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Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info

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Kforce
Valued Contributor

Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info

Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard)
3% cash-back for (Gas, Grocery, Restaurant, and Fast-Food)

I recently got this card and wanted to share a few things
that might be considered negative, or at least something an
applicant should know. I do not have any other banking
relationship with BotW except this CC.

1) If you are married, and reside in one of the following
community property states:
AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, or WI
You must select the "joint" application type and
include your spouse's information even if you are
applying for individual credit. The on-line application
will "HP" both you and your spouses credit report. If you
want to only pull your credit, you need to "APPLY by PHONE".

2) No online statements, they send paper.

3) You need to push payments from your bank or CU with
your bill-pay service, or send a check. They do not have
the normal account linking to pull your funds.

 

 

Message 1 of 7
6 REPLIES 6
celluloid17
Established Contributor

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info

I just got this card at the end of December.  I've been using it as my primary dining card since and will use it for groceries and gas starting next month (when my Sallie Mae card goes extinct or when my Freedom card is not offering one of those categories at 5% back).  One thing that concerns me is that there is no way to monitor your reward progress regularly (although they do reflect on the monthly statements) and since it doesn't pay out rewards until the beginning of the next quarter, you have to add up all of your transactions and multiply them by 3% (assuming that you're using it only for the 3% categories like myself) to ascertain what your rewards are going to be and make sure there are no errors.  Also, I had used the card for a few purchases in the last week of December 2016 and they posted before January 1, but I was never paid out for those.  Granted, the rewards only totaled about .79cents, but it states in their Rewards Program Rules: "You will not receive a statement credit if your Cash Back Rewards is less than $0.01 at the time of the payout."  I'm going to have to wait until after April 1 to see exactly how the cash back pay out/credit works.

 

The paper statements is kind of "old school" and not environmentally friendly.  I would think it would be more cost effective for them to eliminate paper statements.  As far as making payments, I personally don't mind having to do push payments through my own bank as that's how I pay all of my credit cards.  

 

All in all, I enjoy using this card and if the rewards pay out accurately according to schedule, I will be glad that I app'd for it, but it's definitely not as slick and streamlined as the credit offerings from larger national banks and it shows.  

 

ETA:  One thing I find weird is that you cannot even view your statements online!  

Message 2 of 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info

Thanks for the information. Did not know a bank of this size would be so out of the modern stream. Was considering the card but to old school for me.
Message 3 of 7
JSS3
Valued Contributor

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info

I live in PA. It's not open to us.
Message 4 of 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info


@Kforcewrote:

Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard)
3% cash-back for (Gas, Grocery, Restaurant, and Fast-Food)

I recently got this card and wanted to share a few things
that might be considered negative, or at least something an
applicant should know. I do not have any other banking
relationship with BotW except this CC.

1) If you are married, and reside in one of the following
community property states:
AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, or WI
You must select the "joint" application type and
include your spouse's information even if you are
applying for individual credit. The on-line application
will "HP" both you and your spouses credit report. If you
want to only pull your credit, you need to "APPLY by PHONE".

2) No online statements, they send paper.

3) You need to push payments from your bank or CU with
your bill-pay service, or send a check. They do not have
the normal account linking to pull your funds.

 

 


Hi all.  I have had the BotW Cash Back card for almost 8 months now and the old school theming annoys me to no end.  It creeps me out that I can’t log in to see my soon to be statement and cash back values.  Plus, the bank always includes a cash advance entry.  Mine always lists $0.00 but WTH?

 

On a side note:  out of the blue, mine was “upgraded” to the World Cash Back MasterCard, but I was left with the same CL.  No increase....  again, WTH???

Message 5 of 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info


@Kforce wrote:

Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard)
3% cash-back for (Gas, Grocery, Restaurant, and Fast-Food)

I recently got this card and wanted to share a few things
that might be considered negative, or at least something an
applicant should know. I do not have any other banking
relationship with BotW except this CC.

1) If you are married, and reside in one of the following
community property states:
AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, or WI
You must select the "joint" application type and
include your spouse's information even if you are
applying for individual credit. The on-line application
will "HP" both you and your spouses credit report. If you
want to only pull your credit, you need to "APPLY by PHONE".

2) No online statements, they send paper.

3) You need to push payments from your bank or CU with
your bill-pay service, or send a check. They do not have
the normal account linking to pull your funds.

 

 


As far as having to file jointly in community property states, isn’t that true for all credit cards? And since it’s a joint account, don’t all credit cards (or loans) pull for all responsible parties? In other words, is this part of the process any different that other cards issued in community property states?

 

Message 6 of 7
Kforce
Valued Contributor

Re: Bank of the West (Cash Back MasterCard) / Info


@Anonymous wrote:
Is this part of the process any different that other cards issued in community property states?

Yes: For BW, If you live in a community property state, you can "ONLY" apply online for a "joint account".  Most issuers default the other way as "you" applying for credit  (No need for a joint account) unless you specifically want a joint account. The web page forces a joint account. If you do not want a joint account you must apply by phone and not use the web page application.

 

* Note this info is a couple years old and BW has made many improvements.

Improvements:  " https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Bank-of-the-West-online-improvements/m-p/5284989#M1564380

 

I do not know if this joint/regular application issue has been changed or not. I fount it backwards from all other cards I have applied for.

 

 

 

Message 7 of 7
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