Anyone else get a letter from Discover/Capital One about your Discover card?

[crystal626]

Got a snail mail letter of updated account terms as my Discover Miles is moving to Capital One. They're honoring the 0% APR promo I got when I signed up, honoring my first year cash back match, dropped my minimum payment from $35/1% to $25/1%, changing cycle dates (they say my cycle will close up to three days earlier), and they hiked my APR. How much? I'm not sure as I don't track it as it doesn't matter to me but they're taking it to 26.99% V ongoing once my promo ends and the highest APR a new customer applying today would get is 26.74% V according to the Discover website. 🙃

Needless to say I'll be closing this card once I get my cash back match. My other Discover is my oldest card now so I'll probably leave that alone but I see from another post they're not offering 0% promos on purchases when you ask anymore so it will just get a $5 charge every now and then to keep it alive. I'm sure Capital One will slash the credit limit on that one eventually too. Really not a fan of Capital One these days...

[Total_Synergy]

Hi @crystal626, I haven't received your exact letter (yet) but I did get an email on 11/20:

"Important Notice: Cancellation of Your Enrollment in Online Privacy Protection from Discover

We are reaching out about your enrollment in an optional free product, Online Privacy Protection from Discover, which scans certain people-search websites for personal information. After careful consideration, we have decided to discontinue this product for all of our customers."

Sounds like the Capital One bean-counters and their culture are starting to tear into their new-found Discover carcass and strip it for profit.  Just as we suspected they would... 

[TrapLine]

@crystal626 

Not good news! However, having had Capital One accounts both personal and business in the past (eight to be exact), I am not surprised. We are now seeing the impact of the merger acquistion.

Like many, I do anticipate to close my old long time friend Discover if it takes on all the feels of a Capital One account. I closed all my Capital One accounts in 2008 because as they absorbed them through merger, they changed the terms and conditions and I got stuck with higher interest rates. Noticed you even caught a slightly higher Apr. Yeah ... I get it.

Bottom line for me, I can only really use a very few accounts and culling the herd further will affect me NOT. Do have my favorites. In fact, Chase may be on my chopping block. Like many around the Forum, I have acquired cards that really fit my spending pattern today. The rest may get kicked to the curb.

[crystal626]

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@TrapLine wrote:

@crystal626 

Not good news! However, having had Capital One accounts both personal and business in the past (eight to be exact), I am not surprised. We are now seeing the impact of the merger acquistion.

Like many, I do anticipate to close my old long time friend Discover if it takes on all the feels of a Capital One account. I closed all my Capital One accounts in 2008 because as they absorbed them through merger they change the terms and conditions and I got stuck with high interest rates. Noticed you even caught a slightly higher Apr. Yeah ... I get it.

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Thinking back to the approval, I'm pretty sure it was 23.99%. Seeing how we have had one or two Prime Rate reductions since then, this would be a pretty decent increase. 

Funny thing is, my Savor with Capital One is 23.99% right now.

Like I said, the APR hike doesn't bother me as I won't carry a balance on this card without a promo APR anyway, but it definitely didn't leave a good taste in my mouth to see them doing it regardless.

[pinkandgrey]

Sorry to hear that! For me personally, Discover and Capital One both have been nothing but good to me, so the Cap1 takeover hasn't bothered me much. I don't recall getting any letter about changes though. 

[Total_Synergy]

I agree with @pinkandgrey and @crystal626 that these 'secondary changes' probably won't affect my use of (or holding on to) the Discover card per se, as long as the primary earnings/rewards remain un-nerfed, they are in keeping with the Capital One takeover and alignment that @TrapLine discussed.  Other threads are already reporting other policy changes to align within Capital One.

My real curiosity is what if anything Capital One will (or can) do in regards to Diners Club for US cardholders, as this might involve negotiations with BMO based on the terms of their acquisition years ago - and whenever those terms expire (I am not sure those terms were ever disclosed publicly so it's mostly speculation).  Canadian BMO let Diners Club USA wither on the vine; maybe Capital One will wish to do something. 

Also, in certain parts of the world, with non-credit card merchants that do accept Discover as a 'debit' card via JCB /Japan, UnionPay/China, RuPay/India and for actual access to 'Member's (cardholders) Diners Clubs' (e.g. exclusive good restaurants) in several South American countries and others where their National Diners Club is strong, the Discover and Diners Club cards (with no FT fee - which equals an automatic ~3% CB before earning rewards) can hold great value - which I find very interesting as these 2 card networks hold much less importance here in the USA...

[Mervin]

I heard this was happening. To be expected. Why is the regular APR such a sticking point for you though? It’s going to be high no matter what card you have.

[crystal626]

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@Mervin wrote:

I heard this was happening. To be expected. Why is the regular APR such a sticking point for you though? It’s going to be high no matter what card you have.

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I mean it's annoying that they're hiking it regardless of whether it affects me or not.

Also, my Navy Federal Platinum is back to 9.99% after the most recent prime rate cut, which I consider to be far more reasonable. Even my CashRewards is at 13.65%, which is insanely good for a 2% rewards card. I will say that Navy Federal actually seems to be giving existing card holders lower rates than new ones though. My Platinum is .75% lower than the lowest a new customer would get and my CashRewards is 1% lower.

 

Also keep in mind that Capital One doesn't allow you to call and ask for an APR reduction so this card is going to be permanently high. Curious to see what they do to my older Discover that's at 18.74%.

[TrapLine]

@crystal626 

Ha, my Discover Card  is at 14.74% Apr. Lot's of love 

[crystal626]

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@TrapLine wrote:

@crystal626 

Ha, my Discover Card  is at 14.74% Apr. Lot'sof love 

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Wow, you got a whole 3% less than they'll give a new customer lol