"Kind Of Regret This One..."
First Access Visa® Card Review
Written by: boobie1998 on 2015-06-04
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
boobie1998's review: 
This is a card for rebuilding credit. It is offered by Mid America Bank and Trust. I have another one of their cards, the Total Visa, which I like very much, and I thought this one would be the same, but I found out I was very wrong. There is an $89 processing fee to open the card. I paid that with my debit card with no issue. There is a $75 annual fee year 1, and year 2 and beyond it is $48. Year 2 starts a monthly participation fee of $6.25 a month. These fees are the same as my Total Visa account. They do have a website to make payments and see transactions, however, it is not in real time, it seem to update once a day, so you can't see pending transactions at all, so you must keep track of your available credit if you buy several things in one day...it is the same site I use for my Total Visa...You start with a $300 limit. They will review you for a credit line increase every 6 months upon your request...Payments are subject to a 14 day hold for non guaranteed funds. You can not pay with a debit card to avoid the hold, except if you are past due. This was told to me by customer service rep. They do not accept Western Union or Moneygram payments, even though the website says it does, again I was told this by customer service. I told them that was very misleading, and should be changed. The woman I spoke with agreed with me, and was apologetic with me. It seems to me they are making it difficult to make a payment without the hold on your available credit. Again with my Total Visa, thru the same bank, I do NOT have this issue. So you can pay thru the site with your checking or savings account only, subject to a hold. She did tell me that payments under $100 typically do not receive the hold. You can only make a payment on the site once every 14 days. She told me three payments thru the same bank with no issues establishes you with them, and then holds aren't placed, except if you charge up the card and then suddenly pay it off all at once, that may trigger a hold she said...You can mail in a money order also to avoid a hold, or they do accept electronic payments thru your banks bill pay with no hold IF THEY CAN BE PAID ELECTRONICALLY, and that you have to check with your bank on that. I did a $10 payment on 6/2/15 just to test the waters and see how long it will take, and my bank(Bank of America, a MAJOR bank)estimated they would receive on 6/5/15, so that seems like a paper check would be sent to them. So i'm thinking this card is going to be a hassle. I was pleased that it only took 6 days to receive. I applied 5/26/15 and received the card on 6/1/15. setting up for payment for the remaining $65 on the annual fee today, so hopefully that will be available to me tomorrow morning, and have the whole $300 available to me. I will report back if I have any issues. Think hard on getting this one, I ultimately regret it, but building credit is important to me. I just wont use this one very often that's for sure!!!
This is a card for rebuilding credit. It is offered by Mid America Bank and Trust. I have another one of their cards, the Total Visa, which I like very much, and I thought this one would be the same, but I found out I was very wrong. There is an $89 processing fee to open the card. I paid that with my debit card with no issue. There is a $75 annual fee year 1, and year 2 and beyond it is $48. Year 2 starts a monthly participation fee of $6.25 a month. These fees are the same as my Total Visa account. They do have a website to make payments and see transactions, however, it is not in real time, it seem to update once a day, so you can't see pending transactions at all, so you must keep track of your available credit if you buy several things in one day...it is the same site I use for my Total Visa...You start with a $300 limit. They will review you for a credit line increase every 6 months upon your request...Payments are subject to a 14 day hold for non guaranteed funds. You can not pay with a debit card to avoid the hold, except if you are past due. This was told to me by customer service rep. They do not accept Western Union or Moneygram payments, even though the website says it does, again I was told this by customer service. I told them that was very misleading, and should be changed. The woman I spoke with agreed with me, and was apologetic with me. It seems to me they are making it difficult to make a payment without the hold on your available credit. Again with my Total Visa, thru the same bank, I do NOT have this issue. So you can pay thru the site with your checking or savings account only, subject to a hold. She did tell me that payments under $100 typically do not receive the hold. You can only make a payment on the site once every 14 days. She told me three payments thru the same bank with no issues establishes you with them, and then holds aren't placed, except if you charge up the card and then suddenly pay it off all at once, that may trigger a hold she said...You can mail in a money order also to avoid a hold, or they do accept electronic payments thru your banks bill pay with no hold IF THEY CAN BE PAID ELECTRONICALLY, and that you have to check with your bank on that. I did a $10 payment on 6/2/15 just to test the waters and see how long it will take, and my bank(Bank of America, a MAJOR bank)estimated they would receive on 6/5/15, so that seems like a paper check would be sent to them. So i'm thinking this card is going to be a hassle. I was pleased that it only took 6 days to receive. I applied 5/26/15 and received the card on 6/1/15. setting up for payment for the remaining $65 on the annual fee today, so hopefully that will be available to me tomorrow morning, and have the whole $300 available to me. I will report back if I have any issues. Think hard on getting this one, I ultimately regret it, but building credit is important to me. I just wont use this one very often that's for sure!!!
8 Comments
Comment 1 by wanderer
Re: Kind Of Regret This One... 
on 2015-06-04
Good to know. Sounds like a pain to deal with. Almost sounds like they want you to pay late?!
on 2015-06-04 Good to know. Sounds like a pain to deal with. Almost sounds like they want you to pay late?!
Comment 2 by boobie1998
Re: Additional Info on 2015-06-04
I failed to mention in my review this card can't be used at automated fuel pumps, or outside the USA. Cash advances are not permitted for the first 90 days the account is opened, and after that it is half of your limit...
on 2015-06-04 I failed to mention in my review this card can't be used at automated fuel pumps, or outside the USA. Cash advances are not permitted for the first 90 days the account is opened, and after that it is half of your limit...
Comment 3 by chrisb
Re: Kind Of Regret This One... on 2015-07-07
Excellent run-down here. Let me ask you this: do you think this card could be right for a particular type of person? Do you have any advice for people who may be applying in the near future?
on 2015-07-07 Excellent run-down here. Let me ask you this: do you think this card could be right for a particular type of person? Do you have any advice for people who may be applying in the near future?
Comment 4 by boobie1998
Re: Answer For Chrisb on 2015-07-09
Thanks for your feedback on my review: as I stated, I still have mixed feelings on this card. I haven't had any problems usingit, but I haven't charged more than $100 yet because I don't want the payment hold...nothing irritates me more when banks do that. So both payments I've made have been under $100 with no hold. Plus the website is deceptive that it says western union and Moneygram payments can be made which is NOT TRUE. But for someone who needs to rebuild credit like me...I suppose it is ok. I use it for a meal out or groceries...the goal is keep it a year since I've paid all the fees and see how it goes. It was an investment for good credit, but it certainly has some faults...
on 2015-07-09 Thanks for your feedback on my review: as I stated, I still have mixed feelings on this card. I haven't had any problems usingit, but I haven't charged more than $100 yet because I don't want the payment hold...nothing irritates me more when banks do that. So both payments I've made have been under $100 with no hold. Plus the website is deceptive that it says western union and Moneygram payments can be made which is NOT TRUE. But for someone who needs to rebuild credit like me...I suppose it is ok. I use it for a meal out or groceries...the goal is keep it a year since I've paid all the fees and see how it goes. It was an investment for good credit, but it certainly has some faults...
Comment 5 by boobie1998
Re:Card Going Ok on 2016-02-05
No issues, have been awarded one CLI so far, and that was free. I just don't like that I can make only one payment every 14 days via the web site...but whatever...
on 2016-02-05 No issues, have been awarded one CLI so far, and that was free. I just don't like that I can make only one payment every 14 days via the web site...but whatever...
Comment 6 by boobie1998
Re: An Update on 2016-04-17
First Access DOES now allow you to make a MoneyGram payment...got the info recently from customer service representative. Nice to have another option, Pay to code is: FIRST ACCESS, Receive code is 15271. And for my security, she gave me a personal ID # to use with a payment on the form...rather than writing your full account number...in case it got into the wrong hands, the personal ID # is only known by you and the bank...so I was kind of impressed they were concerned about my security and safety. I had called them to ask if chip cards were coming soon...I really like them, but she had no info on that as of now...but I haven't had any issues with payments so far, had the card almost a year now, not sure if I will use this option or not, but it could benefit a new cardholder wanting to get around that initial hold on funds...
on 2016-04-17 First Access DOES now allow you to make a MoneyGram payment...got the info recently from customer service representative. Nice to have another option, Pay to code is: FIRST ACCESS, Receive code is 15271. And for my security, she gave me a personal ID # to use with a payment on the form...rather than writing your full account number...in case it got into the wrong hands, the personal ID # is only known by you and the bank...so I was kind of impressed they were concerned about my security and safety. I had called them to ask if chip cards were coming soon...I really like them, but she had no info on that as of now...but I haven't had any issues with payments so far, had the card almost a year now, not sure if I will use this option or not, but it could benefit a new cardholder wanting to get around that initial hold on funds...
Comment 7 by boobie1998
Re: CLI on 2016-06-02
Today, 6/2/16, I was awarded a credit line increase on my account. No fee. They allow this every six months, there is a link at their website to request, this is the second one now. Card growing slowly...started at $300 limit, now it is at $400, just about at the one year mark...
on 2016-06-02 Today, 6/2/16, I was awarded a credit line increase on my account. No fee. They allow this every six months, there is a link at their website to request, this is the second one now. Card growing slowly...started at $300 limit, now it is at $400, just about at the one year mark...
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by The Bank of Missouri. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by The Bank of Missouri. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
