Consumer complaint received 2020-12-27
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I have a problem with being charged a {$40.00} late fee when making a payment on the due date, but 90 minutess past the cut off. I sent an email to US Bank on XXXX XXXX requesting a late fee refund and received a reply on XXXX XXXX refusing a refund. My complaint is partly that the fee is excessive at {$40.00} but also unfair in that the payment was made on the due date technically. The receipt I recieved for the payment says it was received on the due date. In another place it notes the time cutoff. I had a late fee the month prior which was waived. 
My complaint is also that they are making no concessions for COVID. A concession could be a waiver of late fees and not fighting it to this degree. 
My second complaint is that they are not willing to negotiate so that I can close this account and be placed on a long-term payoff plan with XXXX or very low interest as most of my other credit cards are doing. My family has 3 XXXX XXXX XXXX and 2 XXXX XXXX cards that have been placed on payoff plans like this and those banks made the process to enroll fairly easy. 
The first time I contacted US Bank to request payment assistance program, I was told that I needed to talk to the Hardship Department. The next time I called which was on XXXX XXXX and asked to speak to the Hardship Dept, I was told that I would not qualify for any kind of Hardship program until I was 2-3 months late. My objection is that the bank is forcing me to choose to damage by credit that I work very hard to build up with NO late pays by letting it go late, then when it does go late by 90 minutes on the due date, they charge a {$40.00} charge. 
Recently, a button has appeard on the US Bank home page that says " learn about our payment programs. That link takes me to a page where I can select payment programs which takes me to this message : Unfortunately, you are not eligible for any payment assistance offers at this time. We appreciate your business and would invite you to contact us at XXXX. A service representative would be happy to answer any questions you may have. 
I have talked to a representative twice and they tell me there are no options for me. 
The reason I was 90 minutes late making a payment was because it was hard to decide whether to let my account go over 30 days late so that MAYBE US Bank would offer me some kind of payment assistance, and ultimately I decided I was not comfortable with not making my payment on time. 
The attached XX/XX/XXXX statement shows both a payment made by me for {$600.00} and a {$40.00} late fee on XXXX XXXX. I have also attached the payment confirmation message I received online that confirms date and time of payment which was XXXX XXXX at XXXX CT and notes that payments made after XXXX CT will be " processed '' the next day, but does not say that the payment is considered " late '' and a fee will be charged.

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 monetary relief