations.)
Does anybody know a way to get their mortgage on their card?
Sorry to hear about the Chase troubles, friends! Sounds like a bum deal.
If at all possible, folks, please state the full name of the credit card, for good ones, to make it easy to find. Like “Bank of America Rewards Platinum Plus” card. Some places offer a dizzy array of cards.
I don’t know why this credit card isn’t on here yet.
Citi Forward credit card. These are the reward details:
6,000 ThankYou® Points after you make $50 in purchases within the first 3 months
5,000 ThankYou® Points when you sign up for Paperless Statements within 3 months of account opening
100 ThankYou® Points each billing period when you pay on time and stay under your credit line
5 ThankYou Points for every $1 spent on purchases at restaurants (including fast food), bookstores, record stores, movie theatres and video rental stores, up to 75,000 points per year
1 ThankYou Point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Here is the link: https://www.citicards.com/cards/wv/cardDetail.do?screenID=960&origincontentId=CC_TY_REWARDS&CONTENT_TYPE=card_category_detail
Chase screwed me too! I have spent many thousands of dollars through their credit card and the one time my payment was late they refused to waive the late fee. Absolutely horrible customer service.
Beware Chase Freedom… very sneaky.
I found this site because I’m looking for a new VISA reward card. The one I’m canceling is Chase Freedom. After 2 years of paying my balance in full each month, I got an offer in May that said there was “No Minimum Payment Due”. I called to make sure there was no mistake. I was told I was receiving this offer because I was “one of their best customers”. The rep made it seem like I was getting a “bonus month”. So I happily didn’t make a payment, but paid my balance in full again the following month. Then I received a $34 finance charge, because finance charges still accrue. I explained to a supervisor that the offer was misleading. I got no sympathy and she basically told me that she gets a lot of calls like mine. Beware Chase Freedom, they’ll use sneaky tactics to burn good customers with finance charges.
My word, are the prior two posters that naive? I am beginning to believe the average American does feel entitled.
You were late, what favoritism do you expect? You want the best of both worlds, high rebates and a lenient policy. It is an either or proposition, you don’t get both.
Last post, because you don’t understand what skipping a payment means, is not the fault of Chase. Skipping a payment, does not mean you also get to skip interest. Live and learn, next time you will read the fine print.
Personally, I am glad people are this foolish, as they subsidize those who deal with the world the way it is, not the way they want it to be…
I have no loyalty to Chase, and expect none from them. To date, I still accrue 3%, and check every statement to be sure this is the case. The day my rewards are reduced, I close it. No emotional tantrum, no hard feelings. It is a business decision from both party’s perspective. I am here checking to find what else is available should that occur.
As many others have said on this forum, do not go with Chase. They are greedy morons and will charge you even if you are one day late. Could not imagine a worse experience, they will get theirs in due time, you can’t treat people like garbage
For Chase Freedom, they have done away with the 3% cashback on top 3 categories. That was a definite perk to using that card. I’ll be switching to another card now.
i had 2 chase reward cards that gave me 5% back at grocery stores and drug stores and gas stations. last month they sent me notices that they are reducing the reward to 1%!!. But they made it sound like they were making it better. They excell at making a terrible promotion sound great. They also left me hanging with about 2200 points on each card. At 1% it would take me about a year to get 5000 points for the $50.00. I called and asked if they could combine the points onto 1 card but of course they said no. So now i use the Discover gas card and my rewards checking card (i have 2 accts) in the supermarkets and the hell with Chase,Ive been with them for 15 years, but now im thru. All they had to do was combine the points, but they would rather lose a customer. I also tell everyone to use rewards checking at small banks. Who needs chase anyway??
The best credit card I have used is the Citi premierpass-elite level, Citi offers an intial 20k pts after $600 in purchases, when redeemed those pts equal approx. $200 in value. But the best thing is when the card is used to purchase an airline ticket you earn 1 pt for each mile of that flight, even if you purchase the ticket for someone else. I recently flew round trip to chile from LAX which is just under 12K miles so they gave me 12K pts, it equivalent to getting over a $100 rebate. I have used cap one, wamu/chase, and amex and this deal beats them all I highly recommend anyone who is looking for a switch check out the Citi offer
Chase is finally going after freedom card holders with a chase checking account. To date we have been immune to rebate reductions. Looks like the free ride is over. Checking / freedom will now get 1% plus 10% extra bonus (I presume this means one generates 1.1%). Plus, 10 bonus points for each purchase. If you are willing to make $5 purchases or less, you will still net 3%.
As I tend to spend about $5 when I get a quick lunch at work, I will devote Chase toward those purchases. Discover gives 5% on gas. I refuse to deal with Bank of America, so that counts out the Fidelity and Schwab cards which are issued by BofA.
Either recession or cc reform, they keep changing the rules, and keeping us on our toes. At least people like us try to remain proactive.
Chase, has the worst service, I was literally one day late and they would not reverse the fees, alluding to some governmental pressure, I cancelled the card and will also change my local banking to a bank more loyal to its customers.
I got notices in the mail yesterday that 2 of my Chase cards are increasing the interest rates on balances… 19.99 on one and 22.99 on the other. These are joint cards with my college kids (both), and while I pay off each month, I feel treated like a class B customer…. They want to run me off… fine, I’ll go elsewhere. Customer service said closing the account was my only option and had no other offers for me.
I did not take the time to read all the responses but I thought you should know I got notification the Discover 5% up to 100 per month is changing in Feb to 2% up to $250 per month, so I’m bailing on discover for the HESS 3% and Wawa 4% cards.
I should’ve read this posts. I know I am not the only one who hates XXXX Chase. Currently I am looking for the other Credit card companies and Banks (Wamu became Chase). Personally, I recommend HSBC and US Bank are more reasonable and customer friendly. I try to go to Bank of America tomorrow for checking account ($100 cash offer). Chase, they don’t listen and even try to teach the customers. I’ve been the member for 14 years. Being the customer is nothing to them. I decide I cancel all my Chase Credit cards and Bank accounts. let me know if anybody knows the better financial services. Thanx.
Don
Here’s a Chase story for you. I have been a Chase customer for 40 (yes, forty) years. First credit card I ever had. Always pay online, in full, on time, every month and I spend a lot with them. Last month, tried to pay the day before due and their payment website stated it was down until the next day (making my payment late, of course). They refused to reverse the late charge. Said it was “policy”. Closing accounts just hurts your credit rating, but I’ll avoid using this one anymore.
Is Shane the only one who thinks this credit entitlement is a little crazy? It’s hard to believe, but only a small percentage of the world population has access to an ongoing loan, which clearly, most think should be scott free, if not provide extra perks. What would we all do if we had to live on just what we made, with no incentives?
I was going to give another survey of one, but I think these comments have proved to me that I have no right to complain. Plus there’s misinformation floating through this thread (banks do not collect the entirety of the merchant fee, certainly nothing near 5% after Visa and MasterCard take nearly half of 2-3%). If you don’t want to play by their rules regarding late payments and amendable terms, all you have to do is stay away. I don’t think it would be a terrible thing for the country if all this “free” credit did disappear, and this is coming from someone who at one point in her life fully utilized $40k in credit lines.
Chase Freedom Visa is revamping it’s rewards program as of Oct. 26 2009-
All purchases will translate into “points” not dollars.
The intentionally complicated & misleading conversion to cash is the equivalent of 1% of purchases.
Also $250 bonus on $200 in earned rewards will be eliminated.
There is no longer much incentive to using this card after October 2009.
AMEX/FIDELITY Rewards Card is a flat 2% with no fancy math or limitations.
When $50 is earned it automatically posts to your Fidelity Brokerage account.
Good simple deal with no limitations or caps.
Discover & Chase bonus/rewards used to be the best.
Unfortunately, no longer true.
I agree with Holly. Chase sucks ass. I was a loyal customer that paid my card off every month. I was 2 days late and they refused to waive the fee. Stay away from them.
I HATE Chase. My wife and I opened a joint savings account there when we got married to put all our wedding gifts into. We slowly withdrew from that account to pay off credit card bills from the wedding and other bills as they came along. About a year and a half later I get a statement in the mail. I open it up and look at it and for the past 3 months they’ve been charging me money to have them hold my money in a savings account. Conveniently, it was the only statement I had gotten mailed to me in 4 months. I went to the bank to find out why I was being charged and why I wasn’t notified that I would be. They told me it was a high yield savings account and we didn’t have the 10,000 minimum balance. When we opened the account, they never told us anything about a minimum balance and the manager who opened the account for us was no longer working for them. They wouldn’t reverse the charges. I immediately closed the account and went across the street and opened up one at WAMU… guess what? now I’m with Chase again. 
I AM SENDING OUT A WARNING: DO NOT USE CHASE – IF YOU HAVE THEM, LEAVE THEM. I was a very happy WaMu cc customer. Please note: I was a perfect customer – paid early, paid more than the minimum due…had a 5% interest rate. Chase took over and my interest rate jumped to 26%…? huh? I did nothing wrong. For no reason. THEN, I get a letter that they CLOSED my account…again, for no reason. In the meantime, I’m in the middle of buying a home and Chase is screwing with my credit when I’ve been a flawless cc holder. Lastly? I paid off the entire balance. Next thing I know? I get a statement with finance charges after I already paid my balance in FULL. I called them up – spoke to a supervisor – explained my overall experience — they could care less! They have ROBOTS that work at Chase. They wouldn’t reverse the finance charge, I asked to speak to someone higher and was told to write a letter. I threw up my hands and paid it today and it better finally be over!!! I do not trust Chase Bank – and neither should you!!!!
Gosh another ex Chase customer. I have had two chase cards and I ended up closing both of them. I paid my balance every month via mail. Once the payment was returned to me as undeliverable to their mailbox address! and of course the $40 late fee and interest on the balance would not be reversed. I quit using the card. Up until a year ago they sent me a new replacement card. I never activated the card but put it in my wallet. I used it in the grocery store by mistake. To my amazement the charge went through. I got a bill for $13 and change. I immediately paid it by mail, because didn’t want to even bother setting up billpay. This time I got a letter from US mail with nice picture of my check that my payment was destroyed because it was again undeliverable. Again $40 fee was slapped on. I was so angry that I closed the card asap. I’ve had three credit cards and never had any trouble like this for the last 20 years. So when my Providian Visa converted to Chase, I immediately closed that card too. Now I’m only holding a BoA mastercard.
It sounds like everyone got burned at least once. Personally i’m never getting an Amex in my life again. They hit me with 29% interest that added up to $1,490 per month for being late 1 day. They did not wanted to reverse it even though i said i’d stop paying it and i did. Chase so far so good. My AT&T universal – BEST card ever! had it for 16 years
CITIBANK is far the worst and crookedest credit card, not to mention the bank, they suck, buncha thieves if you ask me, they will not reverse a $39 charge due to their own mistake, they tell you how much to spend and how tospend it,, they would not let me buy a $1200 stereo system because the limit for purchases was $1000, nor they would give a cash advance because their limit was $500 TOTAL not daily out of a $5000 credit line I had, every time they manage to find a way to charge extra fees…just think if they charge $39 to only 2 million out of 61 million customers they have, it is 80Milliona day, it is almost 30billiona year they steal from us…they don’t need to workanymore, yet they manage to lose money every year!. They should just close their doors and live off the money they steal and they would be better off than they are now, what a buncha loser thieves!!!!!!!!!!
if I didn;t know better I would think they were LIBERALS, they gotta be liberals to suck so hard!
I see the complaining continues. People’s real issue is they are using what should be short term borrowing, and turning it into a long term liability. This is an unsecured borrowing. Ask yourself, what rate would a stranger need to pay you as an individual to reward you for that unsecured risk? I personally feel 20 to 30% is justified. If you feel that is unfair and you are “entitled” to something lower, then take out a personal loan from a bank in lieu of putting the amount on a credit card. This is not 1950. Banks have no loyalty to customers, and you have no loyalty to them. Find the terms that best suit your needs, and if those terms change, look for something better. As Chase ends 3% rebates at the end of the month, today I cashed in my rewards, closed them out, and headed for greener pastures. BofA is the issuer of the Fidelity and Schwab 2% cards, and I am washing my hands of all the “too big to fail” taxpayer subsidized banks. I am going with PenFed credit card, and a high reward checking account with another credit union which pays 4-5% interest.
I can’t believe chase doesn’t tell you they put a $12 cap on cash back. Maybe that’s why they came up with the Chase Sapphire Credit Card right away that doesn’t have cap on points and you can use points to pay.
Get more info here:
http://www.cardz.com/Compare_Credit_Cards/Points
One last comment on Chase. A couple days after the 3% rebate program ended, for some reason I received the 3% brochure in the mail! Today! As I had cancelled the cards last week, I called Chase to find out why. I also noticed my online account was still up and continued indicating 3% rebates. While on the phone, the Chase employee cut me off, as if I had no idea what I was talking about. He provided no explanation why Chase sent me the brochure. And while he had me on the phone, he clearly cancelled my 3%. When I refreshed the page, poof my rewards had vanished. For a second there I was about to reactive my card. Glad I came to my senses… Off to greener pastures….
For those of you, like me, who had a Chase 5% back on gas, groceries, and pharmacies, did you receive a letter informing you that the 5% was being eliminated? I never received a letter, but Chase reps are telling me that I should have because it came with the option of keeping my 5% rewards. According to them, since I didn’t respond to that supposed letter, they graciously transferred me to a Sapphire account. If you did receive that Chase letter, did it offer you the option of keeping your 5%? I’d feel better knowing it didn’t rather than blaming the Post Office for losing an important piece of mail.
I was only getting 3%. However, they were very adamant no one was getting their old rebates going forward. All Freedom cards were to be under the same rebate structure (with a slight improvement for Chase checking customers). I also had a checking account, so up to now I had been immune to the rebate reduction. I am now using PenFed credit card, and a high yield checking account with a credit union yielding 5%. If the rate holds up I will end up exceeding the return from reward cards. Times are changing, you have to be flexible and adapt.
i have had a chase bp credit card that gives 5 o/o cash back on gas or deisel and 1 o/o on all other purchases and have been fairly happy with it untill lately….i had a credit limit of $23,000.00 because somtimes i make big purchases on my card to get the cash back and pay the bill each month in full when it comes…..i have never been late …..i received a letter today stating they were lowering my credit limit to $10,000.00 and if i have made any purchases above this new amount i had 45 days to pay the bill in full or i would be charged an over-the-limit charge each month until i got it under this new amount !!!!!!!…..of course they were soooooo sorry if this would cause me any incovenience….this is really not a problem for me buttttt what about all the people out there whom they are doing this to that do not have the means to pay it off in 45 days ??? just another way for the credit card companies to get more fees out of people and do it the so called “legal way”……. do you think these people have nothing better to do then think of new ways to milk the public, is it possible that one of them might pop awake at night with a brilliant new idea on how to screw us again….do these people even think like the average person?????????? well that’s all folks
I recently opened a Chase Freedom for the $50. Now that I have redeemed it, I noticed they only gave me $1,700 in avail. credit. So, I deduced that they WANT me to use more than 50-75% of the avail. credit limit which will make the FICO score drop. I have been using credit cards for rewards since I was 18 years old. I, in 12 years, have never missed a payment. Since then, I have received well over $1,000 in electronics, speakers, cash, etc. I COST the credit cards money and I LOVE it!
Do NOT get AMEX with annual fees. They have tightened their flight restrictions and companions more than led to believe. Talk about losing a customer. AMEX went from $150 plus my incessant usage. After I redeemed my miles in July, I opted for the free one with almost the same rewards.
BEWARE! Companion tickets are a scam. You have to be flying from the same airport, time, AND section, e.g. T, U, etc. If you do not plan, to a T, you will pay in charges more than the original ticket.
Ross said: “At least with Chase Freedom, your cash back balance is posted each month with your statement. Once you are at a cash back balance of $200.00, you can receive a check for $250.00.”
I got the card for the same reason Ross! Unfortunately I’ve recently found out that they are no longer doing that and instead are doing some lame “Ultimate Rewards” program. Very disappointed I can’t get my $250 check anymore :’(
Chase Freedom card no longer gives out 3% cashback (with $12 maximum) for the 3 bonus categories. As of the November statement, it has been downgraded to 1% cashback for every dollar spent. Chase must be have been preparing for the new government regulations next year.
Take my advice & the advice of so many others- STAY CLEAR OF CHASE CREDIT CARDS! I’ve dealt with arrogant, taunting customer service reps, iron fisted rules & regulations, and the incredibly deceptive process of trying to redeem points. Add me to the list of customers who will be taking his business elsewhere.
Joe
The best card that I have seen is the Charles Schwab Visa. It is 2% cash back on everything no cap. The money is deposited every month automatically into an interest baring Charles Schwab account that you can link with your bank account to instantly transfer the money to your checking if you need it. There are other cards out there that are not on these sites.
I had serious problems with Chase also. Chase was in the middle of a wire transfer from a small community bank of mine to a 3rd financial institution, who uses them as its “clearing” bank. They again stole the use of the money, by capitalizing on a one letter error made in the wiring document, filled out by my local bank. They refused to cooperate with my local bank, and seemingly intentionally caused delay after delay, allowing them to hold onto my money, and failing to wire it to their customer bank, for over a week. I have also had other major problems with them. DO NOT DEAL WITH CHASE on bank accounts, credit cards, or in any other capacity. Move all your bank accounts, credit cards, and all other business to community banks, and away from the huge and corrupt casino-operator pseudo-banks, including Chase, Citi, Bank of America, and so on.
Wow! I was just out looking for a new credit card with cash rebates because my CHASE credit card that I have had since 1992 just sent me a notification that they were dropping me from the rebate program. I have excellent credit, payoff the balance every month and usually get a $50 – $75 cash rebate credited to my monthly Chase statement every month. I have to admit that everything that I have read regarding Chase on this site, I completely agree with and will be closing ALL my accounts with them as soon as I find another bank that I want to give my business to. I currently utilize AMEX and Discover also, so maybe I also utilize them ALL the time now. I just preferred getting my rebate instantly every month and would like to find a similar credit card again. I would NEVER recommend anyone utilizing CHASE!
Try Charles Schwab. I have had this card for the past year and it has been great. 2% back, no limit. It goes to a brokerage account that you can either buy stocks or get the cash right away. I think it’s the best deal around.
Chase has an automatic payment option which I use to pay the entire balance in full every month. You never have to remember to go online, and you can set up several “alerts”. I’ve never had a problem using that system, and I like the rewards on the freedom card.
I’ve had a Citibank card since they first came out with their EverythingCard way back in the 1960’s. I have never had difficulty with them. I stayed with them when they went to MasterCard and later I got a Driver’s Rewards card. When I purchased a car, I filled out the from and the rebate was received pronto. Now, I just received the rebate for the last car I plan on purchasing and am looking for another card to replace mine. I will stick with Citi. On the very rare occasion I’ve need help customer service was great, I can only say good things about doing business with them. Glad to see others are happy too and, I agree Chase stinks. They were awful to my mother. I would never do business with them.
Watch out for Discover Card – they offered me the Open Road card with 5% back on gas purchases, then changed it to 2% after I had spent not quite enough money to get the $50.00 cash back. They now refuse to give me back what we agreed to originally, making it more difficult to reach that number. I am guessing they will keep lowering the percentage like a carrot and stick scam, so I won’t do business with them again.
Chase sent out a letter saying that the $250 back for $200 reward points is no longer being offered as a option.
This is one of my favorite cards. 5% in gas, 2% on groceries, 1.25 on everything else. No caps, total awarded monthly and applied as a credit to your statement. You have to be a memeber, but you can become one by donating $25 to a military organization if you are not related to or a military member yourself. Also, low balance transfer rates, caps on fee limits etc.
Based on earlier comments I was concerned that Chase had changed the rebate policy without notifying me, If I were to believe the above comments, Chase has limited monthly rebates to $12 and discontinued the payment of $250 for accumulated $200 in reward points. In revewing my statements I find that there has been no such $12 limit as I have been credited more than $12 every month. I then called Chase customer service and the rep I spoke to said that he had never heard of such a limit and the $250 for $200 is still in effect with no plans to change it.
To avoid late fees use the Chase Auto Payment plan instead of a bank payment plan and it can never be late. The $250 for $200 in rebates can’t be beat. I have never had any problems with customer service although I have found thar Citi customer service has been slightly better.
Since so many of the above comments differ from the Chase policy as explained by the service rep, and what i have experianced, I wonder about the validity of them.
It seems on my chase account Chase has implemented a “Minimum Interest Charge” of $1.50 a month. Ir they’re going to charge $1.50 interest even if I have no balance (which may go against the definition of “interest”). I’m seriously debating closing my account over this $18/yr (though it may still be the best choice for me, as I haven’t yet found a better card). So annoying. Also this is not a “I’ve heard” this is a “last statement chase did this to my account”.
I’ve seen a lot of sites recommending the citi dividend card. I wouldn’t recommend it. In fact I’m about to cancel mine. I’ve had my card for years and have been prompt on making payments in full way early of the due date. However one month, I paid my statement one day late because I wasn’t aware that it was due. Normally I use the automatic payment system. I immediately paid it in full the next day. They charged me $39 in late fees and $40 for 2 finance charges and raised my APR. What really made me mad was that they charged me a finance charge on that month’s statement after I paid it in full. Then they charged another finance charge on my next month’s statement even though I paid it way ahead of the due date. My balance for the original late payment was very small (under a couple hundred dollars) which is why I couldn’t believe they were charging me so much on such a small amount. Needless to say I am furious because customer loyalty and paying in full early every month obviously means nothing to them. The rewards for the card aren’t even that good. If I can go back in time, I would never have applied for this card or deal with citi.
I use 2 different chase cards, 1) where I receieve 5% on gas, groceries and drugs. 2) freedom card, where I get 3% on 5 out of 15 categories and get $250 after reaching $200 in cash back. I personally hate chase RETAIL BRANCHES for poor customer service but liked the credit cards service until today. Today when I visited the bank i found out that they are converting all the old freedom cards to new freedom card which I don’t care for. So I will be looking for another card which pay better. I pay my card in full each month. I hope I can find one that pays better.
Check out the credit card from charles schwab. You get 2% cash back on EVERYTHING you buy unlimited. The only catch (or better word is hassle) is that you have to open a brokerage account with them. You can either deposit $1,000 minimum to open the account or do a direct deposit of $100 a month. The money you earn each month on your card is deposited directly into your brokerage account after your monthly statement is issued. I have done extensive research on reward credit cards, and this card is by far the best.
I have had a Chase Visa (AARP) reward card for serveral years. I set it up so they automatically draft my bank account to pay my balance in full each month. When I changed banks, I entered an incorrect bank account number (the last digit was wrong), but my bank (BOFI) honored the draft for a full year without telling me. Then one fine month they bounced the draft and I got hit with late fee and finance charge from Chase. It took me serveral weeks to figure out what happened callong both BOFI and Chase several times. In the end, Chase reversed the charges without much fuss.
The reward is only 1%, but it adds up.
I also have a Discover card and they only pay 1/4% at first, then 1/2%, and finally the full 1% when you reach that spending level. However, they pay 5% for some categories that change every quarter and you have to contact them to “sign up” for the reward each quarter. I guess they’re hoping you’ll forget to sign up.
I have been a loyal customer of CITI for about 9 years now, never had any issues whatsoever…until about a year ago. I made a payment late, totally my fault, as soon as I realized my mistake I paid it in full, they reversed the late fee, and the next month they reduced my credit line by almost half of what it was and then because of the limit reduction I was over my new credit limit by $100!!! That’s not all, since I was over my credit limit, they charged me an over the limit fee and upped my APR to 29.99%!!!!! I called CITI this month to figure out what could be done and they told me that since my balance was too close to my credit line limit they are dropping me as a customer!!! WHAT????
http://cardbonus.spaces.live.com/blog/
To get a $200 check or giftcard in a simple and clear way.
I had the Chase Signature Rewards Visa (which used to be the Freedom Rewards, and before that was the Chase Perfect Card). It just is rolling over into the Sapphire. It used to pay cash back automatically credited to your account (no longer does) and was 3% on gas, restaurants, drug stores, and some others, and 1% on everything else. Now it’s all 1% on everything. I feel so gyped, but I can’t find a better card. Everyone is switching to offering (and forcing change to) the cards with less benefits. My current card is good till 2011. I’m wondering if I didn’t activate the new card if they have to keep giving me the old benefits until I do?
I just see there has new promotion for chase. They offer up to $350 sign up bonus. Please visit the follow to see detail.
http://creditcardbonus.spaces.live.com/blog/
I have had a Delta Skymiles (amex) card for about ten years. We have had excellent sevice and earned 11 free tickets ( 4 to Europe). However,
they have doubled the miles necessary to earn a ticket this past year.
If they can arbitrarily double the miles, basicly cutting the reward in half, we’re going to find a new vendor. They will miss us, we rack-up good sized bills and we’re never late.
Applying for a number of cards in order to look at the fine print isn’t such a good idea. I did so and and I would not be approved for any new cards. Also agree that Chase sucks. I’ve disputed several charges and they wouldn’t do anything about it. So I had to cancel cards and get new ones because charges were recurring! Planning to move on to Costco Amex smf forget about mileage accounts.
Chase suck ass, they had the shittiest customer service ever. The customer service representative’s attitude were arrogant and know nothing. You ask them a question, they answer you nothing.
I saw this applying to Chase Freedom visa card and get $100 cash back promotion online and was interested to apply for it. But since that offer only for first time card user and I had a checking account with Chase before (which is closed now due to poor cust. service), I emailed them about the situation.
I emailed 3 times before I get an answer. And their reply was–
“we are unable to confirm if you would be considered as a first-time card holder and be eligible for the bonus rewards. It would depend entirely on the card that you apply for. The information can be
confirmed only after the application is approved”
Hey…the main purpose I applying for their card is the cashback, and they saying they will know only whether I am eligible for the offer after I am approved??? What the hell…sometime just thought of they are total retarded
I really like my Chase Freedom cc.
They are in process of changing the rewards program.
Mine changed this month, so the jury is still out on
how well the new rewards program will work for me.
I pay my Chase cc using my Chase checking acct
[on line, on phone or at bank] and I follow up a couple
of days later to verify the cc has indeed been paid.
I have never had a problem.
I agree that Chase has zero loyalty for excellent customers. They are inflexible, allow representatives to be snotty, and just flat don’t care. The poster child for soulless, greedy banks. I’ve had a BP Chase card for 16 years, have charged a bunch and have always paid on time. I asked for a card that doesn’t say BP — understandably! — and they won’t issue me one with the same rewards I’m currently getting. LIke they couldn’t do that if they wanted to? TIme to make the change and go to another bank.
Chase Freedom cash back has discontinued $250 check reward on cash back balance of $200.00, Just found out when we tried to claim the reward.
Just cancelled Chase Freedom after being with them for 10 years. The card used to be Borders by Bank One/First card. I have been late twice in the past, but B1/First card usually reversed the charge. After Chase bought them, that’s no longer the case. I called the 800 #, told the rep I wanted to cancel and he said, ‘alright, your card is cancelled’. We said goodbye and promptly hung up. 1 min conversation. :p
Mixed feelings on Chase – it’s easy enough to schedule automatic payments online and avoid late fees, and the 1% cash back is nice. They’ve made the program less attractive over the past year, but other programs all seem about the same. The $250 in rewards for redeeming $200 in bonus points all at once was a nice feature – if I found a different issuer that offered 1.25%, I’d be really tempted to switch.
The BIG negative – I had a dispute with a vendor in which I was effectively overcharged by $200. I assembled around 20 pages of documentation, scanned it into a pdf, sent it off to Chase – the person at Chase they assigned to look into it called me once and left a message. After that, I tried to reach her many times and never got a callback. Then Chase closed the case and charged my credit card, basically because they weren’t willing to look into the matter. I followed up wit Chase a number of times, but no results. I then wrote it all up on an online website with the attorney general’s office, but the web form I was typing on timed out and I lost all my work. At that point, I decided it wasn’t meant to be and got on with my life. Bottom line – Chase doesn’t impress me much, but their website is convenient, and I haven’t found a better offer… yet.
Also doesn’t like Chase. In my experience they have unfair business practice. I’ve been with Washington Mutual for 15 years until Chase took over. I have a IRA CD with them. It was renew for a 1 year term. In the middle of the term they change the policy to charge a fee to maintenance the account. To me this is a breach of contract. At the time of renewal and initial set up of the account there are no fees. They force the fees and the CD is not the mature, if I withdraw and close my account they will charge a penalty for closing early. They don’t have customer loyalty plus unfair business practice…what they did is wrong. Once the CD is mature, I will close all my accounts and take my business elsewhere.
Flashie — The Fidelity 2% card does offer autopayment of your full balance. You just need to call FIA Card Services (which manages the accounts) and ask to have a form mailed to you. Strange that it’s not mentioned online, but it’s available.
Yes, Chase Bank (as well as most of the others) rely upon people’s mistakes to make money. For example, if you pay online, you must pay several days (or a week) early! Don’t pick the day it is due, or even the day before, because if there is some delay in the transaction and they are not fully credited the payment on time, they zing you! That is where they make their money, and so when you go and ask for that money back, they are instructed to say no. So if you want to be sure, pay 1 week early, and watch for it to show up in your bank account. If you don’t see it as the deadline approaches, go and check the Chase site and make sure it was done, and if not, resubmit asap.
Thank you for the Chase input, I was just bank shopping this weekend and was leaning towards Chase but not anymore!!!!! 
Chase Freedom rewards ripoff.
The Chase Freedom Credit Card offers 3% to 5% rewards for categories that change quarterly. They mention several reasons why you may not get rewards such as no superstores, warehouse clubs and discount stores. They also mention that the merchant must classify their categories by the titles that are offered that quarter. I have been in the program from 1/10 until 7/10 and have not recieved any rewards under that program but by my calculations should have received close to $50.
Chase sucks. They charge me finance charges each month even though I paid in full each month. I called them about this and they said “interest is charged from the moment your card is charged”
lame
Why do you suppose Chase wants to piss off all of us that pay our card in full every month? They can’t charge us interest and we float our charges up to 30 days. No annual fee and then we cash in our bonus points. They don’t make a dime off us. They want us to carry a balance each month so they can soak us 10 to 20% interest on money they got free from Obama. I’d love to lend money and get half that. Chase operates the same way drug dealers do.
Discover card is a scam!!!!! don’t believe their bonus offer, they put it in bold on their application, but after your apply and make all the purchases, their agents will deny your application was part of the promotion! Discover card SUCKS!!!
Stay away from Chase! I had the Freedom Card for several years. They lured me in with some great deal and then (of course) changed the plan shortly thereafter. The final reason for my switching was because my account was compromised and they immediately put a hold on my account without telling me. The unfortunate thing was that I was traveling in Canada when this happened, so I needed my credit card to get home. They assured me I could use the card as long as I called and asked permisson before each transaction (which I did). Each time I did this, the CS rep hassled and lectured me – - I was humiliated each and every time because I was usually standing in a line somewhere. I kept explaining that this was what THEY instructed me to do yet each time I called, I had the same conversaton over-and-over. I will NEVER deal with Chase again!!!
(9 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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