Consumer complaint received 2025-03-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern : We had heard from a friend about the Care Credit program, and it sounded like a good opportunity to be able to finance some expensive things that we needed as far as XXXX XXXX XXXX. So, we opened an account with CARE Credit through Synchrony Bank on XX/XX/XXXX for some XXXX XXXX I had at XXXX XXXX. The total was {$6100.00}, and the terms were : fixed payment until paid off. We pay {$200.00} faithfully every month and we currently have a remaining balance of {$2700.00}. We added a second account on XX/XX/XXXX for my glasses at XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$540.00}, and the terms were : no interest for a time period. It expired because I was not given ample opportunity/availability to pay it off before that time. I never received a bill or statement for this account, as I was expecting, but rather, it was apparently lumped into our existing account, which I was not aware of. When we made our monthly payment, we were under the impression that part of the payment would go to the original account, and the rest would go to the new account. 
Once I realized the promo had expired, I called Care Credit on XX/XX/XXXX, to have a payment specifically allocated to pay the remaining balance of {$76.00} in full on the XXXX XXXX  account. I spoke with XXXX who was very helpful. She stated that she would send a reallocation request to the back office for processing and that it may take a billing cycle to have it allocated to that account. It took a few weeks, but the payment was correctly allocated, and that account was paid in full. She also advised me that there is a specific timeframe within the month when I should call in order to be able to have my payment allocated to a specific account/promotion. The dates that I was provided were from the XXXX XXXX of the month. 
We just opened a new account for my husband 's glasses on XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of {$480.00}. The terms are no interest if pd in full by XX/XX/XXXX. I called in on to have the amount of {$82.00} allocated to that specific account, and they did not do so. They applied it to my original account. Another time I called and asked that a payment be applied to the same account, and they only applied a portion of what I asked. 
Most recently, I phoned on XXXX the XXXX, in keeping within the timeframe that the Care Credit representative provided, I asked to have a payment of {$55.00} reallocated to the newest no interest promotional balance, and I ended up asking for a supervisor because the representative, XXXX, insisted that what I was asking for could not be done ( payment reallocation ). XXXX originally told me there was no one available to help me. Come again? I spent another 10 minutes with him repeating the same incorrect information and he finally said he would transfer me to a supervisor. The supervisor XXXX stated that she would send the request to the back office for processing, and that every rep who answers the phone should be able to do the same. Ok, so I was fairly confident that my request would be processed as the previous request in XXXX, but I received a denial via email the very next day on XX/XX/XXXX, which stated the payment could not be reallocated! The payment had been applied to my initial account minimum payment which is not even due for 3 more weeks!

I have spent many days 7 different dates, and many hours 2.5 hours to be exact over the past month on the phone with Care Credit to have [ what should be ] a simple payment transaction completed. I work a part time job and have very full days. I dont have time to be on the phone for hours to complete a payment request! I have also had chat conversations on the app and online, which have proven to be fruitless and unproductive. And now, I am having to file a complaint, which is also very time-consuming. Most of the time, there is a language barrier when I speak with a representative and it is somewhat difficult to have a conversation. 
I am beyond frustrated by the misinformation and/or conflicting information that I get each time that I call this company. I even received an email acknowledging a payment that I had made, where the amount they listed was actually incorrect. When I called about it, they said yes, it is just a typographical error. This company lures its customers in with their no interest offers, knowing that there will be no separate communication about the new account i.e. a monthly statement showing your balance, interest if any, and payment due! All accounts are put together as one, which makes the billing piece a nightmare to navigate! Every other credit card that we have keeps accounts separate. I get a statement outlining the parameters of each one, the balances, etc. I have sent in survey after survey pleading with Care Credit to do the same, to no avail. I only receive one email each month showing the minimum balance due. Nowhere does it state what part of the minimum payment is due for which account, or where the money is applied! I have to call them to get those details. That is ludicrous! I should have full access to all of that information in their app or online. 
Please make this process easier for the consumer! If a company is going to offer a promo, let them pay on the promo! It should not be this difficult to give a company money! I am certain that if a promotion expires, they MAKE MORE MONEY! And the consumer PAYS MORE MONEY! This is not good business practice. It is deceitful and wrong, and this company should face some type of consequence for their dishonest practices. 
Thank you for taking my complaint. I am hopeful that something can be done to facilitate my request. 
Have a great day! 
XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation