SCRA: Companies That Go Above & Beyond

The Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protects active-duty servicemember’s in several ways. The most often heard of is banks lowering interest rates to 6% on loans & credit cards entered into before active duty for servicemembers. This is great for those who had these accounts before entering active service. But what about those who acquired the debts AFTER entering active service? 

Good News! There are several companies who are going above and beyond the SCRA so it applies to ALL servicemembers no matter when the account was opened! What does that even mean?

By requesting the SCRA above and beyond benefits from the companies who offer it, my husband and I were refunded $10,375 in finance charges and fees from credit cards that were opened AFTER he enlisted!!!!!

Companies who go above and beyond are those companies who offer the protection of the SCRA for those who opened their loan AFTER entering active duty. Or those companies who reduce the interest rate lower than the mandatory 6%. Or companies who offer SCRA benefits to the spouses of active duty even if the active duty servicemember isn’t listed on the account.

Tip: Most companies are going to require that you send a copy of the servicemember’s enlistment orders or a letter from their command if you cannot find their enlistment orders. Alternatively, I did find an official SCRA certificate from the government that you can also request online that will be available for immediate download to you, that you can send instead. Just click on Single Record Request on the official SCRA website.

Feel free to join my group on Facebook (Military Family Hangout) where you can ask questions and receive support on all things Military Life related. Additionally, I post all my military life related articles there as well as answers to my weekly Dear Military Spouse column.

BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER: Gather all your open and closed credit or loan accounts that you have opened or your spouse has opened since becoming active duty. This includes credit cards, car loans, personal loans, etc… It makes it easier when it comes time to request the benefits! If you no longer have the account information you can also request a free copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus which will show all accounts reported to them in the past 7 years.

Capital One really does go above and beyond. Not only will they activate the SCRA benefit to those who opened the account after active duty, but they also extend it to spouses accounts as well (servicemember does NOT have to be on the account) AND lower the interest rate to 4%.

How they go above and beyond:

• Maximum interest rate of 4%
• Waive all fee’s (except insurance). This includes annual fee’s, late fee’s, cash advance fees. and past due fee’s.
• The benefit extends to spouses (servicemember does not need to be on the account).
• Extends to those who opened the account AFTER entering active duty.
• Interest rates are retroactive. This means that they will apply the interest rate to your account beginning the date you entered active duty. The difference in what you have paid in interest will then be refunded to your account or sent to you via check! (We received a refund of almost $10,000)!

Here is what it says on their website: 

Capital One is committed to both the letter and spirit of the SCRA, including a provision of benefits and protections above and beyond what is required under the SCRA in certain situations. Under Capital One’s SCRA Program, benefits for eligible products include:

• A maximum interest rate of 4% on accounts owned and serviced by Capital One
• No fees assessed on accounts, except bona-fide insurance

How to Request the SCRA Above & Beyond Benefit:

Servicemember: If you are a servicemember you can request your benefit by filling out a short form that is located here.

Spouse: If you are the spouse, you will need to call Capital One at 855-227-1645 to request the benefit. Capital One will email you a secure link to upload your request letter as well as a copy of the servicemember’s orders showing the date he came on active duty. The letter needs to state you and your spouses first and last names, social security #’s, account numbers, case number (will be in the email you receive), and good contact number. I also included my mailing address. Your letter and a copy of orders must be in PDF format and no larger than 10mb combined.

Requests for SCRA benefits must be made within one year of leaving or completing active duty.

OR you can mail your request to:

Capital One
Attn: SCRA Request
P.O. Box 30285
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0285

Our experience

He has one active card. I have two active cards. Neither of us are authorized users of the other (meaning we are not on each other’s accounts). We had one joint account that was already closed and was a store card through Capital One, due to this I did not have the complete account number. All accounts were open after enlistment. Here is the timeline:

June 25 – We sent in the SCRA request. I made sure to include all my information, all his information, active account numbers and the last 4 digits of the closed account number (the last 4 digits was all I had as I had to pull that off my credit report).
July 26 – Logged into open accounts and noticed that refunds were applied to our open accounts. No word on the joint closed account.
July 28 – Called Capital One to request a check to be issued for the credit it created on one of the open accounts. The other accounts had balances so the amount refunded was applied to the balances. They said there is a 15-day holding period and then after 15 days it would take 10-15 business days for me to receive the check in the mail.
August 1 – Status letters were received for the open accounts. So the funds appeared in the open accounts before the status letters arrived.
August 9th –  I noticed that the credit was removed from my account that had a credit and there was now a transaction that said “credit balance refund” for the amount of the credit. I will update again when I receive the check.
August 13th – Received a letter from Capital One stating the SCRA benefit has been applied to the closed account. Called Capital One SCRA hotline, who informed me that for closed accounts that checks for any credits are sent within 2 billing cycles and we would receive a check within 2-4 weeks if there was a credit. She was unable to pull up the account to check as they do not have access to accounts, would need to call the main capital one number for that.
August 18th – Received the “credit balance refund” check from the open account that I requested.
August 21st – Received a check from the closed account. Came from a different processing center than the one from the open account, but check date was August 14th.

Total refunded from Capital One so far $9825.

USAA goes above and beyond by lowering interest rates to 6% on accounts that were opened after active for up to 12 months following a PCS and up to 15 months during deployments.

How they go above & beyond:

• 4% max interest rate for accounts & charges made before active duty
• For accounts and charges made after active duty, the interest rate will be lowered to 6% during deployment (up to 15 months) and during a PCS (and up to 12 months following the PCS)

From the USAA website:

Active-duty members can get special rates and other benefits on their USAA credit card for current balances, new purchases and cash advances when they deploy or PCS. To be eligible, let us know before you leave or up to 365 days after your PCS report date or return from deployment.

How to request the Above & Beyond Benefit:

You can either call them at 210-531-8722 or use their online request form; the link is at the bottom and you will need to make sure you are logged in.

Our Experience

I personally called them after my husband deployed (make sure to have a POA). I just had to upload deployment orders and the benefit was applied pretty quickly. I wish I had known that they would do it for PCS as well! The benefit is applied effective the date that is on either your deployment or PCS orders.

Synchrony took over GE Capital which typically issued “store” cards such as Walmart, Amazon, JC Penney, Lowe’s, etc… (here is a full list).

How they go above & beyond:

• Accounts can be opened before or after active duty
• Will apply to spouses even if the servicemember is not on the account.
• Applies the benefit to both open and closed accounts.
• The benefit is retroactive as a credit to the account (for active accounts) or via check (for closed accounts).

How to request the Above & Beyond Benefit:

I called 1-800-232-6954 and waited 1.5 hours to talk to someone. Once someone picked up, I asked for the benefit and was then asked for both my husband and myself’s social security numbers. Then I was told to email a copy of his LES along with both our social security numbers, full names, and mailing address to spg.mail@syf.com . I was told once received, we would be enrolled within 2 weeks and would receive a letter of enrollment.

Our experience

We have a total of 4 accounts through Synchrony. Two were open amazon cards (one in his name and one in my name) and two closed accounts for JC Penney, both of which were in my name only. All were open after enlistment. Here is the timeline of events:

June 25 – SCRA benefit request was emailed June 25th
July 6 – status letters of approval were received for 2 of the 4 accounts. The two status letters were for open and active accounts. The other two accounts (ones I have not received status letters on) are closed accounts.
July 26 – Have not received any credits as of today’s date, however, I did call and speak to someone who told me that status letters are only sent to open accounts, they do not send status letters for closed accounts although they will apply the benefits to closed accounts. He also said that credits (for open accounts) or checks (for closed accounts) take 2 billing cycles (60 days) to process and they are all processed together. I will need to wait another 45 days before trying to find the status of credits and checks.
July 31 – credits hit open accounts and closed accounts (still able to log into the closed accounts) sent a message to request check to be sent from the closed accounts.
August 2 – Received notice that a check has been issued and should receive in 7-10 days.
August 8 – Received refund check.

Total Refunded from Synchrony $550

Discover will actually apply the benefit to all accounts you have with them, not just credit cards.

How they go above and beyond:

• Interest rate does not exceed 5.9%
• No late fees or over-limit fees
• Introductory, promotional and/or balance transfer rates will be calculated at the promotional rate (if lower than 5.9%) for the duration of the offer
• The benefit applies to loans made prior to active duty; however, Discover card extends coverage to all eligible customers if the servicemember is on active duty regardless of whether the loan was made prior to active duty.
• Benefits extend to spouses/domestic partners.

How to request above & beyond benefits

To apply, log in to your account through their military portal and click “Request Benefits Now” or call 1-844-337-4645 or if you are overseas, call 1-801-451-3730.

While the account must have been open prior to active duty or being called to active duty, Wells Fargo goes above and beyond the SCRA by offering the benefits to a spouse, including a partner in a civil union or registered domestic partnership and dependents, even if the service member is not a signer on the loan. (source)

How they go above and beyond:

• offers the benefits to a spouse, including a partner in a civil union or registered domestic partnership and dependents, even if the service member is not a signer on the loan.

How to request above & beyond benefits

Send your Active Duty Orders by fax to 1-855-872-6262, or by mail to:
Wells Fargo Bank c/o SCRA
Request DSR-MAC-D118-02M
1525 W. WT Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28262-8522
Or call for secure email instructions if you prefer to email your orders.
Wells Fargo Military Banking Contact Center – 1-855-USA-2WFB (1-855-872-2932).

Target will apply it to all accounts no matter if they were opened before or after joining.

How they go above and beyond:

• 0% Interest
• Benefits extend to spouses (servicemember does not have to be on the account)
• Accounts can be opened before OR after entering active duty
• Will backdate and refund interest charges

How to request above & beyond benefits

Call 1-800-290-3431 or mail a request that includes your account number along with a copy of your (or spouse’s) active duty military orders to: Target Card Services, Mailstop 5C-F, P.O. Box 9475, Minneapolis, MN 55440

Reader’s Experiences

An email from one of my readers stated that if you call they can do the request right over the phone, just need servicemembers SSN. They also reported that their open account balance was adjusted in about a week.

This loan company is a popular auto loan company and they go above and beyond by extending the SCRA benefits to those who obtained the loan AFTER entering active duty and to spouses and dependents.

How They Go Above And Beyond

• Benefits extend to spouses (servicemember does not have to be on the account)
• Accounts can be opened before OR after entering active duty
• No servicing-related fees assessed on accounts approved for SCRA protection
• Protection from repossession of collateral unless a court order or written waiver is obtained
• The option to terminate a motor vehicle lease without an early termination fee if:
  1. You enter a period of military service or deployment of 180 days or more, or
  2. You are already in active duty service and receive qualifying orders:
     1. for a permanent change of station from a location in the United States to a location outside of the continental United States or from a state, territory, or possession of the United States outside the continental United States to any location outside that state, territory, or possession of the United States, or
     2. to deploy with a military unit, or as an individual in support of a military operation, for a period of 180 days or more.

How To Request Above & Beyond Benefits

Santander Consumer USA (SC) recognizes the compromises and sacrifices you make for our country as a U.S. Servicemember. That’s why we are committed to serving you by providing a SCRA program that goes beyond the minimum requirements.

You will need to send a letter requesting the benefits along with a copy of one of the following: Deployment orders, Letter from a commanding officer, Guard/Reservists call to duty or active duty orders, Enlistment or initial active duty for Training (ADT) orders, Annual training orders, Temporary Change of Station (TCS), Temporary Duty (TDY) and Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) orders, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, or Extension or continuation orders. You can request it in any of the following ways:

Email
SCRATeam@SantanderConsumerUSA.com

Phone
888-222-4227 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday.

Fax
214-615-3999

Mail
Santander Consumer USA
Attn: SCRA Department
P.O. Box 882517
North Richland Hills, TX 76180

Our Experience

I just found out that they offer this and my husband had a car loan with them that was paid off in 2011.

Aug 14 – I called them and was informed that they only apply it to open accounts and will not apply it to accounts already paid off. However, she seemed confused so I am going to draft a letter with all the required information and email that along with a copy of his orders to see what happens. I will update when I know more!

While the Military Star Card does not offer above and beyond benefits, they do have a deployment policy similar to USAA’s above and beyond benefit.

Here is what it says on their website:

The Exchange Credit Program offers deployment benefits¹ to all eligible Active Duty and Mobilized or Activated Reservists or National Guard Military Members who have valid orders to deploy to qualifying contingency locations.

How they go above & beyond:

• Not required to make monthly payments
• Interest rate is temporarily reduced to six-percent (6%). After your deployment ends, your interest rate reverts to the rate in the current Exchange Credit Program Credit Agreement and you are required to make monthly payments as long as your account still has a balance.

How to request benefits:

You must provide a copy of your deployment orders or a letter from your unit commander which includes:

• Your full name
• Your Social Security Number
• Your length of deployment or dates of deployment

For questions about the deployment policy, contact the Exchange Credit Program Call Center at 1‑877‑891‑7827 (STAR). (source)

Well, that is a good question! I attempted to verify the claim that many other large banks such as Bank of America, Chase, and American Express also go above and beyond, however, it appears that they no longer do. At least, according to their websites which all state that the account must have been open PRIOR to active duty.

However, if you come across any recent information, please comment below so I can check it out and get it added!

For those of you that have accounts that were opened prior to active duty, here is the information for the other larger companies so you can request your SCRA benefits from them (remember they follow the SCRA strictly so the account must be in the servicemembers name (or a joint account) and must be opened prior to enlisting or being called to active duty):

Ally Financial
Ally SCRA specialists are available during normal business hours (9 am – 6 pm ET). Call 877-713-5101 or, for collect calls, dial 1-972-537-2389. You may also contact them by mail or fax. P.O. Box 380901, Bloomington, MN 55438. The fax number is 1-844-546-2585. For more FAQ about Ally and the SCRA, check out their website.

American Express
If your account is enrolled in online services you can submit your request online, otherwise, you will need to call the number on the back of your card or 1-800-253-1720.

Arvest
Visit the SCRA section of their website or call (866) 952-9523.

Bank of America
Visit the SCRA section of their website for all the details and form needed to submit your request.

Barclays or Barclaycard
Call 866-918-5212 to inquire about benefits or to apply, send a copy of your orders to Barclays Bank Delaware, ATTN Card Services, P.O. Box 8833, Wilmington, DE 19899-8833 OR Fax# 877-523-0482

BBVA Compass
Visit their website to learn more or call (800) 526-4110.

Chase
Call Chase Military Services toll free at 1-877-469-0110 or sign into your chase account and use the secure messaging feature. Under Inquiries, select Military – Servicemembers Civil Relief Act benefits and upload your orders. Make sure to include your account number in the blank message box that is provided. OUR EXPERIENCE: We attempted to try and see if they would go above and beyond (our accounts were opened recently, well after he entered active duty) since we had got mixed answers from others. They denied our request.

Citi
Call 1-877-804-1082 or if outside the U.S. (call collect) 1-605-335-2222 to request the benefit. Source.

Comenity
Comenity is the bank behind many popular store cards such as Victoria Secret, Kay’s, Big Lots, Hot Topic, etc… (find a complete list here). To request SCRA benefits, call 1-855-463-0222 or mail your written request along with your active duty orders or a letter from your commanding officer on official letterhead showing your active duty period(s) to:

Comenity
Attn: SCRA Request
PO Box 182273
Columbus, Ohio 43218-2273

Navy Federal Credit Union
SCRA representatives are available 7:30am-7:30pm M-F, and 9am-1pm on Saturday. 1-888-842-6328, option 8.

US Bank
For questions about SCRA, call 800-934-9555 or if deployed overseas call collect 513-277-5899 or email the Military Service Center at 24hrmilitaryservicecenter.shared@usbank.com (Source)

Check Your State Laws

It was brought to my attention that some states extend the SCRA to all debts incurred prior to AND after active duty; meaning that even if your creditor is listed above as only reducing the rate for debts prior to entering active duty and you live within a state that says otherwise, they still must drop the interest rate despite the debt being incurred or opened after entering active duty. Ohio is one of those states. You can see that information here on page 35, section 7.1. Note the wording, that is just for while the service member is deployed. It states,

The Ohio Rev. Code states, “no creditor in connection with an obligation entered into on or after the effective date of this section shall charge or collect from a person, or spouse of a person, who is deployed on active duty interest or finance charges exceeding six percent per annum during the period that the person is deployed on active duty.” Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 1343.031 (West 2004). The Ohio Law does not provide a 6% interest rate cap on closely held businesses.

Do you know of any other banks or credit cards that offer above and beyond SCRA benefits? Or do you have any experience requesting SCRA benefits? How did it go? Have questions? Comment below and let us know!

Disclaimer: This information is valid at the time of publishing. Companies may change their policies at any time. These above and beyond benefits are not guaranteed and the amount back you receive varies based on a number of different factors. I am not a lawyer and none of the information within this article should be considered legal advice. It is for informational and educational purposes only.