The Landesbank Berlin is currently informing additional customers in a third wave of notifications that their Amazon Visa card is being terminated by the bank. Golem.de has obtained several of these notices.
These customers have officially been informed by the bank for the first time about the termination of the Amazon Visa card, which has been known for four months. Unlike other card users, this time there was no email; instead, the information was delivered via postal mail.
Customers in the third notification wave received contract documents for the designated successor product to the Amazon Visa card directly from the bank. The successor product is called the Visa Card Extra and is offered by Berliner Sparkasse.
However, this product lacks all the unique features that characterized the Amazon Visa card. Currently, it’s not known if all customers of the Amazon Visa card have been informed about the termination by Landesbank Berlin. Golem.de is still awaiting a response from the bank regarding this question.
First Amazon Visa cards have already been terminated
If those notified in the current wave of notifications do not respond further to the letter, the bank will terminate the card by March 26, 2024. Until that date, any Amazon reward points need to be redeemed; otherwise, they will expire. By April 3, 2024, the bank will debit any outstanding balance on the card account in full from the linked checking account.
The same termination date applies to customers from the second notification wave in September 2023 if they take no action. Those who were part of the initial termination wave in July 2023 and took no action have been unable to use the Amazon Visa card since October 1, 2023.
Landesbank Berlin justified the phased notifications stating it aimed to “ensure good accessibility to customer service.”
Those selected by Landesbank Berlin four months ago during the initial notification wave had to request contract documents for the Visa Card Extra to extend usage until November 30, 2023. Customers from this notification wave had to have already ordered the Visa Card Extra at the annual fee of 19.99 euros to continue using the Amazon Visa card until March 26, 2024. The bank never explained the criteria for selecting customers in the initial notification wave who are disadvantaged compared to other Amazon Visa cardholders.
Termination of the Amazon Visa card and Schufa
If customers from the third notification wave want to switch to the Visa Card Extra, they must send the signed contract by postal mail no later than January 15, 2024, as stated in the letter. The letter mentions that these customers will receive the Visa Card Extra by “mid-November 2023,” although many customers received the letter only in mid-November 2023. As the Visa Card Extra lacks the advantages of the Amazon Visa card, switching to it is not recommended.
The termination of the Amazon Visa card can negatively impact the Schufa score because users cannot prevent the card’s termination.
Update as of November 20, 2023, 9:30 AM
A spokesperson from Landesbank Berlin informed Golem.de upon inquiry that with the third wave of notifications, all customers with an Amazon Visa card have been informed about the end of the cooperation with Amazon. This means the bank took four months to inform all customers about the termination of the Amazon Visa card.
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