Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU)

Already answered. See up thread.

I know you weren’t asking me, but here’s the breakdown of our charges on each card:

Wife’s: paypal for $2650, geico for $1389.90, grubhub for $81.20

Mine: paypal for $4308.62

The two paypal transactions were technically ebay purchases, but I paid via paypal. And! I got full 2x rewards for everything on each card. So based on that, and the whole “NET PURCHASES” fine print, I’m going to assume I just have to wait the 90+ days. I’ve never gotten a bonus with NFCU, so I have zero previous experience to go on as far as that goes. Rewards have posted as expected though.

Just to follow up, I now have my answer from NFCU on my large Flagship charge. They are applying (what I above referred to as) Singapore rules . . . without giving proper notice to cardholders. Frankly, they are doing this without offering ANY notice whatsoever.

I have not encountered this sort of thing prior. In the past, when there was a problem or a question, the CC issuer would attempt to put such a charge through as a cash advance. Failing that the charge would be denied.

But NFCU put the charge through as a purchase, then turned around and denied rewards credit for that purchase, all without any notice whatsoever. Thus I never had opportunity to say: “Well, if you’re denying my rewards then I do not want to go forward with the charge”.

NFCU Flagship was not my first time charging this identical purchase. I have received rewards on this same purchase from at least nine other CC issuers. Not nine charges. Nine separate and distinct CC issuers, all different CC companies. So you can understand better why I did not see coming what NFCU Flagship did to me.

This will not happen a second time.

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Hello, Argyll

NFCU claims my purchase amounts to a cash equivalent. They base this solely on the MCC.

I want to reiterate that in the instance of NINE other, distinct, credit cards, the exact same charge earned rewards with no pushback, no problems at all, and no assertion of it being a cash equivalent.

If you read carefully my Singapore thread, especially the OP there, you will have a better handle on what happened to me. If you look at the MCC list mentioned there for Singapore, you will have some clue as to the rules I think NFCU is applying . . . . without saying so.

If they said it’s a cash equivalent, it’s in the terms and conditions that rewards may not apply.

It all comes down to how broadly the various CC companies DEFINE cash equivalent. When the vast majority are going in one direction, and NFCU is going in a different direction, then I believe NFCU is the odd man out.

The Singapore rules point to the direction NFCU has taken. They are VERY inclusive of all sorts of “quasi cash” transactions. But until I ran into NFCU I had not encountered those rules being applied by any other USA CC issuer . . . . not even the most strict or notorious.

It is interesting to me that a credit union, of all places, appears to be this strict with members. Credit unions are supposed to be member friendly. NFCU is NOT member friendly. At least to me, the Flagship card is worse than worthless. That large charge they accepted and then denied rewards I could have made with any number of other cards and gotten rewards easily. I am finished with NFCU. This is America. I do not play by Singapore rules.

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As you’re engaging in some sort of MS arbitrage that is so questionable you need to keep it secret, instead of high dudgeon why not be happy you’re getting away with it at a lot of other places?

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Whatever. If it’s not a problem at SO many other places, why is it a problem at NFCU? Moreover:

If what I’m doing IS a problem (it’s not, but ignore that), NFCU should simply have denied the charge. Period. I have run prior into denials. I have run prior into CC companies attempting to treat purchase charges as cash advances. Both are OK in my view.

What is not OK is to promise your cardholder a 2% reward for purchases you are willing to accept and then turn around and deny the reward while pocketing the profit from the charge. NFCU made money when they cheated me. It will not be happening again. Period. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

You seem to be again confusing charges and rewards, There is nothing wrong with making cash equivalent purchases. You are allowed to charge them. The only restriction is that they don’t give rewards for them. No one promised to give you rewards for anything deemed cash equivalent. In fact, the opposite: they said probably not. No one “cheated” you.

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Nobody except NFCU Flagship considers my purchases to be cash equivalents.

NFCU cheated me out of my reward and kept it for themselves.

NFCU Flagship: Bunch of skunks!

At least we’ve moved on from having no warning. As Argyll said, they are clear in their T&Cs about denying rewards for cash equivalent transactions. Whether NFCU is reasonable in making that determination is something we others cannot opine about since we don’t have details about what you are doing. However, you have made it sound as if you are creating a transaction for the sole purpose of generating cash rewards, and not for exchanging for merchandise or to pay an obligation owed.

Don’t forget you are one of the co-owners.

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Not for much longer :anger:

Have you tried making biweekly payments? We know from past experience how uptight NFCU is. Why you would try whatever it is that you’ve been doing with them is just asking for it.

Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.

Honestly: you’re butthurt because your gaming the system didn’t work in your favor. You’re too used to getting rewards, given your nine other transactions were successful. @Argyll called you out on it and you still won’t state what you’re purchasing. Not even a category of goods. It’s funny that you cited your age above, because you’re acting more like your shoe size.

To add: I mean no personal offense, but someone had to be straightforward with you because you clearly won’t accept the outcome here and feel as though you’re entitled to rewards. We all know, or should know, that what we do has an associated risk. Some toe the line closer than others, but there’s still a risk factor involved. The risk is not getting rewards or being shut down. I’d be happy that I didn’t get the rewards and not get booted from NFCU.

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Kidding. Right?

Would hate to see a post from you where you actually DID mean personal offense.

Of course I disagree with everything you wrote. But I’m not going to offend you as I tell you that. I simply disagree . . . strenuously.

You can disagree all you want. Doesn’t mean you’re right.

Kindly be aware of the reciprocity contained within your observation. But you’re right about one thing:

I do disagree . . . and with absolute assuredness I am justified in my appraisal of the situation.

In fact, I’ll go a step further:

I hold my view with metaphysical certitude. :wink:

Using big words doesn’t make you more right or wrong, nor does it make you sound smarter. Reality and your opinion are different things. NFCU thinks you’re trying to play them. You have given no evidence to refute their belief. You won’t even give us evidence. What else are we supposed to say?

Good luck.

:confused:

Big words? What big words?

Take it to PMs!

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