Here is a snippet from my USBank statement
 

06/30/05 Us Bank Visabuxx Card 888-3102899 Mn $500.00
06/30/05 ***finance Charge***cash Equivalent Fee $20.00
06/29/05 Branch Payment Thank You $1,400.00

I have never used my Worldperks visa at an ATM. I called Visabuxx and told them that my Load has posted as Cash Advance and the rep told me that the loads always post as cash advance.

Also, I tried to add a new Credit Card to my profile at Visabuxx, and my CC was authorized for $1 as Cash Advance (Got this info from my CC customer service).

Don't know what's going on.

wow, that sucks! must be a glitch/mistake... I just called them and confirmed (after an 8 min hold time, meaning something's gotta be up) that there are NO CA's on my card and no bal due or charges/fees at all. She said "I see the VisaBuxx and that is a purchase, sir. Not to worry"

SO call and ask.
By the way, of the 3 cards I have in life right now, NWA flatly refused to lower my CA limit and said they cannot even do that! They did say they would put a security hold on ANY CAs that attempt ot post--even iF I were to do it myself (say, at a bank machine or something) which I never would.

united's Visa (when it was with BankOne) said the exact same thing, but Citi's AA MC had let me lower it to $100. I later ran into a similar problem as yours when I bought a AAA Travel Money card thinking it too would be a purchase, but it went thru as a CA. I finally got to someone high high up (in the president's office) who helped me out of this one:

I told CS and managers that I had a note that confirmed my CA limit was $100 but one went thru with fees for $1500+fees! How did this take place? CS told me I was out of luck because AAA had done an override. I said no and demanded to speak with high ups, which I eventually did get in touch with after about 1 hour on the phone in two calls. It sucked. She said to me that (A) she would research and credit me back, which she did do in one statement cycle, and (B) that the reason had to do with a temp authorization that many companies do now. That's when you may see a temp charge to your account for say, $1 or $2 and then later it goes away but you see the real charge of whatever you bought.

An example of this is at a gas station who may charge only a $1 to get it going and then later you will see their charge on your bill for the $20 in gas you bought a few days earlier.

But what happens in the case of things like that AAA gift card I bought, is that this $1 temp auth also triggers or opens the door of you account so that the rest of the charge you made can now come thru! Hence, the 'override!'

It's tricky, and Citi said they did not like this move that AAA had pulled on me, but she could fix it for me this time. So what I had her do for me was to lower my CA limit to ZERO. Not $100 or even $1, but ZERO! That's the only way to further prevent such things happening to you that lower CS personnel have no way of dealing with on your behalf!

And since NW's WP visa says it will not allow a $0 CA limit, you have to confirm with them (hopefully in writing or by taking a manager's name and employee ID number, etc) that they put a security hold on your account so that if ANYTHING attempts to come thru as a CA ever again, they have to notify and ask you first! Just like they would if you got that call when they want to confirm charges you made on a trip or something. What I did was to explain to them that I did not want companies arbitrarily posting CAs on my account and that I could offer proof from my Citibank account that this has started to happen in the world of consumer credit and scamming businesses that YOU AND I use every day! She had no idea but basically agreed with my logic. That must have helped, and my charges are only purchases anyway--unless as of June 30, they have changed all that! I would have no way of knowing til the next time I try to load my VBX card from US Bank!

Anyway, good luck!

Call them NOW!
:)MM

Noooooo!!!
 

Mine are now posting as cash advance also on my BofA AS Visa. I had loaded $500 last week, and it was a purchase. But my last $500 load on June 29th went through as a cash advance.

06/30/2005 06/30/2005 ***FINANCE CHARGE***CASH $15.00
06/30/2005 06/29/2005 US BANK VISABUXX CARD $500.00
06/24/2005 06/23/2005 US BANK VISABUXX CARD $500.00

The item description:
Type: Cash Advance
Transaction Description: US BANK VISABUXX CARD
Transaction Date: 06/29/2005
Posting Date: 06/30/2005

Whereas it used to be:
Type: Purchase
Transaction Description: US BANK VISABUXX CARD
Transaction Date: 06/23/2005
Posting Date: 06/24/2005

Looks like US Bank is starting to make them cash advances. :td: :td: :td:

All my cards were closed around a month ago. I repurchased 1 card early last week to see if it would go through. It did, and thus far it's showing up on my credit card as a purchase. I purchased it on my Citi Aadvantage Biz card.

I think they must have changed it on the 29th or 30th of June. Both mpg and I had the same posting date for our loads (June 30th). I hope maybe it's just a glitch, but somehow I doubt it.

I think it's high time you/we called them (VBx) on it and ask them (A) WHY did you change, and (B) when did you change, and (C) why the F**K did you decide to NOT notify us!!

Visa (WP or other CC) will tell you it is up to the merchant when they do a CA or a purchase, but you can also ask them if they have any info.

So call visaBuxx and get them to tell you they screwed up and will reverse all fees or send a note that will enable you to get this done on your end with your mileage earning CC!

I am sure they are trying to discourage use but man, how about a bit of freakin notice!

That is rude.

And we are supposed to be honest to them?

H*E*L*L*O!

!MM

I reloaded mine today with my Chase Ultimate Cash and it went through. My CA limit is set to 0.

For folks with a card from Bankone/Chase: I called VISA(18005377783) and had a CSR look at my account. Based on the info, you need to have the CSR submit a workcase request(CIDW) to set cash limit to zero with appropriate info. The system will pass it on the correct dept. I hope this helps.

I just got hit as well.
Multiple Buxx cards were funded on 6/29.
Multiple transactions posted to corresponding USBank Visas on 7/1 with a 4% "cash equivalency" fee attached to each transaction.

I think USBank has found a new way to discourage people from using the program in a way they think is inappropriate. Why bother closing the account and refunding the money? This way they send a message to all of us and pocket the fees as well. I doubt they are charging these fees to all accounts unless this is also their way of ending the program. For those people using the program for its intended purpose, if there are any, the sudden addition of these fees without notice would be even harder to swallow. If you have not been hit I would not make more than one load at a time, and not make another load until the previous one posted.. At least that way your exposure is limited. From a PR point of view it would be nice if whoever monitors this thread for USBank would just post their policy.

So USBank is the common theme in all these cash advance problems? Maybe people being hit, should post the following... date of transaction, Type of VisaBuxx used, and Credit Card used to load the Buxx.

And people who have not been hit should let us know too. I have still had no problems using three BoA Visabuxx cards to buy money orders (charging to a Citibank Visa). And my post office is now open till 7PM! :D

Do you get charged a fee by VISABUXX for using it at a PO?

Buying MO at PO?!
 

jmorgans, are you buying MO's? If so, how? My PO could not process the transaction with the USBank Visabuxx(or are you using a different Visabuxx).

Buying money orders at the post office works great with a Bank of America Visabuxx. I am only charged the money order fee by the post office, no fees from Bank of America.

I don't think it ever worked with USBank and unfortunately Bank of America is no longer issuing new Visabuxx cards.