First USA FirstCard: Why?
Written: Apr 29 '01
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Pros: You can charge things with it
Cons: Everything else
The Bottom Line: I am not a big fan of this card. The customer service is behind the times.
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| mrisch's Full Review: First USA |
My FirstCard (which was not part of First USA back when I got it) was my first real credit card (I had a low limit - $500 - Visa from my credit union). I got it in college, when credit card companies hand out credit like candy. It soon upgraded to a gold card, and I guess now is a platinum.
I'll cut to the quick - this card is awful. The only reason I still have is because I am too lazy to change my billing card on AOL, so I get charged $4.95 a month (I am on the "emergency" AOL plan). I don't even know where the physical card is.
It's hard to imagine a card being so terrible, but the truth is, not all cards are the same.
The Basics
This is your basic, variable rate Platinum card. It has a prime rate plus. My rate is like 17.9%, but has been as low as 9%. I have noticed that the rate is higher than any other regular credit card I have.
Unlike other cards I have, I rarely get a “special” interest rate for balance transfers and credit “checks”.
The late fees are huge, but they usually let it go the first month. They used to have a grace period of 5 days after the due date, but they have since changed it to no grace period. To its credit, the company gave me notice, but it still is a bummer. I continually struggle with late fees, because my balance is so low so I don't focus on the bill.
Customer Service
I have never had an unfriendly customer service rep. However, the system has problems. For example, the other day I called in due to coming against the payment deadline (my mail was forwarded because I moved). It was the last day to pay. I asked for a slight delay so I wouldn't get a late fee. The rep said she couldn't do that, but she could do a direct payment from my credit union.
I agreed, and gave her the routing and bank information. I thought all was taken care of, but I got a letter a week later saying my bank said the account number was wrong, and they were now going to charge me a returned check fee.
Ugh. I called in, and it turns out that the prior person did not include my checking account suffix on the payment slip (despite me giving her the information). The new rep. offered to give me a credit, but it hadn't posted yet, so she could only put a note in, and I would have to call back. I am certain as well that there is also now a late fee.
Needless to say, this is not how it is supposed to work. I recall that there were other things that their system just did not allow for for the longest time (like flexible payment dates - though I think they do this now).
Call Waiting
I am almost never on hold, and they are open 24 hours for most services.
Another annoying thing is that I enter my account information at the outset by the keypad, but I often have to give the number again. This is a real pain.
Fraud Handling
I once lost my card, and I called in. They immediately cancelled the card. I think they even sent a new card by next day air. This was quality service.
Credit increase
My credit limit has been increased steadily over the years without me having to ask.
Online Access
The First USA website is www.firstusa.com. When you sign up, you set a standard user name and password, so you don’t need to remember your credit card number. You can then get access to several months worth of past statements, as well as the latest activity.
Platinum Features
With the platinum card you get standard platinum benefits, including car rental insurance (a big deal in my book) and year end statements categorized by type of vendor. I have yet to receive a payment holiday, though, which leads to the late payments issues.
I'm not sure why I have such a down feeling about this card. By all rights, it is no different than any other Visa. Nonetheless, I have and have had many other credit cards that I prefer to use much better.
Recommended:
No
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