A handful of credit card issuers are taking a "positive, promotional" approach to disclosing changes mandated by a federal law that will take effect next week, Corporate Insight said.
Through the second week of February, more than half of 11 large card issuers the New York market research firm monitors had failed to "prominently" notify customers about the changes, said Doug Miller, a senior analyst at Corporate Insight.
Four issuers, however, touted the changes on Web sites and in direct mailings: Bank of America Corp., Barclays PLC, Capital One Financial Corp. and Discover Financial Services.
"While issuers were required to implement new policies, a few have seized this as a positive marketing opportunity," Miller said. "Bank of America has probably gone the furthest in almost turning these mandated changes into a promotional opportunity" by make the disclosures conspicuous under the headline "Clarity Commitment," he said.
American Express Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., HSBC Holdings PLC, U.S. Bancorp, Wells Fargo & Co. and its Wachovia Corp. are in various stages of notifying customers of the changes, but as of last week none had done so "prominently," Miller said.
Some issuers, he said, have merely mailed customers densely worded, revised card agreements containing the new provisions the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act requires.
