Consumer complaint received 2026-06-02 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I incurred a medical charge of {$2800.00} through CareCredit after seeking treatment at XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, Tennessee. According to my account records, the transaction was processed on XX/XX/XXXX and financed through a promotional financing arrangement. At the time I applied for CareCredit, I was experiencing XXXX XXXX XXXX and was informed by the provider 's office that treatment would not be provided unless I paid in advance. Because I could not afford the cost of treatment upfront, I was encouraged to apply for CareCredit while in XXXX and seeking medical care. The financing was presented as the solution that would allow me to receive treatment. I did not understand that the financing arrangement involved deferred interest that could later be charged retroactively if the promotional balance was not paid in full by the expiration date. I do not recall being informed of the amount of deferred interest accumulating in the background, the magnitude of the potential retroactive interest charge, or the fact that making the required monthly payments would not necessarily pay off the promotional balance before expiration. Throughout the life of the account, I maintained automatic payments and made all but the first required payments on time. My monthly automatic payment was approximately {$45.00} and was successfully withdrawn each month. The promotional period expired on XX/XX/XXXX. At the time of expiration, my promotional balance was approximately {$1300.00}. The XX/XX/XXXX statement showed a deferred interest amount of {$1700.00} associated with the promotional purchase. The following statement reflected a sudden interest charge of {$1800.00}, causing my balance to increase from {$1300.00} to {$3100.00} despite no new purchases being made. My automatic payment also increased from approximately {$45.00} to {$110.00}, which was withdrawn on XX/XX/XXXX and caused an overdraft in my bank account. This was the event that alerted me to the existence of the retroactive deferred interest and the dramatic increase in my balance. After discovering the retroactive interest charges, I contacted Synchrony Bank and requested assistance. During that conversation, I was informed that Synchrony could only provide a courtesy extension until XX/XX/XXXX because, according to the representative, company policy and applicable credit-reporting requirements limited extensions to within approximately 30 days of the promotional expiration date. I found this response particularly troubling because I was not meaningfully alerted to the issue until after my automatic payment was withdrawn on XX/XX/XXXX. My monthly automatic payment had historically been approximately {$45.00}, but the XX/XX/XXXX withdrawal increased to {$110.00} and caused an overdraft in my bank account. Only after that withdrawal did I become aware of the retroactive interest charges, the expired promotional period, and the dramatically increased account balance. Synchrony then effectively informed me that I had only until XX/XX/XXXX, less than XXXX week later, to come up with approximately {$1300.00} to pay off the remaining promotional balance and avoid the retroactive interest. As an unemployed consumer who had been laid off in XX/XX/XXXX and was actively seeking work, this was not a realistic opportunity for relief. I would have been forced to choose between attempting to satisfy the promotional balance and paying essential obligations such as health insurance, transportation, and student loan payments. In my view, it is fundamentally unfair to offer a consumer only a few days to cure a problem after the consumer first becomes aware of it, while simultaneously claiming that broader relief is unavailable because too much time has already passed. This sequence of events raises concerns about whether consumers are receiving meaningful notice and a genuine opportunity to avoid substantial retroactive interest charges before those charges are imposed. My concern is not merely the existence of interest charges. My concern is the manner in which this financing product was marketed, serviced, and administered. During the promotional period I received numerous marketing emails encouraging additional use of the CareCredit account, including promotions encouraging me to use promotional financing again and again, use the card for additional purchases, and locate additional providers. I have been unable to locate any comparable email communications clearly warning me that my promotional period was about to expire, clearly stating the deferred interest amount that had accumulated, or clearly warning me that my balance could more than double through retroactive interest charges. The only recent letter I received from Synchrony prior to this issue was a XX/XX/XXXX credit line reduction notice, which discussed credit-limit changes and credit scoring factors but did not provide any warning regarding the impending expiration of my promotional financing or the deferred interest balance. I believe the product 's structure, disclosures, servicing, and communications created a misleading impression that timely automatic payments were sufficient to maintain the account in good standing, while a substantial retroactive interest obligation continued accumulating in the background. I believe this practice is particularly concerning in the context of medical financing, where consumers often enter these arrangements while experiencing XXXX, XXXX, and urgent healthcare needs. I respectfully request that the CFPB investigate Synchrony 's administration of deferred-interest medical financing products and review whether adequate and meaningful notice was provided regarding promotional expiration, deferred interest accumulation, and the consequences of failing to satisfy the promotional balance in full before expiration.

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