Can You Believe This--First USA

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by Hedwig, Aug 18, 2003.

  1. Hedwig

    Hedwig Well-Known Member

    I have two accounts with FirstUSA. One is a fairly low-limit account that my husband uses for his "personal" stuff (things that we don't buy with household money--I call it his "toys").

    He mailed a payment last Saturday. Monday, I check the web site and the payment was ALREADY posted. It was dated on Sunday.

    He mailed a check through snail mail. It went in our mailbox on Saturday.

    My question is, how did they do this? Most places don't even get mail deliveries on Sunday. Does FirstUSA have PO Box that gets mail posted on Sundays and they work 7 days so pick it up?

    I kept thinking it would be a mistake and they'd change it to a later date.

    Well, today he got his bank statement, and the check was in there--showing a date stamp from FirstUSA of August 10 (Sunday!)

    I've never seen a payment post so quickly!
     
  2. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    I use their web site to pay...it posts THAT DAY in most cases..."IF" it is too late in the day...it says it will credit the next day...YOU CAN MAKE THE PAYMENT ON YOUR PAY DAY...EVEN IF IT IS DAYS OR MORE THAN A WEEK AWAY. YOU CAN EVEN SET UP PAYMENTS MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
     
  3. Hedwig

    Hedwig Well-Known Member

    I often do that as well, but my husband likes to write checks. That's the reason I noticed the timing. I check it, and if the payment doesn't post by a couple of days before it's due, I can pay the minimum, at least, and not have to worry about late payments.

    I do know that they credit online payments on weekends, but I never saw a check mailed on Saturday and posted on Sunday, the next day!
     
  4. sam

    sam Well-Known Member

    yeah you never got a USPS next day air mail on sunday? The post office just takes a break for normal personal mail.

    but indeed you can get mail on sunday. very odd when it happens.

    the atlanta hub runs 24/7 (meaning you can walk in and mail stuff 24/7 in person.)
     
  5. Hedwig

    Hedwig Well-Known Member

    I know you can send Express Mail and have it delivered on Sundays. And I've seen post offices open 24/7 (LA, Baltimore, Denver to name a few). But this was just plain old 37-cent, stick it in the mailbox type mail. I guess that's why I was so shocked.

    But it's obvious that the credit card companies have at least customer service reps there 24/7. I was just surprised that the post office would deliver (or post in a mailbox) mail on Sunday. And then it had to be opened and posted on Sunday as well.

    Don't get me wrong--I'm very happy with the service. I was just surprised that it was so quick.
     
  6. RichC

    RichC Well-Known Member

    I'll give you one even worse. I used to work for a computer vendor that had equipment out at California Franchise Tax Board.

    They received complaints from people who mailed their taxes in and the check was cashed the VERY SAME day.

    FTBs priority, #1, is to get the money into the bank for the float. So USPS would pick it up in the AM and get it to them that same day, and FTB was so efficient at processing incoming money, that it could get processed in the same day.

    Too bad they weren't that efficient at sending the refunds out (lol), although that is their #2 priority (so they don't have to pay out any interest).
     
  7. Hedwig

    Hedwig Well-Known Member

    But I bet they waited until the last possible day to get out the refunds, to maximize their float.

    Years ago, I would probably have been upset at this, as I would have been relying on some float myself. But I'm in a better position now, and don't do that.

    This check, written Saturday, cleared his bank on Tuesday. So no float for us.
     
  8. RichC

    RichC Well-Known Member

    Actually, regarding the refunds, they don't. They didn't want to take a chance on exceeding the legal timeframe.

    So as soon as the tax return has gone through the validation steps, the refund check would be sent out (although, they don't directly issue the refunds...the refund information has to be forwarded to another State agency for the actual issuance of the refund check...therefore, FTBs caution in this area).

    This belongs in Ripleys Believe It or Not!
     

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