Beijing, February 12 (Xinhua) According to the economic voice "Daily 315", you may receive a credit card upgraded by the bank if you don’t apply for it specially. According to the reporter, many people have received more than one. Knowing that the annual fee may be charged after the credit card is opened, the cardholder simply does not activate it and thinks that there will be no problem, but it is not that simple.
Mr. Wang in Beijing has encountered such a situation. A few days ago, he received a platinum credit card from Huaxia Bank. Mr. Wang was puzzled at first. He didn’t apply. Why did the bank send this card? When he went to Huaxia Bank’s business outlets for consultation, the staff told him that it was because of his good consumption and credit records that he specially helped him upgrade this card, which is very common.
The customer service staff of Huaxia Bank explained that a short message was sent to him a few months ago. If you don’t reply, you will agree to apply for a card by default. If you don’t activate it, there will be no cost.
Huaxia Bank’s customer service staff said: "Because you used the card in good condition before, this card was distributed to you. Your titanium card can be used overseas, and the UnionPay 3D card was sent to you, which is more convenient to swipe it in China."
Mr. Wang: "But I didn’t apply for this card."
Huaxia Bank Customer Service: "In October 2017, there will be a text message to remind you that if you don’t reply’ No’, this card will be mailed to you by default."
Mr. Wang: "Does this card itself have annual fees and other expenses?"
Huaxia Bank Customer Service: "The annual fee of the new card you received is 680 yuan, which is free in the first year. If you spend five times in the first year, you will be free in the second year."
Mr. Wang: "If I don’t activate it, it means there is no annual fee, right?"
Huaxia Bank Customer Service: "Yes."
Don’t inactive credit cards have any impact on cardholders as long as they don’t charge? In fact, this inactive credit card data will also be registered in the personal credit record. For example, the approval time and specific amount of this card will be clearly displayed, and the words "This card has not been activated" will also be marked. When you really need a loan to buy a house, buy a car or have a loan demand in other aspects, these data will also become a reference for financial institutions such as banks. The reporter called the personal credit information system of the People’s Bank of China to inquire about related matters.
Reporter: "If I don’t activate for a long time, will it affect my future loan?"
China Bank’s credit inquiry system: "The credit center does not make any subjective evaluation of the data on your report. Whether you can handle business in the future depends on the institutions or banks that you will handle business in the future, and how you treat the data on your credit report is determined by their approval policies."
Another problem that deserves everyone’s attention is that in many cases, credit cards that are not activated or opened will also incur expenses. The reporter called the Credit Card Center of China Merchants Bank, and the customer service staff told the reporter that if the user chose express delivery when handling the credit card, the express fee in 20 yuan would be included in the credit card bill. If the user thinks that he has not spent money and does not pay attention to the bill of this card, there will be a credit card overdue record. In addition, some special credit cards also have card face fees. For example, the customer service staff of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank said that "privately ordered" cards, such as cards with card numbers, card materials or colors, will generate card face fees, which will also be reflected in the credit card bill.
Other credit cards, whether activated or not, will generate an annual fee as long as they are applied. For example, a platinum card or a higher-level credit card than a platinum card. This kind of credit card often has a lot of value-added services, and most banks have to bear a lot of expenses for these services every year, so even if Platinum cardholders don’t activate their cards, they have to charge an annual fee.
Compared with using a debit card, using a credit card will have a bill even if you don’t spend money. The annual fee rules of credit cards vary from bank to bank. Many banks’ credit cards will calculate the annual fee as long as they are opened, and users need to spend five or a certain amount to avoid the annual fee. However, some banks will change these rules, and if banks fail to fulfill their obligation to inform customers, it will bring a lot of trouble to credit card users.
The customer service staff of the personal credit inquiry agency of the People’s Bank of China said that as long as it is a credit card bill, no matter whether it is dozens or hundreds, it will be regarded as overdue if it is not returned at maturity, which will affect the personal credit record.
However, there are many precautions for canceling credit cards, otherwise it will also bring bad influence to your personal credit information:
1. The card to be cancelled should not be in arrears. Before you cancel your card, make sure whether there is any outstanding balance on your credit card. If you don’t know your repayment amount, you can call the card-holding bank for consultation. If you cancel your card before you pay it off, it will affect your personal credit information.
2. Do not use the card to be cancelled during the "account clearing period". Generally, when a bank cancels your card, it takes about 45 days to "clear the account", and the cancellation can only be arranged after ensuring that there is no delay in the transaction of the card. After waiting for the "account clearing period", in order to ensure the completion of card cancellation, it is recommended to call the bank’s customer service phone or go to the bank outlet for confirmation.
3. Cards with overdue records within two years should not be cancelled. The overdue records of credit cards will generally be kept in the credit report for 2 years. Even if the debts have been paid off, the records after the cancellation of the cards will be kept, and the normal use can only be guaranteed until the records are eliminated. Otherwise, it will affect your handling of financial services such as loans in the future.
4. Do I need to cancel the inactive credit card? Generally speaking, inactive ordinary credit cards do not generate annual fees, but some special cards are hard to say, so it is better to cancel the inactive credit cards in time if they are not used.
5. Pay enough free annual fee and then cancel the card. If your credit card needs to be swiped enough times or amount to be exempted from the annual fee, it is recommended to cancel the card after meeting the conditions, otherwise it is equivalent to not paying the annual fee and it will be overdue.
6. Remember to "destroy the card" when the card is cancelled. Make sure that after you have finished selling the card in the bank, you should immediately cut the magnetic stripe of the card in your hand, and don’t leave it lying around, causing unnecessary trouble.
Lu Yun, director of the Beijing Lawyers Association, the Legal Committee for Consumer Rights Protection, and Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer of Beijing Zhilin Law Firm, came to analyze and interpret related issues.
Voice of the Economy: Has Ms. Lu ever received an "uninvited" credit card from the bank? How is it handled?
Lu Yun: "I have never met it myself, but my friends around me have met it and asked us for advice. For this kind of "uninvited" credit card, I personally think that the handling of credit cards belongs to the category of consumers’ right to choose. Some banks send cards directly without the application of the parties. Once the cards are sent, some expenses may be incurred, including annual fees, courier fees and card fees. If these expenses are not paid in time, it will affect consumers’ personal credit investigation. Based on this, if consumers receive an’ uninvited’ credit card, they should still contact the card issuer in time to make a judgment according to their needs. "
Voice of the Economy: On the grounds that the user’s credit is good, it will be informed by SMS, and if the user does not reply, the user will agree to apply for a credit card by default. Is this form fair to credit card users?
Zhao Zhanling: "For this kind of short message, the security software used in many consumers’ mobile phones may blacklist the short messages sent by some banks, or the users may not see them in time, so the banks think that the users agree by default, which is unreasonable. Secondly, credit card processing needs the user’s consent. Credit card provides a kind of financial service, and actually processing credit card is to obtain the financial service provided by the bank. As a consumer, according to the law, users have the right to know and the right to choose independently, that is to say, whether to apply for a credit card and what kind of credit card should be chosen by users themselves, and it cannot be said that users agree to apply for it by default without SMS reply. This practice lacks legal basis. In addition, some banks may increase the overdraft limit for users on the grounds of good credit when users use credit cards. This is no problem, but some banks use this reason to help users open higher-level credit cards, which also needs to inform users. "
Voice of the Economy: Even if the card is not opened or activated, it will have an impact on the cardholder’s personal credit information, because these credit card data will be recorded in the personal credit information system, and it may also affect the application for loans in the future. If this has caused some negative effects, should banks be responsible for it?
Lu Yun: "First of all, banks should fulfill their obligation to inform and protect users’ right to know. In other words, when the user has this card, the bank needs to inform the user not only of the rights and interests he enjoys, but also of the risks and legal consequences he may bear. Secondly, credit investigation involves all aspects of personal life and work. Once it is overdue, the credit investigation system will record it even if 1 yuan is overdue and the repayment is 2 hours late. According to the Consumer Law, banks must explain and inform consumers in a significant way, and make necessary prompts. If they just send a text message or post some notices in the lobby, they have not fulfilled their obligation to inform. "
Voice of the Economy: When some consumers use credit cards, even if they don’t activate or open them, they will incur fees, some are express delivery fees, some are card face fees, and some are annual fees. Faced with this situation, in fact, there are relevant laws and regulations, such as the China Banking Regulatory Commission, which expressly stipulate that credit cards cannot be charged without the activation of the cardholder. However, the regulations also stipulate that under special circumstances, the cardholder alone authorizes the deduction of fees and the creditor-debtor relationship that has been formed when changing the card by writing, recording the customer service telephone number, electronic signature and methods recognized by both the cardholder and the issuing bank. What is the meaning of this provision? What problems should consumers pay attention to when signing a credit card contract to avoid damage to their rights and interests?
Zhao Zhanling: "The regulations of CBRC are very clear. Credit card holders can’t charge annual fees if they don’t activate their credit cards, so many banks now charge annual fees in violation of the regulations of CBRC. However, there are exceptions. If the cardholder authorizes the bank to collect fees separately by other means, then there is no problem. Therefore, when handling a credit card, you need to know clearly the annual fee amount, collection method and exemption conditions of the credit card. Even if you don’t want to use the credit card in the future, you should return the annual fee as much as possible or offset the annual fee by meeting the exemption conditions to avoid overdue. In addition, if the credit card is not going to be opened or activated for some reason, it should be confirmed to the bank whether there is an annual fee and whether it will be included in the credit record. In addition, when handling credit cards, you need to know the basic knowledge of credit cards, such as overdraft limit, withdrawal limit, the difference between credit card billing date and repayment date, and whether there is a late payment fee after the deadline. Consumers need to understand all aspects of the situation when handling credit card expenses or during use, in order to avoid damage to their own interests. "
Voice of the Economy: What should I do if someone pretends to activate a credit card that I don’t want to use, resulting in some losses or personal credit history problems?
Lu Yun: "This needs to be treated differently according to different situations. If there are problems caused by bank operators or operating system loopholes, or collusion inside and outside the bank, the bank should bear the corresponding responsibilities; If the user keeps the card himself, the password is not good, or the password setting does not meet the bank regulations, resulting in the leakage of personal card information, then the individual needs to bear the corresponding responsibility. "
Voice of the Economy: What impact will there be if there are overdue records in the personal credit information system? How to ensure that personal credit records are in good condition when using credit cards?
Lu Yun: "China’s existing Regulations on the Administration of Credit Information Industry clearly stipulates how institutions and individuals in the credit information industry record and cancel. Nowadays, personal credit investigation is particularly important in life and work, which will not only affect future investments or loans, but also affect children’s schooling, social security, provident fund and other aspects, and even affect the admission of civil servants. According to the current development trend, personal credit information is becoming more and more important,’ one place is broken, and everywhere is limited’. Therefore, when consumers need to sign the relevant business, they must confirm with the counter staff to understand the business they are handling and ask about the possible legal consequences of this business before handling it. At the same time, banking business, including sales promotion by salesmen, should be operated in accordance with normative requirements. Now the bank is implementing a dual recording system, that is, recording and recording at the same time, hoping that more businesses can be included in the system to urge banks to fulfill their obligation to inform and protect consumers’ right to know. "
