Got a pre-approval letter today. What's interesting about this card is it gives 3% Cash Back in the Merchant Category one spends the most (all other purchases earn 1% back). This seems particularly good when purchasing big ticket items. Cash Back checks are automatically issued once the Cash Back balance reaches $15. Haven't seen this mentioned here, was wondering anyone has used it. Website is at rbsapply.com, but is invitation only (have to have reservation number to apply over the web).
Them ba$$tards refused me when I applied the last time. Luckily, got a free credit report out of it. Since I've just done a 5-card app-o-rama, I guess chances of me being approved are none (although only 1 new issuer among the 5 cards).
xoneinax said: So the preferred merchant category can change each month ? 3% on Gas one month if your charge amounts are highest in gas, 3% on appliances the next ?
Yes it could change. I wouldn't use it to buy gas/grocery cuz there are bunch of cards that can get 5% on those.
newgun said: xoneinax said: So the preferred merchant category can change each month ? 3% on Gas one month if your charge amounts are highest in gas, 3% on appliances the next ?
Yes it could change. I wouldn't use it to buy gas/grocery cuz there are bunch of cards that can get 5% on those.
Has anyone been able to apply for this card by calling RBS directly, without having received a letter?
bluegenie
Senior Member
posted: Jun. 20, 2005 @ 6:42a
I'm having trouble finding a URL to apply(or get any info) for any of their cards in the US. www.rbs.com has credit cards in the uk but nothing for the states. Anyone have any luck?
bluegenie said: I'm having trouble finding a URL to apply(or get any info) for any of their cards in the US. www.rbs.com has credit cards in the uk but nothing for the states. Anyone have any luck?
Their US website is here. But you can't apply for the CustomCash Platinum Rewards Card there. Instead, you can apply here (only when you are invited, with a reservation number)
It's strange that the UK RBS doesn't mention RBS National Bank in the US, and RBS National Bank doesn't mention UK RBS, but they sure use the same logo.
I received a promo snail-mail just yesterday for their normal 1% CashBack card, not this CustomCash.
puddnhead
Senior Member
posted: Jun. 27, 2005 @ 11:18a
I got a letter last week telling me that one of my existing RBS card will be converted to this. I'll have to start using it once my 0% promo expires
Something the OP did not mention (or maybe it's just my offer? but I doubt that) is that the definiton of "most used" changes from one month (cycle?) to the next. In other words, whatever category you charged the most to >that month< gets 3% Makes it a LOT hotter IMO. So you could get 3% off your plane tickets one month, then 3% off restaurants the next. You don't have to chose category, they give you the 3% on whatever category totals most. A very nice card to fit into my snatch of cards (this one for gas, this one for grocery, this one for restaurants). Though my wallet definitely is getting FAT!
I'm traveling for work now but will try to post more details when I return, by the weekend. Among other things they gave a list of categories.
JazzyfromCO
Senior Member
posted: Jul. 29, 2005 @ 7:26p
I received 2 separate offers for the 3%
Does anyone have any background/credibility information on this company?
My guess is that AT&T Universal Card customers received these invitations as that would explain why I received 2 (I have 2 AT&T accounts)
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Jul. 29, 2005 @ 7:46p
JazzyfromCO said: I received 2 separate offers for the 3%
Does anyone have any background/credibility information on this company?what do you mean credibility? they are legit and part of a large banking conglomerate. you can research their company by visiting their website.
they recently bought peoples bank accounts....their legitimacy is not something to worry about
ILikeDollars
Greedy Member
posted: Jul. 30, 2005 @ 11:15a
Had an old card that was converted to this about a month ago. Just got my statement, where I spent $32.12 at a restaurant. My statement shows "3% CustomCash earned: 1". Odd that the customcash is 1 pt = $1, as usually CC companies do something like 1000 pts = $1. It will be interesting to see how their rounding works (in other words, are they just rounding for my statement, or are they rounding the rewards points actually earned). Also, it loks like they do allow you to click on individual transactions on the website to determine which merchant category they fit into.
Edit: the merchant category thing on the website is still a little vague... I'm waiting for my next statement to find out what category my cable bill fits into (either "Utilities and Associations" or no category at all).
ILikeDollars
Greedy Member
posted: Jul. 30, 2005 @ 11:23a
Merchant Categories:
General Retailers, such as department stores and discount stores Home Improvement Retailers, such as home supply warehouses and hardware stores Specialty Retailers, such as greeting card stores and antique shops Grocery Stores Service Providers, such as beauty salons and auto repair shops Catalog & Direct Merchants, such as catalog merchants and telemarketing merchants Restaurants Gasoline Stations Sports & Leisure, such as sellers of tickets to sporting events and movie theaters Transportation (non-airline), such as auto parts stores and railroads Clothing and Accessories Retailers, such as shoe stores and children's clothing Pharmacies/Medical, such as pharmacies and opticians Hotels Utilities and Associations, such as electric companies and gym memberships Electronics and Appliance Stores, such as computer software stores and household appliance stores Airlines
Anything that doesn't fall into one of the above categories is not eligible for the 3%.
ZackVLion
Member
posted: Jul. 30, 2005 @ 1:31p
i spend about 6-8k/month on one certain category for my business. this would be perfect.....must..get...one...
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Jul. 30, 2005 @ 9:52p
ZackVLion said: i spend about 6-8k/month on one certain category for my business. this would be perfect.....must..get...one...the 3% reward doesnt apply to massage and relaxation therapy and gentlemen's club charges. sorry.
if you are talking about other business categories, the Advanta 5% card is nice
ILikeDollars said: Had an old card that was converted to this about a month ago. Just got my statement, where I spent $32.12 at a restaurant. My statement shows "3% CustomCash earned: 1". Odd that the customcash is 1 pt = $1, as usually CC companies do something like 1000 pts = $1. It will be interesting to see how their rounding works (in other words, are they just rounding for my statement, or are they rounding the rewards points actually earned).
I just got my first statement. For me at least they seemed to round up both the 1% and 3% categories to 3 and 7 points respectively. Anyone see where they rounded down?
lonestarguy said: ILikeDollars said: Had an old card that was converted to this about a month ago. Just got my statement, where I spent $32.12 at a restaurant. My statement shows "3% CustomCash earned: 1". Odd that the customcash is 1 pt = $1, as usually CC companies do something like 1000 pts = $1. It will be interesting to see how their rounding works (in other words, are they just rounding for my statement, or are they rounding the rewards points actually earned).
I just got my first statement. For me at least they seemed to round up both the 1% and 3% categories to 3 and 7 points respectively. Anyone see where they rounded down?
Yes there are round ups and there are round downs.
dweick
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Oct. 27, 2005 @ 8:56p
I've had an RBS card for about a year, haven't used it since a 0% BT. Just received my letter letting me know my card has been upgraded to the CustomCash Program (looks like they actually send a new card. Looks like it could be useful if you plan ahead for major purchases/expenses. A nice addition if you already have 5% cards for common categories and a 1.5-2% for everything else, this would fill in nicely for those categories that are rarely treated as special by card issuers.
Here is the info from their brochure:
Every month, you automatically earn a full 3% Cash Back for purchases you make in the Merchant Category in which you spend the most money. One month it might be Grocery Stores, the next month it could be Restaurants. The point is, you always earn your 3% Cash Back -- every month.
Redeeming is easy. Earn $15 and automatically receive a check in your statement. ====
Current merchant categories are:
General Retailers Home Improvement Retailers Specialty Retailers Grocery Stores Service Providers (such as beauty supply and auto repair shops) Catalog and Direct Merchants (hmm, 3% back on Dell ...) Restaurants Gas Sports and Leisure Transportation (non-airline) Clothing and Accessories Retailers Pharmacies/Medical (3% back on a major dental or medical would be nice) Hotels Utilities Electronics and Appliance Stores Airlines
dweick said: Catalog and Direct Merchants (hmm, 3% back on Dell ...)
Yep, my August Dell purchase and my Sears.com purchase of a dryer both got 3% back. I use this card for everything but restaurants (5% discover), and gas, grocery and Drugstore. (5% citi).
Got to be careful to open your statement, as it includes the check automatically (in multiples of $15).
I just noticed that (online at least), they are now reporting customcash credits in decimals. I've been average about 2-2.5% CashBack per month. This is a great card. Customer service has been outstanding too.
CyberTraveler
Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 3:56p
Does anyone have a link to read more about this card and to apply?
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 4:57p
I have had a peoples now RBS card for about 10 years and all I have ever seen was the 1% Cash Back I have always got. I went to their site and found nothing about any rewards card. I am thinking maybe they don't like me as I have never paid any interest and my wife and I use the card for everything including college tuition so get some nice checks back every month, So like the previous poster I was wondering if anyone has a link to that new card. Thanks in advance
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 5:06p
JazzyfromCO said:
Does anyone have any background/credibility information on this company?
RBS stands for Royal Bank of Scotland, One of the Worlds largest banks and they also own one of the larger Banks here, Citizens Financial. So yes they are credible
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 6:49p
Just called and was told you cannot apply unless they send you an invitation. This reminds me of my peeve of banks offering better rates to new customers. Guess my 10 years as a loyal card holder means nothing. Felt like closing my account right then but I know closing a long standing account can hurt your FICO score. So I will just put those cards away and shop for a better rewards card. I have a 793 FICO so getting the best deal out there will not be a problem. So I guess I will have to start searching here unless some nice FW'er could give me any tips of what the best reward card is for someone who pays balance in full so interest rate does not matter
mofowutz
Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 8:19p
What are the chances of a person new to credit (at least in this country) getting the non-CashBack card from RBS? Do RBS cards require good credit history or will no/limited credit suffice?
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 8:51p
be creful if calling in to threaten cancellation..see my experience here http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=52&threadid=517432&highlight_key=y&keyword1=rbs
seems that just being transferd to cancellation dept may trigger auto closure
the best CashBack cards for someone who pays in full are listed here http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=52&threadid=409166&highlight_key=y&keyword1=current
scott1961 said: Just called and was told you cannot apply unless they send you an invitation. This reminds me of my peeve of banks offering better rates to new customers. Guess my 10 years as a loyal card holder means nothing. Felt like closing my account right then but I know closing a long standing account can hurt your FICO score. So I will just put those cards away and shop for a better rewards card. I have a 793 FICO so getting the best deal out there will not be a problem. So I guess I will have to start searching here unless some nice FW'er could give me any tips of what the best reward card is for someone who pays balance in full so interest rate does not matter
GradStudent
Senior Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 8:55p
Is there any cap on earnings?
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 8:57p
were you invited?? if so you can call rbs and ask.
if you were not invited it doesnt matter. there is no way to apply for this program unless invited
dweick
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 9:51p
RBS Custom Cash worked great for ordering from a couple DealPass programs, full 3% back from those purchases which they called "Catalog and Direct Merchant".
mofowutz
Member
posted: Dec. 16, 2005 @ 10:19p
Does anyone know if the Platinum MasterCard on the homepage of www.rbsnb.com is easy to obtain with little/no credit? Please, anyone with experience with RBS credit approvals/denails?
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Dec. 17, 2005 @ 12:25a
you asked that same thing 5 posts above 2 hours ago... RBS is not a subprime issuer. If you have no credit or poor credit, read the sticky most common question #4
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Dec. 17, 2005 @ 5:45a
didYOUsearch said: be creful if calling in to threaten cancellation..see my experience here http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=52&threadid=517432&highlight_key=y&keyword1=rbs
seems that just being transferd to cancellation dept may trigger auto closure
the best CashBack cards for someone who pays in full are listed here http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=52&threadid=409166&highlight_key=y&keyword1=current
DYS, I went and read those threads and I guess it's a good thing I did not ask about canceling. You seem like a guy who has never paid a penny in interest and I think that's the problem, They don't make enough money with us. I checked out those other rewards and saw the highest Cash Back were Chase, but drawback is it's capped at $600 and Citi Dividend which at first does not list a cap but I did find this in it's disclosure: • You may accumulate a maximum of 300 Dividend Dollars in any calendar year (eligible transactions appearing on your January – December billing statements). So is that one capped at $300? Would prefer to stay with my RBS since I have had it so long so might try talking with someone at Citizens bank, Which is owned by RBS, Maybe they could get an invitation sent to me.
didYOUsearch
Cranky Member
posted: Dec. 17, 2005 @ 5:52a
scott1961 said: DYS, I went and read those threads and I guess it's a good thing I did not ask about canceling. You seem like a guy who has never paid a penny in interest and I think that's the problem, They don't make enough money with us..while ive never paid any interest to RBS, creditors cant tell from the credit report if we pay interest on balances (credit reports dont show if a person pays in full) since most only report the statement closing balance.
check out the other CashBack cards in the thread i linked - there are far larger caps than 300/600...for example, the bofa power rewards is 2% with 50k annual spending and is uncapped, the mbna 1.5% and 2% fidelity cards have $1500 caps.
There are no caps on earnings. This is by invitation only. Checks are issued automatically in the billing statement in multiples of $15.
What surprises me is how broad the categories can be. Target, Target.com, and Michael's and Foleys, Macy's, etc are all in "General Retailers". One month, my auto repairs and hair cut got 3% under "service providers".
There was no application for it I can find online, and as others said, its an invite only and I remember its offer codes were one time only. In some ways I am glad it is, as targeted offers like this are less likely to be abused if the vendor can offer and and still be profitable. Here is the website for it:Customcash Card info.
mofowutz
Member
posted: Dec. 29, 2005 @ 3:26p
didYOUsearch said: you asked that same thing 5 posts above 2 hours ago... RBS is not a subprime issuer. If you have no credit or poor credit, read the sticky most common question #4
What do you think is the minimum FICO scores required for applying for the RBS Platinum MasterCard (with no CashBack) and the RBS CashCustoms MasterCard? What do they typically look for? Two years of credit with a couple lines of credit? If approved for the non-rewards card, how easy or difficult would it be to be converted to the CustomsCash? Thanks again.
I know that applying for the CashCustoms card is only availible online to people with invitation codes, but has anyone tried calling the 800 number and lied to the rep and said you have a invitation via mail? Would they actually ask for the invite number or would they take your word for it?
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Dec. 29, 2005 @ 3:51p
mofowutz said: how easy or difficult would it be to be converted to the CustomsCash? Thanks again.
I know that applying for the CashCustoms card is only availible online to people with invitation codes, but has anyone tried calling the 800 number and lied to the rep and said you have a invitation via mail? Would say you have absolutely no chance. Including my time as a Peoples card holder, which RBS bought I have been a customer for over 10 years. Have a very high limit with them and have never once been late with paying off balance in full every month. I called and was told no, Invite only and that I would have to stick with my regular 1% reward.
RS4Rings
Back in Rehab
posted: Jan. 21, 2006 @ 3:07p
If anyone is still interested in this card found out you no longer need an invitation and can just call 1-888-426-1114 to apply
Skipping 78 Messages...
p8er
Member
posted: Mar. 24, 2007 @ 11:18a
I have been using the card since last October, and just now had a month in which the $30 cap was reached. So I'll get a $30 check, and the 'CustomCash remaining' stays the same as 'CustomCash beginning balance' on the statement. I'm only missing about 20 cents from the top, because of the cap, so that's not too bad of a loss.
p8er said: got an invitation offer in the mail the other day for this card, and in the details it says the cap is $30 a month now.
Probably will still apply though, and try putting $1,000 a month in one 'category', other than gas/groceries/Drugstore.
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