CSC CHRONICALS 8

THE CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS DEBIT CARD PROGRAM. OR LACK THEREOF.

So today I get something in the mail from Chase Bank. The envelope said that there was something going on with my ultimate rewards debit card program, so I opened it. Reading through the one-page letter, they were making it clear that the Ultimate Rewards Debit Card Program was going to stop issuing rewards points for purchases after July 19, 2011. Funny thing is, they didn’t say much else other than that. I.e., they didn’t mention that the awards program was ending, or that you would get points in another way. Just that you wouldn’t get points for purchases anymore after that date.

And fairly, since you pay an annual fee for membership in the program, they were refunding me $11 in April for the prorated amount of membership. Now whether that truly amounts to a prorated based on my membership validation date, I really didn’t want to do the math. I’m sure millions of other people didn’t either, of which Chase is probably making about a few billion dollars.

So, Chase, how exactly will you earn points on this program if not with purchases? Care to send us another letter about it? Will it be through a lottery? Will it be to the person with the best credit? Will you just pick your favorite people randomly, based on may be gender preference or skin color? Then float them a few thousand points so they could get that new widescreen?

Or (very likely, as they are a bank in these modern times) maybe they’ll just keep the Ultimate Rewards Debit Card Program active with no benefit whatsoever — but continue to charge us an annual membership fee every year. Just for the heck of it.

Because that’s just the kind of thing banks do these days.