Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience? [Now a "no annual fee" card]

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sunny_socal
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Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience? [Now a "no annual fee" card]

Post by sunny_socal »

[This is now a "no annual fee" card. See the update in this post --admin LadyGeek]

I have a Fidelity 2% card and I've been happy with it. But I took at look at my spending through it, close to 48k/year. (I run everything except our mortgage through it.)

I'm thinking of getting the Alliant 3/2.5 card which is even better, now that the USAA 2.5 option seems to have disappeared.

Questions:
- Must I join the Alliant CU?
- Is there a requirement to join some kind of club as well? (eg. "Freelancers Union" per some web reports)
- Do they require income verification?
- Do they perform a hard pull? What credit agency? (My accounts are frozen)
- If I wish to add my wife, can I do this at the time of application or does it require a new application & pull? I read somewhere that another user could be added if the application is submitted via snail mail

So it sounds like a hassle, but I'm hoping someone here has first hand experience
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

LOL, found out their 'back door' for membership - donate a small amount to their favorite charity
https://www.alliantcreditunion.com/Appl ... ity/Donate
Saving$
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Saving$ »

Alliant is a great Credit Union - competitive rates, good service. This card gives 3% cash back the first year with no fee. So for the first year it is a no brainer.

After the first year, it gives 2.5% but with a $59 fee. I think you have to spend over $12k/year on the card to make this a better deal than the Fidelity 2% cash back with no fee. Any spending level under $12k and the differential between the cash back on this vs the Fidelity won't overcome the fee. Any spending over $12k and the 2.5% card nets more, even after the fee, than the 2% card.

$12k spend returns
= $240 @2%
= $300 @2.5%
itworks
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by itworks »

Not able to answer some of your questions, but I do have the card and am standardizing my expense on this card. With a similar expense rate as you, I feel it is an excellent choice, even with the $59 annual fee.

- You have to join Alliant CU before you can get the card. I joined Alliant CU more than 10 years ago. Not recalling what I did at that time. Could be donating to some charity.
- Pretty sure the credit card needs a hard pull. I owned the lowed version of the Visa card, and called them to 'upgrade' it to the Signature version. No hard pull is needed for my case. (Fitting my situation well since I have placed freeze on those bureaus.)
- I simply online-messaged them to add my spouse as an authorized user.

So far I do not have much to say, because I only used it for a few weeks. (I should have done it much earlier with my expense rate :oops:)

The downside is the transactions showing up in Alliant website really slow; I mean they do show up in real time, but tagged as 'pending' transactions for 3-4 days or even longer. Occasionally some funny spurious entries listed and then disappeared after probably one day. Also looks like the phone calls regarding the credit card are almost always got transferred to 'another department'.

My best guess is Alliant CU is working with some 'real' providers, and Alliant's server is sync'ing up with the provider's server but the sync still had glitches. Also the CC account quries are also routed to the 'real' providers.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by mikep »

Here's another perspective on why I decided against it (for now).

Spending $48k per year would get you another 1% or $480 the first year over the fidelity 2%. Then future years would only be $240- $59 fee = $181 per year. Certainly not insignificant, but there are only so many cards one can get if one is going after travel cards and rewards [Chase 5/24 rule]. There are many cards offering more than $480 for meeting a signup bonus of several thousand dollars. The $48k per year is best spent on minimum spends on different cards for thousands more in return than the $960 received from the 2%.

I personally have looked at this but would rather spend the 5/24 inquiry on a card with a >$500 sign up bonus instead. Going after signup bonuses and minimum spending return will always be worth more than 2% or even 3%. Once I have gone through all the card minimum spends I want, then I will try for this card.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

I applied for membership to the CU:
1. Had to unfreeze my Transunion for a little while. They do a soft pull during CU membership application and a hard pull during the card application
2. CU application required a detailed personal profile, completed online. They ask a few questions based on your credit profile (eg. past addresses are presented for verification)

It did not immediately go through, I was left with this message:
Thank you for submitting your application for Alliant Credit Union membership. Your application requires manual review by an Alliant representative at this time. In most cases, a manual review is necessary when the personal information entered in the application doesn’t exactly match available records, so additional information is needed to complete the application process. You will receive an email within two business days updating you on the status of your application and/or requesting additional information. If you don’t hear from an Alliant representative within two business days, feel free to call us at 800-328-1935 to discuss your application status.
I called their CS rep about the card:
- Can I add my wife as an authorized user? Yes, this can be done after the card is approved, no separate application or credit pull
- Is there income verification? Yes, they require your last two pay stubs
- Credit agency used? Transunion

So this is certainly more of a pain than most CC applications but for me the card seems worth it. I do take advantage of bank/CC bonuses once in a while but I don't chase them. I'll be able to pick up a couple bonuses each year while still having a nice 2.5% card for everyday use.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by UpperNwGuy »

itworks wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:17 pm The downside is the transactions showing up in Alliant website really slow; I mean they do show up in real time, but tagged as 'pending' transactions for 3-4 days or even longer. Occasionally some funny spurious entries listed and then disappeared after probably one day. Also looks like the phone calls regarding the credit card are almost always got transferred to 'another department'.

My best guess is Alliant CU is working with some 'real' providers, and Alliant's server is sync'ing up with the provider's server but the sync still had glitches. Also the CC account quries are also routed to the 'real' providers.
Ha! I think you broke the code. I have noticed similar phenomena with my PenFed Power Cash 2% card: long pending times for transactions, spurious transactions that show up and disappear, calls being transferred to "another department." I remember asking one of the reps at the other department recently, "Are you a PenFed employee?" and I got a somewhat evasive answer.
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dollar_elbow
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by dollar_elbow »

When I applied I was told that they needed proof of making at least $100k per year to be considered for the card. You might want to consider this if you don't want to give them financial details.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by an_asker »

mikep wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:17 pm Here's another perspective on why I decided against it (for now).

Spending $48k per year would get you another 1% or $480 the first year over the fidelity 2%. Then future years would only be $240- $59 fee = $181 per year. Certainly not insignificant, but there are only so many cards one can get if one is going after travel cards and rewards [Chase 5/24 rule]. There are many cards offering more than $480 for meeting a signup bonus of several thousand dollars. The $48k per year is best spent on minimum spends on different cards for thousands more in return than the $960 received from the 2%.

I personally have looked at this but would rather spend the 5/24 inquiry on a card with a >$500 sign up bonus instead. Going after signup bonuses and minimum spending return will always be worth more than 2% or even 3%. Once I have gone through all the card minimum spends I want, then I will try for this card.
Mike:

Quick couple of questions partially OT.

- if we (can we?) apply for this card in our teenager's name, would it count against the co-signer for the 5/24 rule?

- do you know the best website that'll help me keep track of credit card bonuses? I am specifically eyeing the 60k southwest miles with Chase but am at 4/24 right now, so need to tread lightly! :oops:
mikep
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by mikep »

an_asker wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:23 pm
mikep wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:17 pm Here's another perspective on why I decided against it (for now).

Spending $48k per year would get you another 1% or $480 the first year over the fidelity 2%. Then future years would only be $240- $59 fee = $181 per year. Certainly not insignificant, but there are only so many cards one can get if one is going after travel cards and rewards [Chase 5/24 rule]. There are many cards offering more than $480 for meeting a signup bonus of several thousand dollars. The $48k per year is best spent on minimum spends on different cards for thousands more in return than the $960 received from the 2%.

I personally have looked at this but would rather spend the 5/24 inquiry on a card with a >$500 sign up bonus instead. Going after signup bonuses and minimum spending return will always be worth more than 2% or even 3%. Once I have gone through all the card minimum spends I want, then I will try for this card.
Mike:

Quick couple of questions partially OT.

- if we (can we?) apply for this card in our teenager's name, would it count against the co-signer for the 5/24 rule?

- do you know the best website that'll help me keep track of credit card bonuses? I am specifically eyeing the 60k southwest miles with Chase but am at 4/24 right now, so need to tread lightly! :oops:
Authorized users still count towards 5/24. You might be able to get it removed during a call with Chase reconsideration line if denied.

60k is for the business card. Business cards don't count toward 5/24, but 5/24 rules apply to them. So I would suggest to apply for all the biz cards before you get to 5/24.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Mudpuppy »

an_asker wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:23 pm - if we (can we?) apply for this card in our teenager's name, would it count against the co-signer for the 5/24 rule?
As dollar_elbow pointed out, Alliant has targeted high-income earners for this card. I've also read that they are very conservative in approving people for the card on other sources (myFICO forums, Doctor of Credit, etc). I highly doubt they would authorize the card for someone without their own income that would require co-signers.
itworks
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by itworks »

Here is a question on setting up recurring automatic payment for this card. Unlike most credit cards, the Alliant webpage to setup auto-payment does not say "which day to post the payment". Usually there is a choice to specify either an absolute date of each month, or a date relative to the due date.

Assume the due date is 5th of each month, if I use Alliant webpage to setup auto-payment on Dec. 20th, does it mean the payment date is pegged at 20th, or just the due date?
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

Minor update.

Alliant CU memberhip
- No progress here, decided to call them
- CS rep said "it will take a couple days to review", I must wait for an email
- They also said I could apply for the CC in parallel, so I did

Alliant 3/2.5% card application
- Completed the lengthy online application
- Uploaded last two pay stubs per previous conversation with CS rep
- About 10 minute later I got an email saying I must unfreeze my Equifax and Chexsystem credit reports. (This step was not mentioned by anyone nor have I seen it in any ACU online reviews.)
- I unfroze my Equifax, I've never frozen with Chexsystems

So far I would rate the Allied CC application about as difficult as applying for a HELOC. Not a huge pain, but far more complicated than other bank/CC applications.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

Another update.

My Alliant CC was 'approved':
- Requested $25k limit, it was approved (much higher limits were available but I don't think I need it and didn't want to push it)
- Had to enter my wife's full info twice, including SS. Previously a CS rep said they will not pull her credit, we shall see...
- They requested last two pay stubs (or W2) and an ID. I uploaded my driver license, had already uploaded pay stubs previously.
- It is not final yet, there is a Docusign step still pending for the loan documents

It's definitely as bad as applying for a real loan.

Note, there seems to be no need to apply for CU membership. I had applied at the end of last week but haven't heard anything back. They will give you a complimentary membership in a charity if you cannot apply by other means, so just apply for the CC directly if you're interested.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

I guess I was approved! I went through a round of 'Docusign' at the end along with another questionnaire about all the places I've lived over the last 20 years (no joke.) I received an email saying I will receive a welcome packet via snail mail with my member ID.

Summary:
- Alliant is very picky, compared to a regular credit card there are about 5x as many questions to answer
- They really want to see 100k income if applying for the credit card and will ask for proof. Must also upload copy of ID.
- Be prepared to provide the SS for everyone who gets a card
- You'll need to unfreeze both Transunion and Equifax
- Alliant mostly serves residents of Illinois, but anyone can join if you select 'Foster Care To Success' membership. Didn't cost anything.

*whew!* :wink:
gougou
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by gougou »

I applied for the credit card without joining the CU. Application was denied a few hours later with no explanations given to me. Called and they couldn't give me a reason. Maybe I have applied to too many credit cards recently.

Credit score around 750, income > $200K, 6 to 7 credit cards and 1 mortgage in the past 2 years.
The sillier the market’s behavior, the greater the opportunity for the business like investor.
an_asker
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by an_asker »

Mudpuppy wrote: Sat Dec 16, 2017 1:37 pm
an_asker wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:23 pm - if we (can we?) apply for this card in our teenager's name, would it count against the co-signer for the 5/24 rule?
As dollar_elbow pointed out, Alliant has targeted high-income earners for this card. I've also read that they are very conservative in approving people for the card on other sources (myFICO forums, Doctor of Credit, etc). I highly doubt they would authorize the card for someone without their own income that would require co-signers.
Thanks for the info, Mudpuppy and Mikep. It appears that it might be a good idea to wait and apply later sometime next year. I hope they're not that strict on the 100k+ income!
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

I have received:
- Several "Welcome to Alliant" emails
- Several "Welcome to Alliant" packets in the mail
- Two Alliant account numbers in the mail
- One Alliant PIN (no indication of associated account number), in the mail
- Zero credit cards

Lesson:
- Either apply for the credit card alone, or
- Apply for the account, then apply for the credit card

They seem to like snail mail, expecting this to take another week to sort out :?
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by whodidntante »

Another "elite" card of interest is BoA premium combined with platinum honors. It is easy to do if you can park 100k at Merrill Edge. And you get bonuses for the checking, for the credit card, and for the brokerage. It is a compelling package. BoA is not picky.
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

I finally got the card! It's rather unremarkable and the 16-digit number is printed in small letters on the back rather than embossed on the front.

Converting all my online bill pay and shopping baskets to the Alliant, looking forward to this! It's the "USAA 2.5%" card for the rest of us :beer

Web shot:
Image
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by SuperGrafx »

sunny_socal wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:28 am I finally got the card! It's rather unremarkable and the 16-digit number is printed in small letters on the back rather than embossed on the front.

I think that's the new trend.
My Citi Double Cash also eschews the embossed front number system. Everything is silkscreened onto the back of the card...not sure if this is for security or perhaps durability purposes?
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by duckcalldan »

sunny_socal wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:28 am I finally got the card! It's rather unremarkable and the 16-digit number is printed in small letters on the back rather than embossed on the front.

Converting all my online bill pay and shopping baskets to the Alliant, looking forward to this! It's the "USAA 2.5%" card for the rest of us :beer

Web shot:
Image
I am a longtime Alliant customer, but I don’t use them for bill pay anymore. You cannot pick a date that it will arrive at the payee. You can only pick the date it will leave your Alliant account, and hope it gets there on time. What’s worse is any new payee, even a well-known one like Amex, will display as being paid by a paper check rather than electronically. It most likely will be paid electronically, but I find their bill pay platform unacceptable, and have move my bill paying to Fidelity. I hope you have a better experience.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

duckcalldan wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2017 5:12 pm
sunny_socal wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:28 am I finally got the card! It's rather unremarkable and the 16-digit number is printed in small letters on the back rather than embossed on the front.

Converting all my online bill pay and shopping baskets to the Alliant, looking forward to this! It's the "USAA 2.5%" card for the rest of us :beer

Web shot:
Image
I am a longtime Alliant customer, but I don’t use them for bill pay anymore. You cannot pick a date that it will arrive at the payee. You can only pick the date it will leave your Alliant account, and hope it gets there on time. What’s worse is any new payee, even a well-known one like Amex, will display as being paid by a paper check rather than electronically. It most likely will be paid electronically, but I find their bill pay platform unacceptable, and have move my bill paying to Fidelity. I hope you have a better experience.
That's not what I'm using it for, I don't use Alliant as a "bank." I merely send my Hulu/Cable/Netflix/Paypal/Amazon/Insurance bills to the Alliant credit card. The only reason I have checking/savings @ Alliant is because I was forced to set them up in conjunction with the credit card. (Alliant is a CU and you become a "member" once you have a savings account.)

I pay the Alliant card separately from my Chase account, monthly.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by mikep »

an_asker wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:23 pm
mikep wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:17 pm Here's another perspective on why I decided against it (for now).

Spending $48k per year would get you another 1% or $480 the first year over the fidelity 2%. Then future years would only be $240- $59 fee = $181 per year. Certainly not insignificant, but there are only so many cards one can get if one is going after travel cards and rewards [Chase 5/24 rule]. There are many cards offering more than $480 for meeting a signup bonus of several thousand dollars. The $48k per year is best spent on minimum spends on different cards for thousands more in return than the $960 received from the 2%.

I personally have looked at this but would rather spend the 5/24 inquiry on a card with a >$500 sign up bonus instead. Going after signup bonuses and minimum spending return will always be worth more than 2% or even 3%. Once I have gone through all the card minimum spends I want, then I will try for this card.
Mike:

Quick couple of questions partially OT.

- if we (can we?) apply for this card in our teenager's name, would it count against the co-signer for the 5/24 rule?

- do you know the best website that'll help me keep track of credit card bonuses? I am specifically eyeing the 60k southwest miles with Chase but am at 4/24 right now, so need to tread lightly! :oops:
I like reddit.com/r/churning or doctorofcredit.com. The alliant card is tempting for the 3%, but you had to jump through way too many hoops. If there is a sign up bonus I might be more interested, as I get close enough to that value out of UR/SPG points now. Maybe when I finish up chase over 5/24 I'll look at this again.

Once you have it though it looks like you can make money paying taxes or bills through plastiq where the fee is usually lower than the cash back on this card.
sto
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sto »

I just joined Allian without pay any donation. There is a option for `freelance` in the dropdown that you can choice.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Mudpuppy »

sto wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:25 pm I just joined Allian without pay any donation. There is a option for `freelance` in the dropdown that you can choice.
That option is supposed to be for members of the Freelancers Union, https://www.freelancersunion.org/, not for any general freelancer. It doesn't sound like Alliant actually checks on union membership, but just be aware that is what you are telling them when you sign up for the account. It's currently free to join the actual Freelancers Union, so you could do that as well, although I don't know what sort of privacy policy the Freelancers Union has on their membership list.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by jrbdmb »

whodidntante wrote: Tue Dec 26, 2017 10:12 pm Another "elite" card of interest is BoA premium combined with platinum honors. It is easy to do if you can park 100k at Merrill Edge. And you get bonuses for the checking, for the credit card, and for the brokerage. It is a compelling package. BoA is not picky.
BoA is getting pickier than they used to be. In contrast to when some churners applied for up to a dozen (!) MLB Cash Rewards credit cards in a single day, BoA now has rules that limit you to no more than 3 new cards in a year and 4 new cards in 2 years. Anecdotal evidence at Doctor of Credit also suggests they are denying many more apps than they used to.
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

Got my first month's cash back bonus today, $112! :D

They provide three options for redemption:
1. Statement Credit
2. Deposit to Checking account
3. Deposit to Savings account

Their savings account yields 1.3% at this time, so naturally I went with option [3]

Very happy so far! :beer
Last edited by sunny_socal on Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Voltron
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Voltron »

Got $1000 cash back on alliant. I am very pleased.
jaj2276
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by jaj2276 »

I opened a credit card with Alliant last fall when I had a less than pleasing experience with Citi and my Double Cash card.

As has been detailed earlier in the thread, the application process was by far the most intensive process I've ever experienced with a credit card. Short of having someone appraise my house, it was not much different than getting a mortgage.

Everything is working as expected but their website/technology isn't all that great. Their website looks like it's from a credit union/regional bank (which they are). I'd still go with Double Cash if I wasn't trying to teach Citi a lesson (even with me spending north of $50k/yr on this credit card).

I now have three CCs.

1) Alliant (everything except...)
2) Amazon (amazon purchases get me 5%)
3) Chase Freedom (rotating quarterly categories get me 5%).
itworks
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Fight night tale on this card

Post by itworks »

What happened as of now is a bit unsettling. So Mint showed me there are two charges from hotels.com on this card today. It caught my eye immediately due to the exactly duplicated amount. I logged into alliant site and found 6 charges listed under the "pending transactions" section. Four are suspicious charges made today, and the other two are legitimate charges made yesterday. Among the 4 suspicious charges, 2 of them are duplicates, about $440 through 'HOTELS.COM'. The other two suspicious charges occurred in New York, a few thousand miles away from where I live.

I called the customer service number listed in the back of the card, but could not reach any human support representative. The funny thing is, the machine voice says "choose 4 to report lost and dispute charge", but when I indeed choose 4, it just says "invalid choice". Choosing "0" (the usual trick to reach a live people) meets a message "please contact your finance institution" and then the machine hangs me up.

So I called Alliant Credit Union instead. Glad that Alliant has 24X7 support, but I was quickly transferred to credit card department and bang, I was redirected back to the same machine voice and reached a dead loop.

Then for no reason, I refreshed the Alliant web page. Ladies and gentleman, you need to believe what I said here: Now only two charges are listed under the 'pending charges' section. Among the 4 evaporated charges, 2 of them are the duplicated 'HOTELS.COM' charge, and 2 of them are legitimate charges made yesterday. The remaining 2 are suspicious ones made in New York.

(I wish I had remembered to capture a screen shot with those 6 pending charges.)

Then I called the number listed in the back of the credit card. The system is in some drunk state now. Even after I typed the correct credit number and zip code, it keeps saying 'zip code does not match record'. I had to hang up and re-dial, and finally get in, but fall into the same dead-end.

Recalled that previously I have noticed suspicious entries (not so obvious as I saw today), I have to assume this is due to some system bugs or Friday night maintenance. I am hoping it is not really due to my card lost or stolen. I will retry again tomorrow.

Some conclusions:
1. The sync between the computer-system of the 'real card provider' and the computer system of Alliant definitely has glitches, particularly in the 'Pending Transactions' section. This probably partly explains why such transactions are listed as pending for unusually long time, compared to mainstream cards.
2. The voice system (supporting the number printed in the back of the card) is buggy. (or in maintenance?)
3. Alliant CU has superb customer service in areas except the credit card, and most times the CSR has to transfer to another department/number which is sub-par.
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Re: Fight night tale on this card

Post by KT785 »

itworks wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:51 pm What happened as of now is a bit unsettling. So Mint showed me there are two charges from hotels.com on this card today. It caught my eye immediately due to the exactly duplicated amount. I logged into alliant site and found 6 charges listed under the "pending transactions" section. Four are suspicious charges made today, and the other two are legitimate charges made yesterday. Among the 4 suspicious charges, 2 of them are duplicates, about $440 through 'HOTELS.COM'. The other two suspicious charges occurred in New York, a few thousand miles away from where I live.

I called the customer service number listed in the back of the card, but could not reach any human support representative. The funny thing is, the machine voice says "choose 4 to report lost and dispute charge", but when I indeed choose 4, it just says "invalid choice". Choosing "0" (the usual trick to reach a live people) meets a message "please contact your finance institution" and then the machine hangs me up.

So I called Alliant Credit Union instead. Glad that Alliant has 24X7 support, but I was quickly transferred to credit card department and bang, I was redirected back to the same machine voice and reached a dead loop.

Then for no reason, I refreshed the Alliant web page. Ladies and gentleman, you need to believe what I said here: Now only two charges are listed under the 'pending charges' section. Among the 4 evaporated charges, 2 of them are the duplicated 'HOTELS.COM' charge, and 2 of them are legitimate charges made yesterday. The remaining 2 are suspicious ones made in New York.

(I wish I had remembered to capture a screen shot with those 6 pending charges.)

Then I called the number listed in the back of the credit card. The system is in some drunk state now. Even after I typed the correct credit number and zip code, it keeps saying 'zip code does not match record'. I had to hang up and re-dial, and finally get in, but fall into the same dead-end.

Recalled that previously I have noticed suspicious entries (not so obvious as I saw today), I have to assume this is due to some system bugs or Friday night maintenance. I am hoping it is not really due to my card lost or stolen. I will retry again tomorrow.

Some conclusions:
1. The sync between the computer-system of the 'real card provider' and the computer system of Alliant definitely has glitches, particularly in the 'Pending Transactions' section. This probably partly explains why such transactions are listed as pending for unusually long time, compared to mainstream cards.
2. The voice system (supporting the number printed in the back of the card) is buggy. (or in maintenance?)
3. Alliant CU has superb customer service in areas except the credit card, and most times the CSR has to transfer to another department/number which is sub-par.
This is one of the major reasons I've held off pursuing the Alliant Visa Signature. Like most smaller banks/credit unions (other than the major card issuers like Chase, AMEX, Citi, etc.) they almost certainly outsource all of their credit card servicing other than underwriting. This means everyone you talk to about the card once it's opened, along with the web interface itself and any communications you receive are really a third party service provider to the bank/credit union as opposed to the bank/credit union itself.

Most people probably wouldn't notice, but there's a difference in the speed and level of service between the smaller institutions and the major banks . . . the trade-off is the potential for higher returns.

I'll stick with my Citi Double Cash card and stable of other cards (AMEX, Chase Freedom, Amazon Prime, Discover, etc.).
CDub
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by CDub »

mikep wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:17 pm Here's another perspective on why I decided against it (for now).

Spending $48k per year would get you another 1% or $480 the first year over the fidelity 2%. Then future years would only be $240- $59 fee = $181 per year. Certainly not insignificant, but there are only so many cards one can get if one is going after travel cards and rewards [Chase 5/24 rule]. There are many cards offering more than $480 for meeting a signup bonus of several thousand dollars. The $48k per year is best spent on minimum spends on different cards for thousands more in return than the $960 received from the 2%.

I personally have looked at this but would rather spend the 5/24 inquiry on a card with a >$500 sign up bonus instead. Going after signup bonuses and minimum spending return will always be worth more than 2% or even 3%. Once I have gone through all the card minimum spends I want, then I will try for this card.
I'm relatively new to the churning game - and have also been using the Fidelity 2% for primary spend the last couple years. For now, I'm in this boat as well...will probably be going after 3-4 sign up bonuses this year (and next), meeting the minimum spend on those and then signing up for another. Wife thinks that's too complicated so I'll have her just keep using the fidelity visa for her purchases.

Once I've tapped out the best ROI churnable cards, I'll probably take a break and consider the Alliant card.
zoneinfo
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by zoneinfo »

Another negative of Alliant and their CashBack card is that unlike most (all?) other cash back cards, you have to login and manually "request" your money. Else you never get your money. Others like Fidelity or PenFed cards would automatically credit your account. Not Alliant.

Relevant details:

https://www.alliantcreditunion.org/imag ... itions.pdf
III. Redeeming Cash Back
<login to Alliant, go to options, click Cash Back, get redirected to a new 3rd party website, fill in your email/phone number details. Get a "security code"...>

IV. Cash Back Expiration
<1. Cash Back expires on a rolling basis on the december of the 4th calendar year in which it was earned.
2. When you close your account, we keep any cash back you haven't manually redeemed via III above>
dustinst22
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by dustinst22 »

I have the card -- going through the application was typical credit union loan application style.

I think it was worthwhile for the first year w/no annual fee and 3%, but debating closing it out before my annual fee hits. As others have mentioned, with churning there are much better cards out there to get for rewards. I prefer having no-annual back ups for various categories and eliminating all annual fee cards except those I'm churning. I know going forward I'm not going to be spending as much on the card once the 3% return is gone. It was pretty sweet to use on my rent, which charges 2.2% -- but again, can just use a churn card for that as well. It was pretty cool seeing how much I could build up in the Alliant 1.5% savings acc on just CC rewards. It's now a decent little emergency fund.
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

Still loving this card! Will be moving soon and we're putting a lot of money through the card. My last couple cash back rewards have been over $300 per month :mrgreen:
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whodidntante
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by whodidntante »

sunny_socal wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:28 am I finally got the card! It's rather unremarkable and the 16-digit number is printed in small letters on the back rather than embossed on the front.

Converting all my online bill pay and shopping baskets to the Alliant, looking forward to this! It's the "USAA 2.5%" card for the rest of us :beer

Web shot:
Image
What does the back look like? :twisted:
Easy Rhino
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Easy Rhino »

the back has the actual card number, expiration date, and CVV code, which is probably why he doesn't have a picture of it :)

i've got the card, just hit my 1 year anniversary (and the fee). it's a good card.

Only notes:

1) The card servicing is indeed outsource to a third party. Alliant does work with their website to integrate it and make it look like it's all the same, but it's still a little... separate. This rarely has a material impact on anything.

2) when you get your cash back, redeem back to your account. If you elect a statement credit you have to wait until your next statement cycle for it to pay.

3) One month the CC autopayment tried to withdraw twice. The second payment bounced, alliant worked for a day to fix it (without my prodding). No harm done at the end, but my checking account sure looked crazy for a day.
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by LadyGeek »

This thread is now in the Personal Finance (Not Investing) forum (credit card).
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reimann
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by reimann »

I have had the card about 4 months. I didn't think the application was too bad.
Have had no problems with the card and I like it.
tannerd
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by tannerd »

I just upgraded to this card and wanted to know if the actual card was plastic or metal?

Thanks! :happy
Nummerkins
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Nummerkins »

tannerd wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:53 pm I just upgraded to this card and wanted to know if the actual card was plastic or metal?

Thanks! :happy
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sunny_socal
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by sunny_socal »

We just did a cross country move and put a lot of money through this card.

Cash back for the month: $453

Still loving it! :beer
DrivingFun
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by DrivingFun »

Still love this card. I don't partake in churning so this is still the best straight up cash back card even at 2.5% and $59. There are a few things I like about this card more than the Citi Double Cash (which I used prior to this card as my main card).
  • There is no minimum amount of cashback before you can withdraw it. There is none of that 1% now and 1% later business as with the CITI card.
  • It's a VISA, so I can use it at Costco. This is huge for me as we probably drop $500/month there.
  • No foreign transaction fee. I used this card in Germany last month, nice to know I'm not paying any additional fees as well as earning cashback while traveling.
Overall I continue to use this as my main card, paired up with the Chase Freedom for the 5% categories. It's a simple combination for those that aren't interesting in churning or travel a lot where the travel rewards become more lucrative. :sharebeer
jaj2276
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by jaj2276 »

DrivingFun wrote: Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:25 am Still love this card. I don't partake in churning so this is still the best straight up cash back card even at 2.5% and $59. There are a few things I like about this card more than the Citi Double Cash (which I used prior to this card as my main card).
  • There is no minimum amount of cashback before you can withdraw it. There is none of that 1% now and 1% later business as with the CITI card.
  • It's a VISA, so I can use it at Costco. This is huge for me as we probably drop $500/month there.
  • No foreign transaction fee. I used this card in Germany last month, nice to know I'm not paying any additional fees as well as earning cashback while traveling.
Overall I continue to use this as my main card, paired up with the Chase Freedom for the 5% categories. It's a simple combination for those that aren't interesting in churning or travel a lot where the travel rewards become more lucrative. :sharebeer
This is the similar to the combination I use. I add the Amazon 5% Prime card as well so I can get 5% from Amazon purchases.
jaj2276
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by jaj2276 »

Just got an email that says the annual fee is going up to $99/year from $59/year.
Coltrane75
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by Coltrane75 »

I've had it for a few months now and I like it. I can transfer the cash back directly to the savings account I have with them.

The recent hike in the annual fee from $59 to $99 is unfortunate but I'll still stick with it because it would still beat my reserve no fee 1.5% cash back card I have with Baxter Credit Union.
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mrmass
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by mrmass »

I have it and use it daily. I've had it for 5 months. I haven't received a notice yet about the AF increase. I'll probably cancel and switch to either my Fido/Elan or my State Dept Sig Visa.
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msi
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by msi »

mrmass wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:36 pm I have it and use it daily. I've had it for 5 months. I haven't received a notice yet about the AF increase. I'll probably cancel and switch to either my Fido/Elan or my State Dept Sig Visa.
How is the customer service on the State Dept Signature Visa? Outsourced? I was looking at this card the other day.
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mrmass
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Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?

Post by mrmass »

msi wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:38 pm
mrmass wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:36 pm I have it and use it daily. I've had it for 5 months. I haven't received a notice yet about the AF increase. I'll probably cancel and switch to either my Fido/Elan or my State Dept Sig Visa.
How is the customer service on the State Dept Signature Visa? Outsourced? I was looking at this card the other day.
Seems outsourced. Slightly different portal for CC payments etc. Also you cannot setup recurring payments. One time only. In this day in age what are they thinking? Even Alliant had auto recurring payment ability.

The approval process is a bit clunky-about 4 docusign events. Likely a hard pull. I joined some silly Consumer Alliance to be able to join. $8/year. I now think you really don't need to join it as there's no verification. Just choose Consumer yada yadayad on the dropdown during the setup process. You'll notice it.
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