Consumer complaint received 2025-03-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
I have attempted on XXXX separate occasions to resolve an issue with applying my payments to my " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' which has a higher interest rate than the " XXXX XXXX. '' This issue began on XX/XX/XXXX when I made an online payment at the Wells Fargo website from my checking account to my credit card account for the minimum payment of {$XXXX} due on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I transferred a Cash Advance of {$XXXX} from my Wells Fargo Credit Card ( which also required a {$XXXX} transfer fee ) into my checking account because I needed to pay off a medical bill that was due on XX/XX/XXXX to avoid accrued interest for the past year on a CareCredit promotion. Because the XXXX accrued interest would have amounted to well over {$XXXX}, I felt that paying {$XXXX} was worth it -- especially since I intended to pay off the XXXX XXXX balance at the beginning of XXXX. Then on XX/XX/XXXX, my medical provider refunded over {$XXXX} to XXXX. Therefore, I initially thought that I would not need the {$XXXX} cash advance, and on XX/XX/XXXX, I made an online payment of {$XXXX} from my checking account to my credit card account on the Wells Fargo website in an effort to repay the {$XXXX} cash advance and the {$XXXX} fee. But on XX/XX/XXXX, I learned that XXXX refused to apply the $ XXXX refund to my promotion that was expiring on XX/XX/XXXX, but instead applied it to another medical bill promotion that did not expire until XX/XX/XXXX. Now I realized that I still needed a Cash Advance albeit for less, so I made a second online Cash Advance transfer for {$XXXX} plus the {$XXXX} transfer fee on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I was dismayed to learn when I received my next monthly statement for my Wells Fargo Credit Card ( hereinafter referred to as WFCC ) that the entire {$XXXX} payment that I made on XX/XX/XXXX was applied to my Purchases Balance which has a lower interest rate at XXXX  % than my Cash Advances Balance which has a higher interest rate at XXXX  %. I was charged {$XXXX} in interest on my Cash Advances Balance Subject to Interest Rate of {$XXXX} and now had {$XXXX} as a Cash Advance Balance of as of XX/XX/XXXX instead of ~ {$XXXX} plus interest. None of the {$XXXX} payment that I made on XX/XX/XXXX was applied to my Cash Advances. The first time that I called XXXX Billing ( all calls are recorded by the way ), I spoke to someone who was out of the country, had a strong accent which hampered communications, and did not seem knowledgeable. I asked for her supervisor and was transferred over to " XXXX '' but did not realize that he too was out of the country and that there was a " time lag '' in the conversation. He often did not hear me speaking for several seconds. I eventually requested to speak to someone in the U.S. and was transferred a second time to a third WF " banker '' who explained that XXXX was correct that they could not apply the {$XXXX} payment made on XX/XX/XXXX because it was made during the same " billing cycle '' during which I made the original Cash Advance transfer on XX/XX/XXXX. They both claim that they have no way of " allocating '' payments -- implying that their computer system is incapable of doing so. I know that this assertion is hogwash because I have called to specifically allocate payments with numerous XXXX and XXXX credit card companies who offer both Purchases and Cash Advances for years. In fact, XXXX insists that I must call them. Although she agreed that XXXX had given me correct information, she did refund the {$XXXX} in interest, but that did not help me when I was now required to pay off the {$XXXX} XXXX XXXX XXXX on the next statement -- which created a true hardship for me. So, she told me I could file a complaint with the XXXX XXXX, but she would need to transfer me ( for the third time ), and ultimately, I was once again speaking with XXXX ... out of the country. He then informed me that there was no address that he could provide to me to send anything in writing -- either by mail or email -- and I would just have to wait for their response which I initially requested as a telephone call. This is critical because just today, XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX, I discovered that there is an address listed in the tiny fine print on page XXXX under " IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT/Addressing Errors and Transactions Disputes '' with instructions to : " Write a letter ( " Written Notice '' ) about the error or transaction question you have ... '' and lists the required details. Not a single Wells Fargo representative during this telephone call, or XXXX additional telephone calls between XXXX and today, or during my in-person visit to my local branch -- none of them -- ever provided me with this address or these instructions. And when I finally received my initial response from the " XXXX XXXX, '' it was an email -- not a phone call -- stating " We are responding to your concerns ... '' and a PDF copy of their response is attached below. XXXX does not address the " within the same billing cycle '' issue ; I am thoroughly dissatisfied but decide to simply make extra payments in XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went online to the Wells Fargo website and made XXXX separate payments from my checking account into my credit card account : the first was to pay the minimum due of {$XXXX} ; the second was to pay off the second Cash Advance Transfer of {$XXXX}. Both payments were received and posted for that date. Then I receive my next statement for the period XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX with a minimum payment of {$XXXX} due on XX/XX/XXXX. However, it is impossible to discern how my XXXX payments were allocated. Consequently, I called once again, and spoke with still another WFCC " banker '' who claimed that the payments were received on the same date, and so, the minimum payment was applied to Purchases, but the second payment was applied to BOTH the Purchases and the Cash Advances balances. She then stated, that if I wanted a payment in excess of the minimum due amount, I would need to make the second payment 3 days after the initial payment. This statement is not only contrary to federal law XXXX. XXXX - Credit Card Act of XXXX, it is contrary to XXXX 's own email response dated XX/XX/XXXX that states : " When a MINIMUM PAYMENT [ emphasis added ] is made, it is applied first to any fees and interest, and to the balances with the LOWEST XXXX [ emphasis added ] until they are paid in full, in the following order : promotional balances, merchandise, and then cash. Any ADDITIONAL FUNDS [ emphasis added ] paid during the same statement cycle are applied to balances with the HIGHEST XXXX [ emphasis added ] in the following order : CASH [ emphasis added ], merchandise, and then promotional balance. '' I was so frustrated, that I simply hung up on her, gathered my statements and records, and went in person to my local branch. Unfortunately, I received even less assistance there, and once again, even though I even specifically discussed that the XXXX representatives over the phone claimed there was no address to put anything in writing, the Branch XXXX XXXX could not provide an address, claiming that they can not speak for the credit card department. She then stated that I should write a letter and bring it in to the branch where they would " forward '' it on. Seriously. 

I returned home and made my minimum payment due of {$53.00} on XX/XX/XXXX online at the XXXX website, but wait until XX/XX/XXXX when I would have enough to make an extra payment and pay off the Cash Advance balance. On XX/XX/XXXX, because no one had been able to tell me what my exact Cash Advance balance was, I first called this morning @ XXXX XXXX XXXX and requested my exact Cash Advance Balance which " XXXX '' informed me was {$XXXX} ( contrary to the {$XXXX} as listed on my XX/XX/XXXX statement with XX/XX/XXXX due date ). I then made a second online payment of {$XXXX} to pay off XXXX  % of my XXXX XXXX XXXX. Then I called XXXX a second time @ XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX and spoke with " XXXX '' to verify that XXXX  % of my second payment would be applied to my Cash Advance Balance. She replied : " I can not assure that XXXX  % of the payment would be applied to XXXX XXXX. I informed her that on XX/XX/XXXX, I already made the minimum payment due, and she acknowledged receipt of that payment. I then stated that " any payment above the minimum must be applied to the balance with the highest interest rate [ XXXX ] per XXXX law. She then asked me to hold while she consulted with her supervisor, came back on the line, and said that " XXXX '' would be taking over the call. XXXX then proceeded to try and tell me that " a large portion '' of my payment of {$XXXX} would be applied to the Cash Advance balance, but that some of it would also be applied to Purchases according to Well Fargo 's " Terms and Conditions '' and would I like to receive a copy of those terms and conditions. I replied " XXXX '' and then reminded him that all banks must comply with XXXX law regardless. He then offered -- for the third time -- to file a complaint with the XXXX XXXX, and once again, never offered an address for me to send anything in writing, and then asked if I wanted a response by phone, email, or mail. I replied : " Phone call '' ( but I requested a phone call before and received an email in XXXX instead of a telephone call ). 

After I hung up, I decided that the only way that I could resolve this was to file this Complaint with the CFPB.

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