Discover it offered me a pilot program-$39 balance credit each time I make my next 6 payments

[Expansion]

Just wanted to share in case it's helpful to others!

I called Discover It to be super proactive about some current temporary financial hardship and just explore absolutely every available option to avoid going over my credit limit and/or being late.

They connected me to a totally amazing customer service rep.

He offered to enroll me in a special program where for the next 6 months, when I make my monthly minimum payments, Discover will automatically credit $39 towards my balance.  So, they're paying me to pay my bills I'm paying anyway.

He also offered to enroll me in auto pay and get a $40 credit for the first payment while I'm enrolled in auto pay.  I told him I like to pay early so I know the money is in the right place, and he said I can STILL pay early and get the $40 credit.  Once the monthly minimum is paid, then they don't run the auto pay, since it's already paid.

He said it was a brand-new program - I think I qualified from all my payments with them, since I opened my card in 2015, being on time and not going over the limit.

I felt like this was a total miracle and just wanted to share it with the community so it might be helpful to someone else.

[Anonymous]

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@Expansion wrote:

Just wanted to share in case it's helpful to others!

I called Discover It to be super proactive about some current temporary financial hardship and just explore absolutely every available option to avoid going over my credit limit and/or being late.

They connected me to a totally amazing customer service rep.

He offered to enroll me in a special program where for the next 6 months, when I make my monthly minimum payments, Discover will automatically credit $39 towards my balance.  So, they're paying me to pay my bills I'm paying anyway.

He also offered to enroll me in auto pay and get a $40 credit for the first payment while I'm enrolled in auto pay.  I told him I like to pay early so I know the money is in the right place, and he said I can STILL pay early and get the $40 credit.  Once the monthly minimum is paid, then they don't run the auto pay, since it's already paid.

He said it was a brand-new program - I think I qualified from all my payments with them, since I opened my card in 2015, being on time and not going over the limit.

I felt like this was a total miracle and just wanted to share it with the community so it might be helpful to someone else.

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Interesting. I'm hoping to hear more about this from other members. It would be good to know if we (Discover Card holders) all have this new safety as an option should times become rough.

[Expansion]

s1nful0ne, yes, it would be awesome if it's available to everyone.  I think he said I was specially selected based on my payment history and good standing.  I didn't even know something like this existed, and wanted to share with others!

Also... in the process of making similar calls with other credit cards... you never know what they might be able to do to help.  

So I always throw something in like, "Or any other creative way we can find to keep me in good standing...or any other way you know about that I might not be aware of," just to really open up every possibility for a solution.

[joltdude]

Sync will do something but unfortunately you have to be late before they do it...

Creditaddict was explaining it to a member on here awhile back.....

[Anonymous]

Wow, they just keep on keeping on; thanks for this very helpful information Expansion. I hope I'm never in need of this service, but am glad to see it's been a good move for you, and that it is in fact a service to those of us in good standing.

[Anonymous]

This totally makes me wanna BT just under my CL to Discover to test this out.

Of course, I'd probably get slapped by my other issuers for 99% individual utilization.. 😅

[Anonymous]

Discover is truly amazing! That is really a goodwill effort in trying to help its customers. I love this company. When I lost my job and started to go down hill, I couldn't get my 3 or 4 cc companies to budge on helping me. I didn't have Discover at the time. 

[Anonymous]

Wow! This sounds amazing at first glance. If they roll this out to the majority it would be a great ace in the pocket should times get rough.

[cem13]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Discover is truly amazing! That is really a goodwill effort in trying to help its customers. I love this company. When I lost my job and started to go down hill, I couldn't get my 3 or 4 cc companies to budge on helping me. I didn't have Discover at the time. 

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Its funny how times change.  I had a few CCs that were several months late.  I lost my job but I was taking money from my 401k to live on so I could make some small payment.  Every creditor, except Discover, set me up with a payment plan that I could live with.

Disco even took me to court.  I called their Attorney and told them "if you cannot agree to drop the lawsuit and put me on a plan, I will file BK7 and you will get nothing". He laughed at me and said, "go ahead.  I don't care what you do".

Disco won the court case and was able to freeze my bank account.  So I had to file BK7 to get my accounts unfrozen.  The other creditors were pissed because I agreed with them.  I called Chase back and apologized.  I had my Chase card since I was in high school and my whopping $50 CL.  (I was a stud, I know).

After the BK7 was DC'd, I called the Attorney back and laughed at him.  I called him every day for a month (I was bored and angry).  I would ask him if he treated everyone like he treated me.  He said "its not personal, its business".

BK7 was the best thing I ever did so in hind-sight; they did me a favor.  Disco is an awful bank and I will NEVER go back to them.  I am sure the feeling is mutual.  

[Expansion]

To all fellow ficoforumers!

While I was offered this in response to me being super high to my limits -

my sense is it could be available in a variety of different hardship situations.

So you could call and ask about it BEFORE getting close to your limits