Consumer complaint received 2022-06-27
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MA
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 am filing a compliant for Synchrony Bank 's PayPal Mastercard 's Foreign Transaction Fee shady practice, which is deceiving to consumers. The fees NEVER appear on the " account activity '' page ( pdf print screen attached, both website and XXXX app ). 
According to their customer service, it is shown ONLY on the statement and it was also ONLY calculated at the end of each billing cycle. 

When I first applied for the card back in around XXXX, it was advertised with 0 % Foreign Transaction Fee ( pdf attached from XXXX search from their website : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX 

I never know nor recall being informed that the bank changed the fee from 0 % to 3 % ( I received NO e-mail notification for this bad news ). What happened here is that I went to a trip XXXX  in XXXX since XXXX XXXX. I have been used this card as I thought it was 0 % foreign transaction fee. All the transactions accumulate showing the exchange rate based on XXXX 's exchange rate table with 0 % fee added. I checked the bank 's " account activity '' page EVERY SINGLE DAY to make sure no incorrect or fraudulent charges, but there was never any fees posted to the " account activity '' page. 

Checking " account activity '' has been my daily practice, as I rarely read statements since the " account activity '' should contain all " activities ''. When I opened the statement in XX/XX/XXXX, I am surprised that I have accumulated US {$69.00} in Foreign Transaction Fee in XXXX. I double checked the " account activity '' page and there was absolutely NO mention of any fees charged or posted. 

I contacted Synchrony Bank 's customer service on XX/XX/XXXX ( Account Associate : XXXX XXXX, Account ManageXXXX : XXXX XXXX  ). They said that the fee change notification was included in one of the statements in XX/XX/XXXX. I asked and emphasized that the fees were never shown on the " account activity '' page, and how can I suppose to know as I rarely read statements as I already take the " account activity '' page as all the activities happening in my account. The customer service team reiterated they correctly charged the fees and provided a link to their new fee schedule. They are unable to understand from customer 's point of view, their website has a FLAW ( fees are never shown in the account activity page ). 

If Synchrony Bank has included the fees up front following the transactions, or at least showed the fees in the " account activity ' page, I would have asked earlier and reconsidered whether to use this card for foreign transaction as I have other cards also with 0 % foreign transaction fee. 

Therefore, Synchrony Bank should be held accountable for their website 's FLAW ( whether or not intentional to deceive customer into believing it is 0 % foreign transaction fee ), and should reverse and refund me all the fees charged since the fee changed in XX/XX/XXXX ( totaling at least US {$69.00} in XXXX, plus all other pending charges that will have fees added in the next statement ).

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