Consumer complaint received 2023-09-16
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MD
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Sub-issue: Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card

Complaint:
I have a PayPal credit card that is only used for large purchases that qualify for their 0 % financing for 6 months offer. Their website makes payments clear and concise, and offers the payment amount required to prevent interest from being accrued. At the bottom is a note that states " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest ''. I always paid more than that amount, until I noticed that I was being accrued interest even when paying over the minimum amount required to prevent standard and deferred interest. 

I have spoken with PayPal several times, and was told that if I didn't want interest to accrue, I needed to pay the requested amount and then call them to let them know I don't want interest on my account. Nowhere in their terms and conditions, or on their website, or in any documents I have received is this required. Their website directly indicates that if I make a payment equal or greater to the " Amount to avoid standard and deferred interest '' I will have no interest accrued. On their website with the payment options, it lists four options : Minimum payment due, last statement balance, current balance, and other amount. As long as I choose one of these options for an amount that is greater or equal to " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '', I should have no interest applied.

I noticed that not only was I charged interest despite paying an amount equal to or greater than the " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '', the previous month 's amount was added to the next month 's amount beginning in XX/XX/XXXX. 

For example, on my XX/XX/XXXX statement, the " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' was XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX ; I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I was unable to load that statement and requested Paypal to send them to me, but they have not as of today 's date. No interest was charged. 

XXXX statement : The amount to " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX ; I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX was unable to load that statement and requested Paypal to send them to me, but they have not as of today 's date. No interest was charged. 

XXXX statement : The amount to " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX, and I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. No interest was charged. 

XXXX statement : The amount to " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX ; I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Interest was charged despite payment. 

XXXX statement : The amount to " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX. It should have been XXXX, which is the total of the ending special financing purchases as listed on the statement. However, they added the previous month 's XXXX AND XXXX together and created this as the new " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' of XXXX. I saw this issue and paid XXXX because I was concerned that the amount had been miscalculated and didn't want to pay extra if it was not being applied properly. This is when interest and bloated, incorrect " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' began being required. I attempted to resolve this with paypal, with no resolve. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX. PayPal included the " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' for XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. I paid XXXX and again attempted to resolve with PayPal and told them I would pay the amount of expiring offers if they could apply them properly. The total amount of offers expiring in XXXX was actually XXXX according to my statement. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX. I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and again attempted to resolve this matter. The total amount of expiring special financing purchases was only XXXX. Again, they added the totals from XXXX when this issue first began, plus XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX expiring offers. 

XXXX Statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' by XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX. However, the expiring special finances purchases totaled XXXX. I was told the interest was my fault because I should have made separate payments for each of the expiring offers so Paypal would know I wanted my payments to be applied to the expiring offers. As screenshotted, PayPal states that payments will always be applied to the offers expiring first unless contacting paypal, so the XXXX statement that started the interest issue to begin with should never have happened. Regardless, I made three separate payments on XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX in the amount of the XXXX expiring offers. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX. Despite the previous month 's explicit payments, all expiring offers from XXXX through XXXX were added to XX/XX/XXXX 's " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' due date as well as all of the deferred interest from the past month 's paid-off offers. My balance went up by XXXX because the deferred interest from the ending promotional balances was added despite explicitly paying it off. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX. There are no special financing offers ending this month, so I paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX because I was not able to avoid interest regardless of how much I paid or spoke with paypal. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX. Paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. No special financing offers were ending this month. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX. Special financing due by XX/XX/XXXX is XXXX. XXXX paid XXXX and an additional XXXX, which is the minimum amount due. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX. No promotional rates ending. Paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX which is the minimum amount due. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX. No special offers ending. Paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX. Paid XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Special financing ending : none. 

XXXX statement : The " Amount to avoid Standard and Deferred Interest '' is XXXX. XXXX is scheduled to be paid on XX/XX/XXXX. Special financing purchases ending : none.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation