My complaint is simply the "additional" unearned fees these pikers have decided we can be stuck with. So, no, the original 1% fee, which has been in place for many years, isn't the problem. This new fee is nothing but a ripoff. And all the widely-available cards (MBNA Amtrak, Diners, etc.) that hadn't adopted the ripoff have now fallen in line. All I've heard here is relatively nonspecific recommendations; that's my complaint.

Not being one to just complain, I DID CONTACT MY OWN ALMA MATER'S CREDIT UNION to determine their policy and intent. *SO* for the use of all FlyerTalkers who might have at one time worked for, attended, (graduated?), lived near, or known some family member who has some relationship with MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (this group is a few million people; it's a big place), the MSU Federal Credit Union, which is one of the nation's large credit unions, offers VISA cards without anything but the 1% Visa fee.

I reprint below my edited contact:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. SST:

Thank you for your e-mail. MSUFCU has no plans to do more than pass the
Visa fee on to users. We actually take great pride in the fact that we do
not charge an additional percentage as many financial institutions are
doing.

You can apply for a Visa Credit card by calling our Loan Department at
800-678-4968.

If you have any further questions or if there is anything else we can do for
you please let us know. Thank you and have a great day!

Sincerely,

(Loan Officer, MSUFCU)
---------------------------------------------------------

I will be calling them later this morning and getting a card, and MBNA's card can be relinquished.

I CHALLENGE OTHERS WHO HAVE THIS TYPE OF SPECIFIC ADVICE AND CAN BACK IT UP WITH REPRINTED DOCUMENTATION TO SHARE IT HERE, SO THAT NO FLYERTALKER NEED PAY THE RIPOFF 2% ADD-ON FEE. WE MAY ALL HAVE AN OPTION. WE NEED TO EMPOWER OUR FRIENDS. I guess I'd say "Friends don't let friends give away money to big banks acting as monopolists".

(If it's too much trouble for you to get yet another card, or you value your points over your money, that's perfectly OK, and rational I guess. But let's give people the specific tools they need to fight this. Like airline fare-hikes, collusion is rampant, but many attempts fail because the intended victims won't buy the goods, and if one company or another cracks, we can go back to earning overseas points without getting charged 2% to do so. But they won't bend if you just accept it and pay.)

[Edited to say: "No, I'm not in any way connected with MSUFCU other than being a member with a pint-sized account I've had open for 20 years"]