5
1
0
2

r
e
b
m

e
t
p
e
S

d
r
a
C

t
i
d
e
r
C
®
n
o
i
n
U

t
i
d
e
r
C

l
a
r
e
d
e
F
r
e
w
o
p
m
E

e
r
u
s
o
l
c
s
i

D
d
n
a

t
n
e
m
e
e
r
g
A

EMPOWER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION® CREDIT CARD  
AGREEMENT AND DISCLOSURE SEPTEMBER 2015 
Interest Rates and Interest Charges

Fees

Variable Annual Percentage Rate 
(APR)1

Rates apply to Purchases, Balance 
Transfers, and Cash Advances  

8.49% to 17.74% Empower Platinum MasterCard® 
8.49% to 17.74% Empower World MasterCard® 
This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate

Penalty APR and When it Applies

None

Paying Interest

Your due date is at least 25 days after the close of each billing cycle. We will 
not charge you interest on purchases if you pay your entire balance by the 
due date each month. We will begin charging interest on Cash Advances and 
Balance Transfers on the transaction date. 

Annual Fee 

Transaction Fees
Balance Transfer 
ATM Cash Advance 
Foreign Transaction 

Penalty Fees
Late Payment2 
Over the Credit Limit 
Returned Payment 

Minimum Interest Charge

None

For Credit Card Tips from the  
Consumer Financial Protection 
Bureau

To learn more about factors to consider when applying for or using 
a credit card, visit the website of the Consumer Financial Protection 
Bureau at: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.

None

None
None
None

 Up to $25.00
None
None

How We Will Calculate Your Balance: We use a method called “Average Daily Balance (including new transactions)”. 
Billing Rights:  Details of your rights and our responsibilities can be found in the Billing Rights section of this account agreement
1) Variable Rate Information: Your APR may vary. Rates are determined and adjusted monthly on the first day of the billing cycle by adding a Margin to the highest Prime Rate published 
in the Wall Street Journal on the last business day of each month. The Margin is determined based on an evaluation of each accountholder’s credit history. The Margin will range from 
5.24% to 14.49%.
2) Late Payment Information: If you are 10 days late in making a payment, your account will be charged a fee of up to $25.00.
This information is accurate as of September 1, 2015 This information may change at any time. To find out what may have changed, write to us at: Empower Federal Credit Union,  
1 Member Way, Syracuse, NY 13212.
DEFINITIONS   In this agreement, the word “card” 
or “card(s)” refers to all MasterCard® cards issued 
to you by Empower Federal Credit Union including 
any substitute or renewal card(s) which we have the 
authority to reissue at any time. The words “you”, 
“your”, and “yours” refer to each credit card applicant 
and anyone else the applicant permits to use a card. 
The words “we”, “us”, “our” and “Credit Union” refer 
to EMPOWER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION.

account  number.  However,  if  you  do  so,  you  are 
liable for all charges made by those persons. You 
must  notify  us  in  writing  to  revoke  permission  for 
any person you previously authorized to use your 
account. We may choose upon such an occurrence 
to  issue  you  a  new  card  or  cards  with  a  different 
account number. You are responsible according to 
the terms of this agreement for the use of each card 
issued on your account.

applicable central processing date, in each instance, 
plus  or  minus  any  adjustment  determined  by  the 
Credit Union.

NOTICE TO (YOU) THE MEMBER: Do not use the 
card before you read this agreement. Please read 
the Agreement carefully and keep a copy for your 
records.  It  is  a  summary  of  terms  that  control  the 
use of your credit card account. By using your credit 
card, you agree to all of the terms of this Agreement.

EFFECT OF AGREEMENT: This agreement is the 
contract  which  applies  to  all  transactions  on  your 
Credit Union MasterCard® account even though the 
sales, cash advances, credits or other slips you sign 
or receive may contain different terms.

USING YOUR CARD: You do not have to sign this 
agreement, but you must sign the card in order to 
use it. By signing and using the card, you agree to 
the terms and conditions of this agreement. 

CREDIT LIMIT: Your current credit limit and available 
credit will appear on your monthly billing statement. 
You may not use your card if you owe us more than 
your credit limit. If you exceed the credit limit, you 
must  pay  this  amount  immediately.    The  amount 
available  may  be  changed  by  the  Credit  Union 
without prior notice. 

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY / PROMISE TO PAY:  If 
we issue you a card, you agree to repay all debts 
and the finance charge arising from the use of the 
card  and  the  card  account.  For  example,  you  are 
responsible  for  charges  made  by  yourself,  your 
spouse and minor children. You are also responsible 
for charges made by anyone else to whom you give 
this card, and this responsibility continues until the 
card is recovered. You cannot disclaim responsibil-
ity by notifying us, but we will close the account for 
new transactions if you request us to do so and if 
you return all cards. Your obligation to pay the ac-
count balance continues even though an agreement, 
divorce decree or other court judgment to which we 
are not a party may direct you to one of the other 
persons responsible to pay the account. Any person 
using  the  card  is  jointly  responsible  with  you  for 
charges he or she makes, but if that person signs the 
card he or she becomes a party to this agreement 
and is also jointly responsible for all charges on the 
account, including yours.

AUTHORIZED USERS: You may request additional 
cards on your account for yourself or others and you 
may permit another person to have access to your 

USE  AT  AUTOMATED  TELLER  MACHINES:  To 
use  your  card  at  an Automated  Teller  Machine(s) 
(“ATMs”), you have been given a Personal Identifica-
tion Number (“PIN”). You agree that you will not give 
your card or PIN to anyone who is not authorized 
to use your card. You also agree not to write your 
PIN  on  the  card  itself  or  carry  your  PIN  with  your 
card. Use of the card and the PIN are considered 
as authorized uses. Transactions performed at ATMs 
are considered Cash Advances.  Refer to “Finance 
Charges on Cash Advances” section of this Agree-
ment for more information.

AUDIO  RESPONSE/INTERNET  ACCESS:    You 
agree by use of a PIN that each member appearing 
on  your  membership  account  number,  regardless 
of whether his or her name appears on your credit 
card application, is an authorized user with the abil-
ity to access your credit card account and request a 
cash advance through audio response and Internet 
Banking. This includes joint member/owners pres-
ently on your membership account number and joint 
members/owners added in the future. Transactions 
by them using the PIN will be considered authorized 
transactions  for  which  you  and  the  card  user  will 
be liable.

SECURITY INTEREST:  
IMPORTANT LIEN INFORMATION:
Security Interest Specific for Credit Cards. You 
acknowledge and pledge, specifically as a condi-
tion of your use of the credit card, that you have 
voluntarily granted the Credit Union a security 
interest in all of your individual and joint share 
accounts at the Credit Union. If your credit card 
loan  becomes  delinquent,  you  authorize  us  to 
apply any or all funds on deposit with us to pay 
amounts due under this agreement should you 
default. This security interest does not apply to 
shares in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS: Purchases and cash 
advances  made  in  foreign  countries  and  foreign 
currencies  will  be  billed  to  you  in  US  dollars. The 
conversion  rate  to  US  dollars  will  be  at  1) A  rate 
selected  by  MasterCard®  from  the  range  of  rates 
available  in  wholesale  currency  markets  for  the 
applicable central processing date, which rate may 
vary from the rate MasterCard® itself receives, or 
2) The government-mandated rate in effect for the 

MINIMUM PAYMENT:  Each month you must pay a 
minimum payment amount.   The minimum payment 
is calculated as the sum of the following items (a) 
through (c): (a) any scheduled payment from a previ-
ous billing cycle which has not been paid (past due); 
(b) 2% of the New Balance as shown on your current 
billing statement;(c) any amount of the New Balance 
which exceeds your credit limit (over limit).  NOTE: If 
the sum of (a) through (b) above is less than $10.00, 
a minimum of $10.00 will be due.  However, if the 
New Balance shown on your monthly statement is 
less  than  $10.00,  the  entire  New  Balance  will  be 
due. If the minimum payment computed, as above, 
is not an even dollar amount, the minimum payment 
due may be rounded to the next highest dollar.  You 
may at any time pay more than the minimum amount 
due. You may pay the new balance in whole or in 
part at any time. We will not charge you a penalty 
for paying more than the minimum payment. Paying 
ahead and skipping a payment will not reduce your 
liability for interest charges in the month that you do 
not make a payment

APPLICATION  OF  PAYMENTS:    We  may  apply 
all  payments  and  credits  in  accordance  with  our 
standard  operating  procedures  and  within  the  re-
quirements of applicable law.

AUTOMATIC PAYMENT OPTION: You may elect 
to  have  your  Minimum  Payment  Due,  your  total 
New Balance, or a Fixed Amount paid by automatic 
withdrawal from either your Regular Share Savings 
account or your Share Draft Checking account.   We 
may require such election to be in writing. If the Fixed 
Amount Automatic Payment Option is chosen, and it 
does not meet the minimum payment due amount, it 
is your responsibility to ensure minimum payment in 
full, otherwise your loan will be considered in default. 
The Credit Union will attempt to make the payment 
transfer at the close of business on the date your 
payment is due. Automatic payments that fall on a 
non-Business Day may be processed on the Busi-
ness Day preceding the Payment Date. If the funds 
are not sufficient to pay your payment, the Credit 
Union may keep trying to make transfers of available 
funds each day until your entire payment is made; 
however, the Credit Union will not waive any rights to 
declare your loan in default by attempting to continue 
to make transfers.  You may request to be removed 
from  automatic  payment  transfer  at  any  time  by 
giving the Credit Union notice of your decision. We 
may require your notice to be confirmed in writing.

IRREGULAR PAYMENTS: We may accept late pay-
ments, partial payments, or items marked “payment 
in  full”  or  the  like  without  losing  any  of  our  rights 
under this Agreement.

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FINANCE CHARGES ON PURCHASES:  We will 
impose  a  FINANCE  CHARGE  on  your  credit  pur-
chases if you do not pay the total New Balance as 
shown on your statement by the payment due date.

FINANCE CHARGES ON CASH ADVANCES: We 
will impose a FINANCE CHARGE on cash advances 
and balance transfers from the date of each cash 
advance or balance transfer transaction until the day 
we receive payment in full.

PAYING  INTEREST:  Your  due  date  is  at  least  25 
days  after  the  close  of  each  billing  cycle.  We  will 
not charge you any interest on purchases if you pay 
your entire balance by the due date each month. We 
will begin charging interest on cash advances and 
balance transfers on the transaction date.

MONTHLY STATEMENT: If you have a balance on 
your account at the end of the billing period, we will 
send you a statement.  It will show the balance; any 
finance  charges;  fees;  the  minimum  payment  due 
and  the  payment  due  date.  It  will  also  show  your 
current credit line; available credit; an itemized list 
of current charges; payments and credits and other 
important  information.    You  must  notify  us  of  any 
change  in  your  address  so  that  we  can  properly 
direct the mailing of your statement.

RETURNS AND ADJUSTMENTS: Merchants and 
others who honor the card may give you credit for 
returns  and  adjustments,  and  they  will  do  so  by 
sending us a credit slip which we will post to your 
account. If your credits and payments exceed what 
you owe us, we will hold and apply this credit balance 
against future purchases and cash advances, or if it 
is $1.00 or more, refund it upon your written request 
or automatically after three (3) months.

DOCUMENTARY  EVIDENCE  CHARGES:  If    you  
request  documentary  evidence  of  a transaction  on  
your  account  (for  example,  a copy of a sales draft), 
we may pass along to you our cost of researching 
this evidence at the current rate as listed in our Fee 
Schedule. No such charge will be imposed unless the 
documentary evidence agrees with the transaction 
as previously reflected on your statement.  In addi-
tion to the research fee, the fee for a copy of a sales 
draft is the current fee as listed in our Fee Schedule.

REPLACEMENTCARDS: The fee for replacement 
of card(s) requested outside of normal card reissu-
ance is the current fee as listed in our Fee Schedule.

LOST  OR  STOLEN  CARDS,  ACCOUNT    NUM-
BERS:  If  a  card  or  account  number  is  lost  or 
stolen,  you  must  inform  us  immediately  by  calling 
315.477.2200 or 800.462.5000 or by logging on to 
your online account at www.empowerfcu.com. You 
agree  to  inform  us  of  the  time,  place  and  manner 
of  loss  or  theft  and  of  your  name  and  credit  card 
account number.

COMPUTATION  OF  FINANCE  CHARGES:  We 
calculate the FINANCE CHARGE on your account 
as follows: The “daily periodic rate” times the num-
ber of days in the billing cycle times the “average 
daily balance” of your account subject to FINANCE 
CHARGES (including current transactions subject to 
finance charges). The “daily periodic rate” is calcu-
lated by dividing the APR by the number of days in 
the year. Your APR may vary. Rates are determined 
and adjusted monthly on the first day of the billing 
cycle by adding a Margin to the highest Prime Rate 
published in the Wall Street Journal on the last busi-
ness day of each month. The Margin is determined 
based  on  an  evaluation  of  each  accountholder’s 
credit history.  The “average daily balance” for the 
period is determined by taking the beginning balance 
of your account each day, adding any new purchases 
or advances and deducting any payments or credits 
and unpaid FINANCE CHARGES. This gives us the 
“daily  balance”.  We  then  add  up  all  the  daily  bal-
ances for the billing period and divide that total by 
the number of days in the billing period.

CANCELLATION: You may cancel your account at 
any time by notifying us, in writing, and delivering 
the card(s) to us.  The card(s) at all times remains 
our property, and must be surrendered immediately 
upon  our  request.  Upon  cancellation,  you  remain 
obligated to repay all amounts due under this Agree-
ment. We may reduce your credit limit and cancel 
the  account  altogether.  Unless  you  are  in  default, 
we  will  give  you  notice  of  any  such  reduction  or 
cancellation.   We may also cancel your account by 
not sending you a renewal card upon expiration at 
any  time  based  upon  our  lending  guidelines.    We 
may also reissue a different card, account number, 
at any time.   Regardless of whether your account 
has been cancelled, no card may be used after the 
expiration date indicated on the card.

LIABILITY  FOR  UNAUTHORIZED  USE:      If  you 
notice the loss or theft of your credit card or possible 
unauthorized use of your card, you should write to us 
or call us immediately at the address or telephone 
number listed on your statement. You will be liable 
for  unauthorized  use  of  your  credit  card  in  cases 
where  you  were  grossly  negligent  or  fraudulent  in 
the handling of your account or card when your card 
was used with your PIN.  You will not be liable for 
an unauthorized transaction by the use of your card.   
You will not, in any case, be liable for unauthorized 
use that occurs after you notify us at the address or 
telephone number listed on your statement; however, 
you must identify, for us, the charges on the billing 
statement  that  were  not  made  by  you,  someone 
authorized by you, and from which you received no 
benefit.  Use which includes use of your PIN or which 
includes your negligence or fraud are considered by 
us as “authorized use”.

CREDIT INFORMATION: You authorized us to inves-
tigate your credit standing when opening, renewing 
or reviewing your account, and you authorize us to 
disclose information regarding your account to credit 

bureaus  and  others  who  inquire  of  us  about  your 
credit standing. In this connection, the Credit Union 
may  request  and  use  a  report  from  outside  credit 
reporting agencies at any time. If you request it, we 
will tell you whether or not we have asked for such 
a report, and, if we have, the name and address of 
the agency or agencies. We may report information 
about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, 
missed payments, or other defaults on your account 
may be reflected in your credit report.

DEFAULT AND  COLLECTION  COSTS:  We  have 
the  following  rights  in  regard  to  default  accounts: 
(a) Default: You will be in default on this account if: 
(1) you fail to make a required payment on time; (2) 
you fail to perform any other obligation to us, or any 
representation you make proves to be untrue; (3) you 
become the subject of a proceeding in bankruptcy; 
(4) any third party attempts, by legal process, to take 
any money or other property of yours that is in our 
possession; (5) if we reasonably believe  you  will  
not  be  able  to  repay  us  for  any reason, including 
by  way  of  illustration:  any  change  in  employment, 
an increase in your obligations, or if the value of our 
security  declines  materially;  or  (6)  or  you  become 
incapacitated  or  die.    (b)  Responses  to  Default: 
Upon default, we may without notice cancel the ac-
count and require immediate payment of all or any 
part of the balance due.   If a demand for immediate 
payment has been made, the shares and deposits 
given us as security for this account can be applied 
toward  your  outstanding  balance.      We  may  also 
exercise any of our other rights. (c) Collection Fees 
and Costs: If we send your account to a Collection 
Service Agency, you agree to pay any and all reason-
able collection fees and out-of-pocket costs incurred 
in  collecting  on  the  account. Attorneys’  Fees  and 
Costs:  If  we  refer  your  account  to  an  attorney  for 
collection, you agree to pay any and all reasonable 
attorneys’ fees and out of pocket costs incurred in 
collecting on the account.

REFUSAL  TO  HONOR  CARD:  We  are  not  re-
sponsible if we do not approve a purchase or cash 
advance on your account, or if a third party refuses 
to accept or honor the card, even if you have suf-
ficient credit available. We may limit the number of 
purchases or cash advances which may be approved 
in one day. If we detect unusual or suspicious activity 
on your account, we may temporarily suspend your 
credit privileges until we can verify the activity.   We 
may  approve  purchases  or  cash  advances  which 
cause the balance to exceed your credit limit without 
waiving any of our rights under this Agreement.  We 
may temporarily suspend your credit privileges for 
security reasons.

HOW  WE  MAY  CONTACT  YOU:  You  expressly 
agree  that  to  service  your  account  or  to  collect 
any amounts you may owe the Credit Union, we or 
authorized parties may call you and send text mes-
sages  to  you.  We  may  use  pre-recorded/artificial 
voice  messages  or  an  automatic  dialing  device  to 
contact you at any telephone number associated with 
your account, including mobile telephone numbers, 
all of which could result in charges to you. You also 
expressly  consent  that  we  may  send  e-mail  mes-
sages regarding your account to your e-mail address.

SENDING  NOTICES:    Any  statement  or  notice  to 
you under this Agreement will be sufficiently given 
if sent to your address, on file in connection with this 
account, or to a new address of which you have noti-
fied us in writing at least 20 days before the sending 
of the statement or notice. We may also send you 
notices electronically to the email address we have 
on file for you, if you have so authorized us in ac-
cordance with the E-Sign Act. 

INTERNET  GAMBLING  OR  ILLEGAL  ACTIVITY 
PROHIBITED: You may not use the card for Internet 
gambling, any illegal transaction, or for a transaction 
that would cause you to exceed your credit limit. You 
agree to hold us harmless for any damages or other 
liability arising from a transaction initiated by you or 
your authorized user for the purpose of conducting an 
illegal activity. We may decline to authorize transac-
tions we believe may violate law or pose significant 
risk to us or our members.

MAXIMUM  RATE:  The  rate  on  your  card  will  not 
exceed the maximum rate allowed by applicable law.

AMENDMENT:  The  Provisions  of  this Agreement 
are severable. If any provision of this Agreement is 
held by a court of law to be invalid or unenforceable, 
the rest of this Agreement will not be affected. We 
may delay enforcing our rights under this Agreement 
without losing them. We may change the terms of 
this Agreement at any time in accordance with the 
requirements of applicable law. If any such change 
is not acceptable to you, you must promptly return 
the card(s) to us. 

NEW YORK RESIDENTS: New York residents may 
contact the New York State Banking Department at 
877.226.5697 to obtain a comparative listing of credit 
card rates, fees and grace periods.

YOUR  BILLING  RIGHTS  –  KEEP  THIS  NOTICE 
FOR FUTURE USE:

This  notice  tells  you  about  your  rights  and  our  
responsibilities under the Fair Credit Billing Act.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A MISTAKE ON YOUR 
STATEMENT

If  you  think  there  is  an  error  on  your  statement, 
write to us at:

Empower Federal Credit Union
1 Member Way
Syracuse, NY 13212
You may also contact us on the web at:

www.empowerfcu.com

In your letter, give us the following information:

Account  information:  Your  name  and  account 
number.  Dollar  amount:  The  dollar  amount  of  the 
suspected error. Description of problem: If you think 
there  is  an  error  on  your  bill,  describe  what  you 
believe is wrong and why you believe it is a mistake.

You must contact us:

Within  60  days  after  the  error  appeared  on  your 
statement. At least three business days before an 
automated  payment  is  scheduled,  if  you  want  to 
stop  payment  on  the  amount  you  think  is  wrong. 
You must notify us of any potential errors in writing 
or electronically. You may call us, but if you do, we 
are not required to investigate any potential errors 
and you may have to pay the amount in question.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER WE RECEIVE YOUR 
LETTER

When we receive your letter, we must do two things:

Within 30 days of receiving your letter, we must tell 
you that we received your letter. We will also tell you 
if we have already corrected the error. Within 90 days 
of receiving your letter, we must either correct the er-
ror or explain to you why we believe the bill is correct. 

While we investigate whether or not there has been 
an error:

We  cannot  try  to  collect  the  amount  in  question, 
or  report  you  as  delinquent  on  that  amount.  The 
charge in question may remain on your statement, 
and we may continue to charge you interest on that 
amount. While you do not have to pay the amount 
in question, you are responsible for the remainder 
of your balance. We can apply any unpaid amount 
against your credit limit. 

After we finish our investigation, one of two things 
will happen:

If we made a mistake: You will not have to pay the 
amount  in  question  or  any  interest  or  other  fees 
related to that amount.

If we do not believe there was a mistake: You will 
have to pay the amount in question, along with ap-
plicable interest and fees. We will send you a state-
ment of the amount you owe and the date payment 
is due. We may then report you as delinquent if you 
do  not  pay  the  amount  we  think  you  owe.  If  you 
receive our explanation but still believe your bill is 
wrong, you must write to us within 10 days telling us 
that you still refuse to pay. If you do so, we cannot 
report you as delinquent without also reporting that 
you are questioning your bill. We must tell you the 
name of anyone to whom we reported you as de-
linquent, and we must let those organizations know 
when the matter has been settled between us. If we 
do not follow all of the rules above, you do not have 
to pay the first $50 of the amount you question even 
if your bill is correct.

YOUR RIGHTS IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH 
YOUR CREDIT CARD PURCHASES

If you are dissatisfied with the goods or services that 
you have purchased with your credit card and you 
have tried in good faith to correct the problem with 
the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the 
remaining amount due on the purchase. To use this 
right, all of the following must be true:

The purchase must have been made in your home 
state  or  within  100  miles  of  your  current  mailing 
address,  and  the  purchase  price  must  have  been 
more than $50. 

(Note:  Neither  of  these  are  necessary  if  your  pur-
chase was based on an advertisement we mailed 
to you, or if we own the company that sold you the 
goods or services.)

You  must  have  used  your  credit  card  for  the  pur-
chase. Purchases made with cash advances from 
an ATM or with a check that accesses your credit 
card account do not qualify. You must not yet have 
fully paid for the purchase.

If all the criteria above are met and you are still dis-
satisfied with the purchase, contact us in writing or 
electronically at: 

Empower Federal Credit Union 

1 Member Way

Syracuse, NY 13212 

www.empowerfcu.com

While  we  investigate,  the  same  rules  apply  to  the 
disputed amount as discussed above.

After we finish our investigation, we will tell you our 
decision. At that point, if we think you owe an amount 
and you do not pay, we may report you as delinquent.

315.477.2200
800.462.5000
www.empowerfcu.com 

Your saving federally insured to at least $250,000  
and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government

Federally Insured by NCUA

9/15 150K