Rewarded Just For Gassing Up
Written: Apr 17 '01
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Pros: good rewards, excellent customer service
Cons: I've heard it's somewhat hard to get approved, 23.49% interest
The Bottom Line: If you make a lot of gas purchases each month, and plan on paying your bill in full each month, I would definitely recommend the Texaco card.
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| emmababy2000's Full Review: Texaco Credit Card (The Associates) |
We have had the Texaco credit card for over 5 years now. We are extremely pleased with the service we have received.
The Texaco credit card is very similar to other Gas cards, you use it to buy gas. But there are other benefits, which I will explain later.
The only two things that can be considered drawbacks of this card is that I have "heard" that it is a little difficult to get, meaning you have to have a very good credit history. This was not a problem for us.
The interest rate of this card is currently 23.49%. This is a very high interest rate compared to regular credit cards, but it normal for a gas card. We use our card for just about every gas purchase and rack up about $150 a month. However, we pay it off in full EVERY month, so we do not incur any finance charges.
Now on to the benefits. Since we pay it off in full each month, this card costs us nothing to use, but we get benefits. Texaco has a program called Starguard Rewards, which is a free service. All you have to do is make 4 purchases of 8 gallons or more on your billing statement to be covered until the following month. Starguard offers a $100 tire replacement, a $250 overnight expense fund, and a $200 auto deductible payment.
Do they really pay? YES! A few years back, I had a car accident when I was driving with my head up my butt and ran into another car. No one was hurt, and the other driver's car was not damaged. However, I did about $2,000 worth of damage to my car. While going through my insurance papers at home, I glanced at my recent Texaco statement, and finally read the comments they print on your bill. I read that they had a $200 auto deductible payment, so I called up thinking I would be put on hold forever, and then be told that I didn't qualify for one reason or another. My call was answered in a timely manner, and was informed that I needed to fill out a claim form, which arrived just a few days later. It was a short and simple form as far as claims go. I sent it in thinking I just wasted my time and pennies for postage. I was sure it wouldn't qualify for one reason or another....like since the accident was my fault. About 2-3 weeks later, I had forgotten about it.
Imagine my surprise when I went to get the mail and opened up a check for $200!
I have not had experience with the other 2 rewards. I did call once about the tire replacement, but it was two months after I replaced the tires. You must report any covered incidence within 30 days.
Texaco also offers a cash advance option on your credit card. We have never had to use it, but it is nice knowing it's there should the need arise.
I have called the customer service department a few times in the years we have had the card. Once was recently because although we sent our payment two weeks before the due date, the post office took its time, and delivered it late. We were charged a finance charge and a $10.00 late fee. I called and informed them that I did mail the payment with sufficient time to reach them, and they can look up our account history and see that we pay in full, ON TIME, EVERY month. She said she would be happy to remove both the late fee and the finance charge and asked if there was anything else she could help me with. And yes, I really did recieve that credit, it was right there on my very next statement.
The billing statements are very easy to read, and list purchases separately for each card on the account. The statement also lists the address of the station where each purchase was made, which is convenient when looking over your bill.
Although Texaco had that racial discrimination scandal a while back, I would recommend this card to anyone, provided you plan on paying your bill in full each month. You can get information and apply for a card by calling 1-800-TEXACO-7. And for added convenience, your Texaco can now be used at Shell stations.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
emmababy2000
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Location: Eastern Time Zone
Reviews written: 43
Trusted by: 14 members
About Me:
Short on time, but I am currently writing a few new reviews.
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