Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Email this2:26 pm
July 27, 2020
Offline
For those of you that suffered through Meridian CU's painful switch of back-end credit card processors several months ago, here's a new problem in 2024:
Purchases (i.e. gas stations, grocery stores) that are supposed to receive 4% rewards on the Visa Infinite Cash Back card have only received 1% rewards (in my account, anyway) since January 1st, 2024.
I have confirmed that the correct MCC codes are coming through, so it's not a mistake on my end purchasing from retailers that don't conform to the expectations. In fact, I made two separate purchases from exactly the same store on Dec 31st and again on Jan 1st: 4% was credited for the Dec 31st purchase but only 1% for the Jan 1st purchase.
I have alerted Meridian via secure message which was acknowledged, but that was a week ago and no update has been provided from them since. Just a heads-up to check your rewards accounts if you have this same card in your wallet.
6:24 pm
August 27, 2015
Offline
Thanks for the heads-up. Have they solved the problem yet?
BTW where do you check the reward %?
Thanks
7:39 pm
December 20, 2019
Offline
Look out for the term "eligible purchases" in their terms, it basically means anything they seem fit.... or not.
I passed on the cards because that term sounded too suspicious to me. Either I get 1% on everything or not. What the heck is Eligible? Who determines that?
9:31 pm
July 27, 2020
Offline
tc said
Thanks for the heads-up. Have they solved the problem yet?
BTW where do you check the reward %?
Thanks
Not yet - I asked for an update via secure message the same day I posted, but no meaningful response yet, and certainly no resolution. I have trusted that Meridian will correct the issue and I have continued to use the card, but still only receiving 1% on gas and groceries since.
To check the status of the rewards in your own account, you will need to login to your Meridian account, then click on the "View Rewards" link. I will admit to being a newbie at this... if I can post a screenshot I will.
9:56 pm
July 27, 2020
Offline
KamWest said
Look out for the term "eligible purchases" in their terms, it basically means anything they seem fit.... or not.I passed on the cards because that term sounded too suspicious to me. Either I get 1% on everything or not. What the heck is Eligible? Who determines that?
Meridian (and many other CC issuers with similar types of rewards cards focused on specific purchase categories) provide the "bonus" rewards based on the MCC codes that are recorded with each purchase. If you purchase something at a grocery store, the transaction will have a specific MCC code associated with it that identifies that the transaction took place at a grocery store. Some stores that are a bit ambiguous (a Walmart Superstore for example), where they may not be focused purely on groceries, may use a different MCC code that will not trigger the "groceries" rewards.
Personally, I do not use my premium rewards card in a store that is not focused on the sales category where my "Bonus" rewards are not certain to be offered - the MCC code used is up to the retailer.
Until now, this has not been a problem with Meridian. I remain hopeful they will sort this out in short order.
4:44 am
April 6, 2013
Offline
Bill reported a difference between a Visa and a MasterCard at Walmart Superstores. I found that Walmart Superstores have a different MCC for MasterCard charges than for Visa charges.
The MCC is a groceries one for MasterCard and "Discount stores" for Visa.
5:03 am
November 18, 2017
Offline
My Amex bill shows the category for each charge as coded for bonuses. I expect most other cards will too.
RetirEd
10:28 am
August 27, 2015
Offline
WestCentral said
For those of you that suffered through Meridian CU's painful switch of back-end credit card processors several months ago, here's a new problem in 2024:Purchases (i.e. gas stations, grocery stores) that are supposed to receive 4% rewards on the Visa Infinite Cash Back card have only received 1% rewards (in my account, anyway) since January 1st, 2024.
I have confirmed that the correct MCC codes are coming through, so it's not a mistake on my end purchasing from retailers that don't conform to the expectations. In fact, I made two separate purchases from exactly the same store on Dec 31st and again on Jan 1st: 4% was credited for the Dec 31st purchase but only 1% for the Jan 1st purchase.
I have alerted Meridian via secure message which was acknowledged, but that was a week ago and no update has been provided from them since. Just a heads-up to check your rewards accounts if you have this same card in your wallet.
Westcentral -- I just spent the last hour talking to Meridian credit card services.
I have the same problem as you, earning only 1% as of Jan 1/24.
The Rep couldn't answer my questions but transferred me to Financial services who are supposed to be the experts on credit card program.
Apparently the $25000 cap on groceries and gas is NOT a yearly cap. It's accumulating from Day one you owned the card
Once you reached $25000, it reverts back to 1%.
I deliberately charged a grocery transaction to test. Sure enough it earned only 1%.
I hope this satisfies your quiry. Call them to confirm.
Tc
6:08 am
June 21, 2023
Offline
I've considered this card, so I'm following this with interest. A lifetime limit would end my interest in this card. It sounds like it needs some escalation.
According to the rewards program rules linked from the Meridian Visa Infinite Cashback card section its reset yearly:
Visa Infinite* Cash Back
4 points/ $1 on the first $25,000* CAD spent across gas and groceries.
*Once annual spend maximums are reached, the Program will reward 1 point/$1 spent. The cap will reset annually, on January 1st.
But yet, the main page for that card has a note at the bottom phrased like this:
^Applies to first $25,000 in purchases then 1% for all other purchases.
8:43 am
November 8, 2018
Offline
Wait until you get first credit card statement in January and see if annual cap is reset after that.
This is how it works with TD Visa Infinite Cash Back. It has annual cap on groceries. It is not reset on January 1st, but after date of CC statement in January.
It could be that Meridian Visa Infinite Cash Back is different, but could be same rules set by Visa.
5:08 pm
July 27, 2020
Offline
Update:
I phoned in on Jan 26th, and the Meridian CSR assured me that they are aware of the problem (meaning it is systemic and not just my account) and pledged to get the missing rewards added to my account. Unfortunately they couldn't provide an estimated time for resolution.
I phoned the behind-the-scenes credit card rewards provider (ScoreCard Rewards) later the same day to ask them if they were aware of the problem. The CSR I spoke with did not offer any information about the problem or acknowledge a systemic problem, but did offer to place a "ticket" on my file to try to get resolution.
New grocery transactions for purchases late last week and over the weekend that posted to my account today (Monday Jan 29) do show the correct 4% rewards, but no correction to the transactions earlier in January at this time.
@ tc: My experience does not match yours. The $25K cap does appear to be an annual cap as per the T&C that diamondsandrain posted above, and the problem appears to be in the process of being corrected.
7:36 pm
September 30, 2017
Offline
SCORECARD rings a bell ... it keeps score on my Home Trust VISA, so far so good there
12:47 am
August 27, 2015
Offline
WestCentral said
Update:I phoned in on Jan 26th, and the Meridian CSR assured me that they are aware of the problem (meaning it is systemic and not just my account) and pledged to get the missing rewards added to my account. Unfortunately they couldn't provide an estimated time for resolution.
I phoned the behind-the-scenes credit card rewards provider (ScoreCard Rewards) later the same day to ask them if they were aware of the problem. The CSR I spoke with did not offer any information about the problem or acknowledge a systemic problem, but did offer to place a "ticket" on my file to try to get resolution.
New grocery transactions for purchases late last week and over the weekend that posted to my account today (Monday Jan 29) do show the correct 4% rewards, but no correction to the transactions earlier in January at this time.
@ tc: My experience does not match yours. The $25K cap does appear to be an annual cap as per the T&C that diamondsandrain posted above, and the problem appears to be in the process of being corrected.
WestCentral said
Update:I phoned in on Jan 26th, and the Meridian CSR assured me that they are aware of the problem (meaning it is systemic and not just my account) and pledged to get the missing rewards added to my account. Unfortunately they couldn't provide an estimated time for resolution.
I phoned the behind-the-scenes credit card rewards provider (ScoreCard Rewards) later the same day to ask them if they were aware of the problem. The CSR I spoke with did not offer any information about the problem or acknowledge a systemic problem, but did offer to place a "ticket" on my file to try to get resolution.
New grocery transactions for purchases late last week and over the weekend that posted to my account today (Monday Jan 29) do show the correct 4% rewards, but no correction to the transactions earlier in January at this time.
@ tc: My experience does not match yours. The $25K cap does appear to be an annual cap as per the T&C that diamondsandrain posted above, and the problem appears to be in the process of being corrected.
@westcentral, are you getting 4% now?
Is the problem finally fixed?
Thanks
tc
11:16 pm
July 27, 2020
Offline
@tc: No change since my last post. All transactions that are supposed to earn 4% rewards have done so since Jan 29th, but no resolution to the missing rewards in January yet.
9:37 pm
March 5, 2020
Offline
I stay away from credit cards issued by non-banks like Meridian, Rogers and etc. They do not have the same infrastructure as the major banks to process credit card transactions and are known to have dubious practices when it comes to rewards aka they are cheap. They promise you the moon when they entice you to sign up but when you want them to pay up, they pull back and tell you this does not qualify, that does not qualify and wants to pay you nothing. I have spent hours with Rogers on these issues and it's a pain. Now I am even having problems with Scotia with their special offer rates and Scotia Bank is a Schedule A bank.
Seriously if I am not going to get paid, I am not going to sign up no matter how good the advertised rates are. Stick with CIBC, AMEX, TD, Royal Bank, Tangerine. These are all good. MBNA and Capital One are the only non-bank credit cards that I use. Capital One is particularly good. Their no-annual fee 1% on everything with no limit card is very handy to have especially when they give you huge amount of credit limit so when all else fails, you can always use Capital One. Capital One's customer service is amazing. It's the only customer service where you can get everything resolved within 5 minutes without ever being put on hold. MBNA's customer service used to be good too where they used to address me by my first name before I even started speaking to them until they outsourced their customer service to the Philippines then everything just started to go downhill.
Please write your comments in the forum.