Home Trust Preferred Visa Review
The Home Trust Preferred Visa is a relatively straightforward credit card, but one that offers surprising utility. Cardholders know there are few perks that work better in tandem than cash back and no annual fee, and the Preferred card provides both, plus additional savings power for those who travel overseas or do a lot of online shopping in foreign currencies. The Home Trust Preferred Visa is one of the few Canadian credit cards that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and it includes some other added perks that make it even more worthwhile.
In This Article:
Home Trust Preferred Visa Cashback Structure
Cardholders will earn cash back at a competitive rate of 1% on all eligible purchases1, with no maximum cash back cap. The cash back you accumulate in a given year is automatically applied against the card balance in February of the following year.
Notable Perks
- $0 annual fee
- 1% cash back1 on all eligible purchases
- 0% foreign transaction fee
- Purchase protection
The triple threat of no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and cash back is an enticing combination, making this card a definite asset for those who travel frequently and want to keep unnecessary expenses to a minimum.
Drawbacks
- Cash back is not earned on transactions in foreign currency
- Not available to Quebecers
How Does It Compare?
| Card Name | Home Trust Preferred Visa | MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome Offer | None | 5% cash back on gas and groceries for first 6 months†† (max $150 cash back) |
| Regular CAD Cash Back Rates | Earn 1% cash back1 on every eligible purchase you make with no cap on your annual cash back earnings | 2%‡ on gas and groceries; 0.5%‡ on everything else |
| Foreign Currency Cash Back Rates | 0% | Same as above |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 2.5% |
| Regular Interest Rates | Purchases 21.99%, Cash Advances: 21.99% | Purchases: 19.99%, Cash Advances: 24.99% |
The Home Trust Preferred Visa offers a very rare combination of benefits: It charges neither an annual fee nor foreign transaction fees, while earning a respectable level of cash back on purchases at home in Canada. Though no other card in Canada offers this exact mix of features, there are other cards that have their own variations of these perks, outshining the Home Trust card in some areas and underperforming next to it in others.
The MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® doesn’t waive foreign transaction fees, but it does offer hefty cash back rates on gas and groceries, with its regular 2% rate‡ in those categories outshining the max 1% that the Home Trust card earns. That said, unlike the Home Trust card, the MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® has a monthly $25 ceiling on the amount of cash back you can earn at its 5%†† and 2%‡ rates. And purchases aside from gas and groceries earn cash back at half the rate of the Home Trust card.
‡, ††, ✪, Terms and Conditions apply
MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Who’s the Card For?
Travellers and online shoppers who want the tri-pronged perk of no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and cash back will love the Home Trust Preferred Visa for its simplicity and efficacy. Despite the value of its comprehensive approach to travel savings and extra privileges, however, the card also inhibits certain cardholders. Those who are turned off by the card’s aforementioned downsides should consider Canada’s other credit cards that either eliminate or make up for foreign transaction fees.
1 Cash advances, balance transfers, interest, fees and foreign transactions (including online purchases in foreign currencies) are not eligible for CashBack Rewards.
Article comments
It seems impossible to cancel the Home Trust Visa card online if your interest is paid up to date – I got a new RBC normal card – surely they don’t expect me to to bring the original balance back to an even 10 k when it was all my money to begin with that I put on the card to begin with !
Hi Krystal,
If the online option to cancel hasn’t worked, have you had any luck with their customer service? Suggest a reach out to Customer Service at 1-888-281-7793 between Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 8:00pm EST. Congrats on moving to a ‘normal’ RBC card!
DO NOT USE THIS CREDIT CARD. They are crooks. If you need to build credit, use Capital one, they are must better. I had a bunch of charges that I didn’t make, Home Trust Visa confirmed it was an error but refuse to give me back my money which is in the hundreds. AWFUL company. Customer service is awful and you they will never help you.
Hi Ro,
That’s really frustrating and that sucks that you’re out hundreds. Thanks for taking a minute to share your word of caution and appreciate you sharing the better option.
I’ve been a customer for 3 years and they won’t let me carry a balance on my credit card – on numerous occasions my card has been frozen for trying to carry less than $10 for a month – most recently they froze my account for having 8 dollars owing on the account – because of this I will now have to pay $50 late fee on my insurance and of course will be late with renewing my insurance. I don’t get it, is this not supposed to be the point of a credit card? To be able to carry a balance? I mean really, I can’t carry 8 dollars without my account being frozen, just ridiculous. I mean it’s a good card I’m just starting to wonder if it’s worth the hassle of having to call basically every month to unfreeze my card – this is feeling more like a payday loan than a credit card.
Hi Jeff,
That’s an interesting experience and agreed, that is a hassle to call in to unfreeze the card. Did you make the minimum monthly payments before they froze the card? It seems odd that they’d do something so restrictive if the account isn’t in arrears.
It now takes over a week for payments from any bank to reach my Home Trust Visa account. I have been a customer for 8 years and I’ve never had a late payment, or blemish, & it\s been getting worse and worse. It started by taking at least 3 days, then 4, then 5, then 6, and today marks day 8 that my $500 payment hasn’t arrived. Any other cards I have takes 2 days tops. Brutal brutal card!
Hi Jammer,
That’s interesting feedback, especially from a long time customer. Thanks for sharing. Speculation entirely- does the timing of service degradation coincide with the pandemic? Regardless, hope that this situation turns around and you start seeing faster transfer times soon.
I called and asked Home Trust Visa 5 times in a span of 6 months (almost 1 time every month), to send me a confirmation letter of my account closure. Each time I called, I asked again and nothing happened. I ended up giving up and printing the online statement for my records. Other more reputable credit card providers: ex: banks, Rogers, etc, automatically provide an account closure letter within 5 business days after any account closures. I will not be using HomeTrust again. No response to customer requests.
Hi Howard,
It should never take 6 months to close out an account. Regardless, sounds like you did your due diligence with keeping your paper trail. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Home Trust has may be worse customer service in the industry. HT product itself may have some advantage for fx but their service representative can be dense and dimwitted. The service seems outsourced, that may have changed from before. Representatives should not ask for five to ten grand to deposit onto the card unless you obviously spent five to ten grand on it. Their business processes seem absurd and they cannot explain it for the life of them. Their representatives, when you call the number on the back of your card, tell you to call HT credit company or department; who the heck were you talking to at toll free number on the back? Their service is just plain awful, that their outsource service seems almost like some foreign scheme or money order scam. They over talk their customers which is a no no, do not let you fully explain your call and they are clearly not trained. Pathetic to say least on their decision to outsource such an important service to some no name third party….. Cancel it.
Hi CC,
As frustrating as your experience may have been, we’ve seen a string of similar experiences with customer service. Appreciate the feedback and let’s hope it takes a turn for the better.
HomeTrust Visa Card has terrible even customer service! Somehow they just block your card and it is automatically blocked your online access. You call them and tell them to unblock, they promiss to do it and never do it. You call again and again. Finally I gave up and cancell this card! TERRIBLE. Not worthy even to have!!!!
Hi Sergey,
Sorry to hear the HomeTrust Visa didn’t work out for you in the end. Which card did you end up instead? Hope their customer service is better!
I have been a Home Trust card holder for several years (since the demise of the Amazon card) and as I winter for 6 months in the US, it has saved me considerable in FTF. I will first give my other positive comments.
1. One positive thing that has not been mentioned, there are no transaction fees for an over the counter cash advance, even in the US.
2. I have had occasion in the past 2 weeks (the time it took to get an emergency replacement card) to speak to several agents of Home Trust and have found them all very polite and articulate, and some even helpful.
That being said, the delay in getting the previously mentioned card was due, in large part, to incompetence somewhere in Home Trust but also in Visa Global. I am pursuing the complaint. I also have had a number of other issues with HT similar to what has been mentioned including refusal to increase my credit limit from the original 5000 that was assigned which results in an anemic 1000 limit for cash advances which was reduced last year from 1500. This requires me at times to make several payments during a month to keep my available credit high enough to meet my needs. I often prepay/overpay so that a cash advance incurs very little interest charges. Perhaps this is why they don’t like me, but they have never complained about it. Another complaint I have is that it takes 5 or 6 days for a payment made online from TD to show up on my HT account. I will continue to hold on to my Home Trust card but I am looking to add a back up for emergencies such as what just happened.
Hi Ron,
Obviously, you are just the latest among an increasingly growing band of customers who have pointed out flaws in Home Trust’s customer service and business practices. I’m glad you’re approaching your less than stellar experiences with good humour and are able to look on the brightside, Perhaps the back-up you are searching for should not be your back-up, but instead your primary credit card. This way, you can decrease your reliance on Home Trust and hopefully reduce the headaches they cause you in the process. So, as you begin your search for a new “back-up card for emergencies” I have to ask, what qualities are you looking for in a new card and can Greedyrates help?
I considered switching from my TD Aeroplan Visa just to save the annual fee. I pay my balance in full every month so interest rates were not an issue in the change. I already have more Aeroplan points than I’ll ever use so I didn’t see losing the ability to collect them as an issue. I saw Home Trust’s – no fee and no foreign exchange fee and thought it would meet me needs – Tried to get the same $18K credit limit as on the TD Visa but despite a 760 credit score the credit limit automatically assigned was $8K. When I called customer service I was told that there was zero flexibility for 6 months. No option to talk to a manager, no flexibility, period, goodbye. I’ve made 4 calls to their customer service in the last 3 months, Two to do with the credit limit because the card kept getting frozen, and once to resolve a payment timing issue. (What a complicated process that is.) I went from having an outstanding balance to having a credit balance, but because my payment was a day late the card was frozen and would stay that way until my payment cleared. Their customer service is the worst I’ve ever come across in any business. Finally decided to cancel the card but that is not an option on their automatic phone system, so I had to report it as lost in order get it cancelled. First was transferred to an Avatar agent that couldn’t understand what I was saying or the numbers I was entering. Reporting a lost card was a 30 minute – 2 phone transfer process… before I got to an agent who talked to themselves while on the phone with me. Three times they asked me for my pin number and I had to remind them that the card was lost. I DON”T HAVE THE PIN! Finally asked that they email me my last statement…and even though email is how I get my monthly statements, they were unable to email the current one to me. It would have to go through the post office. I tried to login in to their system but because the card was now reported lost I was locked out. What a nightmare! So glad I didn’t cancel the TD Visa. Back to $18K credit limit with zero balance. The annual fee is a small price to pay to feel like a valued customer. Bottom line… don’t walk, run away from Home Trust. Quick aside… I also thought I’d get rid of my Amex Aeroplan Platinum card for the same reasons as above. Got the Amex no fee cashback card. Change was entirely seamless and guess what… $18 K credit limit.
Wow Cam,
Just reading the twists and turns of that story were quite harrowing. I can only imagine what it was like to live it in real life. You are the latest in a long line of people who’ve really complained about Home Trust’s customer service on this site and been burned by it. I’m really glad it worked out for you and I am so glad that you didn’t cancel the card with the $18,000 limit. I’m also to happy to hear you were able to get the Amex card much faster with the same limit. I guess justice was served in a circuitous way. What a relief.
My fiancé applied and goy approved, sent the money for this secured Visa and, has yet yo receive it! What is taking so long?
Hi Anna, this is a snag you should certainly call Home Trust about. Though their Preferred Visa is popular because of its no foreign transaction fees, (one of the few in Canada) we do get a lot of complaints from readers reporting poor customer service that’s exactly as you describe, so be warned.
Received my Home Trust statement last week and not only is the Roadside Assistance being nixed, but they are also removing the Rental Car Insurance benefit too as of May 31st. This on top of losing the 1% cashback on foreign transactions in Jan 2020.
Despite having this card now for 3 years, it still stinks of a “bait and switch” and has me wondering what will be next to disappear. I will retain the card for future travel plans abroad, and continue to tolerate the uncertain customer service, occasional denied transactions, and other irritants which accompany the Home Trust Visa, but sadly the allure of this card has faded.
That’s brutal Mick,
It’s a good plan to keep home trust preferred and its no foreign transaction fees if you’re traveling soon, but when you are done with Home Trust (and you will be done at some point) try the Rogers Platinum or Fido Mastercard. They’ll effectively give you no forex fees the way the cash back is structured (2.5%) plus. 0.5% cash back on U.S. purchases and the same cash back rate as home trust (1%) for domestic purchases. Read the review here. Although, people have said on this site that their customer service is lacking, just like Home Trust Preferred’s.
I just received my Home Trust statement today and there is a $12 dormant fee. I usually use this credit card when I go travelling once a year, but of course with Covid, I haven’t been using this card for over a year now. I am wondering if I can cancel the card and not pay the fee? Will it ruin my credit? Thanks.
Hi Sam,
You may not immediately ruin your credit. However, you will eventually because, like it or not, you have a balance now and if you don’t pay that balance, you will incur interest, which will make that balance grow, so just pay it off, and then cancel the card. However, before you cancel, ask yourself if you really need to cancel it. Having a card with no balance ever always improves your credit score and is useful in an emergency. Only cancel when…
1. you are bad at controlling your spending and using the card is too tempting.
2. you are paying an annual fee for a card you don’t actually use
Do the following if you still want to cancel:
Find the number of the customer service department you need to contact
Cash in any remaining rewards
Pay off any remaining balance
Call your bank
Send a letter requesting card account closure, as an extra step
Check your credit report to confirm the cancellation
Dispose of your card properly after confirming cancellation
I know it’s a lot but this is the most thorough way to cancel a card
Home Trust Preferred Visa will discontinue their roadside assistance feature end of March 2021. I called in to confirm. They will mail out a letter notifying cardholders.
Hi John,
Yep, sadly they are discontinuing this feature, but if roadside assistance is important to you. Check out my latest article to see the credit cards in Canada you can switch to that still offer free roadside assistance: https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/roadside-assistance-in-canada/
Wow, after reading all the comments, I wonder if it would be better to just keep using my existing cards and eat the 2% foreign transaction fee. After all, it’s usually only a 2-week period every year that I would need it.
Hi Daniel,
I would. Customer service for Home Trust Preferred seems to have been lagging lately and some people have been contending suspect charges on their account. They will soon be eliminating their popular roadside assistance benefit at the end of March 2021. There are other cards with no foreign transaction fees though too. Check out this article for them https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/travel-tip-avoid-foreign-transaction-fees-canadian-credit-card/
When did Home Trust Visa stop offering their roadside assistance benefit? I used to have the card but cancelled it. I was looking for a credit card with free roadside assistance and I know they have it but now it’s not showing up as a benefit.
Hi JQ,
The Home Trust Preferred Visa is eliminating their roadside assistance benefit for existing cardholders by the end of March 2021, which is probably why they’ve eliminated it from their website. Don’t worry though, I just wrote another article detailing what credit cards in Canada still offer free roadside assistance if you’re still looking: https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/roadside-assistance-in-canada/
I bough something on ebay listed in USD using my Canadian HomeTrust Preferred Visa and the amount charged in Canadian dollars was 4.14 % more than the VISA international (usa.visa.com) USD to CAD exchange rate. The item I bought is worth 18.99 USD and VISA international (usa.visa.com) computed it to be 24.13 CAD without foreign conversion fees. My HomeTrust Preferred VIsa got charged 25.13 CAD which is 4.14% more. This is more than the 2.5% foreign exchange fees that most credit cards charge. Is HomeTrust Preferred VISA really a 0% foreign exchange fee credit card?
Hi AA,
The Home Trust Preferred does advertise as a 0% foreign transaction fee card, but go through your credit card agreement with a fine tooth comb because there might be some fees in there that you’re not accounting for. Call Home Trust and ask them this question because they can probably explain to you what’s going on better than I could. You can call them at Customer Service: Tel: 1-888-281-7793
(Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 8:00pm. EST)
Is it possible to certify a convenience check? If so, which bank?
Hi George,
Whether you could ever certify a convenience cheque would have nothing to do with the bank and everything to do with the credit card issuer who issued the cheque.I don’t think you can certify these cheques as they are the domain of already reputable credit card providers and you cannot certify something that is effectively a loan or cash advance already.
There is a gap between their disclosure and actual.
It speaks primarily to foreign exchange transactions (that being transactions billed originally in another currency than Canada)
So this presumably covers foreign merchants and even Canadian merchants billing in US$. But if a foreign merchant bills in Canadian $ they aren’t awarded those either. Dishonest to me, especially when they get their cut of interchange regardless and wont pay out their rewards to customers.
Hi JJ,
It certainly seems that way, but maybe they just forgot to close the loop in their disclosure. Still, if it’s in writing in the fine print, it should be honoured.
I did not activate my card since i received it for 2 years now and recently i just received a $12.00 charged fee for being dormant! Very disappointed!
That really sucks Jenny. I feel for you. It’s also a lesson for others that you always need to read your credit card agreement and the fine print. This kind of fee was required to be disclosed on one of those documents, so when doing your research, don’t just compare cards, read the disclosure documents as well.
Switched to this card to eliminate annual fee of Aeroplan Visa… Had $24,000 limit on Aeroplan card.. Home Trust only offer $8,000 limit with no opportunity to increase for 6 months. Paid initial bill in full and on time. Paid full amount on November statement. Paid an additional $3,000 towards December purchases early because I was having purchased declined. Customer service said that because I paid the $3K Dec 3, (6 days prior to the statement date of Dec 9) their system took this as an additional November payment and in fact blocked the account because I didn’t make a “December” minimum payment of $36.00. On top of that, the December statement which was due December 30 arrived at my house January 11. Current balance of the card including December purchases is $3,012.19….. and yet the card is still blocked until they receive the payment I made on January 11. I’ll get this cleared up and find another card. Going into this I had a credit rating of 760. It’ll be interesting to see if this bizarre situation effects that.
Wow C,
That’s truly bizarre and yours is yet another Home Trust nightmare customer service and mysterious charges or lost payments scenario I’ve heard regarding Home Trust in recent months. My alarm bells are ringing hardcore. I can’t in good conscience recommend them at all. Not with so many negative reports from our readers.
U able to reach a representative ….Terribke service
That’s true Mary, other readers of Greedyrates have certainly reported being completely unable to reach customer service representatives at Home Trust at various times, even pre-COVID when people weren’t working from home.
Credit cancelled 5months ago, today received letter charge me $12 for Dormant Account Fee. Called them, they said account haven’t cancel still.
WTF. I even had sent the actual card back to them as they requested. They don’t even deserve 1 start.
Hi Ken,
What did you do when you found out you were still on the hook? Did you get it cancelled most recently? Did they at least apologize or frame it as an error on their part?
Absolute garbage. Called about a completely different issue today (lost PIN) and was casually asked if I knew HT put my account on hold. Thought a failed online purchase was some problem with the retailer’s site — never guessed it was HT’s fault and they did in on purpose. Got no notice at all – no text, no phonecall, no email, no nothing. Customer Service (if you can call them that) simply apologized, told me someone should have contacted me (wow, you don’t say!) and tell me to call the credit card company. What? I’m calling the number on the back of your credit card, so who am I talking to if not the credit card company? Ridiculous. Despite the points per dollar, I have stopped using this card almost entirely because of all of this nonsense. I got it in the first place for the no-forex fee, but since I have zero confidence that I can actually count on being able to use the card, that defeats the purpose. Because of my excellent credit score, I have now got a new credit card with TD that is offering me a little more than 6% interest. Home Trust had better wake up … there are better options. Oh, did I mention that when I first got my card, then sent it and my PIN # in the same letter? Great…no wonder they are blocking everyone’s purchases.
Wow AnnaP,
I can’t believe this happened to you. What a nightmare. Honestly, occasionally we get some of these comments about Home Trust’s lack of customer service to the point where they might have to change their name to Home Lie. I don’t know what’s going on over there, but some people swear by this card, while others want to throw it in the garbage and light it on fire.
Very disappointed with the card, just find out you would lose all your reward for the whole year if you were late for 1 of your payment, and that is exactly what happen to me that I was away during xmas hoilday last year and was late for a payment when I came back home. My WHOLE YEAR of your cashback reward has be cancel and I am sure most of us wouldn’t know it, what a scam!!! Also all my other credit cards with TD, CIBC and even small company like Tangerine would waive the interest for late payment once a year and with Home trust they said is only once in a LIFE TIME….what a joke. I think I will let everyone I had recommend in the past to stop using this credit card as you would be scam if you didn’t know.
Hi Orphen, you’re not the only reader of Greedyrates that has problems with Home Trust as far as their customer service and just the way they do business. It’s a shame they don’t forgive one late payment, but I guess not every credit card issuer does, even though many do. At least you have another credit card that’s a little more reliable.
I applied for this card got approved sent in my bank draft and have not received card or info I would like someone to contact me as I’m not worried about where my money is
Hi Keegan, I hope they’re just taking their sweet time. Have you called them to try and track it down? I’m told their customer service leaves something to be desired, but I know of no other recourse, other than canceling your application and getting a card at another issuer.
I applied for this card on Oct 16 and I got the card today, Oct 26 in the mail. I didn’t receive any email notification to say that my application was approved, the card just turned up. This card has the tap feature icon on the back.
I applied for this card on October 16, 2020 and received the PIN details to my new card in the mail on October 23, 2020. The PIN details letter also stated that my card is on its way. However, i am still yet to receive official communication from Home Trust to say that my application was approved.
Hi Daniel,
I would take the fact that you’ve received a letter with your PIN that says “Your card is on its way” as extremely strong evidence your application has been approved, so i wouldn’t worry about it.
Just a heads up. It’s October 16, 2020 and they are now offering the TAP feature.
For existing card holders, one has to call in to have them send out new cards. But, and this is only a guess, for new cardholders, I believe the tap feature will already be active for the card.
This card still only has a $250,000 credit limit, which is way too small for me, but the card benefits do make up for this shortcoming. Although I always pay off my statement balance in full, it still would be nice if their credit limits were in line with other banks for high net worth individuals.
Hi Jonathan,
Home Trust has always targeted their cards to people with average to lower credit scores. They actually specialize in secured cards and getting people back into responsible credit usage, so I don’t think you’ll ever get your card targeted at high net-worth customers. It just doesn’t fit their business model and philosophy.
I obtained a Home Trust card mainly for my foreign transactions many of which are services charged monthly. Most of the time I purchase via Paypal and found their foreign transaction fees quite high. Paypal allows you to specify using a credit card for foreign exchange. Paypal doesn’t make it easy and applies quirky limitations when they aren’t taking care of foreign exchange for you.
I have only had Home Trust for a few months and unauthorized charges were applied. Home Trust quickly cancelled the card and replaced it. Oddly I could no longer access the account via website after it was cancelled, this was surprising. This made it really difficult to do the normal things you take for granted, like the amount due and the due date. The debt was still alive and well despite the difficult determining my balance owing.
When I applied for the card my credit rating went down a fair bit. I gather this will happen whenever you apply for credit like this. It appeared Home Trust did two hard credit checks.
If your concerned about your credit rating changing, it would be a good idea to be sure if you really want this card or another.
I have subscribe to Equifax services for many years and can obtain a credit report at any time.
The cards listed by greedyrates.ca indicate a cards suggested or required credit score. It is hard not to get annoyed at how the whole credit rating system works. In 2014 my credit rating was 970 and in the lofty Excellent category, it is now around 800. At that time I was unaware the credit score was impacted significantly every time a hard credit check was completed. My credit rating dropped almost 200 points in a week, when I attempted to open an account for a cell phone. I applied at each of the major carriers and was denied because of my credit rating or the supposed absence of one. I spoke with CSR’s at each of the carriers and couldn’t believe I wasn’t able to open an account. When I called Equifax they told me my credit was Excellent and it wasn’t their problem go back to the carrier. I called the carries back and relayed what Equifax told me. I suggesting I could send them a copy of my credit report. The carriers didn’t care, they would only use their electronic credit lookup and kicked my back to Equifax. Each time I spoke with a carrier to try and resolve the issue they did another credit check and my credit rating dropped. What a ridiculous position to be in, I was stuck in the middle and no one could care less. My credit rating was shot and in years that have past it is no where near the original 970. It takes so long to increase your credit rating, and in the blink of an eye can drop like a rock without any negative reports at all on your credit file.
I have a few credit cards and acquired the Home Trust card because of the 0% foreign transaction rate and 0$ annual fee. As long as they don’t keep monkeying with the perks I’ll likely keep it and use it. I was disheartened by the two hard credit checks when applying for a credit card that pushed my credit rating down. The credit rating system is a bizarre animal.
Hi MD,
I certainly agree that the alchemy that goes into determining someone’s credit score and whether it will rise and fall is a bizarre animal. For the record, you should certainly qualify for a cell phone plan with an 800 credit score, the idea that your carrier would refuse you is bizarre. I will say though, try not to get too preoccupied with your credit score. Even though it takes much longer to rise than it does to fall, it will eventually rise. All you have to do is continue to pay your credit cards on time — usually once near the deadline and once close to when you get your statement. Keep your head down and don’t get discouraged.
@greedyrates, how can you give this card such a good rating. It is absolutely garbage. I applied in July and have not heard back, I’ve paid money out of my own pocket to cancel the security deposit check because this company is just mediocre. I checked in with them, they told me that my processing would be begin in 2-3 weeks, but I am cancelling my application after 6 weeks. This card is a must avoid, Home Trust Company credit card isn’t legitimate and people need to realize this.
Hi Bob,
You’re definitely not the first to complain about the Home Trust Visa Preferred. We’ve had more of our readers slam it in the comments as you can see. However, I don’t think we explicitly gave it a good rating. The “Fair-Good” rating refers to the credit score you need that will likely mean you are approved for the card. In all our reviews, we certainly give the pros, but we also give the cons or drawbacks. I think we’re pretty neutral and don’t outright recommend the card. We simply mention who the card might be good for, which implies it’s not good for everyone.
I have just received my monthly statement,and too my dismay I owe $945,when all I charged this month was $53:75. The balance was taken from an ATM at a coveineance store in Toronto. I live in Vancouver area and have never been to Toronto !!! These transactions where done over 2 days with no pin or security #.Called Home trust today and they will look into it,this should not have happened,these transactions should have been flagged. Hope they rectify this soon as I have been impressed with this company to now.
Hi Stephen,
It sounds like your banking credentials have definitely been compromised. I hope you changed your passwords and suspended the involved card while this is getting sorted out. I would also do what I can if I was you to get a whole new card with a whole new number and expiry date. Also, avoid using the same passwords for multiple websites even though its easier to remember the same password over and over again.
We were in Japan last year, used the card for hotel( Tokyo Hilton) and some nice restaurants w/ no problem. The following week we used it in hotel( The Grand Yuan San) and numerous restaurants in Taiwan…..no problem neither.
Hi Angie,
I’m very happy ton hear the card worked so well in Asia. I’m glad you had such a great experience with it.
One of the worst cards out there. I got the card specifically for travel and to avoid foreign transaction fees. I contacted the Home Trust Visa to let them know I was going to be travelling in Japan. First time I tried to use the card to check into a hotel in Tokyo the card was declined. Thank goodness I have other cards that did work because the Home Trust Visa Customer Service department was rude and completely unintrerested in helping me. When I told them I would never use their card again they didn’t care at all and insisted I pay the $0.05 (yes, five cents!) balance owing or the account would be sent to collections (I have an excellent credit rating). I paid off the princely sum of five cents and destryoed their card, never to use it or the services of Home Trust ever again. The RBC Avion card is so much better and their customer serivce is excellent.
Hi Marty, I agree the RBC Avion card is great for frequent travelers. I am a particular fan of it. I’m really sorry to here about your experience with Home Trust, especially their customer service, that is very disappointing. If you still care, I would try to speak to someone higher up there and lodge an official complaint. It may help them improve their practices in the future.
Hi, does the Home Trust Visa Collision/Loss Damage Insurance program cover rental car in Japan?
Hi Tibby,
Home Trust Preferred Visa’s collision/Loss Damage insurance covers eligible vehicles in every country except those where the coverage is precluded by law or in violation of the rental contract within that country, such as countries where you are required to accept the renter’s collision damage waiver by law. I am unsure if Japan is one of those countries, but if you have trouble using it there call
(410) 581-9994 and provide:
• the name of the Rental Agency involved;
• the Rental Agency’s address;
• the date of the rental;
• the name of the Rental Agency representative with whom You spoke, and
Your rental contract number.
The Rental Agency will then be contacted and acquainted with the Visa CLD
Insurance coverage.
People.
Check your statements for fraud charges.
I noticed fraud charges in January 2020. Card was closed and was issued a new card.
Received an email that there were fraud charges for July 2020.
I have not used the card this year.
Home trust get your Database Security System in order. It’s obvious there’s a data breach somewhere in your system.
Thanks for the warning TC, maybe you should call Home Trust and make sure they are looking into this.
Very poor customer service options.
It looks like my card was just compromised on July 1 (Canada Day of course.)
The only option for notifying them about this is to call their customer service department between 8AM and 8PM weekdays. Holidays and weekends, you’re SOL.
So some scammers somewhere have my card and there’s nothing I can do about it until tomorrow morning. Very troublesome. I suppose I could max out the card with a Paypal transfer: I will do that if any more charges appear.
I will be canceling the card after this. Not worth the small savings on currency exchange.
Sorry this happened to you Phil. Thanks for sharing your experience and a warning for others.
After my Amazon VISA was cancelled I found Home Trust VISA as a suitable replacement, mostly for out of Canada and on-line purchases. I hadn’t used the card for a few months and when I checked my account in the first week of May 2020, which I do with all my cards periodically, I found about 10 unauthorized purchases totalling around $1,000 CAD. The amounts were from $15 US to over $300 US. I phoned Home Trust VISA right away and they cancelled the card and within 2 weeks I received a new card. All the disputed unauthorized charges were reversed by Home Trust VISA in about 4 days. All I can say is…. thank you VISA for dealing with this issue in such an efficient and professional manner !!
All the purchases showed that they were made by an Amazon reseller, Amazon.com BILL/WA but the curious thing is that I checked both my US and Canada Amazon accounts and there were no purchases showing on either account. I have reported this to the Canada Government Fraud website.
Awesome, glad this worked out for you Anton. I’m happy they did the right thing.
I recently had the same issue with my Home Trust Visa. There were two Amazon Mktpl charges around $40 each and I don’t have a card on file for Amazon purchases. I called to have my card cancelled and the charges reversed. I hope it all works out – I just started that process.
Hi Bella,
Keep us updated and let us know how it goes for you. We’ve had other readers report mysterious and/or fraudulent charges on this card before. One reader suggested it may be due to a data breach
Their customer service department blatantly lied to me! They said they did not receive a document when I have a copy of when the document was sent. Very dishonest staff!
Oh man, I would either leave a bad review or try to report them to the better business bureau. However, people do make mistakes…perhaps they just forgot or didn’t receive the correct information concerning your case by accident.
If I remember correctly, last year Home Trust introduced a non-activity fee of $10 if the card is not used for 12 months. I just received notice that the fee will now be $12. Another drawback of the card.
Got a Home Trust Preferred CC for my trips and purchases while traveling in, to, or from Mexico … the local ferrateria (hardware store) even accepts the card here in ‘small town Mexico’ for purchases processed by the Bancomer bank.. I have had not one purchased declined out of the many I have made in Canada, the USA and Mexico. As my credit rating is high, they gave me a fairly generous card limit ($4000) considering the low limits sometimes offered to others. Any downsides reported are minor considering the perks offered, and as I often travel to and from Mexico by vehicle (the roadside assistance reimbursement may or may not be valid here in Mexico) a card that has no foreign transaction fees is a real plus if your paying in pesos. I will probably ditch my BMO card to secondary status and maybe get them to downgrade/reduce my outrageously high credit limit, so I can get my Home Trust card limit raised a tad. … hopefully doing so without hosing my credit rating in some way.
Hi There, Wondering about the Roadside Assistance.
We have a card in one spouses name with a companion card in the spouses name. In the event that Roadside Assistance is Required, can either cardholder use/access the Roadside Assistance?
Hey Karin,
Great question. We assume that if you’re a cardholder then you’re able to use the roadside assistance however you’d like, and that would include helping a spouse. The roadside assistance perk is essentially a rescue up to 4 times per year from events where you need emergency towing, gas, tire, winching, battery, or key lockout service. Just call the number on your card and they’ll send help to either spouse, as they presumably both use the same card membership number.
GreedyRates
When I received my statement non Dec 17,2019 (dated 12/09/19) it included an attached note stating that rewards on foreign purchase would no longer be offered as of 01/01/20.
The “agreement” states a minimum 30 day notice of changes to the “agreement” will be issued.
I find these arbitrary changes done with minimal or no notice to be totally unreasonable as they do not offer clients time to consider alternate options; such as the Rogers World Elite Master Card! I was in contact with Home Trust approx six weeks ago to request an increased credit limit and was not advised of the pending change at that time. I will be cancelling my Home Trust card and have already received a Rogers Master Card!
Home Trust may be small but if they continue to treat their clients this way they will surely stay small. They seem to have forgotten they are not doing us a favour by issuing us their card………we the clients are doing them the favour. In my case favour withdrawn.
Hi William,
Thanks for your comment. It sheds light on a harsh truth that some Home Trust fans don’t want to face: their favorite no-fee and no-foreign-transaction-fee cash back card is being slightly downgraded this year. No longer will the Home Trust Preferred Visa earn 1% cash back on purchases made in a foreign currency, though you can still expect not to pay any 2.5% foreign transaction charges on these purchases. The move is not surprising from Home Trust, as it had previously packed an uncommon amount of value into the card with the triple-bonus of 1% cash back on all purchases (even abroad), $0 annual fee, and 0% foreign transaction fee.
We wish you luck with the Rogers Mastercard, but you should still keep your Home Trust card all the same. It will still come in handy and may be better for your credit active than cancelled, depending on your utilization ratio and other factors. Thanks again.
GreedyRates
I have had this card for a year. Two months back, I was able to have the full card balance paid automatically. Yes, I had to call them then send in my void cheque but the auto pay is working well for me.
Hey Richard,
That’s great! We’re excited to hear that Home Trust is further building out its network of financial services, and therefore helping its cards meet the expectations that Canadian cardholders have for the competition. The Home Trust Preferred Visa card’s had some growing pains in the past few years with acceptance rates and a small road bump where customers weren’t able to change their assigned PIN code, but now it seems as if the card’s utility is as comprehensive as any other.
We’d now probably be confident in recommending it as a primary credit card even if you don’t have another from one of the Big Five banks. Hope you’re enjoying it—thanks again for the comment!
GreedyRates
I just received notice that effective Jan/2020, foreign transactions will no longer earn 1% cashback. More details will follow on next month’s statement
After Amazon announced a cancellation of their 1% cash back and 0% foreign conversion charge credit card which my husband and I used for years without any problems we applied for Home Trust Visa cards for both of us. We also liked the auto rental collision/loss damage insurance as an extra perk because we planned to use the cards for travelling. First year 2018 there was no problem. We used the cards first domestically in Ontario for some purchases to make sure that the cards were working without hiccups and there would not be any problems and surprises while abroad. Then we used it in central Europe, one country only for purchases last year and this year in April/May. Since that time no purchases were made on the cards until this November when we made some travelling arrangements. First payment went thru and second failed. We tried couple more times without any success and then called Home Trust to find out why the second payment was declined. There was an outstanding balance more than a half than of our available credit balance. We checked the transactions on line and discovered two fraudulent purchases were charged on the card in October in the US. I am asking what kind of security Home Trust have that we were not notified and a huge amount went thru without them noticing and blocking the cards or calling us. I would not recommend this card to anyone. Obviously their security is very poor when within two years our cards were compromised.
Hi DR,
We’re very appreciative of your comment. It sounds like the Home Trust Preferred card was a solid replacement for your Amazon no-fee (and no foreign transaction fee) card. It worked well domestically during the first year, and well abroad during your second year, and only in your third year did the fraudulent purchase create a problem. It’s a good thing that Home Trust caught it, but unfortunate that they didn’t make you aware (or that their email went to spam, or some other explanation). Either way, we hope you weren’t inconvenienced, and want to use your story to make an example.
Home Trust, though it offers a couple of cards that have surprising and simple value, is an accordingly small financial organization. It also displays the limits of being such handily, with spotty overall support that makes a Home Trust card unsuitable to rely on as a primary credit device. We love and appreciate the Preferred card for its strengths: no fee, 1.00% cash back, and savings on foreign transaction purchases, but make sure to always carry a second card—such as an Amex or a Big Five credit card—for when the inevitable happens.
GreedyRates Staff
As of January 2020, Home Trust will no longer give the 1% cashback reward on foreign transactions.
Thanks for mentioning the limit of 10 transactions a day. When I called Home Trust to ask where in their policy this is stated they replied that for security reasons they don’t publish this limit. One can get a nusty surprise when travelling abroad, and the card won’t be accepted for the 11th transaction.
I found that even staying within this limit, I was denied payment even though I used the same store the day before (this was abroad).
Hey Regina,
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates with this announcement. As most Home Trust cardholders are already aware, due to the mail it has been sending out, the cash back program will slightly change in early 2020. While there is still going to be 1% cash back on all purchases made in Canada, the bank will stop rewarding 1% on purchases made in a foreign currency. Honestly, for us at GreedyRates this is no surprise, as Home Trust is essentially giving away 3.50% on foreign currency purchases (2.50% for the fee and then 1.00% on top of that).
For a card that still remains the only no-annual-fee and no foreign-transaction-fee Visa card that’s widely available, it’s still quite worthwhile even with the update. If it’s a big disappointment for you just let us know and we’ll be happy to provide some alternatives, and thanks again for your comment.
GreedyRates Staff
Hi,
I recently received this card and used it while traveling in Europe and the Middle East and my first bill came to just over $500. I only received $0.65 cents in cash back. are there limitations to what purchases earn cash back? I was under the impression it applied to all purchases, anywhere in the world.
Hey Larissa,
Great comment. Thanks for coming to GreedyRates. From what we understand, there are no limits to the amount of cash back you can earn nor the purchases that collect cash back, and this is coming from Home Trust itself. On the site you’ll see the words, “No restrictions on where you can earn CashBack Rewards – get 1% CashBack on all your purchases, all the time, so your rewards can add up fast.” However, what they’ve failed to include anywhere but the fine print is that using your credit for a cash advance or similar transaction is not considered a purchase. The issue may also be that your purchases are taking time to settle and cash back is still on its way—check with Home Trust first!
Are you aware of any method to determine how much “cash back” you have earned on this card? There does not appear to be any self serve information provided on their website.
Hey Stephen,
Home Trust is a small institution, and though that makes it more generous in terms of the benefits it can offer, support for complicated web interfaces is definitely lower. If you’re unable to check to see how much cashback you’ve accrued on the Home Trust website, then you’ll definitely be able to log in and have an agent recite your total. Regardless, the way cash back is spent is by calling an agent anyway to have it applied to your January statement, so they’re already equipped to have this knowledge. They’re also pretty friendly, given our past experience calling in. Best of luck!
GreedyRates
I have had the HomeTrust Visa for a couple of years now.
I am going to cancel and apply for the Rogers World Elite as a replacement for foreign transactions. The reason is that the HomeTrust Visa is just too unreliable. I have ran into way too many times where a transaction got declined for some unexplained reason. On my recent trip to NYC, I was declined maybe six times and got through around ten times. I had to use my main card to cover for which I had to pay a foreign transaction fee.
This is not the first trip where this has happened. Save yourself the headache.
Hey RC,
It’s funny, we just had a comment from another GreedyRates reader who was telling us all about how they love Rogers’ Fido card, which is essentially a downgraded version of the card you want. They’d never had a single issue with Rogers abroad, and we went on to reply on the reportedly spotty nature of Home Trust support in some circumstances (though it’s getting better for sure). We’re confident you’ll enjoy the Rogers World Elite card, with its great insurance, excellent cash back rates and boosted cash back on foreign transactions. We’re just sorry this decision came at the price of a frustrating experience with your last card.
GreedyRates
Im curious as to what the initial minimum credit limit is?
Hey Odele,
We’d like to know as well! This would amount to a big advantage for consumers, but unfortunately many banks don’t publish any guidelines on the smallest amount of credit they’ll issue any cardholder, Home Trust included. At least for its Home Trust Preferred card. Given the $500 minimum limit on the secured Home Trust, we’d imagine it can’t get much lower than this. Try calling and inquiring. Sometimes you can get a representative who’s willing to open up.
GreedyRates
I found that with a charge that was fraudulent, this card uses an agency in the US to deal with requested chargebacks and many card operations, unlike those from major Canadian banks that handle issues themselves for their clients. In this case with HT, the vendor claimed to provide a refund, which I sought immediately but which did not appear. Home Trust’s agent responded quickly but the dispute lingers with no information. It occurred to me that the when this happened with TD, they took care of it immediately and assured me that it would be covered. Home Trust is less certain and slower. How a credit card deals with fraudulent charges is important. Once the challenge was in place, they cancelled my card and a new one was to be sent. In the meantime, I don’t know the new account number and cannot contact them. All in all, there are dangers to consider that came as a surprise – there is a good reason to deal with major banks.
Hey Crisscross,
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates, this is a great comment and one to take note of for those who consider using a non-Big Five credit card as their primary way to pay. Home Trust, as beneficial as its credit products such as the Preferred Visa card may be, is not a Big Five bank like BMO, MBNA, RBC and the others, meaning its support network isn’t as quick in some cases. If you encounter an issue like fraud then it can take a bit longer to resolve it, but that doesn’t mean these cards are any less safe. It’s recommended to pick up a card from a smaller financial organization like Home Trust, Rogers, or Tangerine as they often grant unique benefits.
For example, your Home Trust Preferred card is the only one in Canada to provide three niche features at the same: zero foreign transactions fees, no annual fees, and cash back on all purchases. Keep it on you simply because it’s useful everywhere and costs virtually nothing, not because you need it daily.
GreedyRates
Is Home Trust still active? I can’t access the site.
Hey SJ!
Home Trust is indeed active and thriving, and the website is up. Perhaps there was a minor outage or maintenance delay, but if you’re still having problems, anything you need can be taken care of quickly by a Home Trust representative over the phone.
GreedyRates
I have experienced several issues with my Canadian Home Trust Visa being ‘declined’ at an assortment of outlets. Across the USA/Mexico & Canada – Some retailers/restaurants/hotels/services just simply ‘decline’. I ALWAYS pay off the balance before any attempting any new transaction and review that the balance is cleared online, so I know the full credit limit is available. It doesn’t seem to matter. I feel like flipping a coin every time I attempt to use the card 50/50 chance it will or won’t be accepted. The only similarity between the ‘declined’ transactions seems to be they are at smaller, independent (ie: non large corporations). BUT there are exceptions: a beach vendor in mexico = no problem, a chain hotel in canada = ‘declined’, a local pub in the USA = ‘declined’, the mom & pop hotel across the street = no problem.
Seems very random and ultimately useless. I’ll be cancelling this card soon.
Hey Roberto!
Great comments, even if they are a bit critical of one of our favorite cards! The Home Trust Preferred Visa is a traveller’s dream due to its simple, accessible benefits such as $0 annual fees, 1.00% cash back and no foreign transaction fees. However, it’s been a while since we’ve heard that customers are encountering issues with merchant support—even in faraway countries such as Iceland. These issues may still appear in places where merchants are in no rush to upgrade their infrastructure (like some parts of the USA and Mexico), so we still recommend that the Home Trust card be secondary to another from BMO, CIBC, RBC or any other Big Five bank. Even the smallest local vendors will have a point of sale system that’s friendly to their wider networks.
We’ll take note of the card’s lower acceptance rates with smaller Mexican and American shops and consider that for other relevant readers. Don’t cancel the card quite yet—just find something more reliable, and we can help. Feel free to send us a list of criteria and we’ll provide some recommendations. Thanks again.
GreedyRates
What will be the credit limit , if we pay secure deposit $500 ?
Hi Sunil,
If you’re approved for the Home Trust Secured Visa (not the Preferred Visa), then you’ll make a security deposit that matches your minimum credit limit. So, if you have the card and make the $500 minimum security deposit, then Home Trust will give you at least $500 of credit on its card. We’ve seen some applicants with better credit get a higher limit for the same deposit, but this is entirely circumstantial, so don’t count on it. Good luck.
GreedyRates
Hi, does someone know if hometrust visa use Equifax or TransUnion to check your credit file ? I have a big gap of points in my both credit file. Equifax rates me at 660 and TransUnion rates me @ 500. Cradit karma which uses TransUnion rates me @ 655 and I’ve been investigating with TransUnion but they don’t know what could be the problem.
Hey Reda,
Thanks for the interesting question. Home Trust doesn’t indicate which credit bureau they rely on for credit checks and other relevant needs, but both TransUnion and Equifax are important to pay attention to regardless. If you find that one doesn’t match the other, and hasn’t for many months (as they may update on their own individual schedules) then you can file a credit dispute on the entry which has cause the discrepancy. This usually works quite well, but it requires you to order a thorough version of your reports, as the information might not be available on the free yearly score. This is why you should wait a month or two before disputing. Good luck!
GreedyRates
My Credit Report from Equifax shows an inquiry from my Home Trust Visa application of Mar/2018.
No inquiries from my Rogers Mastercard application of Sep/2018.
I cannot speak for any Trans Union inquiries as I do not get that report.
For turn around time approval, its less than a week.
Applied Tues morning, credit karma alerted me on Sunday I have a new account. And NO inquiry in my report! Wha?? So bizarre.
Although I got the basic low $500 limit. Just recieved another much higher new cc the week before, so probably the issue.
I’m assuming I’ll receive my card this week.
Lightening fast if you ask me.
Hey Stephanie,
Indeed, Home Trust has improved operations significantly from just a year ago, when it got some bad press for its obnoxious application approval times (among other issues). Now, we’ve confirmed from Home Trust that applications take a maximum of 6 weeks, and you’re clearly no exception. We’d expect to receive it within the week as well. Enjoy the card, and remember that with responsible and frequent use, Home Trust will expand your credit limit relatively fast.
GreedyRates
If one’s income is slightly below 15,000 at 13,000, do they make any exceptions for Missionaries or those who are in religious life?
Hey Roxann,
Thanks for getting in touch with us at GreedyRates. Essentially, when a bank scrutinizes your application for one of their credit cards, what they’re actually doing is determining a comprehensive picture of your creditworthiness. Income is just one of several factors that are relevant to their decision—others include your current debts, assets, credit score and other variables. This might include any kind of stipend or pension that your religious organization gives you.
Our advice is to find an accessible card, exactly like the Home Trust Preferred Visa. Trying your luck with this card, even if you’re under the minimum income requirement, could be risky. The hard credit check that occurs with each application (and knocks your credit score a bit) would be for nothing if you aren’t approved, so if you’re not confident then try to boost your score a bit before the application. Best of luck!
GreedyRates
Got this card recently, no complaints other than small credit limit of $1500 to start. Got primarily to save the 2.5%. Applied and had the card within 3 weeks. Worked all over France. Can change PIN if you want. No annual fee, so nothing to lose really. Bonus tip I learned: If you link this card with Paypal, change your Paypal setting so it will not convert to Canadian $ first and will charge you in the original currency… otherwise you’ll still pay Paypal the 2.5%!
Hey Anonorama!
Good to hear from you! We’re glad that you’ve had a great experience with Home Trust, and are liking their wildly popular Preferred Visa as well. It’s great to hear you got the card quickly, that you could change your PIN code, and that it’s been a reliable payment method while you’ve been in France. What’s even more interesting is that you’ve managed to find a nice trick for attaching your PayPal account to the Home Trust Visa. This is very relevant for Canadians who use PayPal and find that many banks don’t support it or make it hard to use.
It’s true that PayPal has an option to prevent the automatic conversion into Canadian dollars, and it’s a great tip to exercise it before linking your account! Thanks again.
GreedyRates
I have a HT Preferred VISA for more than 2 years. It works fine in Japan and EU, but not working in Mexico. Have been trying in 2 shops.
Hi Dmitry,
Thanks for the report! We’re always privy to incoming information from cardholders like yourself, who are familiar with the spotty support for Home Trust abroad. The issuer is quickly buttoning up their network and fixing issues as they come up, and we’re happy to say that for the most part Home Trust cardholders can now rely on it abroad as much as they can a Visa or Mastercard from BMO or one of the other Big Five. If you’re not seeing that it’s accepted in Mexico, it could be a merchant issue or a country-wide support issue: we’re not sure. Two shops isn’t the biggest sample size so for now, avoid trying to force using the card too much, lest you risk Home Trust’s fraud team getting too eager and locking you out. Let us know how the situation plays out as well.
GreedyRates
Hi, I’m going to Europe (Germany, Turkey and Greece), does the Home Trust Visa Collision/Loss Damage Insurance program cover rental car in Europe?
Hey Viv,
Home Trust’s coverage for rental vehicle damage and collision works for all rental cars, even in most European countries. You should beware of certain countries which don’t let you decline the rental company’s Collision and Damage Waiver (CDW), however. Specifically, Italy and Ireland won’t let you go without purchasing this insurance, but everywhere on your list will allow you to. Germany, Turkey, and Greece all let customers rely on their credit card’s insurance, so even if the agent is skeptical you can still decline. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of coverage carefully, as always, and drive safe!
GreedyRates
Do you know if France, Spain and Portugal are covered for collision under the card’s insurance.
Thanks
Hi Vanman,
In countries like France, car rental companies are required to provide third party liability insurance in the base price, which covers damage to vehicles and property not including the rental vehicle itself. However, you’ll still want to purchase a CDW (collision damage waiver) for the car via the rental agency if you want full coverage for damage to the car you’re renting, but this can be declined since you have Visa’s collision and loss damage coverage via the Home Trust Preferred card. Spain and Portugal do not require auto rental agencies to cover third party damage, so it might be savvy to buy this extra even with the Home Trust card on you. Better safe than sorry—and good luck!
GreedyRates
I have a vacation purchase payment coming up that is higher than my Home Trust Visa credit limit. Is it possible to prepay the card so that it doesn’t go over my limit?
Hey Jeffyorama,
Thanks for the interesting question. Before determining that a prepayment (if possible) is the right way to go about this, have you tried to ask the booking agency if the vacation can be paid with a cheque, or in installments? Many merchants make it easy to do both, and if so then you can avoid trying to fit one enormous payment on a credit card that doesn’t have an appropriate credit limit. Another option is simply to call Home Trust and inquire if they allow prepayments. We’re not sure, but our educated guess (and familiarity with Home Trust’s relative newness to the Canadian banking sector) is that you won’t be able to, as most cards’ credit limits cannot be adjusted unless they’re approved for increase by the bank itself. This is your last option: to call Home Trust and ask for a larger credit limit. Good luck!
GreedyRates
Hi. I have done this to pay for a cruise. I prepaid CAD8000 on the card and paid the full ~CAD10000 cruise fee in one shot. I had first called Home Trust to ensure this would work. It did.
Here is my experience with this HomeTrust Visa card after being a client for a year.
When the amazon Canada card was cancelled, I signed up for this HomeTrust Preferred card and let me tell you, it’s been the worst piece of garage card I have in my cards. From the beginning, it took 3-4 months for them to process the application. Their online portal is absolutely horrid and looks like a 1st year graphic design student has created with limited features. I have not been able to modify my PIN number until recently. They do not answer the support calls when needed and long holds and rude poor customer service. Yesterday I had an incident where they locked me out for a small purchase and I called them and they said they are closed until tomorrow; this was absurd, I have never had this experience with any other credit card company. I called them today and they said they can only offer card service help M-F between 8am-8pm; all other companies are 24-hours! I called and cancelled this card today and even then, the lady was rude. To add insult to injury, she said I lose all of my cash-back rewards for the entire 2019.
I have now signed up for the Rogers WorldElite MC instead. They provide 24/7 service with options to take my cashback right away instead being held hostage for 1-year.
Hey Techie,
We’re sorry you found it tough to receive immediate help with your recent Home Trust purchase, and we understand your frustrations with the card so far. However, we think your issue originated largely because you sent in your application for the Home Trust Preferred card along with the rest of Canada: right after Chase took their somewhat-similar Amazon card off the market. During this period, the small online bank was buried under thousands and thousands of applications and was backed up for months, which is why it took so long to get your card initially.
Now, Home Trust is sending off approvals and envelopes stuffed with brand new Preferred cards just 4-6 weeks after receiving an application. Their network is also maturing very quickly in terms of features and support, and as you noticed you can now change your PIN instead of being forced to use an assigned one. Ultimately, however, the only thing we care about is that it fulfills its main promise: $0 annual fee, 0% foreign transaction fees, and 1% cash back. Stacking these three benefits into the same card means we can readily ignore its minor inconveniences.
Enjoy your Rogers World Elite Mastercard. If we had to pick another card to stand with the Home Trust Preferred in this category, that would be it.
GreedyRates
Need to update this article. You can now call the automated number 1-833-263-2828 and change your pin to your own liking.
Hey Dave,
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates! It’s true, by calling Home Trust you can now change your PIN code to whatever you like. This seems like a pretty banal feature, but when you consider that Home Trust forced its customers to commit randomly-assigned PINs to memory (under penalty of being locked out of your account for a single mistyped PIN!) it’s a much bigger deal. It’s not the only one-eighty that Home Trust has done in recent months either. The card experienced some frustrating issues in the period following Chase Bank’s exit from Canada, all of which are now cleared up. Glad you’ve discovered the same!
We’ll go ahead and update the article to avoid people missing out on this awesome deal. Thanks again for the comment.
GreedyRates
Can you pay your balance for this card online?
Hey Lisa,
Yes you can, and in fact, Home Trust is an online-only bank. This means you will make online payments and manage your account without needing to go into a branch, which is subjectively good or bad depending on your preferences. To us, it’s extraordinarily convenient! Enjoy.
GreedyRates
I had been a client of theirs for several years and everything was fine. I cancelled my card last year a I no longer needed it.
Now came the horrible part. A year later they started to make “hard inquiries” on my credit file. I contacted them about these false inquiries and they confirmed that I had not made them. I was told I would receive a call back in 3 days to explain why it happened and to correct the errors that were now damaging my credit score. No call back – ever.
Filed a complaint with Equifax, but Home Trust told them I had applied for credit – BS. I asked for a copy of my so-called application but they haven’t been able to produce it. And they still won’t remove the false inquiries.
Use this company with great caution. All your credit rebuilding could be destroyed by one of their computer glitches.
Equifax has advised me to go to Consumer Affairs Canada, which is what I will do tomorrow.
Good luck.
Hi Jerry,
What an interesting comment, and a strange and unfortunate event! If your account with Home Trust was closed after having the awesome Preferred card, there should be no reason why the bank is doing hard inquiries on your credit. Sounds like a mistake to us, and we believe that following up with Consumer Affairs Canada is a great idea, because we’ve never once encountered this problem and haven’t received reports about it from our many readers either. Let us know how the visit with Consumer Affairs Canada goes. We may have additional suggestions if necessary, such as a paid service which disputes entries on clients’ credit reports and chases down resolutions for you. Might cost a bit of money, but the health of your credit is worth it. Stay in touch.
GreedyRates
My wife & I have our full monthly balance taken automatically from our bank account when paying our MasterCard .Can this be done with the Home Trust Preferred Visa?
Hi Ron,
Appreciate the comment, and welcome to GreedyRates! If you’re interested in the Home Trust Preferred card but expect the same robust features and support from banks like RBC or BMO, you might be disappointed. The strengths of this card are to be cheap ($0 annual fee) and effective (0% foreign transactions fees and 1% cash back), so it may lack features in some areas that you might find important.
For example, while monthly minimum payments can be set up automatically you can’t make automatic full payments of your entire balance, so this will need to be done manually but also online. Accordingly, if you then find the Preferred Visa to not be ‘preferable’, we’d explore other options and will be happy to help in that regard as well. Just let us know!
GreedyRates Staff
Hi
Cardholders can change their PINs after using the original assigned PIN the first time. Also, I read that the ability to not tap the card was a drawback. I just received my card and it does have that feature as well.
I applied for the card on Jan 16 and to date (March 26), I have not heard anything. Guess the process times are true
Hi Kat!
Glad you dropped by GreedyRates. There’s no doubt that Home Trust is one of the less mature financial institutions serving the Canadian market, and while they did experience some issues in the last year satisfying all the demand for their awesome Preferred Visa, that’s all over now (hopefully). We’ve heard countless readers in the last half-year or so report that the various problems are solved, including the long application wait, support from ATMs and card readers abroad, spotty service from the card’s chip, and more.
Home Trust representatives we’ve checked with can confirm that you should only be waiting 4-6 weeks maximum from the time of your application until you receive the Preferred card. If you applied in mid-January, that means you should’ve received it a couple weeks ago. Call over to Home Trust to inquire about the status of your application, and then get back to us with the answer if you like. Sorry that you’re seemingly the exception to Home Trust’s recent customer service improvement! It will get better, but if not, we’re here to help.
GreedyRates
I applied for the Home Trust visa on November 21, 2018 and have not heard a thing from them nor received any mail.
Hey Ben,
Thanks for sharing your concerns with us. Wow! That’s nearly 6 months with no answer from Home Trust, which leads us to believe something got lost in the mix. While Home Trust was undoubtedly overwhelmed with applications for this card at the time, thanks to Chase’s untimely exit from the Canadian marketplace (taking their foreign-feeless Amazon card with them), they’ve supposedly reduced their application turnaround time to under 6 weeks. This has been proven to us time and again with readers who have applied and been approved recently.
Call over to Home Trust and inquire. It could be that you were declined and missed the message, because if you were approved then the card would’ve arrived by now. Sorry for the inconvenience, but a quick call will clear it right up. Home Trust representatives are super nice, so you’ll find no trouble getting an answer. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
How is the Home Trust card’s exchange rate compare to the other major credit cards?
Hey Morris,
Thanks for the inquiry about Home Trust’s Preferred card. As you’re aware, most banks use an exchange rate to determine any currency transfers that must occur after a transaction, but they may also add additional surcharges, not to mention the notorious foreign transaction fee of 2.50%. The Home Trust card exempts you from the latter, adds no additional fees onto exchange transactions, and uses the same exchange rate set by Visa International—just like most other credit cards. No surprises here: enjoy!
GreedyRates
You can now change your PIN, I just changed mine.
Hey Jonathan!
That’s right! The Home Trust Preferred card now allows cardholders to choose their own PIN code, which was one of the most annoying things about it in the last couple years. Most of the issues facing Home Trust’s popular Preferred card are now resolved, namely spotty support for ATMs and card readers abroad and the PIN issue, and your comment is one among a throng of others ready to report that Home Trust is back in business. Enjoy!
GreedyRates
I received my card months ago, and I first use the card today. They now allow users to customize the PIN number. First time customer service call was very quick and friendly as well. I can’t wait to use it when I visit to the states next week.
Hi David!
Thanks for the encouraging comment. It’s true—the Home Trust Preferred card has now evolved into a tool that actually allows people to choose their own PIN code! Despite this feature probably feeling unremarkable to many readers, Home Trust is a newer organization that encountered some unfortunate and frustrating obstacles early after its initial issuance. One of these obstacles was that cardholders were assigned a PIN code, which is annoying when the bank decides to freeze your account for not remembering the PIN and inputting the wrong one. Thankfully, this and other issues with the Home Trust card are gone, and it’s now a shining example of just how purposeful a $0 annual fee card can be with 1.00% cash back and 0.00% on foreign transaction fees, which make travelling that much cheaper! Enjoy.
GreedyRates
I’m in Tampa Florida. Just used it for a cab ride and McDonalds breakfast. Both by chip, no pin needed. It just worked.
So super easy.
Hi Robert!
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates and spreading the good cheer! We’re glad you’re enjoying the Home Trust Preferred card and are happy to hear the card’s chip is working flawlessly in card readers around the world—after experiencing a few rocky months post-release. Hope you’re also getting a ton of value from the card’s cash back bonus and let us know how much you love the 0.00% foreign transaction fees should you find yourself abroad!
GreedyRates
Helpful review. Does anyone know if this card synchronizes with Mint? I have just cancelled my President Choice MasterCard because they don’t allow the transactions to be uploaded on Mint, so that’s the only thing that I want to check before applying.
Hey Eddie,
Thanks for coming to GreedyRates. You know, we’ve had a lot of comments about Mint and other budgeting applications on our site recently, and many of them concern the PC Financial Mastercard’s discontinued service from some apps. It’s disappointing for sure, and bad business for PC if they want customers who are financially savvy and knowledgeable. As for Home Trust, we aren’t aware of any issues pertaining its support for Mint, but it’s always best to check with a representative from either company.
One word of caution from us: The Home Trust Preferred card seems to have overcome its past flaws, such as spotty support abroad and quirks like an assigned PIN code, but the bank is by no means as mature as BMO or RBC. It might affect whether or not Mint and other apps are able to be seamlessly integrated without issues such as security lockouts, for example. Either way, sorry we couldn’t be of better help and good luck in your search.
GreedyRates
I’ve had the Home Trust Preferred card for just over a year now, using it specifically for travelling to Europe. I’m able to sync the card’s transactions with Mint, but you need to use your credentials for the EzCardInfo.com site (the credit card portal provided by Home Trust to manage your card). I first tried adding the card directly to Mint using Mint’s “Home Trust (Canada) – Visa” provider, but my EzCardInfo credentials don’t work there. Once I used Mint’s EzCardInfo provider, then the sync worked fine.
have used the card in Portugal,Spain, Gibraltar and U.S. had no problems anywhere received cash back automatically in new year and just seen recently that you are able to change your pin now also.
great card.
Hey Thomas!
Great news, thanks for coming to report it to us. We love receiving testimonials of the cards we review, and nothing makes us happier than to get one about the Home Trust Preferred card. We haven’t heard about the ability to finally change your PIN (they used to assign you an unchangeable PIN) and it will be great to report it to other readers once we can confirm. That (along with its patchy international support) was one of our biggest pet peeves, and we’ll be happy to put it to rest. Thanks again.
GreedyRates
Thanks Thomas, good to know it works in Portugal. I’ll be going there next month and will be my first time trying the card abroad.
I had this card for 11 months. Limit of $2500. I did take a few weeks to come in the mail. I have recently closed it for an acceptance in an AMEX card. When they asked why I am closing it, I told them:
– No APP for online access
– Can’t change the PIN
– No TAP for purchases and can’t add to Apple Pay
– Slow Customer Service
Other than these areas, the card wasn’t all that bad in the way of rewards and fees.
Hi Kevin,
We highly appreciate you coming and posting your candid review of the Home Trust Preferred card, and though you did encounter some minor things that didn’t align with your preferences, we feel your feedback is accurate. Home Trust is a pretty barebones bank for those who are used to the in-person service and many departments of banks like MBNA or BMO, but herein also lies its advantage. The card offers spartan benefits such as 0.00% on foreign transaction fees, $0 annual fee, and 1.00% cash back. That’s about it.
To provide these great yet basic perks to as many cardholders as possible, there can’t be overheads that beg the addition of full support teams and sophisticated online functionality. The card simply works and doesn’t need to provide any frills to sweeten the deal. Though you won’t find mobile application support or be able to customize your pin, travellers get what they need, and for this we value the Home Trust Preferred card even among stiff competition in the Canadian market.
GreedyRates
I have a Canadian version of the Home Trust VISA Preferred credit card and it does not work at some stores, such as Hy Vee, Walmart, Kwik Shop and BP Gas so far. I states invalid PIN or declined after I enter in my PIN number. I called Home Trust and they said the chip is different from Canada so that’s why it doesn’t work in the US. I was wondering if anyone else had these problems? I want to use at Costco (hoping to use) since they are now VISA. Am I going to have this problem throughout my trip to US? Really frustrating…
Hey Darlene,
Indeed, the Home Trust Visa Preferred card has had some very rare issues that some cardholders experience when using it abroad. Merchants that prefer customers to pay with the chip reader are usually the problem, and though most places support both magnetic swipe and chip payments, this isn’t universal. We don’t think you’ll encounter many problems as a whole when travelling in the US, as the vast majority of our readers report that it works wonderfully, but it’s always smart to carry a backup card just in case. Safe travels!
GreedyRates
We have used it a wal mart in the US a number of times in the last week. There is an issue if you key in your pin too fast. Press the numbers slowly and it works great.
Hey Sandie!
Great to hear from you. We welcome any positive or negative feedback about the credit cards on our site, and this goes double for the Home Trust Preferred card. With a rough history fraught with obstacles concerning the newness of the card and its growing network, more comments like yours are coming in that provide an optimistic picture. Home Trust’s best 0.00% foreign transaction fee and 1.00% cash back took is great on paper, but some issues with its chip (which are now resolved) put that into question. No longer!
GreedyRates
I have used mine at Costco in Bellingham several times with no issue, most recently this past weekend.
Hi Marne,
Great comment! We’re glad to keep hearing positive reports about the Home Trust Preferred card, as it experienced some shortcomings in the months following its highly-anticipated introduction into the Canadian credit card market (post-Chase Amazon card which also delivered cash back with no foreign transaction fee). It’s awesome to confirm that the card works at Costco, as this is such a big part of Canadians’ lives and an enormous convenience, so thanks for stopping by. Enjoy it!
GreedyRates
I have an top excellent credit score with all my credit cards. I used Amazon visa the two last years for foreign transaction until they close.
My limit is 26 000 dollars with Amex, 10 000 dollars with RBC,Capital One ,Banque Nationale.Check my credit score with Equifax and TransUnion.You will be amazed.
The only thing is I am a Monntreal resident.
You should make exceptions and pick up excellent customers.Thank you for reading.
Hello Richard!
Thanks for the great feedback! We happen to agree with you that it’s a bit disappointing for some residents to be left out of Home Trust’s lineup of cards, but that’s just how it is in Quebec unfortunately. There are some alternatives, however, if you were originally looking at the Home Trust Preferred card because of its exemption from foreign transaction fees. The Rogers Platinum Mastercard is likely the most similar for Quebec residents, and though it doesn’t directly negate these fees, it does reward a high rate of cash back that covers them entirely. Since most foreign transaction fees are 2.50%, the Platinum Mastercard’s 3.00% cash back rate on purchases made in a foreign currency nets you 0.50%.
The Rogers World Elite Mastercard is even better, and may be more fitting for someone with excellent credit and a high limit. It offers even more cash back at 4.00% on foreign transactions (online or abroad!) and then 1.75% cash back on all purchases in CAD. That makes it one of the highest flat rates for cash back in Canada. Scotiabank’s Passport Visa Infinite card is another upper-tier option for you as well if you’re a traveller who appreciates fast Scotia earnings, free VIP lounge access, and best-in-class insurance coverage. Thanks again for your concerns—we hope we’ve helped alleviate them!
GreedyRates
We are going to rent a car which will be Ford Tourneo or similar in Germany. I would to know if this credit card covers Auto rental collision and damage insurance for the above rental car.
How do you get them to Increase the limit? I’ve had the card for a year prompt with payment no issues. Excellent credit rating. I’d like to use it for bigger items like a paying for a cruise. Is it just the customer service line? Is there an address to write to/
Hey Sharon,
Thanks for the comment. If you’re looking to increase your credit limit with Home Trust, you can try calling them. The customer service line is accessible and the representatives quite friendly, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll give you what you want. As we’re sure you know, banks commonly send offers to increase their customers’ credit, but only when the time is right. Given that they have full visibility of your financial situation, if they haven’t offered more credit, it may mean they don’t think you qualify for it yet. There’s no harm in trying though, so let us know how it goes.
GreedyRates
Is the cash back paid out monthly or yearly?
Hey Tina,
Good question! This information isn’t published in our review, but we’ll be sure to amend the article so that people know that the Home Trust Preferred Visa only allows cardholders to redeem their cash back once yearly. Like many other cards, if you’ve accrued cash back during the year, you’ll make a request to Home Trust online or over the phone in December and then receive the year’s cash back total directly to your account in January. For a card that has no income or credit requirements, no annual fee, and yet still offers cash back and exemption from foreign transaction fees, this is an obstacle that we can tolerate. Hope it’s the same for you!
If not, we’re prepared to offer alternative suggestions, but know that Rogers’ cards that defray foreign fees with accelerated cash back also work like this. The Mastercard Pay with Rewards application, which you can use with these cards, might seem like a more flexible option, but think again. Within the app you’re only allowed to pay your Rogers-related expenses on demand, so its flexibility is largely nil. The only truly flexible foreign-fee-exempt card is the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card, but it earns Scotiabank Rewards instead of cash back, and has a higher income requirement.
GreedyRates
My February Statement shows an automatic cashback credit occurred on January 16 2019. No request was required.
Well guys under two weeks from start to finish. card in hand. Spend a great deal in America . Glad I have this to replace my Amazon.ca card
Hi Jim!
Great to hear. More frequently these days we’re receiving confirmation from our readers that the long wait times tolerated in the post-Chase days are over. Two weeks is what Home Trust itself now estimates the wait time to be, so it’s good that you’ve come to provide further evidence in their favor! We hope it works well for you and that you come back to give it a good report.
GreedyRates
any updates on this being able to eotk in Iceland? i am leaving next week and wondering what would give me 0% FTF
Hey J!
Appreciate your comment about the Home Trust Preferred Visa. The last time we heard about the issue with this Visa card not being accepted at some places in Iceland was around half a year ago, and there haven’t been any updates from readers since. A quick search of the resources we’re familiar with doesn’t immediately reveal any further findings, unfortunately, so we can only assume the problem persists. If you’re looking for a way to avoid foreign transaction fees in Iceland, opt for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card instead (if you’re eligible according to your annual income). With a much better rewards earning model, solid insurance, and luxury perks such a 6 VIP airport lounge passes, if you can swing it—apply!
Otherwise, the two Rogers cards that merely offset foreign transaction fees with greater amounts of cash back on these purchases are OK as well. Neither have an annual fee, and they’ll be accepted in Iceland without a doubt. Your purchases will accrue these fees but if you have the regular Platinum Mastercard then they’ll also collect 3.00% cash back as well. The World Elite Mastercard by Rogers bumps this up to 4.00%, but if you have the income to attain eligibility for this card you may as well opt for the Passport Visa.
GreedyRates
Wanted to update as of my return from iceland last week. IT WORKS!!!! I had no issues using this card in iceland, except on 2 occasions in the east of the island (one at a pre paid gas pump – which tend to have glitches ; and one inside a convenience store) so I can only assume they’ve fixed this issue. Spend quite a bit on this card so very glad for the 0% FTF ?
Hey J!
That’s great to hear. We’ll add your comment to the growing list of those offering testimonials of the Home Trust Preferred card’s efficacy, and that the Home Trust network is slowly working past its growing pains. It’s nice to hear you’re enjoying the 0.00% foreign transaction fees and hope that the cash back is making it even nicer over there in Iceland—enjoy!
GreedyRates
I miss our Marriott Visa! Signed up for this card immediately. So far we have used it in Australia, Thailand, Mexico, and US without issue. Customer service phone line was slow at first but now is very good. They have improved considerably over the past several months. We call to advise when/where we will be travelling.
Hi Ian!
Appreciate the nice shout-out to Home Trust! We’ve also been pleasantly surprised at how quickly Home Trust has addressed the massive amount of applications they received for this card last year, and it seems as if they’ve worked through the backlog and are now as prompt as any other issuer when it comes to processing applications, sending the card, and responding to customer inquiries. They’ve also managed to better integrate the Preferred card, which used to experience some strange nuances but now works very well abroad for every purpose.
It’s interesting that you call ahead to tell them where you’ll be going, and we wonder if that has any impact on the quality of service you receive while travelling. We’ll keep it in mind. Thanks again and enjoy the card—and the massive savings it brings!
GreedyRates
I have applied on November 28, 2018 and almost a month later no sign of my card. So yes the process is as slow as many are suggesting.
Hey Mandy!
We’re sorry to hear that. Home Trust has been working very hard this past year to accelerate the rate at which it’s approving applications, even since its inundation with applications after the exit of Chase’s Amazon card from the market. You should receive your card, at maximum, within the next two weeks according to their latest update. It used to take much longer, and we’d often hear of readers waiting upwards of three months, but that hopefully won’t be the situation here. Keep us in the loop! Thanks again.
GreedyRates
Applied online on Dec 1 and got approved Dec 16. Approval process is longer than other credit card but not as slow as some suggested.
I was offered this card when we renewed our mortgage a few weeks ago, and when I saw the No Foreign Transaction fee’s, I decided to give it a try. I received the card within 10 days of submitting my application, even with the apparent postal disruption still effecting mail service. I charged my first US purchase to the card the same day as making another online purchase using my RBC Infinite Avion. The RBC purchase posted with a 1.3739 exchange rate, my Home Trust Visa posted with a 1.3410 exchange rate, good for a 2.15% savings on the exchange rate; that’s like getting 3.65% cash back.
The con’s to the card, thus far, are as previously stated: the lack of Tap to Pay, and the inability to change your PIN.
Hey Clinton,
Thanks for the encouraging words about your experience using the Home Trust Preferred card! We’re glad to hear that Home Trust is processing applications more quickly these days, and that the card is already saving you so much money on your US purchases. With 1.00% cash back and total exemption from foreign transaction fees, not to mention its $0 annual fee, it’s possibly one of the most accessible money-saving tools on the market. Remember it also works for online foreign purchases, so the entire world of US-based eCommerce and retail is now open to you.
Regarding the exchange rate discrepancy: Even if it worked in your favor, it’s probably not a universal notion for Home Trust. Rates have been relatively volatile lately given turbulence in the global economy (especially for the US dollar), so even though we’re glad it saved you money we wouldn’t expect it all the time. Thanks!
GreedyRates
I am a Canadian living in Norway for a few years and obtained this card for its 0% FTF, when Chase (Marriott) left Canada. I’m not entitled to a Norwegian credit card and my primary bank remains Canadian. I travel across Europe about 100 days a year for work , with leisure travel on top of that, and over the past year have used this card in Norway (d’uh), France, Greece, Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, England, Holland, Sweden, Slovakia, and for a few online purchases from Canada and Germany. For what it’s worth, I very very rarely have problems with card acceptance, perhaps 0.25% or less of transactions fail and require me to use a backup credit card or a European debit card. That said, the problem may have occurred with any Canadian CC, hard to verify that the (small, rare) problem is related to HT. As well, I have never had problems with major bookings done online, by phone or by email at hotels, airlines, car rental agencies or even when booking a Middle East cruise. The rejections were exclusively small purchases or gas stations. I have also never told HT that I was going to be using the card outside Canada; it worked internationally from the outset.
So my experience has been that in Europe, the card works fine. No FTF were encountered, exchange rates were ~ consistent with those charged to my TD Visa when I used it, and the cash back was provided to me in January. My wife locked her card and yes it was a nuisance to have to wait for a replacement card to be mailed from Canada (with the same PIN, lol), but I found HT customer service to be helpful through that process. The replacement card my wife received is now coloured gold instead of black.
All told, it has been a highly useful card and I am happy with my (extensive) European experience with it. It took 5 weeks from my online application to card receipt. It would be nice if they had an app but it’s not really so cumbersome to just log on to their online banking.
Just offering my experience to the forum.
Hey Scott!
Thanks for the great comment. We’re always glad to hear tales of first-hand experience concerning the cards we review, and this goes double for the Home Trust card given some inconsistent reports about its usage. It seems to us like Europe doesn’t pose much of a problem to the Home Trust card. This aligns with other readers’ comments as well regarding its acceptance rate, as does the idea that in some gas stations the card experiences relatively rare instances of being forced to pay inside rather than at the pump, for example. Glad that isn’t the case!
GreedyRates
So far the card works fine at home
Now has anyone pre booked a hotel out of the Country that requires payment upfront & had it approved ?
Or do you need to call HT first & tell them you are going to use it for a hotel etc ?
With Chase we had to tell them in advance for prebooking things out of the country
TIA
UPDATE
I prebooked a hotel in the UK for our trip this spring & it went through just fine
Received the card in about 3 weeks, activated it from overseas with not problem, used it immediately online, and the transaction showed up instantly ont their well-designed website. So, no problems so far and thanks to Home Trust and Visa for offering something that shakes up the Canadian credit card marketplace.
Hi Jake,
Great to hear! We’ve had mixed reports on the Home Trust Preferred Visa card, and your review excludes two of the most common complaints: overseas payment support and a long post-application wait period. Home Trust has clearly sped up the application process and reinforced their payment infrastructure, which should be heartening news to other readers. Thanks for posting.
GreedyRates
Have anyone used this card at US gas pumps?
Hey Bob,
At US gas pumps, the Home Trust card is reliable but occasionally displays some issues that are nothing more than slightly annoying. You see, through correspondence with readers and research of our own, we’ve discovered that the Home Trust card sometimes tells cardholders who are filling up at the pump to go inside the station and pay for their gas at the register. Sometimes it isn’t possible to go inside and pre-pay for gas at your station, however, namely late at night when only the pumps are active and there’s no one working inside. This is by no means a universal problem, however, so don’t worry.
Additionally, in the US there are so many 24/7 gas stations that the issue rarely pops up. It’s our obligation to warn you that this nuance has been reported in the past, but Home Trust has been working hard to strengthen its global network lately. If you want specific “field reports” of the card at US pumps, simply look at the other comments here, and we’ll be happy to answer any further inquiries. Much appreciated!
GreedyRates Staff
Used it today at a gas station in the US. Worked fine.
Hey Fiona!
Appreciate the comment and the stamp of approval on the Home Trust Preferred card. We’re glad to have another confirmation that the card’s gas station issue is cleared up, and that cardholders are no longer asked to pay inside rather than at the pump (for reasons largely unknown). Thanks!
GreedyRates
Can this card be used sucessfully in Cuba?
Hi Glenda,
Interesting question! We assume that you’re going to Cuba if you’re asking this, but unfortunately, we’re not totally sure if the card will be reliable over there on your trip. Why? Well, Home Trust has exhibited some strange nuances when it comes to card readers that are outdated, such as those operating with magnetic strips and manual swiping rather than chip readers. If anything, Cuba is more outdated than other nations, and we’ll need to do some further research about the payment infrastructure there. Now that the country is open for tourism, you can be confident that they’ll accept a major credit card like Mastercard or Visa, but we can’t in good conscience guarantee that the Home Trust card will work flawlessly.
The best answer we can give it to check with your bank. Major banks are still working with Cuba to get set up in the country, and they’ll know if your payments are accepted there or not. You’ll need cash, given that many businesses are cash-only, so be sure to carry some over there and don’t rely on a single method of payment. You should also use ATMs in densely-populated tourist areas for safety reasons. Have a nice time!
GreedyRates
Is there an option to check on application status of the Preferred Visa Application? When I call am left on hold forever! So far, not impressed with their level of customer service.
Hi JJ,
Unfortunately, there’s no online portal or phone number you can call to check on the status of your specific application for the Home Trust Preferred Visa card. There aren’t any banks that offer this option (which would be great, by the way) so your best bet is to keep on the line at Home Trust. We’ve called over there frequently and while the service can be slow at peak hours, if you call in the morning it’s usually speedier. As far as the application goes, you should know that the Preferred Visa card is exceedingly popular. In the past year we’ve heard from countless readers who were made to wait months for their application to be processed, but Home Trust’s wait times have decreased significantly since then. Just a little more patience, we know it’ll be worth it!
GreedyRates
This morning received email giving me decision on my application. It seems odd because I did call HT after seeing email and they say they don’t email any decisions but gave phone rep ref# from email and is valid. There is no link or attachment within email (would never click on one anyways) but strange HT claims they don’t send emails but this has a valid reference #. Makes one think their online activity may be hijacked at both ends.
So, for the positives, the card is a good card for its features. No foreign exchange fees, no annual fees, etc. Exactly what I was looking for.
As for the service and speed of processing, absolutely terrible. I applied in May, said it would be 6-8 weeks due to a backlog. Didn’t think much of it, but I see why now. Called at the end of July where a nice representative informed me it was just in the final processing stages and that I would hear back soon. Nearing the end of September, I still hadn’t heard anything so I called back. The nice lady told me my application was in “limbo”. It was showing no status. Not approved, not declined, not pending. Told me she would forward it to her manager and that I would have an answer by the end of the week for sure. Waited for the week to be over, nothing. I called back at the first of the following week, and explained my last 2 phone calls to another lady. She proceeded to tell me that they aren’t supposed to promise call backs and that my application was exactly where it was in July! In the final processing stages. So I advised her to cancel the application that this was a ridiculous wait time considering I have impeccable credit.
All in all, the card would be a great card to have for many people out there. If they could get past the paperwork state. Great card, terrible company managing it. Not worth the time wasted waiting for absolutely nothing.
Hey Natalie,
Astute post—much appreciated! This is our take on the card as well, and we’ve taken care to inform readers about its upsides but also the strange oddities that sometimes may affect Home Trust cardholders during their use of the card. While we highly appreciate that Home Trust is still the only issuer that offers a card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and that the card works well, it does suffer from some frustrating nuances. Besides the fact that Home Trust has made applicants wait months for a response, the Preferred card also might prefer that the cardholder pay inside at a gas station rather than trust the magnetic card reader. It also limits cardholders to 10 transactions per day and assigns you a PIN that you aren’t able to change.
While none of these tolerable foibles are deal-breakers, if you find yourself waiting for 6 months for the card, the best course of action is to follow your example. Cancel the card and check out an equally effective alternative, such as the Rogers Platinum card. Though you’ll earn cash back in excess of your foreign transaction fees, this method is as effective at avoiding them as complete exemption. Another newer entry into the market is the Meridian US Dollar Visa card. Let us know what you think!
GreedyRates Staff
I just purchased USA accommodations on my new Home Trust Preferred Visa card. The US/CND exchange rate was .77 at the time of the transaction. When I went online and checked my statement, they used an exchange rate of .75 cents to a US dollar. So they didn’t charge me a foreign currency conversion fee, but used a skewed exchange rate 2 cents lower than actual. I may as well stuck with my Mastercard for USA trips.
Greetings Bill,
Interesting comment! We haven’t heard any reports of Home Trust using a ludicrous exchange rate on their international transactions, so this is news to us. Regardless, check your statement again to be sure that the payment settled on the same day as your transaction. Many times, international transactions take two or more days to settle across the various accounts that are involved, and the exchange rate sometimes swings a few points in either direction during this short window. This could explain the discrepancy you saw.
In their fine print, Home Trust states that their exchange rate is based on Visa International’s own, so we think this is a likely explanation. Let us know what you see and get back to us if you like. Thanks!
GreedyRates
I applied in February 2018, I was approved in April, but have received nothing. I have called an endless amount of times and the status is always ‘processing.’ Multiple times they have told me they will escalate and I will get contacted by someone next day, and it doesn’t happen.
The credit card I’m sure is great, but the company is awful. Its a shame that this is the only company to offer a no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee card.
Hey Paul,
Thanks for your comment. We feel where you’re coming from on this issue, and so do many others who have also had to endure long wait times before getting their Home Trust card. The Preferred Mastercard became exceedingly popular in the absence of Chase’s Amazon card after the bank left Canada, due to its no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee model. For a while there, it was 6+ months before people were getting approved and receiving their cards, but now Home Trust has it down to around a month or so. If you were approved in April then you definitely should have received it by now. You will, as many readers can attest, still receive it. However, you’ll have to decide at that point if you want to support Home Trust with your business.
We’re pretty impressed with how the card works after you receive it, but if you don’t want to keep it then we’re full of other suggestions. Unfortunately, there aren’t any other cards that offer true 0.00% foreign transaction fees (Rogers’ cards merely offset the fees with cash back) that also have no annual fee. Scotiabank’s Passport Visa Infinite card is a powerhouse of value and does have 0.00% foreign transaction fees, but it also costs $139 per year to hold. However, it’s completely worthwhile to many, with a suite of excellent traveller’s insurance, fast rewards earnings, 6 free VIP airport lounge passes yearly, and much more.
GreedyRates
Does anyone know if this card will work in Japan/Korea? Planning to use it on a trip
Hey Terry,
Thanks for your quick comment. We’ve heard nothing about the Home Trust card acting unusually in either Japan or Korea. The biggest quirks one must be aware of when using the Home Trust card abroad is that it prefers chip readers (which Japan and Korea will have in abundance) instead of classic magnetic card readers, so you might need to prepay for gas inside the station, for example. You’ll also be restricted to 10 transactions per day–not a huge problem–but troubles concerning being declined in Asia are nonexistent as far as we know. Enjoy saving money on those foreign transaction fees, and have a great trip!
GreedyRates
Filled out application weeks ago online and told online I was approved, but haven’t received anything yet.
Hi Constance,
Your comment is appreciated, and you can be assured that it’s fallen on empathetic ears. Home Trust sometimes takes a while to process applications, admittedly much longer than their competition. If it weren’t for the sheer value provided by their great Preferred Visa card, it might otherwise impact their business, but they seem to be averaging 2-4 weeks for approval for the card. This is tolerable for many of our readers, and we assure you that you’ll receive it eventually. We recommend a bit more patience, and that you call to inquire if you haven’t heard anything by the end of next week. Thanks!
GreedyRates Staff
Worse card EVER! Oh my goodness, I never got the pin. It took 4 months for the pin to finally arrive… then the card doesn’t work because the chip on the card is probably damaged. Then customer service said they will send me a replacement. Waited for another 4 weeks… called them back and they said they actually cannot generate a replacement card, so I have to call Home Trust itself which is 9-5pm EST Monday to Friday ONLY! What is the point of this card when you cannot even use it. LOUSY and Totally stupid!
Hi Lawell,
We’re sorry you don’t like the card! We also agree that it’s inconvenient for one to be pigeonholed into using a PIN that’s been chosen for them, because it means if you lost the PIN (or it was misplaced) then there’s no chance of remembering it. Fortunately, you’ll be able to get a new PIN by calling Home Trust during the time that they told you, and they’ll help you out and get you back into your account right away. Let us know how it goes.
GreedyRates
I applied for this card in July, and received it 5 weeks later. So far so good although I have not used nit yet. Credit limit of $7,000 which is enough. One con is the PIN I was trying to change but your article confirms it cannot be changed. One more PIN to remember…I hope this card will work in the US and Mexico where we spend our winters. I will report back in a few months.
Hi Philippe!
Awesome that you were approved so quickly! We’re very happy to hear that Home Trust has pushed past their backlog of applications, given the immense popularity that its Preferred Visa card enjoyed this year (after Chase pulled their cards from Canada—most notably the Amazon card). It should work find in the US and Mexico, although there are some things to consider. When purchasing gas from gas stations, the card “prefers” the security of a chip reader instead of the standard magnetic swipe, which many US gas stations (and undoubtedly Mexican stations as well) are not equipped with. Therefore, you’ll find yourself going into the gas stations and prepaying for your gas some of the time.
Also, be sure to remember your PIN and enter it correctly, because some users report that Home Trust will automatically freeze their account for entering the wrong PIN. While this can be construed as a useful safety feature, it’s also quite inconvenient. Therefore, we recommend carrying a second credit card with you as a backup, but we don’t anticipate that you’ll run into many issues. Regardless, we always appreciate feedback from travellers who have read our articles and are eager to put the cards we review to the test.
GreedyRates
Just found this site
Very interesting comments on the HT VISA
I applied mid Aug got an email Sept 4th that we were approved
Got our PIN on Sept 7th by post so now waiting for the cards to arrive
I applied for the 0 FTF ..we will be going to Europe next year & did not want to carry a lot of cash plus with the card I can book hotels etc..ahead of time without the FTF
This year I used RBC VISA while the exchange rates were not great the extra FTF was a ripoff
Just one question if someone can help
I read here that you can only pay by cheque is that still the case ?
It would be great if you could pay from your bank account like other cards
Thanks for all the info
Greetings Lyn!
Great that you enjoyed our review enough to get the Home Trust Preferred Visa card! We’re sure that you’ll enjoy its exemption from foreign transaction fees during your upcoming trip in Europe. We were also happy to hear that your application was received and approved so quickly, as Home Trust had some problems earlier this year due to high demand for the Preferred Visa card. It’s extremely effective at saving people from the ever-present 2.50% foreign transaction fees, and it has a great exchange rate too. The exchange rate between all card networks are usually pretty even, but the foreign fees is where cardholders get hit hardest.
Regarding your second question about paying your balance with a cheque, this is indeed possible but it’s not the only way to pay. You can also do standard automatic withdrawals from your bank account as well. The issue with Home Trust and paying via cheque instead concerns those who choose to pay a balance of $1,000 or more. Home Trust will freeze these accounts for a short time to process the cheque and ensure it doesn’t bounce before unlocking it again. This isn’t relevant to you, however, so go ahead and apply with confidence. Good luck!
GreedyRates Staff
Update
Got our cards yesterday
the limit is $3000 that is more than enough for us
I checked the paperwork you can pay by your own bank account … already put the info in my bill payment section
Plus you can sign up for the Home Trust site to monitor your account & spending on the CC
Also add alerts etc..
Now just to use it someplace 😉
I used this card for a 3 day road trip to the USA (oh, I do miss my Amazon Visa which never gave me a problem). I highly recommend travelling with multiple cards (do not rely on this one alone). Worked fine, but had a few “declines” on the road (good thing I had my AMEX). By the third day, everything was declined! Upon my return home, I called Home Trust Visa and was told the card locks up after incorrect PIN entered (a new card will be sent). With a 10 transactions a day limit and potential for locking up the card, makes it an OK (but not reliable) card. On the bright side, after receiving my statements the Home Trust VISA exchange rates where about 2.5-3% less than the AMEX transactions.
Hi Fab,
Great comments. We’re aware of many of the Home Trust card’s unique nuances and have heard similar stories to yours. You’re right that it’s a solid card but shouldn’t be relied upon solely. As a smaller issuer, Home Trust has some issues with acceptance in certain places, and its daily limit of 10 transactions can be burdensome to those who want to rely on a single credit card for their whole trip. If this is the case, we always recommend the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card over Home Trust, simply because it has a reliable network and doesn’t suffer from the same issues.
We are glad that for the transactions you did manage to make with the Home Trust Visa, that you saw 2.50% and higher savings from those avoided foreign transaction fees. Scotiabank’s card offers the same, except it’s accepted more often and also earns Scotia Rewards on your purchases at a great rate. For this and its excellent insurance package, 6 free annual passes to VIP airport lounges, and more, you’ll have to pay $139 per year however. Apply through our link if this is intriguing, as Scotiabank’s site might not display the same promotions. Also remember you’ll need to meet a $60,000 minimum annual income level to be eligible for the card. If you aren’t, or just want other alternatives, let us know. Thanks!
GreedyRates
I found that Hometrust Preferred Visa Does Not Work in Iceland! I just came back and while there discovered that of the two card processing machines that merchants use (Verifone and Ingenico), only Ingenico machines accepted the card. Unfortunately 90% of the merchants use Verifone, so 90% can’t accept your card with message: “Pin Accepted – Transaction Declined” We had to use my wife’s 2.5% Foreign Transaction fee VISA. I reached out to Hometrust and they said they were aware of the issue in Iceland and have opened a ticket with VISA but they have no other info.
Hey Andreas,
Thanks for reporting back to us about your difficulties with the Home Trust card in Iceland. We were unaware of this problem but will add it to the growing list of nuances that people need to know about before getting the Preferred Visa card. If you’re a frequent traveller and simply do not want to worry about foreign transaction fees and frustrating benefit criteria, just go for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card.
The Home Trust card, as you found out, isn’t universally functional across all international destinations. Other alternatives like the Rogers Platinum card are also restricted in some ways, namely that your cash back is limited in how you can redeem it. Scotiabank’s Passport Visa suffers from none of these downsides, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege. For its $60,000 minimum income requirement and $139 annual fee, you get 0.00% foreign transaction fees, fast Scotia Rewards earnings on your common purchases, 6 annual passes to VIP airport lounges worldwide, great insurance, and more. This is what we recommend for you, especially if you’re travelling to exotic locales such as Iceland.
GreedyRates
Like Andreas, I can confirm that the HT Visa card did not work in Iceland. I tried it everywhere I went, had to default to my secondary credit card. I was there in May of this year.
Hey Ray,
Thanks for the heads up. We’re always appreciative when our readers come report issues they’re experiencing with the cards we cover, even more so than praise or compliments from readers, because it helps us determine which cards are for real and which aren’t. Our goal is to cut through the noise, and users like yourself help us and other readers a great deal. Keep an eye out for Iceland to be mentioned in Home Trust reviews and comments from here on out!
GreedyRates
A credit limit increase would be nice
Hi Wendy,
If you want a credit limit increase on your Home Trust Preferred Visa card, then your best bet is to call Home Trust and inquire. Unfortunately, our influence ends as soon as readers apply for the cards we recommend—remember that our role is just to discuss the nuances between Canada’s best cards, not to approve applications, interest rate or credit limit changes, or alter how the bank interacts with you. Thanks for the comment though, and good luck getting the credit limit increase you desire!
GreedyRates
I got an email today from home trust asking me for utility bill and a bank statement? Anyone receive an email like that? Almost make me think it’s a scam trying to get my personal information
Hi Carol,
Thanks for coming to us before responding to an email you think is fishy. If you already have a Home Trust account, there’s no reason why they should be asking for your utility bill and bank statement over email, and you’re right that someone with this information might be able to use it with fraudulent intent. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to find out if it’s really Home Trust that’s emailing you—call them and ask. An agent should be able to tell you exactly what’s required, or if you’ve been the target of a scam. Good on you for being vigilant.
GreedyRates Staff
I applies a while ago and now, in a similar vein as Carol, if been asked to supply a photocopy of my passport or my driver’s licence, both sides – have others had the same experience as this – it sounds a bit fishy to me.
Hi David,
Before supplying further personal information to Home Trust, you should call them and confirm that they need it. It’s not fishy for them to need additional details before confirming your application, but you do want to be sure that the email reflects a real request from Home Trust and not a fraudster. Normally this is pretty obvious via the email address, but like we said, any rep will be able to look in their system to see what’s required. We’ve had other readers who have been asked to provide backup documents proving their identity, and by itself, this is nothing to be worried about. With a little due diligence you can get the process going again and hopefully receive the card in a few weeks. Good luck!
GreedyRates
I sent them a copy of my 2 year old cable bill that showed my address. Accepted this and now have my card. No valuable information on a two year old cable bill.
Hey Kim,
You might not think an old cable bill has no value, but it ties your name together with your address. This is what banks need to confirm that you live where you say you do, and when the document comes from a utility company it’s official enough to confirm the data you provided on your application. In fact, many people shred their utility bills after paying them for this very reason—they don’t want people sifting through the trash of their apartment building to figure out what unit they’re in, for instance.
GreedyRates
We applied for the card and it did take just over 4 weeks to approve – which I was prepared for – however, my concern lies in what the foreign exchange rate is that Home Trust uses. I phoned Home Trust to inquire and was directed to call Visa International who advised me to contact Home Trust – catch 22. If I knew what rate they charged, say for today, I could compare it to the rate at the exchange facility I use to exchange cash. Since I cannot seem to get this info from Home Trust, I have applied for the Rogers Platinum Mastercard and will wait to see if we’re approved. Apparently M/C foreign exchg rates are less than Visa rates – wish I knew beforehand.
Thanks for the great comment. It sounds like your call to Home Trust was successful, even if you think it wasn’t. Home Trust isn’t a large bank like MBNA or RBC, and as such simply piggybacks off the official Visa exchange rate, which you discovered in your research. The Visa exchange rate for Canadians is pretty easily available online, so you can figure out exactly how much Home Trust charges.
In terms of which network is cheaper for foreign transaction fees, our own research led us to the conclusion that Mastercard is a good bit less expensive than Visa. If you check out our article on the matter, you’ll see that while some Visa cards provide great value, Mastercard’s margin of victory is much larger on average. Your new Rogers Platinum Mastercard has the same advantage, but remember that with this card, you aren’t exempt from foreign transaction fees.
Your exchange rate has nothing to do with transaction fees, which are applied simply for making a purchase in any currency other than Canadian dollars. The Rogers Mastercard doesn’t cancel these 2.50% fees like the Home Trust card does, however, it grants 3.00% cash back on every relevant transaction, so you end up ahead. Just something to keep in mind!
GreedyRates
Applied for this card 12 weeks ago…yes that’s right 4 months ago..Checked my Equifax and they did 3 soft and 1 hard verification on my credit? 2 in april and 2 last week prior to mailing my cards.No extra info needed but baffling really.Now I check to make online payments and can’t find how I can do it thru my bank and how it’s suppose to be paid? Mailing a check is so 1990…it’s baffling really.Now the 2 cards have this sticker that is so sticky.I’m waiting to see the process for the payments before I try the cards.
This is quite a process and if it’s this hard to have a credit card (4 months) with a credit rating over 830 and a 6k limit and there’s a 50/50 chance that the store won’t accept it the no fx might no be worth it.
Hi Paul222,
We’re glad you finally received the Home Trust Preferred Visa. That was quite the long wait, but at least you can enjoy it now! If you need help learning to bank online with Home Trust, give their customer service line a call—in our experience they’re very knowledgeable. Also, don’t worry about the quadruple-check on your credit. The three soft checks will have absolutely no affect, though it is strange that they’d repeat it so often, and the one hard check is normal for a credit card issuer during the application approval process. Let us know how you like the card (or if you don’t). We’d be happy to make another recommendation or two for cards that will arrive in far less time than 4 months! Thanks.
Best,
The GreedyRates Team
Well we’ve used it a few times..it works well and we used it 5 times in a day without any issues.I could make a direct payment by enrolling the credit card # in my bills on my bank authorized bill payment page just like my other Credit card and it worked just fine as it showed up after 2-3 business days…So far so good.I’ll be making more spend when we go on vacation for the forex exchange waiver which is the major benefits for us.
2 major issues for us is that the pin cannot be changed online and that they don’t have tap so it’s an insert chip and pin process all the time.
Yes, the inability to use the “tap to pay” option is unusual. I can only hope that Home Trust will correct this issue soon. This is the only credit card I own that does not have the Tap capability. I got this to replace my MBNA Cashback Mastercard when they lowered their cashback rate to 1/2% (September 1st).
Hey Savage,
Great job picking up the Home Trust card in the wake of your displeasure with MBNA—we agree that it was unfortunate to see them reduce cash back rewards. As you’ve noticed, the Home Trust card has some unique nuances that travellers may encounter and must tolerate, such as the inability to use tap to pay. It also prefers the greater security of chip readers instead of magnetic swipe readers and will therefore (sometimes) direct the cardholder to pay inside the gas station, for example, rather than at the pump. However, we can forgive Home Trust and its special oddities because it’s still the best no-fee and no-foreign-transaction-fee card on the market.
If you continue to use it and find that you’d rather have a more expensive, yet a more convenient and lucrative card, try the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card. Though it carries an annual fee of $139, it’s the only other card on the market to exempt cardholders from foreign transaction fees entirely, plus it comes with comprehensive insurance benefits, a fast rate for earning Scotia Rewards points, and 6 free passes to VIP airport lounges worldwide. Alternatively, if you still want to switch it up from Home Trust but can’t meet Scotia’s income requirement ($60,000) then check out our page with all of the other cards that skirt foreign fees and take your pick. Rogers offers some nice options with their World Elite and Platinum cards. Thanks for the comment!
The GreedyRates Team
2-4 weeks? I think more like 2-4 months!!!!!! I applied for this card few months ago until I have forgotten it and I got an email today said that I am approved….
Hey Anne,
Yes, it can be frustrating to wait months for a card that you needed weeks after your application, and Home Trust has disappointed us (and many others) on this front for a while now. They’ve just started getting themselves together over there, however, and are now approving applications in the 2-4 weeks that applicants expected from the get go. We can confirm that new applications will be processed much more quickly than they once were when Home Trust was inundated with applications from those who had their Chase cards discontinued. We hope you’ll give the card a chance, but if you’d rather cancel it for another card, then we’d be happy to make some suggestions.
Thanks, and again, apologies for your lengthy wait.
The GreedyRates Team
I received this card 2 months ago. I have tried using it in the US twice since then and numerous times on each trip. The card never works. It is declined at every retailer I went to. Whether it asks for the PIN or not, the retailer’s pad refuses it. The only place it worked was automated machines like the BART ticket machine in San Francisco. I called Home Trust and after 40 minutes the rep told me it is because the US is behind on technology. I never ever had this problem with the Chase Marriott card. Disappointing that it is gone and we have a choice between this card that does not work and a Scotiabank card that wants a $139 annually to use it.
Hi Jason,
We’re sorry you had a bad experience with the Home Trust card in the United States, but it and the Scotia Passport Visa Infinite card aren’t the only two options for avoiding foreign transaction fees. You shouldn’t feel pressured into getting the Scotiabank card, and we won’t try to convince you, because most of its value can only be applied to cardholders who can take advantage of its awesome VIP airport lounge access and other premium perks. If you travel relatively often, then the annual fee is negated with just the lounge access and passes, which are equivalent to at least $250.
The Rogers Platinum Mastercard is another no-fee card option to look at. While it won’t exempt you from foreign transaction fees, it will earn cash back in excess of these fees—both in Canada and abroad. In Canada, the card earns 1.25% cash back and then 3.00% cash back for purchases made in a foreign currency. That means you’ll gain 0.50% cash back while overseas and 1.25% at home, on everything you purchase. If you’re often in the US, then you should strongly consider either of these options.
GreedyRates
I applied this card in the middle of February 8, 2108. I needed to sent my credit statements, house utility bill, and my driver license on May 14, 2018. Finally, I received my card on June 17, 2018.
I applied Fido Master on middle of March 2018. I received my card right after 3 weeks.
The reason I applied for this card is same as other people, because Amazon Visa closed in Canada.
Moreover, the starting credit limit is 2000. My first statement did not show the rewards which I spent.
Very disappointed!!!
Anyone applying for this card please do not waste your time.
I applied for this card in Mar ’18. Sent the requisite documents in Apr ’18. Called the Customer Service at least 3 times and still haven’t received my card. Stop giving false hopes/support to this horrendous company. I requested that my card be cancelled and the rep said they can’t guarantee that.
I would recommend you remove this card from your top picks or better from your website.
Lotus,
We highly appreciate your comment and your feedback. Among credit cards in its class, the Home Trust Preferred card comes in behind others such as the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card and the Rogers World Elite Mastercard, partly for the same reasons you expressed. We echo those reasons entirely and hope your issue is resolved soon.
Home Trust has undoubtedly had problems processing applications, but they’ve assured us that applications are now getting approved in as little as 2 weeks to a month. We can’t speak to the status of your application, unfortunately, but there’s little harm in getting another card in the meantime and cancelling the Home Trust card upon arrival.
Best of luck,
GreedyRates Staff
Ugh…I wish I saw that the approval process is so long. I usually get new cards within 2 weeks…and thought I could apply for this closer to my trip but a month later and still no card or response…vacay coming up fast to Europe. 🙁
Hey Munira,
Thanks for coming to us with your comment. We know that Home Trust is still working through some of their backlog, but they’ve assured us that the approval process for new applicants is down to 2-4 weeks. If you’re an older applicant that sent in your information a long time ago, it’s worth a call to Home Trust, as their representatives are generally friendly and understanding. Otherwise, your upcoming vacation would be much improved with one of the similar cards we know about.
If you want a no-annual-fee card that offers similar savings on foreign transaction fees as well, you might appreciate either of Rogers’ Mastercards—the Platinum or the World Elite. Both have no annual fee and offer cash back on domestic purchases, and then a higher cash back rate on purchases made in a foreign currency (enough to offset the fees and then some). The World Elite has better travel-related perks, but sits behind a higher income requirement.
Another option might be the Scotia Passport Visa Infinite card, which requires you to tolerate a somewhat steep annual fee of $139. However, the individual personal income requirement is $20,000 less at $60,000, making it more accessible. It also offers some perks that would make your trip extra special, like 6 free passes to worldwide VIP airport lounges, great insurance features, and of course exemption from foreign transaction fees as well.
Thanks again,
The GreedyRates Team
Other than the ability to change your assigned PIN it is a good secondary credit card.
I might be missing something here, but this card doesn’t take the proper exchange rate. I made a purchase in USD for $360 on June 7 and my total on my statement is $482.18 CAD. When using the Visa calculator w/ 0% transaction fee, the rate is 1 United States Dollar = 1.297870 Canadian Dollar. Using this math, my transaction should have have only been $467.23 CAD. The difference between this and what I was charged is 3.1%. Is anyone else seeing this?
Greetings VT,
Believe it or not, this is an issue experienced by many cardholders who make purchases in foreign currency. There is usually some slippage between the issuer’s exchange rate and the number that appears on your statement, simply because of the long path that a payment must travel before settlement. It must pass from the merchant, to their bank, and then to yours. In this span of time the exchange rate sometimes changes a bit, and in times of higher volatility, it could create a larger discrepancy.
This might have been the case for your recent purchase in USD. Earlier in June the rate of USDCAD was around 1.25, but then it jumped to 1.35 at the end of the month. If your transaction didn’t settle until the rate went up then this would be a potential explanation. Generally, the impact isn’t more than a single percentage point, so if you’re unsatisfied you might want to give Visa or your bank a call and inquire further.
GreedyRates Staff
Applied 3 weeks ago only to receive an email today informing me that they can’t validate my information with the information that I have provided on my application, which included my SIN. They’re asking me to reapply to be considered. I have a credit score of over 830. If they can’t validate my information the first time, what makes them think reapplying with the same information is going to work? Has anyone experienced this? This company seems like a joke.
Hello JC,
Thanks for coming to Greedyrates, and for letting us know the issue you’ve run into. We must admit, Home Trust has surely had its hands full this last few months, and your problem may be on the tail end of these struggles. We’re getting reports that Home Trust has cleared out most of its application backlog, and now has more time to serve people like yourself.
Unfortunately, their inability to validate your information doesn’t seem like a problem with the application, or its timeliness. If your credit is 830, then there’s no obvious reason that you’d be rejected, so the issue is likely elsewhere. Perhaps try giving them a call—their phone lines are surprisingly free—and inquire with your details. If they can’t give you a straight answer, then let us know and we’d be happy to do further research.
Thanks!
GreedyRates
Ridiculous! Tried making a purchase with my Home Trust Visa the other day. Was told my account was frozen for 10 business days because I paid my balance with a cheque. Really. Paid my balance. In full. With a cheque. Account frozen for 10 business days. Can’t use the card. Because my account is paid in full. With a cheque.
Awesome policy, Home Trust.
Hi DC,
Thanks for coming to the comments section with your problem. It’s seriously unfortunate what happened to your Home Trust card. We decided to call them to confirm whether or not paying with cheques of over $1,000 will freeze your account, and the representative confirmed that they will. She also indicated that it might not be frozen for 10 days, but rather, that this is how long it might take for the cheque to clear.
For all our other readers, we will absolutely make the appropriate changes to all the Home Trust Preferred card reviews. If paying by cheque is your preferred method, then try to pay in increments smaller than $1,000. We realize this is limiting, and will surely impact the reviews we give the card going forward.
We appreciate the information, and as always, are prepared to offer alternatives. If you don’t like the Home Trust card now, then perhaps make the switch to Scotiabank for their Passport Infinite Visa. Though it’s a bit more expensive on an annual basis, it comes with much better perks and of course, total exemption from foreign transaction fees.
GreedyRates Staff
I followed up with one of Home Trust’s Customer Complaints Officers, as there is no mention made of this policy in their Cardholder Agreement. In fact, under Application of Payments, it states, “Payments may be made by mail…”
I was told that the cheques over $1000 policy is only mentioned in their internal documents. The workaround suggested (other than electronic payment) was to send partial payment cheques throughout the month, or a cheque for $999.99 and a second cheque for the remainder (or however many $999.99 cheques you would need for higher balances).
The Customer Complaints Officer did work on my behalf to have the freeze lifted early (too late for the automatic purchase I had set up a couple months ago, as it was declined), but warned that subsequent $1000+ cheques would also result in freezes.
I have since applied for and received a different card from a different provider. I’ll hang on to this card for foreign exchange transactions, but keep spending on it low to avoid the rinky-dinkyness of their payment policy.
For those who had the Chase Marriott Rewards card, apply for the Amex SPG card. The Marriott rewards points accumulate even faster than the Chase card, and there was a 75,000 point bonus or about a $700 bonus to do so. For USA purchases apply for the RBC USA Card. Both cards work hand in hand for me. The Home Trust card sounds ridiculous, they refused me with credit score of 849? They are looking for those who don’t pay in full so they can make money on the interest charges.
Hey NGS!
We’re glad to hear you’re loving the Starwood Preferred Guest card—we love it too. This is the card that we recommend to all those who once held Chase Bank’s Marriott card (rest in peace), due to its flexible hotel and travel rewards. Conveniently, it also includes Marriott locations in its rewards package, meaning cardholders can earn and redeem rewards in all their favorite Starwood and Marriott hotels.
It’s unfortunate that Home Trust didn’t accept your application, and if your credit it truly 849 then it may have been an administrative mistake on their end. Home Trust has suffered somewhat in the service department ever since one-time Chase customers flooded their system with applications for the Preferred card. Thanks very much for the comment.
GreedyRates Staff
Amex is a pleasure to work with, and the Starwood points just accumulate so fast as they are worth three Marriott Rewards Points.. In the space of three months I have accumulated over 125,000 Marriott points enough for a five days at a five star resort in Anna Maria Florida, that goes for $650 a night Canadian. Home Trust is pathetic and liars too.
Hello Again NGS!
We’re glad that you’ve earned so many points on your Starwood card! We’re also huge fans, and especially like the flexible relationship between Starwood and Marriott points. Home Trust isn’t for everyone, this is something anyone can agree on, and though they’ve had service issues in the recent past due to high demand for their Preferred card, we’ve never encountered a bad customer service agent.
Feel free to shoot us an email and describe your experience with Home Trust and exactly what upset you. We hope it’s nothing that your stay in Anna Maria’s 5-star resort won’t fix!
Best,
GreedyRates
I concur with everything MikeJ says. I applied for the Home Trust Visa card back in February after being notified that Amazon Visa was being discontinued. My new Home Trust Visa card arrived today (May 23/2018) with a limit of $6000. Here is what I learned about the card.
– Cash back is redeemed annually in December appearing as a credit on the January statement.
– You can only set up pre-autherized payments from a bank account to pay the minimum due, not the full balance. Cumbersome paperwork has to be filled out to set it all up.
– Be careful with the car rental insurance. According to the fine print, it does not cover you for third party liability (damage you cause to other people or property). So make sure your regular insurance company covers you for that. Otherwise don’t wave the insurance coverage with the car rental company.
– I phoned for additional information about the Road Side Assistance program:
1) up to 4 calls per year
2) no towing service if car is in an accident
3) only covers cars, not recreational vehicles, motorcycles or bicycles
3) service is well covered in Canada, but not as well in the US.
4) you must identify yourself for service with either the last 4 digits of your Visa card or your name. Don’t forget to write down the phone number in your car, wallet, or phone.
card took forever after application. Apparently everyone else with the Amazon.ca card had the same ideas as me and applied at the same time.
It finally arrived today with an $8,000 limit which is sufficient as I can transfer cash in if I’m really spending that much while travelling.
Two reasons I got this card:
– No Forex Fees
– Roadside assistance
Having actual roadside assistance for a car that doesn’t come with spare tires is a nice perk.
Hi MikeJ, I just applied for this card to use for online shopping (no annual fee + no Forex fees) but the roadside assistance is a nice little bonus perk. Who is the provider of the roadside assistance (eg. CAA, Canadian Tire, etc)? Home Trust’s Preferred Visa webpage doesn’t provide that information :/
I applied for the card in early February 2017. 3 1/2 months have passed and I still have not received the Home Trust Preferred Visa card. It’s disappointing to hear that some people who applied for their cards well after February have already received their cards. So much for ‘first application in, first appication out’ sequencing in their credit card approvals process.
I was told in March that my application would take 4 more weeks to be reviewed. In April, I received an email to provide additional documents (utility bill, credit card statement, passport). I promptly responded to the request and sent the documents. No confirmation, no communiciation from Home Trust about the documents I sent. I figured that providing the doucments would be the last step in the process and that the card would come soon after. So I bided my time further. It’s late May now and still no card. No communication from Home Trust at all.
I finally called them today. Now their call centre in Nova Scotia is handling inbound calls. The Nova Scotia call centre is of little use and can’t provide any information on the status of applications. What’s the point on having calls routed to Nova Scotia then? The inbound call centre phone agents merely say they will refer the inquiry to the card application group. And as another poster stated, their call to the Nova Scotia call centre did not lead to anything. Time passed and they did not receive any communicaiton from Home Trust on their application.
I can understand that Home Trust is a small company and card processing times could be longer than it would be for one of the big 5 banks. But 3 1/2 (THREE & A HALF) months?!! Where is 3 1/2 months from application submission to ‘still waiting’ status the norm in the credit card industry?
And with Scotiabank now introducing a 0% foreign currency transaction Infinite Visa card, I’m questioning whether the long wait for the Home Trust card was worth it. The Home Trust card comes with downsides: only a $4000 credit limit, can’t change the PIN, cashback paid out only once a year, etc. The card has downsides that other cards don’t.
I can write comments of concern as I have here above. But the facts of life do not change: 3 1/2 months have passed since the application was submitted and no card has been received and there’s been no written, voice, or email communication from Home Trust. Unbelievable
Hi Thomas, we’re grateful you commented and are disappointed to hear of your struggle with Home Trust. You’re entirely justified in your frustration, as no applicant should have to wait upwards of three months to hear from a card issuer. We’re confident that you’ll receive the card at some point, and when you do, you can request a higher credit limit than $4,000. The maximum limit Home Trust gives cardholders is $10,000.
If you wanted the card because of its elimination of foreign transaction fees, then perhaps it’s fate that Scotiabank just released its new Visa Passport Infinite card. Though it does have a higher annual fee than the Home Trust Preferred, the fee is more than offset by an industry-best 6 airport lounge passes every year. That’s a value of at least $250, and will make your travel experiences much more pleasant. In addition, it obviously also has the 0.00% foreign transaction fees, as well as some insurance perks that are an appreciated bonus. If these benefits are relevant to you, then the annual fee shouldn’t be an issue. You can learn more about the card by reading our full Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card review.
We hope we helped. When the situation progresses, or if you have any other questions, let us know.
GreedyRates Staff
This is the worst experience I’ve ever had with any bank or credit card company. I applied back in mid February and received an email in end of April asking me for my ID, bank and phone statement. I read other people’s review and thought I’d still provide it since I’ve been put in so much time. After I sent back the document I got no confirmation of receiving and no update on my card application. I then waited for two weeks and called their card centre. The only thing they finally improved was their call centre wait time. I waited about 20 mins and the lady said she’ll send request to accelerate my case. After another 1.5 week, I still got NOTHING! NOTHING !!! It’s super upsetting and disturbing as I don’t know who now has my ID copy, bank & phone statements and how those info is gonna be used. Home trust cannot confirm if they actually receive my copy of documents. This is ridiculous so irresponsible! I never post compliant online and prefer to talk to the company directly to solve problem. But this time it’s really beyond my understanding and I really concern about my identity security!!! Hometrust representative said they’ll send my an letter said I request to cancel my application so I’ll wait for another two weeks. Or anyone knows where can I go to make sure my identity is intact? Thanks.
I experienced the same ridiculous long waiting time on the phone too back in March (about an hour). Even though I was assured I would get the card in a few weeks, I finally got it on May 23rd. Seems like everyone else got theirs late too. So I assume, Lulu, you got yours by now or will get it shortly.
I doubt your personal info is at risk, but if you want to keep an eye on your credit score and credit report, you can subscribe to Borrowell.com service for free. They notify you of a new Equifax report every month. I have been subscribed to it for about two years with no strings attached. It really is free!
Thank you Demetrius. I have already withdrawn my application because Of all the non senses I have been through along the application process. Having said that, I still haven’t received the official letter that Home Trust promised would send out to me as a record that client they’ll destroy all my document with them….
I applied back in Feb.
Called 4 weeks later and waited 30 minutes to get through only to be told that it takes 6 to 8 weeks to get my card.
It is now mid May and still no card or further contact.
I would not have bother if I knew about how bad the customer service is.
Hi,
Has anyone claimed collision and damage on your rental car during travel? I’m in Spain and am in the situation that there’s a damage to my rental car. I’ve called Home Trust and the customer service rep gave me a feeling that I don’t have the coverage overseas. He transferred me to RSA, the insurance company, anyways. The rep said that he can’t found the name of this card, Home Trust Preferred Visa, on his list, though the first 6 number matches that of Home Trust EquityLine card on his list. So he’s not sure if I’m covered. I’m really worried. Can someone let me know, please?
Can anyone tell me what ATM withdrawal fees I might be subjected to in Europe and Britain? The plan is to preload the card and then withdraw cash. Using my bank card to withdraw from my chequing account subjects me to a %International ATM plus the some ATM’s add their own 2-5euro fee on top of the 2.5% FX fee and as some ATM’s limit one to withdrawing 200 pounds or Euros at a time. I’m hoping to do better with this card.
Hey Bernie, thanks for coming to us with your question. When using the Home Trust Visa for cash advances abroad, you’ll be subject to every fee except for the foreign transaction charge. For withdrawing money from ATMs in Britain and Europe, you’ll be subject to fees from Home Trust and also from the ATM if applicable. Here’s what Home Trust’s fine print says on the matter:
“ATM Fee: 1.00% of amount withdrawn (Minimum fee of $2.50 and Maximum fee of $10.00) for a Cash Advance from an ATM displaying the Visa or Plus logo located in Canada; 1.50% (Minimum fee of $4.50 and Maximum fee of $45.00) if the ATM is located in United States; 1.50% (Minimum fee of $5.50 and Maximum fee of $15.00) if the ATM is located outside Canada and the United States. This is in addition to any other charges that may be levied by the owner/operator of the ATM.”
The part that’s relevant to you is the maximum $15.00 fee charged outside of the US or Canada. If for instance the ATM charges $5.00 on top, that means your maximum fee is something around $20.00 and the minimum is $10.50. This depends on the ATM, however.
GreedyRates Staff
I waited quite a bit of time before my card arrived and I was not required to pay the $500 deposit. This card is very good value because of no annual fee, both my husband and I have same card without extra cost and the main selling point for us was the NO foreign transaction fee compared to almost all of the other major credit cards. So far so good and we love it but haven’t figured out the procedure in claiming the 1% payback.
Applied 4 days ago, didn’t get a email confirmation about my application. I called today and spoke to a Rep. Took me 2 minutes to reach a Rep. I was told there have so many applications so the waiting period is 6 to 8 weeks.
I actually got my card within about 2 weeks of applying. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this card is for infants. The first year maximum limit is $4000. One year later, you can apply to have that increased to $8000. Seriously! I got this card specifically to use while travelling. I was planning on using it in Greece later this month, when I get married there. $4000 might cover our first day.
My future spouse and I earn well above average income, have no debt and virtually perfect credit ratings, so that is not the issue here. They simply have a ridiculous limit rule and won’t break it – even if you offer to pay $20,000 on the card in advance, as they will only allow up to 90% of that juvenile limit.
My fault for not reading the fine print, but who would think such a thing would even exist in 2018. It’s so sad, I’ve chosen to see it as funny.
I applied two weeks ago and got an e-mail today that the card and pin were on their way!
We’ve had the worst credit card experience ever with this card:
1. Two months from application to receipt of card.
2. Once cards received, you can’t personalize the PIN. My wife and my card had the exact same card numbers but different PIN’s. I didn’t notice this until I exceeded the number of attempts with the PIN. Only when I checked did I notice the addressee on the letters with the PIN’s were different but we had the exact same card numbers.
3. Calls to the company to try and resolve this are on hold for the longest I’ve ever been on hold. I’ve also never had to call a credit card company so many times.
4. They then says they can’t reset your PIN but just send the same letter with the same PIN.
5. I call again and ask for a new card because the CHIP must be corrupted.
6. In the meantime, I tried online banking. I forgot my password and hit “Forgot my password”. I received no reset password email. I then try “Forgot my ID”. I do receive an email for that so I assume they have my email address.
7. Out of frustration, we call to cancel our card. In order to cancel the card, you have to mail the cut up cards back to them before they will cancel.
We applied for this after the Amazon VISA program was cancelled. But no amount of FX surcharge savings is worth all this hassle. We’ve since gotten the Fido Mastercard that gives 4% cashback on FX transactions. This more than covers FX surcharges.
I received my card this week. It took about a month from when I applied. Much longer than other cards but I understand their situation with so many of us looking for a replacement for our Amazon Visa. I’m excited about the roadside assistance as that will save me an additional $75 a year for BCAA. Has anyone used the roadside assistance service yet?
Hey Sharon! Thanks for the question and congratulations on receiving your Home Trust Preferred card! We know it was a longer wait than you’re used to, but it seems as though Home Trust is finally working through their backlog of applications. The roadside assistance program is one of the card’s most interesting perks, and will help you if you’re stuck somewhere remote. You can get gas delivery, a short tow, and rescue from a non