One of the perks of using a credit card is the rewards, with many offering cash back based on what you spend.
Redeeming the rewards should be easy, but it wasn’t for Peter Budge. He finally called Boston 25 News for help, the cashing in on the $126 he earned through Santander Bank’s Ultimate Cash Back credit card.
“I’ve been trying for five months,” Budge told Boston 25’s Cayle Thompson. “Many phone calls to their helpline, four trips to the that branch where I sat there with my device, their device, their machines, trying to log into my account.”
Budge could see he had earned $126 in cash back rewards, but he couldn’t access the rewards website to facilitate a transfer to his bank account. He demonstrated the trouble on a laptop and a tablet in his home.
“It’s very frustrating,” Budge said.
Fed up and feeling as though customer service wasn’t helping, Budge filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It got Santander’s attention.
“The next day I got a call from the Santander corporate office,” Budge said. “A very nice woman came on and promised she was going to help me. She was going to resolve this. She said I’m absolutely in agreement with you, we’ve had other complaints like this.”
Budge missed her next call and says that was when he called back; all he got was an answering machine. When he didn’t hear back, he called Boston 25 News.
“It can be confusing for consumers, that’s definitely a pain point,” says Bankrate’s Ted Rossman, who specializes in credit cards and their rewards programs. He estimates his family earns up to $6,000 a year in cash back rewards.
Most problems with reward redemption are tied to user error, Rossman says, such as forgotten passwords, usernames, or incorrect account numbers. These should be easy for customer service representatives to resolve.
But Rossman says there are reasons to escalate.
“If they’re not being clear, if they’re not giving you what you were promised, then maybe it’s time to ask for outside help.”
After Budge called Boston 25, reporter Cayle Thompson contacted Santander Bank. Within 24 hours, the bank responded to Budge with an enthusiastic email.
“Hooray! Your redemption is confirmed,” the email read, confirming the $126.82 owed to Budge.
A few days later, Budge says the money was posted to his account.
A spokesperson for Santander Bank declined to speak about Budge’s complaint, citing customer privacy, but said the bank periodically reviews customer service processes and recently identified adjustments in how the bank responds to customer questions about rewards. The spokesperson said the bank is working toward implementing those adjustments, adding that pop-up blockers on customer computers may also impact their online experience.
Budge says he’s unaware of any pop-up blockers on his devices and that Santander customer service never mentioned it to him.
Bankrate’s Rossman says if you’re having trouble redeeming your credit card rewards, don’t cancel it out of frustration. Not only can it hurt your credit score, but you’ll likely lose the rewards you’ve earned and be unable to claim them.
It’s also important not to take your frustrations out on customer service representatives trying to help. But if customer service turns out to be a dead end, Rossman says, consider filing a complaint to the state’s Division of Banks or Attorney General. You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, just like Budge did. However, recent federal budget cuts may significantly impact the agency’s response.
Budge says the benefit of Santander’s card hasn’t been worth the frustration it’s caused him. But he says there’s a lesson in his experience.
“If you get one of these reward cards from anybody, test it before you build a big balance,” he said. “Make sure you can actually get what was promised.”
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