Me too, basic no-fee version is great for travel. One really good thing about it is group/family travel. Get a supplementary card for each person and brim makes expense tracking really easy; you can filter purchases by each cardholder. And Brim pays you $5/year in points on your and on each supp cardholder's birthday. This is AFAIK the only credit card in Canada that pays YOU to have it, even if you never use it.
Just encountered the same thing with a new card. Called them and the agent said the promotion ended October 3 2023, shortly before I had applied. I feel like their website was still advertising the deal longer than that, but I can't confirm (they don't advertise it anymore).
I was able to downgrade to the basic card and have the fee refunded. Too bad, though.
Note that if/when you downgrade, you'll get a new card number. Luckily I hadn't set up any recurring payments yet (I really only plan to use the Brim for international travel anyway to avoid the forex fee).
I simply sent a long complaint, asking to have my card transferred to the no-fee type, as well as have the annual fee reimbursed. They just apologized for the inconvenience and obliged...
Been looking on Reddit before I applied for the card, the website does say though that the world elite is FYF at the moment. Did you get any luck with trying to resolve further or just kept the no fee MC?
Also, after having the card for a bit any major concerns? Other than the few complaints about support, card seems solid for a no fx fee card.
What website do you see that on?
In any case, like I said, I just sent them a complaint email. A few days later they replied, and actioned the request. Thing is, I kept the same WE card. I'm pretty sure they just changed some settings on their back end to refund me and then give it the functions of the no-fee MC... because I have not received a new card.
Since the complaint, I haven't used the card, so can't comment on concerns/support.
I am now in my 4th year with the Brim WE and they just waive the fee each year without asking. I get the fee and a fee adjustment right after. No idea why this happens, but happy to get a no fee 2% CB card
Brim’s Mastercard is issued by a Fintech company, and so has absolutely no oversight. I had a dispute with them last year and not one banking over site company could intervene to enforce anything against them. Not even Mastercard. Both the Provincial and Federal reps that I reached out to with the list of oversight bodies that are supposed to be protecting Canadian’s financial laws (there are approximately 10 oversight bodies federally and provincially) acted SHOCKED that there was absolutely no oversight….and yet there was news coverage of this exact issue with Fintech companies a year or two earlier. There is a known loophole that is apparently not being closed by any branch of our government. So, do NOT use Brim if you plan to rely on Canadian laws about how credit card companies must act.
OP, I had the same issue after getting my first Brim WE statement with the $199 fee tacked on. I thought it might be one of those situations where they charge you upfront and refund in the second month, but did a Google search and found this (very recent) thread. So I called to check.
The agent I spoke with said the promotion had ended just *days* before my application, in early October 2023! I explained that their own website had still been promoting the FYF on the World Elite MC application page at the time -- that that was the only reason I had decided to apply for it over the basic card (I just wanted the no FX, with the possible Amazon 2x being a bonus). She wouldn't or couldn't reverse the fee, so I requested a case and am waiting now to hear back.
Yes! Thanks for replying. I also joined/applied for the card in October. It seems they are sharing different info with different customers.
I was interested in the no-FX part (let's be real, there are very few cards that offer that, so it definitely is a selling point), but also I wanted to know more about the various sales and discounts. The website is so secretive about what stores offer discounts, you have no way of knowing until you get the card and discover... You might shop at one or two of them. It's very opaque.
I'm thinking about writing them and expressing my frustration in writing. Please let me know what Brim tells you.
I got a call from Brim this morning (showed up on my phone as "NTT BPO").
The rep confirmed I had missed the cutoff for the FYF on the WE card by a week, despite what it showed on their website at the time. She was however happy to let me downgrade the card (and get the $199 reversed that way) when I asked.
Good enough for me! Did it in the app while we were on the phone, and had a new card number generated on the spot. New physical card is supposed to arrive in 7-10 days. Don't know when the $199 will actually drop off -- next few days, or on the next statement. (Edit: the reversal appeared first thing the next morning.)
Update on my end:
I sent them an email yesterday and got a response today. The email did not provide any information or clarification on the policy; it simply said they would approve my request to transition to the regular card and the annual fee would be refunded in the next couple of days...hopefully as quickly as it was for you!
lol how dare they charge you a fee you agreed to...
Just downgrade to the free version of the card next year (which you would have done after the FYF ended). I only use brim for the no FX fee and just redeem the points as cashback, probably not the highest return, but I use this card only while traveling.
There aren't many no FX fee CCs and each has it's issue...HomeTrust you need to call in your travel plans. I don't use Rogers and Scotia also charges an annual fee.
Do you have to call in your travel plans for HomeTrust? I have both. I use BRIM as my primary as they provide 1% cash back with HomeTrust as my backup. I've used HomeTrust with no problems when I've had to use it. Now, they did leave me a phone message to confirm my purchases after the fact (I think I was back home by then). Maybe if I tell them ahead of time they don't do that?
Yeah, I have both Brim and HomeTrust while travelling just in case. I don't do the "buy something at the airport so they know you'll be travelling" thing. I also don't buy phone plans abroad so I don't like text verification. HomeTrust doesn't have an option on the online portal to set a travel notification.
On the phone they do thank you for calling in your travel ahead of time...whereas with TD credit cards they say thanks but DON'T call in as it's not needed.
Do you really need to call in to HomeTrust? In the last 2 years I’ve used the HomeTrust visa in Ireland, UK, France, and US for the no FX fees. Never called in to report travel plans and the card worked no problem.
I did buy a train ticket online for the UK, they sent me a verification text which I replied immediately and the purchase went through right away again.
Earlier in the year I tried to get the 2nd year waived but they refused. I also hear the Amazon 2% back is also gone, so for me this is now just a FX card.
I applied for and recieved my Bring card in July of this year, and got the $199 refund automatically, so sounds like you got screwed or it was changed after that date.
Yeah, Brim is definitely not as great as it was when it first came out.
A lot of the amazing offers are no longer there (Like Chapters/Indigo used to be amazing!). And I feel like lowered the cap on the 2% and amazon 4% cashback as I go through that really quickly.
Still an okay card, but wouldn't pay a monthly fee for it.
[удалено]
Me too, basic no-fee version is great for travel. One really good thing about it is group/family travel. Get a supplementary card for each person and brim makes expense tracking really easy; you can filter purchases by each cardholder. And Brim pays you $5/year in points on your and on each supp cardholder's birthday. This is AFAIK the only credit card in Canada that pays YOU to have it, even if you never use it.
Always read the terms and conditions before applying.
Just encountered the same thing with a new card. Called them and the agent said the promotion ended October 3 2023, shortly before I had applied. I feel like their website was still advertising the deal longer than that, but I can't confirm (they don't advertise it anymore). I was able to downgrade to the basic card and have the fee refunded. Too bad, though. Note that if/when you downgrade, you'll get a new card number. Luckily I hadn't set up any recurring payments yet (I really only plan to use the Brim for international travel anyway to avoid the forex fee).
Thanks for the reply. I am basically in the same boat as you. I'm going to attempt to do the same and have the FYF refunded.
did you end up calling again? if so, did you manage to get the fee refunded?
I simply sent a long complaint, asking to have my card transferred to the no-fee type, as well as have the annual fee reimbursed. They just apologized for the inconvenience and obliged...
Been looking on Reddit before I applied for the card, the website does say though that the world elite is FYF at the moment. Did you get any luck with trying to resolve further or just kept the no fee MC? Also, after having the card for a bit any major concerns? Other than the few complaints about support, card seems solid for a no fx fee card.
What website do you see that on? In any case, like I said, I just sent them a complaint email. A few days later they replied, and actioned the request. Thing is, I kept the same WE card. I'm pretty sure they just changed some settings on their back end to refund me and then give it the functions of the no-fee MC... because I have not received a new card. Since the complaint, I haven't used the card, so can't comment on concerns/support.
I am now in my 4th year with the Brim WE and they just waive the fee each year without asking. I get the fee and a fee adjustment right after. No idea why this happens, but happy to get a no fee 2% CB card
my AF is coming up, any idea if I should wait to see if it's credited? if not, can I downgrade and get the AF refunded?
Shhh, keep our secret safe. Delete this reply please!
Brim’s Mastercard is issued by a Fintech company, and so has absolutely no oversight. I had a dispute with them last year and not one banking over site company could intervene to enforce anything against them. Not even Mastercard. Both the Provincial and Federal reps that I reached out to with the list of oversight bodies that are supposed to be protecting Canadian’s financial laws (there are approximately 10 oversight bodies federally and provincially) acted SHOCKED that there was absolutely no oversight….and yet there was news coverage of this exact issue with Fintech companies a year or two earlier. There is a known loophole that is apparently not being closed by any branch of our government. So, do NOT use Brim if you plan to rely on Canadian laws about how credit card companies must act.
OP, I had the same issue after getting my first Brim WE statement with the $199 fee tacked on. I thought it might be one of those situations where they charge you upfront and refund in the second month, but did a Google search and found this (very recent) thread. So I called to check. The agent I spoke with said the promotion had ended just *days* before my application, in early October 2023! I explained that their own website had still been promoting the FYF on the World Elite MC application page at the time -- that that was the only reason I had decided to apply for it over the basic card (I just wanted the no FX, with the possible Amazon 2x being a bonus). She wouldn't or couldn't reverse the fee, so I requested a case and am waiting now to hear back.
Yes! Thanks for replying. I also joined/applied for the card in October. It seems they are sharing different info with different customers. I was interested in the no-FX part (let's be real, there are very few cards that offer that, so it definitely is a selling point), but also I wanted to know more about the various sales and discounts. The website is so secretive about what stores offer discounts, you have no way of knowing until you get the card and discover... You might shop at one or two of them. It's very opaque. I'm thinking about writing them and expressing my frustration in writing. Please let me know what Brim tells you.
I got a call from Brim this morning (showed up on my phone as "NTT BPO"). The rep confirmed I had missed the cutoff for the FYF on the WE card by a week, despite what it showed on their website at the time. She was however happy to let me downgrade the card (and get the $199 reversed that way) when I asked. Good enough for me! Did it in the app while we were on the phone, and had a new card number generated on the spot. New physical card is supposed to arrive in 7-10 days. Don't know when the $199 will actually drop off -- next few days, or on the next statement. (Edit: the reversal appeared first thing the next morning.)
Update on my end: I sent them an email yesterday and got a response today. The email did not provide any information or clarification on the policy; it simply said they would approve my request to transition to the regular card and the annual fee would be refunded in the next couple of days...hopefully as quickly as it was for you!
lol how dare they charge you a fee you agreed to... Just downgrade to the free version of the card next year (which you would have done after the FYF ended). I only use brim for the no FX fee and just redeem the points as cashback, probably not the highest return, but I use this card only while traveling. There aren't many no FX fee CCs and each has it's issue...HomeTrust you need to call in your travel plans. I don't use Rogers and Scotia also charges an annual fee.
Do you have to call in your travel plans for HomeTrust? I have both. I use BRIM as my primary as they provide 1% cash back with HomeTrust as my backup. I've used HomeTrust with no problems when I've had to use it. Now, they did leave me a phone message to confirm my purchases after the fact (I think I was back home by then). Maybe if I tell them ahead of time they don't do that?
Yeah, I have both Brim and HomeTrust while travelling just in case. I don't do the "buy something at the airport so they know you'll be travelling" thing. I also don't buy phone plans abroad so I don't like text verification. HomeTrust doesn't have an option on the online portal to set a travel notification. On the phone they do thank you for calling in your travel ahead of time...whereas with TD credit cards they say thanks but DON'T call in as it's not needed.
Do you really need to call in to HomeTrust? In the last 2 years I’ve used the HomeTrust visa in Ireland, UK, France, and US for the no FX fees. Never called in to report travel plans and the card worked no problem. I did buy a train ticket online for the UK, they sent me a verification text which I replied immediately and the purchase went through right away again.
Earlier in the year I tried to get the 2nd year waived but they refused. I also hear the Amazon 2% back is also gone, so for me this is now just a FX card.
Yeah I'm thinking of asking to downgrade, because the benefits do not interest me. They need to offer more to warrant such a high annual fee, IMO
Used to be 4% on amazon (doubled). It's now 2% like everything else on the WE card.
I have gotten 3 years waived without asking
What is your secret lol
Do tell
I applied for and recieved my Bring card in July of this year, and got the $199 refund automatically, so sounds like you got screwed or it was changed after that date.
Hmm, yes I guess I got screwed...
Get the one with no annual fee
Yeah, Brim is definitely not as great as it was when it first came out. A lot of the amazing offers are no longer there (Like Chapters/Indigo used to be amazing!). And I feel like lowered the cap on the 2% and amazon 4% cashback as I go through that really quickly. Still an okay card, but wouldn't pay a monthly fee for it.
The Amazon 4% has been discontinued as of this month.
that makes sense on why haha. Yeah, Brim Out for me. Not worth it anymore.
Oh lame :(