Consumer complaint received 2018-06-25
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
I made a purchase with XXXX XXXX on Sunday, XX/XX/2018 using my USBank Altitude Reserve card in the amount of {$1300.00} and planned to use my rewards points for the purchase. This particular card has a program called RealTime Rewards which allows you to receive a text message after you make a purchase ( immediately after the card is authorized ) and then redeem points for the purchase as long as it falls within the categories selected. One of the categories that the card offers redemptions for is " Airline '' and when you click on the " examples of participating merchants '' it lists " XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX '' as participating merchants which as you can see includes XXXXXXXX XXXX. However, I never received a text message to redeem my points as I was expecting. 

On Monday, XX/XX/2018 at approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX EDT, I reached out to USBank to find out why I hadn't received a text message to redeem my points and how the could make me whole since I specifically made the purchase on this card instead of another card so I could redeem my points. I spoke with XXXX who looked into the matter and informed me that the purchase did not count because XXXX XXXX billed me in XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX   and only US dollar transactions qualified for the program. However, this greatly confused me as the ticket I purchased was for an itinerary departing XXXX, PA and returning to XXXX, PA and the XXXX XXXX confirmation listed the purchase amount in US dollars. Since XXXXXXXX XXXX flies no domestic itineraries and only international itineraries I was very confused by this since if any itinerary would count towards real-time rewards it should have been this transaction which originates in the United States, and the purchase price was in US dollars. 

However, XXXX informed me that this was not the case and that XXXX XXXX uses several different merchant codes and sometimes does send transactions in US dollars although they could not tell me when this happens or why my particular purchase which has a confirmation in US dollars and for which the pending transaction is shown in US dollars in the exact same amount was supposedly billed in XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX told me that there was nothing she could do for me at this point and couldn't provide me with any information on what XXXX XXXX flight purchases do count for Real Time Rewards. 

As such, I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was connected with XXXX located in Idaho at extension XXXX who informed me that the purchase was made in XXXX XXXX XXXX and that there was nothing she could do. When I explained to her that if any itinerary should be billed in US dollars it is one which originates in the United States and where the receipt shows in US dollars she told me that it wasn't USBank 's problem and that I would have to reach out to XXXX XXXX. I then asked to speak to her supervisor, XXXX, and she flat out refused to connect me. She told me that I could not speak to her supervisor and that this is as high as the call could be escalated and she can't override the Real Time Rewards system. 

I explained to her just like I explained to XXXX earlier that if the qualifications are that a purchase needs to made in US dollars to qualify for the program and purchases for itineraries originating in the United States and receipts from XXXX XXXX showing US dollars as the form of payment perhaps USBank shouldn't have their Real Time Rewards program advertising XXXX XXXX as a participating merchant since it seems unlikely if many or any purchases would be billed in US dollars. She ignored this and told me that I need to contact XXXX XXXX to find out why they billed me in a foreign currency when the receipt shows US dollars. She didn't offer to resolve my problem. 

At this point, I firmly believe that the program is falsely advertising XXXX XXXX as a participating merchant since both representatives admitted that they don't know why XXXX XXXX bills some transactions in US dollars versus most showing up as being billed in XXXX XXXX XXXX. The Real Time Rewards program is extremely deceptive and flawed compared to other rewards programs since supposedly customer service can not override the decision made by a computer in any situation and the consumer is left holding the bag through no fault of their own when the computer makes a mistake.

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