Credit Card FAQs

A credit card's interest rate is the price you pay for borrowing money expressed as a yearly rate. For credit cards, the interest rates are typically stated as a yearly rate, called the annual percentage rate (APR).

An introductory rate or introductory APR is a promotional rate offered for opening a new credit card account, for a temporary time period. If your credit card offers an introductory rate, note how long you have until the rate increases and what the new APR rate will be. Refer to your cardmember agreement for full details.

Yes. Credit cards often have different APRs for purchases, cash advances and balance transfers, and these will be clearly outlined in your card’s monthly statements.

The KeyBank credit card is a great way to simplify the way you pay for all your monthly bills. Most companies now accept Mastercard^® as a form of payment. Consolidating your various bills using KeyBank’s recurring payment option can streamline the time and cost involved in paying every monthly obligation. These include, but are not limited to: cable, internet, mobile phone, telephone, electric/gas, subscription media services, auto insurance and water bills. Enrollment is easy! Just contact each of your providers and leverage your KeyBank credit card as a payment type.

After you apply online, you'll receive an email acknowledging your request for a new credit card. A separate email will be sent when your completed application has a status change.

• If you are approved, you’ll receive an email to let you know your credit card and convenience checks, if applicable, will arrive soon.
• If you are declined, you’ll receive a letter in the mail within 10 days, with information explaining the reasons.
• In some cases you may be asked to provide additional information before a decision is made.

All three credit cards offer a number of benefits and features.

• Key Cashback^® Earn cashback on every purchase.
• Key2More Rewards^® Earn rewards on every purchase.
• KeyBank Latitude^® Low interest rates can help you repay debts or finance your purchases.

KeyBank uses state-of-the-art technology to ensure a secure connection. We deliver a secure environment through a variety of methods, such as encryption, firewalls and customer-controlled passwords.

KeyBank Mastercard^® credit cards come embedded with a microchip, which offers more security worldwide. At participating retailers, you can insert your card into a chip reader for added protection. For those without chip technology, you can continue to swipe the magnetic strip on your existing card.

For now, FICO^® Scores will only be available to clients who have an open consumer credit card with KeyBank, are enrolled in online banking and opt-in to view their FICO^® Score. At some time in the near future, we plan to provide FICO^® Scores to clients who have other products with KeyBank.

The FICO^® Score may not be available for credit card clients enrolled in online banking in some instances, including when:

• The credit report does not have enough information to generate a FICO^® Score (at least one account must be reported in the past 6 months).
• The credit bureau wasn’t able to completely match your identity to your information.

To opt in or out of viewing your FICO^® Score, you must be enrolled in KeyBank online banking and have a KeyBank consumer credit card. Sign on to KeyBank online or mobile banking and click on the FICO tile on the account summary page.

No. There is no limit to how many times you can view your FICO^® Score in KeyBank online and mobile banking, and viewing it will not have any effect on your score.

When you view your FICO^® Score in KeyBank online and mobile banking, it counts as a soft inquiry or soft pull. A soft inquiry is when you check your own credit or when a lender or credit card company checks your credit to preapprove you for an offer. Soft inquiries do not impact your credit score. Hard credit inquiries are when a lender with whom you’ve applied for credit reviews your credit report as part of their decision-making process. Hard inquiries do appear on credit reports and can influence credit scores.

The information displayed is the most current FICO^® Score available from Equifax. The date of the last available score will be visible directly next to the FICO^® Score you are viewing.

No. There are multiple FICO^® Score versions available. The score you see in online and mobile banking is called the FICO^® Score 8. This is not necessarily the FICO^® Score used to determine creditworthiness for all KeyBank products, and it is only intended to help increase financial awareness and education for KeyBank clients.

No, KeyBank does not use the FICO^® Score accessed through online and mobile banking to issue prescreened offers of credit.

Credit scores are a snapshot in time, and your score may vary. The FICO^® Score in online and mobile banking is retrieved once a month. When applying for a loan or credit product, your credit is pulled and the credit score used in that application is retrieved the day you apply. Also, if you’ve seen a recent FICO^® Score elsewhere that is different from what we display, it may be because it was a different type of score. There are multiple FICO^® Score versions available. In online and mobile banking, we display the most widely used version, FICO^® Score 8.

You can request a copy of your credit report directly by contacting the 3 credit agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, or at annualcreditreport.com.

These are different names for a single credit report that merges the data in your credit reports from each of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, TransUnion.

It could take up to 90 days for the FICO^® Score to become available in online and mobile banking.

The FICO^® Score may not be available for credit card clients enrolled in online banking in some instances, including when:

• The credit report does not have enough information to generate a FICO^® Score (at least one account must be reported in the past 6 months).
• The credit bureau wasn’t able to completely match your identity to your information.

Because your FICO^® Score is based on the information in your credit report, it is important to make sure that the credit report information is accurate. To ensure the credit bureaus have your correct information on file, visit annualcreditreport.com.

While we provide general advice and recommendations on how you can improve your credit score, your actual FICO^® Score results from a complex interaction of FICO^® scoring methodologies and the information on your credit report, some of which changes daily.

KeyBank obtains your FICO^® Score from Equifax, a major credit bureau. If you feel your FICO^® Score is inaccurate, please directly contact Equifax Disputes.

Because your FICO^® Score is based on the information in your credit report, it is important to make sure that the credit report information is accurate. You may get a free copy of your credit report, which does not include your FICO^® Score, from each of the three major consumer reporting agencies annually at annualcreditreport.com.

FICO^® Scores are calculated from the credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories; the chart below shows the relative importance of each category.

1. 35% - Payment history: Whether you've paid past credit accounts on time
2. 30% - Amounts owed: The amount of credit and loans you are using
3. 15% - Length of credit history: How long you've had credit
4. 10% - New credit: Frequency of credit inquiries and new account openings
5. 10% - Credit mix: The mix of your credit, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans

Find out more about how a FICO^® Score is calculated at ficoscore.com/education/.

Your credit score is a number that helps financial institutions determine your creditworthiness i.e., how likely you are to repay your debts. Every time you apply for, use, make or miss a payment on a loan or credit card, you build another entry that raises or lowers that score on your credit report.

The following steps can help you work toward establishing a good credit score:

• Make all of your minimum payments on-time, every month
• Pay more than minimum required, to enable reduction in debt
• Keep ample separation between amount owed, and Credit Limit available
• Maintain your oldest trade line
• Keep outstanding balances as low as you can
• Check your credit report at least once each year to make sure it’s error-free

A free credit report is available once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Visit annualcreditreport.com to get yours.