Zaba fan possibilities

So, I went into my local Chase branch today and—surprise, surprise—they didn't offer me a Visa instead of that all-in-one bundle. Instead, they told me they’re rebranding the Optimum package to some "modern payment assistant" nonsense and that I need to sign a whole new contract just to change the name... 🙂

So, does the current Optimum and the modern P.A. actually have the same options available?

Of course they don't. The premium assistant doesn't offer any discounts on the Mastercard membership fee, even though the Gold package is half off. I didn't bother checking the rest of the fine print...

She actually asked me why I was hesitant to sign the "new" contract. I told her straight up that I wasn't buying the whole "it's just a name change" excuse. Turns out, once I got home and checked their website, my gut feeling was spot on.

Yeah, that's exactly why I asked! I can't just swap the names out, otherwise we'd end up with two different services sharing the same title, which would be super confusing.

Maybe they could tweak the payment assistant a bit, especially since they're moving everyone over anyway. 🤷

It’s not a switchover. I’m pretty sure they’re just closing out the old package and signing a new deal for the payroll assistant.

After spending two years trying to shove a Visa down everyone's throats, they probably realized they need to scale back and at least try swapping out those payroll packages...

I bet the next move is some big promo like "switch from Package 1 to Visa for free for the first 6 months."🙂

Payment assistants have been on the market just as long as Zaba fans.☕

Can anyone please tell me which stores actually accept the Zaba fan? I'm looking for anything from the major big-box retailers in Chicago all the way down to local corner shops. I'm honestly fed up with walking into store after store only to be told they don't take it... and the worst part is the bank keeps insisting that the number of participating locations is constantly growing lol.

Home > Citizens > Billing and payment > Additional benefit - discount on purchase > Check where you can claim your discount

Thanks for the response, but just as I feared, their website doesn't even list any of the stores I'm familiar with... so it looks like I'll have to go from shop to shop asking individually.😢

I was hoping to get some thoughts or maybe hear about your experiences with this... I’m currently on that old "all-in-one" package one, where I pay $6.75 every month. Everything I actually use is tucked in there, plus the main perks are that I don't have any sign-up fees on my debit card and my annual fee is basically half off—meaning I only shell out $25 a year for it. I'm seriously considering swapping it for a premium checking account that costs about the same in monthly fees. With that switch, I’d get five free transactions a month, the ability to pay in installments with my debit card, online banking, and so on... but here's the kicker: I'm not really sure what happens to my credit card situation. I'm assuming I'd end up paying the full standard fee for it? 🤷 Could someone please shed some light on this for me? I've already decided against getting a Zaba flyer; they're way too pricey for what you actually get. My current setup feels expensive enough as it is, but still...

coastalwalker74 said:I was hoping to get some thoughts or maybe hear about your experiences with this... I’m currently on that old "all-in-one" package one, where I pay $6.75 every month. Everything I actually use is tucked in there, plus the main perks are that I don't have any sign-up fees on my debit card and my annual fee is basically half off—meaning I only shell out $25 a year for it. I'm seriously considering swapping it for a premium checking account that costs about the same in monthly fees. With that switch, I’d get five free transactions a month, the ability to pay in installments with my debit card, online banking, and so on... but here's the kicker: I'm not really sure what happens to my credit card situation. I'm assuming I'd end up paying the full standard fee for it? 🤷 Could someone please shed some light on this for me? I've already decided against getting a Zaba flyer; they're way too pricey for what you actually get. My current setup feels expensive enough as it is, but still...

Well, you don't actually get that 50% discount on the debit card membership. Everything else you mentioned is accurate, though. You would get those five transactions and the installment option. And if you decide to make the switch, just cancel your paper statements; they charge you $1.75 for those, whereas online banking gives you the same thing... and honestly, provides much better oversight...

Honestly, I stopped printing out statements ages ago; I just swing by a Zabka kiosk whenever I need to check my balance. Now I just need to figure out what the credit card situation looks like—like if I'll be stuck paying $50 full membership fees or whatever else they tack on. If the math checks out, I'll grab it, but man, I really hope they don't hike up the fees right after I sign up. $6.75 I can deal with a little extra cost for now, but 🙄

edit - I've been scrolling through the Zabka website, trying to weigh these different payment assistant options against

And here's what I'm seeing: for the cheapest tier, it says: "5 free USD payments via online or mobile banking and standing orders; digital bill presentation via online or mobile banking,"

for the mid-tier one, it lists: "5 free USD payments via the channels included in the Payment Assistant plus standing orders; 2 free in-branch transactions,"

but for the premium one, they say: "5 free USD payments via the channels included in the Payment Assistant plus standing orders; 5 free in-branch transactions"

Does that mean with the basic plan for $6.75 I won't have any free ways to handle things at a physical branch? Like, if I actually show up with a paper bill at the teller window to pay something, I'm out of luck? It sounds like everything has to be through net banking or an app... if that's the case, it's kind of a bummer... at least for me.

coastalwalker74 said:Honestly, I stopped printing out statements ages ago; I just swing by a Zabka kiosk whenever I need to check my balance. Now I just need to figure out what the credit card situation looks like—like if I'll be stuck paying $50 full membership fees or whatever else they tack on. If the math checks out, I'll grab it, but man, I really hope they don't hike up the fees right after I sign up. $6.75 I can deal with a little extra cost for now, but 🙄

edit - I've been scrolling through the Zabka website, trying to weigh these different payment assistant options against

And here's what I'm seeing: for the cheapest tier, it says: "5 free USD payments via online or mobile banking and standing orders; digital bill presentation via online or mobile banking,"

for the mid-tier one, it lists: "5 free USD payments via the channels included in the Payment Assistant plus standing orders; 2 free in-branch transactions,"

but for the premium one, they say: "5 free USD payments via the channels included in the Payment Assistant plus standing orders; 5 free in-branch transactions"

Does that mean with the basic plan for $6.75 I won't have any free ways to handle things at a physical branch? Like, if I actually show up with a paper bill at the teller window to pay something, I'm out of luck? It sounds like everything has to be through net banking or an app... if that's the case, it's kind of a bummer... at least for me.

Whether it's pointless or not isn't really my concern...
but you've certainly grasped the situation correctly... which means for $6.75, unless you have the premium tier, you aren't getting free transactions from Zabka... maybe five a month tops...
and look, this is exactly how massive lines start forming at the teller windows when everyone with free transactions shows up to handle their billing and payment... imagine if everyone actually did that... if you just wanted to pick up a new card, you'd probably be stuck waiting an hour because of five people ahead of you trying to pay bills at the counter... that's how it goes...

Here I am again. I’ve never once been a user of the Zaba flyer—for years now, the bank and their tellers have been relentlessly pushing it on me, but I flatly refuse. My company covers my Mastercard, so there's zero annual fee, and since they handle my online banking too, I don't pay a dime for that either. The only things hitting my pocket are the monthly fees for $1.75 and $1.75. I moved all my utility bills over to my Diners Club card to avoid extra fees and other nonsense. As for an overdraft, I don't need a massive limit; a $3.25 cushion is plenty, especially since I make it a point to stay out of the red entirely. Restaurant discounts are irrelevant to me because I get those through Diners Club anyway—all that other fluff is useless. Yesterday, I got a notice stating that instead of paying $1.75 per month, I'll now be charged $3.00. To soften the blow, they’re offering the Zaba flyer with its "various perks." If I don't want their precious flyer, then let them just give me the Payment Assistant.

So, to all you esteemed banking customers out there: what does the Zaba flyer actually cost per month? And what about the Payment Assistant? I’m betting it’s quite high compared to my future $3.00 per month. Why do these bankers constantly work against me—hiking prices and squeezing everything until I'm eventually forced to swallow their hated Zaba flyer...

....to hell with Zabka!

My modern payment assistant costs me $6.75 a month... but just so you know, the account maintenance fee isn't included in that price—that’s a separate charge (unless they changed the rules recently)

If I were you, I'd just say, "No thanks, I'm good for now," and stick with what I've already got.
They're out there trying to upsell everyone because it's the end of the year and they've gotta hit those sales targets! 😬

Sean Grant85 said:Here I am again. I’ve never once been a user of the Zaba flyer—for years now, the bank and their tellers have been relentlessly pushing it on me, but I flatly refuse. My company covers my Mastercard, so there's zero annual fee, and since they handle my online banking too, I don't pay a dime for that either. The only things hitting my pocket are the monthly fees for $1.75 and $1.75. I moved all my utility bills over to my Diners Club card to avoid extra fees and other nonsense. As for an overdraft, I don't need a massive limit; a $3.25 cushion is plenty, especially since I make it a point to stay out of the red entirely. Restaurant discounts are irrelevant to me because I get those through Diners Club anyway—all that other fluff is useless. Yesterday, I got a notice stating that instead of paying $1.75 per month, I'll now be charged $3.00. To soften the blow, they’re offering the Zaba flyer with its "various perks." If I don't want their precious flyer, then let them just give me the Payment Assistant.

So, to all you esteemed banking customers out there: what does the Zaba flyer actually cost per month? And what about the Payment Assistant? I’m betting it’s quite high compared to my future $3.00 per month. Why do these bankers constantly work against me—hiking prices and squeezing everything until I'm eventually forced to swallow their hated Zaba flyer...

....to hell with Zabka!

Everyone has different needs. Some people find value in the Zaba flyer or the Payment Assistant because it pays off for them, especially since it includes installment plans for Maestro—not everyone is lucky enough to avoid overdrafts and buy everything with cash. Right now, you don't need any of that, and when you eventually do, you can always sign up. Personally, the flyer has been useful for me; I called roadside assistance twice and once needed a plumber when my pump failed in the winter and I had no water. The technician showed up within half an hour and fixed everything, and the bank covered the cost (up to the limit specified in certain flyer tiers), which many people don't realize. It also covers medical needs, travel insurance, and more, so it can be worth it if you know how to use it.

What are your thoughts on whether it makes more sense to pay for an annual AAA membership $67 or just grab a Zabka flyer? I’m debating if getting the flyer is worth it primarily for that specific service, since I really don't have much use for travel or home insurance.

Michael Richardson14 said:What are your thoughts on whether it makes more sense to pay for an annual AAA membership $67 or just grab a Zabka flyer? I’m debating if getting the flyer is worth it primarily for that specific service, since I really don't have much use for travel or home insurance.

The dynamic flyer ( $20) covers things twice a year
# emergency roadside repair or towing up to $0.48 within the US, or up to €200 abroad,
# rental car arrangements,
# lodging coverage up to $133 domestically or €85 abroad,
# trip continuation costs up to $0.37 domestically or €150 abroad,
# applies to personal vehicles up to 3.5 tons, under 10 years old, with a valid driver's license
* medical expense coverage up to €4,500,
* legal assistance with cost coverage up to €1,200,
* medical transport to an American hospital, including full organization and cost coverage,
* returning children to America, including full organization and cost coverage,
* transporting relatives back to America with cost coverage up to €300,
* lodging for relatives with cost coverage up to €300,
* arranging trip continuations with cost coverage up to €150,
* baggage delay coverage up to €50,
* urgent medication delivery with coverage up to €30,
* urgent message delivery,
* pre-trip info, assistance with lost documents, and info on American agencies,
* repatriation of remains to America with coverage up to €3,000.

* organizing emergency technician visits (plumber, electrician, locksmith, glazier),
* reimbursement for service bills up to $0.37,
* providing contact info for local emergency technicians.
* organizing emergency doctor visits following an accident, covered up to $250,
* organizing emergency nurse visits following an accident, covered up to $150,
* emergency medication delivery with coverage up to $83,
* post-hospitalization home care with coverage up to $250,
* information regarding medical facilities, medications, pharmacies, and disability services.

Michael Brooks732 said:The dynamic flyer ( $20) covers things twice a year
# emergency roadside repair or towing up to $0.48 within the US, or up to €200 abroad,
# rental car arrangements,
# lodging coverage up to $133 domestically or €85 abroad,
# trip continuation costs up to $0.37 domestically or €150 abroad,
# applies to personal vehicles up to 3.5 tons, under 10 years old, with a valid driver's license
* medical expense coverage up to €4,500,
* legal assistance with cost coverage up to €1,200,
* medical transport to an American hospital, including full organization and cost coverage,
* returning children to America, including full organization and cost coverage,
* transporting relatives back to America with cost coverage up to €300,
* lodging for relatives with cost coverage up to €300,
* arranging trip continuations with cost coverage up to €150,
* baggage delay coverage up to €50,
* urgent medication delivery with coverage up to €30,
* urgent message delivery,
* pre-trip info, assistance with lost documents, and info on American agencies,
* repatriation of remains to America with coverage up to €3,000.

* organizing emergency technician visits (plumber, electrician, locksmith, glazier),
* reimbursement for service bills up to $0.37,
* providing contact info for local emergency technicians.
* organizing emergency doctor visits following an accident, covered up to $250,
* organizing emergency nurse visits following an accident, covered up to $150,
* emergency medication delivery with coverage up to $83,
* post-hospitalization home care with coverage up to $250,
* information regarding medical facilities, medications, pharmacies, and disability services.

I appreciate the info, truly, but I think I made it quite clear that those extra perks aren't what I'm looking for; my focus is strictly on roadside assistance and seeing how the cost of this flyer stacks up against an AAA membership.

$20 monthly or annual? if it’s an annual plan, then maybe the price actually makes sense—hmm...