AGR Credit Card change (October 2022)

[soletsky]

I had similar problems, and I was a bit mad.
(1) BofA would message me about questionable charges and I could clear up the matter with a few keystrokes on my phone. I only found out FNBO flagged my card when charges etc. were rejected.
(2) I called yesterday to get the blockage removed and was assured it was. Then an auto-charge (for a subscription I'd really rather not lose) failed in the night. I had to call again this morning, and they assured me the matter is cleared now. We will see.

To both operators, I pointed out that, with the card changeover, hundreds of people are trying to update various websites with their new payment information and it would behoove their fraud dep't to override or rein in the algorithm if it was kicking out a bunch of verifications or validations in a row as suspicious.

Sorry you had these problems with FNBO fraud prevention program; I'm in the same boat but even worse. I can't get into my new online account b/c I'm not "verified" and I'm not "verified" b/c FNBO won't accept my Google Voice number to send a code and says my cellphone number is "not associated" with my SSN so can't use that either. Only way I can get verified now is to fax notarized ID to the bank or visit my own bank and have them verify me by phone. Both involve in-person contact and I am still recovering from Covid so can't do that. Told all this to FNBO to no avail.
Can't do anything online although they tell me they will accept my money. Meanwhile it all started because the two-factor authentication didn't work, and, you guessed it, they wouldn't let me talk to IT about this because I'm not "verified."
I hope I can test negative soon enough to deal with the next payment. Strangely, I did have access to the online account when I set it up on Sunday -- no verification required -- but when the two-factor authentication failed the next day I ended up locked out of everything.

 

[John Bredin]

Sorry you had these problems with FNBO fraud prevention program; I'm in the same boat but even worse. I can't get into my new online account b/c I'm not "verified" and I'm not "verified" b/c FNBO won't accept my Google Voice number to send a code and says my cellphone number is "not associated" with my SSN so can't use that either. Only way I can get verified now is to fax notarized ID to the bank or visit my own bank and have them verify me by phone. Both involve in-person contact and I am still recovering from Covid so can't do that. Told all this to FNBO to no avail.
Can't do anything online although they tell me they will accept my money. Meanwhile it all started because the two-factor authentication didn't work, and, you guessed it, they wouldn't let me talk to IT about this because I'm not "verified."
I hope I can test negative soon enough to deal with the next payment. Strangely, I did have access to the online account when I set it up on Sunday -- no verification required -- but when the two-factor authentication failed the next day I ended up locked out of everything.

Yes, your issues are much worse than mine (which seem to have been fixed, knock on wood)! My sympathies!

 

[zetharion]

Applied and got approved but no email just yet. Not sure if it actually went through or not.

I got the confirmation three hours later.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I got the confirmation three hours later.

About the same delay between approval and confirmation here.

 

[Danib62]

I just added the card to ApplePay and the image now says Amtrak Guest Reward and has an image of an ALC-42.

My card updated in apple wallet and Fitbit Pay and now has the new image. Very snazzy.

 

[jis]

Where did you read this? I am not aware of this or even think this is possible.

I suppose now it is obvious that the balance transfer was part of the plan as it was executed, and it is indeed quite possible (and really quite easily done)

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Well, one thing I don't like is that the current transactions page does not show a running total in a column to the right like BoA's did. This was handy for me as I update my register each week....to know where I left off and to verify I'm not making typos. Ah, well, can't please everyone.

 

[MARC Rider]

I suppose now it is obvious that the balance transfer was part of the plan as it was executed, and it is indeed quite possible (and really quite easily done)

Seems to have worked like a charm for me. I wasn't able to pay my last statement balance (with a due date of Nov. 15) before they cut off my BOA account, but the balance got transferred over without a hitch, including the same due date, Nov. 15. Also, the higher credit limit that BOA recently gave me was transferred over, too. The lower credit limit that came with the card much have just been a placeholder waiting for whatever BOA sent over.

 

[Aegis]

All transitioned well, I also liked the running total on purchases that the BofA showed. The app and mobile app work well.

 

[jis]

Well, one thing I don't like is that the current transactions page does not show a running total in a column to the right like BoA's did. This was handy for me as I update my register each week....to know where I left off and to verify I'm not making typos. Ah, well, can't please everyone.

Did you check their old website which is easy to pop over to. They are in the process of transitioning and not everything has quitemoved over to the new UX yet.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Did you check their old website which is easy to pop over to. They are in the process of transitioning and not everything has quitemoved over to the new UX yet.

Yes, I did. It doesn’t have the running total column either.

 

[Railfan1983]

Will my AGR points stay with BOA or transfer to new CC bank?

Your point are with Amtrak Guest Rewards not the bank.

 

[Railfan1983]

Well, one thing I don't like is that the current transactions page does not show a running total in a column to the right like BoA's did. This was handy for me as I update my register each week....to know where I left off and to verify I'm not making typos. Ah, well, can't please everyone.

They also don’t allow transaction downloads (eg: Quicken) of posted/cleared transactions until the end of the statement cycle. So now it appears I will have to manually clear my transactions after they post.

 

[Barb Stout]

When I activated the card, I was asked for my social security number. I have never had to give my social security number when activating a card before. Was anyone/everyone else asked that also? And then the first time I tried to use my card yesterday (a few days later after activation), it was rejected. I had also set up an on-line account with FNBO the same day I activated it. I have not yet investigated as to why the card was rejected.

 

[Bob Dylan]

When I activated the card, I was asked for my social security number. I have never had to give my social security number when activating a card before. Was anyone/everyone else asked that also? And then the first time I tried to use my card yesterday (a few days later after activation), it was rejected. I had also set up an on-line account with FNBO the same day I activated it. I have not yet investigated as to why the card was rejected.

I was only asked for the Last 4 Digits of my SSN, which seems to be a common Security precaution for online transactions.

 

[jis]

I was only asked for the Last 4 Digits of my SSN, which seems to be a common Security precaution for online transactions.

Likewise. IIRC I was asked for the whole SSN for setting up the web account with the bank for the card.

 

[MarkInAustin]

My October 20 payment of the entire balance of the BoA card did not show up on my FNBO online statement on October 23,24,or 25. I called FNBO and was very kindly treated by a female who was obviously with the bank and not at a call center, had data at hand, was knowledgeable, and was a relative joy to deal with. She asked me to wait one day but to call her back and ask for her by name if the payment had not cleared by evening.

The payment cleared yesterday morning. All's well that ends well.

Or begins well, in this case.

 

[oregon pioneer]

My payment made last week also did not clear before the changeover. When I set up the FNBO online access, I set up an alert so I would know any time a payment has not cleared by 5 days before the bill is due. I checked yesterday, and payment had cleared, so all is good.

 

[City of Miami]

I attempted to set up ACH direct transfer from my online bank and they could not verify my acct# with FNBO. Online bill pay is the only method I've used for years and I will not give them my bank acct # with approval to withdraw. Ever. If all else fails my bank would mail them checks.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Online bill pay is the only method I've used for years and I will not give them my bank acct # with approval to withdraw. Ever. .

Same here, but I will wait till I have the first bill in my hand to set it up, and then use the payment address exactly as shown (banks usually have a custom PO box for payments). Hoping it works by then...

 

[PaulM]

Did anyone notice that when you set up an FNBO credit card as a payee on a third party on-line bill pay system, the payment will be sent via snail mail. Most large company payees, such as BoA credit cards, get sent electronically. Snail mail is reserved for mothers-in-law and such.

 

[zephyr17]

Okay, I am fully up and running on FNBO.

The payment I made to BofA on Friday 10/21 was posted by FNBO on 10/24. I made the payment as a cash transfer between accounts since I bank at BofA, which may have helped get it fully posted quickly, since the cash was already credited to the credit card account when it moved. In retrospect I probably should have waited until the account was fully at FNBO when I made it that late. Since it paid off my credit card balance, as usual, it was a pretty hefty payment and I was concerned about it, but it posted and everything is good.

I was only asked the last 4 of my SSN to confirm the account for online access.

Statement cycle date is the same.

Just called them to set up a travel alert (they don't really do them anymore, but the representative made a note on the account). I have to say I really like their customer service reps. The person I talked to was the epitome of "midwest nice" and a whole lot less "mechanical" than the ones at BofA.

All in all, I have to say I think I am going to like FNBO.

 

[TheVig]

Did anyone notice that when you set up an FNBO credit card as a payee on a third party on-line bill pay system, the payment will be sent via snail mail. Most large company payees, such as BoA credit cards, get sent electronically. Snail mail is reserved for mothers-in-law and such.

I have checking accounts with BofA and Wells Fargo. I set it up with both. And both banks are snail mailing checks to FNBO. At least to the PO box FNBO wants payments sent to.

 

[user 13416]

Did anyone notice that when you set up an FNBO credit card as a payee on a third party on-line bill pay system, the payment will be sent via snail mail. Most large company payees, such as BoA credit cards, get sent electronically. Snail mail is reserved for mothers-in-law and such.

A lot of times the service my credit union uses for online bill pay sets a new payee up initially as a paper check, because the computer can't immediately verify the account. But within a day or so it has been verified (either automatically or by a human) and switched to ACH. It's less common if the payee is an actual bank (as opposed to a utility or city services) but I have seen it happen. It may be that FBNO's systems are bogged down by the sudden influx of accounts and the bill pay service didn't get an immediate response so defaulted to paper checks.

 

[zephyr17]

I guess I am a contrarian. I don't use my bank's bill pay except for my local water district which charges for electronic payment through them. I pay on the creditors' sites as "pulls", not bill pay "pushes". That does two things, it takes a day or two extra for them to do the ACH transfer even though my account is credited immediately, so the money stays in my account that much longer, and I have a receipt from the creditor that they received an on time payment.

Even though the money staying in my account a bit longer really does nothing for me, I just prefer to deny institutions "free" use of my money.