AT&T Universal Card defunctitude

[cute fuzzy bunny]

It appears that citibank is scuttling the "AT&T CASH REWARDS" card from the at&t credit card line they bought some years ago.

So far its just the card that offers 5% cash rewards on groceries, drugstore and gas purchases. Rumor has it all of the cards will be canned by the end of the year.

If you've been a "profitable" customer, in other words make interest payments and pay for credit protection services, you get a nice letter saying that you'll be converted to a regular citibank rewards card.

If you havent been a profitable customer, you get a cancellation letter with no offer of a citibank card.

You have until the end of next month to run your rewards dollars over $50 to receive a check, otherwise you're SOL and they keep the money.

Converting to a citibank card doesnt take your reward balance over with it. Although some people have reported getting a citibank CSR to agree to send them a check for their <$50 amount if they agree to receive a new citibank card.

I had been flipping between the citibank card and universal card as each is limited to $300 in rewards per year, and I do nearly 600 on them.

Guess its time to look for another cash rewards card...

[Arif]

Thanks for the heads up. I've had a Universal card for over 10 years and just paid off the balance on it. Boy, that 1.9% sure is tempting. :

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My longest currently held card as well. Got it when they first came out. Must be 14-15 years ago.

Odd that a company will buy anothers credit card business, then scuttle it.

But I guess thats what I get for being an "unprofitable customer"

I didnt see anything at first glance that looked like a decent replacement either. Just the citi card we already have that does 5% on gas/grocery/drugstore purchases. I saw one chase card that did 6% on gas for a few months and then 3% thereafter. We use so little gas that its really not worth the trouble of juggling two cards.

[Non sequitur]

My card says "member since 90"and I got that letter too.

[BigMoneyJim]

I just activated my Discover card for the first time in 4-6 years. (They don't give up. I activated it since I'm about to be not employed and presumably lacking in new CC options; on second though, how do ERs get new CCs? Do they even look at income anymore?)

I suppose since it had been so long, I got transferred to a live operator who asked me a few questions I didn't want to answer. (I still hold a grudge against them over their handling of interest payments when I was deeply in debt.) She gave me 5% back on gas and something else through June, but that's all.

As much as I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate them, I am considering using the card on my move back as I'll be fueling two vehicles over 900 miles, and one of them is pulling a trailer.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMoneyJim I just activated my Discover card for the first time in 4-6 years. (They don't give up. I activated it since I'm about to be not employed and presumably lacking in new CC options; on second though, how do ERs get new CCs? Do they even look at income anymore?)

That's pretty funny! If CC companies beg JG to arb the float on six figures of no-interest debt, do you really think they'll worry about giving you a bucket or two of their money?

In ER I've already started up a Fidelity rewards card (admittedly they know our ER portfolio) and I had to beg Citi to reduce our $7000 credit limit to $300 for our kid's credit card. Our credit scores have remained over 800, which is pretty amusing considering that I list "unemployed" on the applications.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMoneyJim As much as I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate them, I am considering using the card on my move back as I'll be fueling two vehicles over 900 miles, and one of them is pulling a trailer.

I know you don't trust these guys, and you're absolutely right to feel that way, but you've come roaring back from your debt-burdened days and you've given yourself one heckuva support group. I don't think you have to go Dave Ramsey on yourself.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I noticed that a lot of credit apps said if you were unemployed, to list your former employer.

So every time I do a credit app now I put in my former occupation and former employer. When I pull a credit report, thats also whats listed as most recent employer and occupation.

I've also done "unemployed", "retired" and "investment advisor" sort of stuff.

For income I put in a good number like 75k for income. Since I can make my income "be" anything I want it to be...question then would be for how long, but thats not what the question was.

Apparently a decent credit number (ours is 800-and-something IIRC) and your testament to having a decent income is satisfactory.

I've never been rejected, even when giving "unemployed" as a job. Although I've found just listing the last employer/occupation to produce the least funny faces and unnecessary questions...

[mickeyd]

AT&T Universal Card? Wow, does that bring back bad memories.*

I took a PT telemarketing job about 12-14 years ago and called thousands of folks, coast-to-coast, and read them a script over and over, and over...many of them said "yes" and I always wondered...why they would want this AT&T Universal card?

Did not realize that they were still in business.

[dex]

I got a letter from at&t universal card saying that they will end their cash back card. They will only accept charges until 6/30/06. If you do not have $50. cash back due you then you get nothing.

[Texas Proud]

I am a charter memeber of the AT&T universal card... but I do not remember a 5% cash back or I would have been using it for awhile... when they sold to Citi I just kind of stopped using it since I was not getting anything...

I got the Chase Perfect card which is 3% back for gas... but then heard about the Citi Dividend card which sounds just like th AT&T card... 5% for gas, groceries and drugs... but I have not heard anything about them cancelling the card..

Maybe I am going to have to put some money in Immigrant Direct to get their 1.45% back... hmmm..

[kbst]

I just got notice that they canceled my ATT rewards card, I've had it since inception. Haven't used it for a few years. I guess that's why.
We've been using a Citi diamond preferred with 5 points per $1 for a year and already have over 50k points when my DW got a offer for a AE card with no fee for the first year and 50k points if you spend 2.5k before July 31st. So were using that one now. We'll get there somehow. I don't think we'll ever pay for another airline ticket.

KB Sharkstooth

[virginia]

I also have the universal card and have had it for probably 10-12 years. I also didn't know anything about the 5% cash back, and haven't received a letter.
Last year or the year before, they upped my apr dramatically for no seemingly logical reason.
Could it be that I was charging and paying off every month, and claiming a couple hundred dollars of rewards a year?
It's funny, because in years past, I'd sure given THEM plenty of money. I guess they're not the friends I thought they were
Just kidding. I have a capital one card, guess I'll just start using that one.

[Jeb-NY]

I have two AT&T Universal cards, one with the 5% and one without. So far they have only canceled the one with the 5%.

JEB

[maddythebeagle]

There was a discussion of this card on fat wallet.

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/mess...ord1=universal


Just convert it to a dividend select card with basically the same rewards. If citi wont cash out your rewards, go buy a gas gift card (get 5% back on those) to get you to 50 bucks.

[MJ]

No gas gift card needed, anyone with a couple of gas guzzlers, should be able to spend enough to reach the $50 cash rebate point. Of course, make sure that you don't spend a penny more.

[justin]

By the way, you can get multiple Citibank Dividend Rewards cards with the 5% back on gas groceries and drugstores. That way if you hit $300 on one card, you can switch to a different card to continue earning cash back.

[maddythebeagle]

Quote:

Of course, make sure that you don't spend a penny more.

probably most nickel scratchers frugal folks that frequent this board would land right on 50 bucks

[cute fuzzy bunny]

As mentioned, its just the 5% rewards cards getting the axe right now, but the rumor is that all of the at&t cards will be phased out by citi.

Holders of the original at&t universal card didnt get the 5% rewards card or even an offer...you had to see it and ask for it yourself. It came about when citi bought the at&t credit card business.

I guess since the regular universal card doesnt pay anything and usually has a stiff APR, they'll let you keep those a while

[mickeyd]

Since AT&T was bought out by SBC Communications, who subsequently changed the corporate name from SBC to AT&T, I'll bet that the new owners (old SBC-are you following this?) are the reason for the change.

Makes sense to me anyway....

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Could be...I was wondering the same thing...although citibank bought the credit card business from at&t many years ago and continued to operate it under the at&t name even while the old at&t still ran. Maybe there was some tie-in agreement on the long distance/calling card piece that at&t maintained with citibank that expired when SBC bought at&t, and that triggered the dumping.