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Review of name change process for 3 major credit card companies
Today I started the name change process for the 3 main credit card companies I use: American Express, Chase, and Citi. I was surprised to find how extremely different they are in terms of the spectrum of ancient to modern technology. My review of each:
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American Express: A+, technologically up to date, clean, simple, and user-friendly.
Total work required: 2 minutes
Cost: $0
Total length of process: < 1 week
Description of process:
Go to profile, click "edit" next to your name, enter new name. Click "upload current drivers license", select photo from phone or hard drive, click "Submit". Wait for new card to arrive in the mail.
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Citi: C-, far behind the 21st century, mostly using 1980's technology, mixed with a touch from the 90's but not much. Somewhat of a hassle.
Total work required: ~ 2-3 hours
Cost: ~ $0.50-$2
Total length of process: 1 - 3 weeks
Description of process: Go to website, read instructions. The instructions say you must mail or FAX a copy of your drivers license. Either choose the fastest way, and schedule some time to drop by FedEx and pay to use a FAX machine, running your id through it and having it dial their FAX number. Or choose the way which still requires almost as much effort but takes a lot longer: print out a copy of your drivers license at home, stuff it in an envelope, write a little note attached to it, put a stamp on it, and mail it. Wait while postal service delivers. Then wait again for postal service while they mail your new card back to you. Probably with at least 3-5 business days delay for processing in between.
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Chase: F, barbaric luddites... mostly stuck in the 1st century, with a little bit of 19th century technology mixed in. Big hassle!
Total work required: ~ 3 hours
Cost: $0.50
Total length of process: 3-5 weeks
Description of process: They do have a website, but it's entirely useless for this. There are no instructions on it related to name-change other than "Please call Chase customer service if you need to change your name". So I'm not really counting the website since it did not save me any time compared to calling on the phone--it just added an extra step *before* I got on the phone, which I never should have had to do. So starting with the first necessary step: navigate through their phone system, listen to a lot of irrelevant menu options... eventually just keep pressing 0 as none of them apply and get to wait on hold for a while, then get to talk with someone. The person was friendly, but after already having spent close to 30 minutes of work on it I was disappointed to find out that the next step was... he will mail me some forms, and I should follow the instructions on them and fill them out. Then mail them back. No option to FAX anything in, and by default no explanation even after getting to speak to someone as to what the process actually requires (other than waiting to receive instructions over postal service). I did ask him whether a drivers license or a court order or both would be required. He answered my questions, but seemed a little surprised/annoyed that I asked, saying "uh yeah... just follow the instructions on the forms I mail you. It'll tell you exactly what to do." Next step of course, wait a week till these forms arrive. Then fill them out... then follow instructions similar to the "long way" of doing it for Citi.. ie, print out drivers license and copies of any other paperwork it asks for, stuff in envelope, add a stamp (did I mention they're 50 cents now, the ordinary stamps? Keeps going up and up! I guess because most of us don't use stamps any more because... unlike Chase... we actually have email and computers), not just phones (invented in the 1850's) and postal service (invented by the first Roman Emperor around 0 CE, called "cursus publicus" back then; used by the Roman Empire for centuries and then continued operation during the Byzantine Empire). Yes, most of the technology Chase uses for this is literally *ancient*. Oh right, where was I? Step 5 or 6? Wait for postal service to carry filled out forms back to Chase. Then wait for them to process, then wait for postal service a 3rd time while they mail new card back. 😕😴
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American Express: A+, technologically up to date, clean, simple, and user-friendly.
Total work required: 2 minutes
Cost: $0
Total length of process: < 1 week
Description of process:
Go to profile, click "edit" next to your name, enter new name. Click "upload current drivers license", select photo from phone or hard drive, click "Submit". Wait for new card to arrive in the mail.
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Citi: C-, far behind the 21st century, mostly using 1980's technology, mixed with a touch from the 90's but not much. Somewhat of a hassle.
Total work required: ~ 2-3 hours
Cost: ~ $0.50-$2
Total length of process: 1 - 3 weeks
Description of process: Go to website, read instructions. The instructions say you must mail or FAX a copy of your drivers license. Either choose the fastest way, and schedule some time to drop by FedEx and pay to use a FAX machine, running your id through it and having it dial their FAX number. Or choose the way which still requires almost as much effort but takes a lot longer: print out a copy of your drivers license at home, stuff it in an envelope, write a little note attached to it, put a stamp on it, and mail it. Wait while postal service delivers. Then wait again for postal service while they mail your new card back to you. Probably with at least 3-5 business days delay for processing in between.
---------------
Chase: F, barbaric luddites... mostly stuck in the 1st century, with a little bit of 19th century technology mixed in. Big hassle!
Total work required: ~ 3 hours
Cost: $0.50
Total length of process: 3-5 weeks
Description of process: They do have a website, but it's entirely useless for this. There are no instructions on it related to name-change other than "Please call Chase customer service if you need to change your name". So I'm not really counting the website since it did not save me any time compared to calling on the phone--it just added an extra step *before* I got on the phone, which I never should have had to do. So starting with the first necessary step: navigate through their phone system, listen to a lot of irrelevant menu options... eventually just keep pressing 0 as none of them apply and get to wait on hold for a while, then get to talk with someone. The person was friendly, but after already having spent close to 30 minutes of work on it I was disappointed to find out that the next step was... he will mail me some forms, and I should follow the instructions on them and fill them out. Then mail them back. No option to FAX anything in, and by default no explanation even after getting to speak to someone as to what the process actually requires (other than waiting to receive instructions over postal service). I did ask him whether a drivers license or a court order or both would be required. He answered my questions, but seemed a little surprised/annoyed that I asked, saying "uh yeah... just follow the instructions on the forms I mail you. It'll tell you exactly what to do." Next step of course, wait a week till these forms arrive. Then fill them out... then follow instructions similar to the "long way" of doing it for Citi.. ie, print out drivers license and copies of any other paperwork it asks for, stuff in envelope, add a stamp (did I mention they're 50 cents now, the ordinary stamps? Keeps going up and up! I guess because most of us don't use stamps any more because... unlike Chase... we actually have email and computers), not just phones (invented in the 1850's) and postal service (invented by the first Roman Emperor around 0 CE, called "cursus publicus" back then; used by the Roman Empire for centuries and then continued operation during the Byzantine Empire). Yes, most of the technology Chase uses for this is literally *ancient*. Oh right, where was I? Step 5 or 6? Wait for postal service to carry filled out forms back to Chase. Then wait for them to process, then wait for postal service a 3rd time while they mail new card back. 😕😴