- Introduction
These Terms and Conditions (as defined below) form the basis of a legal agreement between you (as defined below) and Affinity Credit Union 2013 (“Affinity” as defined below) that governs your participation in the Rewards Program (as defined below). Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. They contain important information about the Rewards Program, including how to earn and redeem your Rewards (as defined below).
You understand and agree that your participation in the Rewards Program is also subject to the terms and conditions of your Cardholder Agreement (as defined below). If there is a conflict or inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and the Cardholder Agreement, then these Terms and Conditions shall prevail but only to the extent the conflict relates to the Rewards Program.
Affinity® Mastercard® credit cards and the Rewards Program are only available for Canadian residents that do not live in the province of Quebec.
The Rewards Program and benefits are offered and administered by Affinity at its sole discretion, and we may change any of its terms and conditions as set out in these Terms and Conditions.
- Definitions
In these Terms and Conditions, the terms below have the following meaning:
“Account”, means the credit card account related to your Affinity Credit Card, opened in your name, as Primary Cardholder.
“Account Statement” means the monthly paper or electronic statement for your Account.
“Affinity”, “our”, “us” or “we” refers to Affinity Credit Union 2013.
“Affinity Card” means the Affinity® Mastercard® credit card issued by Brim in your name, as Primary Cardholder, and any additional Affinity® Mastercard® credit card issued at your request in an Additional Cardholder’s name, as well as any renewal or replacement Affinity® Mastercard® credit cards linked to your Account, including your Affinity® Mastercard®, Affinity® World Mastercard®, Affinity® World Elite Mastercard®, Affinity® World Elite Mastercard® (business) or Affinity® world Elite Mastercard® (business +) as applicable.
“Balance Transfer” means a cash advance transaction by which you borrow money on your Account to pay the outstanding balance on another credit card (other than an Affinity Card) and thereby transfer the balance owing on that other credit card to the Account. Balance Transfers can’t be completed between Affinity accounts.
“Base Points” refers to the Rewards earned on the Net Purchases in the normal course, as calculated and further described below.
“Bonus Points” refers to the Rewards earned on the Net Purchases in addition to Base Points, as calculated and further described below.
“Brim” means Brim Financial Inc.
“Cardholder Agreement” means the Affinity Credit Union 2013, Mastercard Cardholder Agreement and Business Mastercard Cardholder Agreement, as may be amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time to time.
“Eligible Purchase” means any use of an Affinity Card, Affinity Card number or Account to purchase goods or services, but excludes all Balance Transfers, Cash-Like Transactions, Convenience Cheques, Cash Advances, interest charges, Account payments, adjustments, insurance premiums and fees.
“Good Standing” means an Account that is not
- past due,
- closed,
- charged-off (meaning we have determined that overdue amounts on the Account are unlikely to be collected),
- in credit revoked status, or
- an Account in respect of which the Affinity Card has been blocked or cancelled.
“MCC Codes” means Mastercard’s Merchant Category Codes as set out on the Mastercard website.
“Net Purchases” means all Eligible Purchases charged to your Account, less all returns and merchant credits.
“Primary Cardholder” or “Cardmember”, “you”, “your” or “their” means the Primary Cardholder or Cardmember as defined in the Cardholder Agreement.
“Rewards” means, collectively, the Base Points, Bonus Points, Partner Offers, Referral Rewards and other promotional offers that are earned on Net Purchases, and that can be redeemed, all in accordance with the Rewards Program.
“Rewards Account” means the nominal account opened and maintained in the name of the Primary Cardholder that is credited and debited with the Rewards earned in connection with the Rewards Program.
“Rewards Program” means the Affinity Rewards Program as described in these Terms and Conditions.
“Spending Categories” means the following MCC Codes used to classify purchases: Travel, Transportation, Health, Dining, Groceries, Shopping, Entertainment, Home, Tech, and Miscellaneous, as may be amended from time to time.
“Terms and Conditions” means the terms and conditions as outlined herein, as may be amended, modified, supplemented, or replaced from time to time.
All other capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning given to them in your Cardholder Agreement.
- Eligibility
While all valid and active Affinity Cards are automatically eligible for the Rewards Program, only the Primary Cardholder is eligible for the benefits of the Rewards Program and to redeem Rewards (provided the other eligibility conditions are met). The Rewards Program is a benefit that comes with your Affinity Card and participation in the Rewards Program is free of charge. No registration or membership application is required. Your continued use of Affinity Cards after the Effective Date of these Terms and Conditions will confirm your agreement to participate in the Rewards Program. Only one Rewards Account will be set up for each Account. Rewards earned by both the Primary Cardholder and any Additional Cardholder will be credited to that Rewards Account.
- Earning Rewards
The benefits that are available to you through the Rewards Program are based on the number of Rewards earned by making Eligible Purchases using your Affinity Card.
You can earn Base Points and Bonus Points, and other Rewards offered from time to time when using your Affinity Card. Rewards only apply to Eligible Purchases made if the Account is in Good Standing.
- Consumer Rewards
- Base Points:
Base Points are earned on Net Purchases on a per-transaction basis. Base Points are calculated according to the tiered monthly-spending model outlined at the bottom of Section 4(a)(ii) below.
Every calendar month the number of Rewards you can earn for that given calendar month resets, and you start earning Base Points at the Tier 1 level on the Net Purchases you made using your Affinity Card, until you reach the spend threshold for the next tier level. When you reach the spend threshold for the next tier level, you will start earning Base Points on those Net Purchases at the earn rate for that tier, and so on.
Any Bonus Points offered are in addition to the Base Points earned.
- Bonus Points:
Each month, in addition to the Base Points, you can also earn Bonus Points on Net Purchases made using your Affinity Card.
You are eligible to earn Bonus Points on a percentage of total monthly Net Purchases in your highest Spend Category. Affinity uses the MCC Codes to establish 10 distinct Spending Categories: Travel, Transportation, Health, Dining, Groceries, Shopping, Entertainment, Home, Tech, and Miscellaneous. Every Net Purchase is categorized by MCC Code based on the merchant where the purchase is made. Up to a maximum of 20% of your total monthly Net Purchases, cumulative for the highest Spending Category can be earned. Net Purchases which exceed the cumulative monthly maximum in the Spending Categories, earn Base Points.
The chart below summarizes the Base Points and Bonus Points that apply to each Affinity personal credit card:
| Affinity Mastercard |
Tier 1: Earn 2 points on every dollar spent from $0-$749 (per calendar month).
Tier 2: Earn 4 points on every dollar spent from $750-$1,499 (per calendar month).
Tier 3: Earn 6 points on every dollar spent starting at $1,500 (per calendar month).
|
Earn 8 points per dollar for Eligible Purchases made in your highest Spending Category, up to maximum of 20% of the total spent over the month using your Affinity Card.
|
| Affinity World Mastercard |
Tier 1: Earn 5 points on every dollar spent from $0-$1,499 (per calendar month).
Tier 2: Earn 10 points on every dollar spent from $1,500-$2,999 (per calendar month).
Tier 3: Earn 15 points on every dollar spent starting at $3,000 (per calendar month).
|
Earn 10 points per dollar for Eligible Purchases, up to maximum of 20% of the total spent over the month using your Affinity Card.
|
| Affinity World Elite Mastercard |
Tier 1: Earn 10 points on every dollar spent from $1-$2,999 (per calendar month)
Tier 2: Earn 20 points on every dollar spent from $3,000-$5,999 (per calendar month).
Tier 3: Earn 30 points on every dollar spent starting at $6,000 (per calendar month).
|
Earn 12 points per dollar for Eligible Purchases, up to maximum of 20% of the total spent over the month using your Affinity Card.
|
It is important to note that Affinity is not responsible for establishing or assigning MCC Codes and MCC Codes are subject to change without notice. Merchants may sell goods and services that appear to fall within one or more of the Spending Categories but are coded in another manner. Purchases made at merchants without an MCC Code are categorized in the ‘Miscellaneous’ Spending Category. In no event will Affinity be liable or responsible for any claims with respect to the purchase of goods and services assigned by any merchant to any category.
- Business Rewards
- Base Points:
Base Points are earned on Net Purchases on a per-transaction basis only during a calendar month.
-
(ii) Bonus Points:
Each calendar month Bonus Points are earned on Net Purchases on a per-transaction basis for the following MCC Codes: Technology, Office Supplies and Agriculture. Up to a maximum of 45% of your total monthly Net Purchases, cumulative for all three MCC Codes can be earned. Net Purchases which exceed the cumulative monthly maximum in these three Spend Categories, earn Base Points.
The chart below summarizes the Base Points and Bonus Points on each Affinity Business Card:
| Affinity Business World Elite Mastercard |
10 points per dollar spent on all purchases except tech, office supplies and agriculture per calendar month.
|
15 points per dollar spent on tech, office supplies, and agriculture. Up to a maximum of 45% of spend per calendar month.
|
| Affinity Business + World Elite Mastercard |
15 points per dollar spent on all purchases except tech, office supplies and agriculture per calendar month.
|
20 points per dollar spent on tech, office supplies, and agriculture. Up to a maximum of 45% of spend per calendar month.
|
- Partner Offers
You may also be eligible to earn additional Rewards for Net Purchases made using your Affinity Card at select merchants, retailers, or services providers. Partner Offers can be earned on Eligible Purchases made with specified merchant partners and will be subject to any terms and conditions set out in the offer. Affinity does not endorse any merchants who provide partner offers or their goods/services.
- Calculation of Rewards and Statements
Rewards are calculated based upon the Canadian dollar amount of Net Purchases and rounded to the nearest cent. Rewards are reflected as soon as the next business day in your Rewards Account, which can be viewed through the Online Services. However, Rewards are only available for redemption once the Net Purchase for which the Rewards are earned is posted to the Account Statement.
Rewards credited to your Rewards Account on any Eligible Purchase made using your Affinity Card that you subsequently return or cancel for any reason will be adjusted and reflected in your Rewards Account. Your overall Rewards Account balance total will be reduced by the number of Rewards that are equivalent to the amount originally credited.
In the case of a refunded or cancelled transaction, note that in some cases your Rewards Account balance may become negative. In such case, as and when Rewards are earned in the future, they are first used to offset the negative balance. In the event your Account is closed or becomes inactive for 90 days and your Rewards Account balance is negative, we reserve the right to charge your Account for an amount calculated based on $0.001 per negative point, which will be posted to your Account.
We accept no liability for any errors in the Rewards balance in your Rewards Account. You are responsible for reviewing your Account Statement to ensure the proper accounting and receipt of points, including to verify the number of Rewards awarded for Eligible Purchases and the total number of Rewards earned and redeemed. If any Rewards are credited to your Rewards Account in error, we reserve the right to deduct the number of Rewards awarded in error at any time without notice to you. We are not obligated to honour a request to redeem Rewards added to a Rewards Account in error.
Rewards cannot be earned or redeemed after the date your Account is closed or the date the Rewards Program is terminated.
In the event of a dispute about the amount of Rewards earned, redeemed, or deducted, our record of all Rewards will be considered conclusive and accurate unless you notify us of any discrepancy within 30 days of the date of your Account Statement.
You must notify us of any discrepancy at: 1.866.863.6237
- Referral Bonuses
From time-to-time Affinity may offer a referral bonus in the form of Rewards (“Referral Rewards”). To receive Referral Rewards, your Account must be in Good Standing. You agree any referrals will only be made in relation to known friends and family members you have a relationship with and who have confirmed they are interested in being referred. You must not refer people you do not know. You agree that Additional Cardholders on your Account may also make and send referrals. More information and the full terms and conditions for referral offers will be made available on our website at affinitycu.ca/legal/terms-and-conditions.
- Redeeming Rewards
Rewards can only be redeemed as set out in these Terms and Conditions.
Rewards can be redeemed towards Net Purchases or against your Account Statement balance or other Affinity account balances using the Online Services.
The standard redemption rate allows 1,000 Rewards to be redeemed for $1 of Net Purchases, provided that in some cases the redemption rate could be higher (the higher redemption rate would be indicated where applicable). Rewards can be redeemed starting at $1. Rewards are redeemed through the Online Services. Once logged in, select the “Redeem Rewards” option, and your selected Net Purchase made using your Affinity Card will be paid with Rewards from your Rewards Account up to the full amount of your Net Purchase or the full balance of your Rewards Account, whichever is less.
You may also choose to redeem your Rewards in cash (in the form of a credit to an outstanding balance on your Account), and your Account Statement balance will be paid with Rewards from your Rewards Account up to the full amount of your Account Statement balance or the full balance of your Rewards Account, whichever is less.
In each case, if you elect to redeem your Rewards, the number of Rewards you decide to redeem will be deducted from the total number of Rewards available for redemption in your Rewards Account.
We may from time to time add new redemption options or offer special redemption campaigns, which will be available through Online Services. These will be subject to any additional terms as specifically described in the campaign offer.
Only the Primary Cardholder is authorized to log in and view the Rewards balance in their Rewards Account and redeem Rewards. The Primary Cardholder may check the Rewards balance in their Rewards Account from time to time through Online Services.
The Primary Cardholder may call 1.866.863.6237 and request that their Rewards be credited to their Account. This will occur no more than two billing cycles from the date of the call.
Reward redemptions are reflected as soon as the next business day in your Rewards Account and, on a calendar monthly basis, as credits on your Account Statement.
- Use of Personal Information
We may exchange Rewards Program and Account related information about you and any Additional Cardholder with other parties, such as participating partners, merchants, or service providers, as required to administer the Rewards Program. All personal information will be collected, used, disclosed or otherwise treated in accordance with Affinity and Brim’s privacy policies, available online at affinitycu.ca/privacy and brimfinancial.com/legal, respectively.
- Tax
Any federal and/or provincial tax liability and reporting obligations for any taxes (including but not limited to personal and business income tax reporting) arising from the accrual of Rewards is your responsibility. You release Affinity from all liabilities in this regard and acknowledge that Affinity will not issue tax receipts.
- Changing the Rewards Program and These Terms and Conditions
Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we may make changes to the Rewards Program and these Terms and Conditions as they apply to you, in whole or in part, at any time by providing you 30 days’ notice.
These changes may include, but are not limited to,:
- the credit cards that are eligible to participate in the Rewards Program;
- the Eligible Purchases or Net Purchases that qualify for Rewards;
- the maximum number of Rewards;
- the manner and rate at which Rewards are calculated and earned;
- the manner and rate at which Rewards are redeemed;
- the method or eligibility for participating in the Rewards Program; and/or
- instituting or adding blackout dates for earning or redeeming Rewards.
Your continued participation in the Rewards Program following the effective date of any such changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
- Termination of the Rewards Program
We reserve the right to terminate the Rewards Program, in whole or in part, at any time on 30 days’ prior written notice. If the Rewards Program is ever terminated, any Rewards in your Rewards Account will be applied toward your Account Statement balance, unless there is no balance in which case the Rewards will be cancelled if the Program is terminated.
- Miscellaneous
- Rewards do not expire if your Account remains open. If you voluntarily close your Account or if we close or terminate your Account, all Rewards will be cancelled immediately upon Account closure.
- Rewards can only be redeemed for Net Purchases if your Account is in Good Standing. If your Account is not in Good Standing, your Rewards may only be redeemed to credit your Account and may not be redeemed for Net Purchasers or to credit your other Affinity outstanding balances.
- Rewards are not refundable, exchangeable, and have no cash value, and may not be transferred, resold, pledged or hypothecated in any way or conveyed by any means to anyone, including through a participant’s estates, and may not pass to participant’s successors and assigns, unless otherwise required by applicable law. A Cardholder holding several Accounts may not combine Rewards accrued across the various Accounts.
- If the Primary Cardholder dies, any Rewards earned on the Account will be credited to the Account on the Account Statement issued after Affinity is made aware of the Primary Cardholder’s death, unless the surviving spouse is an Additional Cardholder, and such surviving spouse applies to become, and qualifies under Affinity‘s standard credit criteria as, the new Primary Cardholder within 60 days after Affinity is notified of the Primary Cardholder’s death.
- Any abuse of the Reward Program’s privileges, failure to follow these Terms and Conditions, or misrepresentation may result in Affinity ending your participation in the Rewards Program and such termination may result in the loss of accumulated but unused Rewards. At our discretion, we may prosecute abuse of the Rewards Program to the fullest extent of the law. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Affinity is entitled, in its sole discretion, to restrict, suspend or otherwise alter aspects of the Rewards Program, with or without notice to you.
- All notices and other communications required or permitted to be provided under these Terms and Conditions will be provided in the manner set forth in the Cardholder Agreement.
- The Rewards Program is void where prohibited by applicable federal, provincial or municipal law.
- Every reasonable and required effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate. Affinity disclaims all responsibility for any errors or omissions.
- No delay or omission by Affinity in exercising a right or recourse stipulated herein will constitute a waiver of this right or recourse and must not be interpreted as such. Affinity can, at its sole discretion, deviate from the strict observance of the conditions stipulated herein, or extend a delay or other term agreed to, explicitly or implicitly. Such deviations or delays are valid only in circumstances determined by Affinity, cannot be put forward in order to obtain any benefit or additional delay, and in no way constitute a waiver of the Affinity rights and recourses in the event of a breach of the terms stipulated herein.
- All dollar amounts stated herein are expressed in Canadian dollars.
Affinity Credit Union® and Affinity® are registered trademarks and Affinity® (business) and Affinity (Business) +™ are trademarks of Affinity Credit Union 2013. All rights reserved.
Mastercard®, World Mastercard® and World Elite Mastercard® are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated and are used under license. All rights reserved.