I will no longer be using my Citi Double Cash credit card. First off, I just learned that Citi has been keeping some of my rewards for years when I claim rewards via a statement credit (doesn’t count as a “payment” so you don’t get the second 1% cash back on that amount).
But what really makes me angry is their new deal with CVS and Shell. My wife made a purchase at CVS and, WITHOUT ASKING, they used 1250 thankyou points to pay for $10 of the $23.97 total. My wife claims that at no time did she approve of this use of the rewards. So they stole $2.50 of our rewards without permission!
Doing some online reading, it appears that people are having this happen at Shell gas stations as well. Someone was supposedly told by Citi customer service that you can’t opt out of this program and that you should just use a different credit card at CVS and Shell if you don’t want them using your points.
Clark: Help! Look into this and if there is no way to opt out, you need to stop recommending this card when there are other 2% options out there. I have a Synchrony credit card that pays 2% cash back with no limits and just switched a Wells Fargo card I have to their Active Cash card that pays 2%.
The credit card machine always asks me at CVS if I want to use Thank You Points, which I decline. I use the Costco card for gas so have not tried it at Shell before. Always go for the cash redemption.
I think it is now becoming clear what the real intent was of the 1% when you buy / 1% when you pay, IMHO a goofy scheme.
Well it is not so goofy from the Bankster view point! They had a law firm come up with it!
That law firm is Dewey, Cheatam, and Howe!
So for the effort of dividing up promised rewards, the bank gets to fiddle with definitions, come up with exceptions in mice print, and spend more on programmers to enact a diabolical scam to routinely pay less.
Maybe Citi wants to be an insurance company when they grow up!
PS: Possibly the most diabolical facet is to deprive victims of their points if/when it gets paid BEFORE the monthly statement runs! If this is true, some class action shyster should run at 'em.
Another ripoff on this card is that they are now charging interest on purchases before your current statement even drops. I have used this card for years. I always pay it down to a $0 balance on the day the statement drops so I get a $0 balance bill. The last two months they have charged interest in my purchases even though I paid for them before the bill dropped. Goodbye Citi, total crooks. Don’t recall any notices telling me this was going to change.
Checking interest charged on Citi accounts:
Total fees charged this year: $0.00
Total interest charged this year: $0.00
So, Stefman, if you want us to believe your story, you got some 'splaining to do. I would suggest calling the bank up and getting an explanation to bring back to us. Not trying to stand up for banksters; I detest them as much as anyone. But let us not malign them without good reason…