Q. Does my former Principia credit card still work?

A. You may still make purchases with the former Principia credit card, but Principia will not receive a percentage of those purchases. Our program with our previous credit card provider ended on August 29, 2009. We are extraordinarily grateful for all of our cardholders who supported Principia through our previous program. If you aren't yet carrying our current affinity credit card, we hope you'll consider doing so.

Q. How does opening a credit card with UMB benefit Principia?

A. Principia receives $50 for each approved application that is activated and used within 90 days of approval. Additionally, a percentage of every purchase made or interest charged with the card will be donated to Principia.

Q. Is there an annual fee?

A. No, there is no annual fee.

Q. What is the interest rate on the card?

A. 0% introductory APR for six months on purchases and balance transfers. After the introductory period, the interest rate will be the Wall Street Prime rate + 9.74%, currently 12.99%.

Q. How does Principia use the funds received through this program?

A. Your purchases benefit Principia's visiting student program, which provides funding for travel for prospective students. Many prospective students make the decision to attend Principia after their visiting weekend.

Q. Will I be able to receive a tax deduction for using my card?

A. No. The IRS does not consider purchases made on an affinity credit card tax deductible.

Q. Who is UMB?

A. UMB is a multi-bank, multi-billion dollar holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. They were ranked by Smart Money as "the highest-scoring traditional bank among our favorites" and by Forbes as "the #2 'best' bank in the U.S." As a leading card issuer with nearly 40 years of credit card experience, UMB offers a wide range of consumer and commercial Visa and private label products. For more information, visit www.umb.com.

Q. Can I apply over the phone?

A. Unfortunately, not at this time.

Q. How can I get an application by mail?

A. Paper applications will be available at certain Principia events, by calling 314.275.3582, or e-mailing stacey.manker@principia.edu. We encourage you to apply securely online to help us reduce marketing and processing costs. You may also download the mail-in application here.

Q. If I apply online for the card, will my transaction be secure?

A. Yes. Your application will be transmitted to UMB through an encrypted security page. When applying online, your application will time out after 15 minutes if the application is left inactive. This is a security precaution to protect any information you have entered into the application.

Q. Can non-United States citizens apply for the card?

A. Unfortunately, not at this time. You must have U.S. citizenship and a U.S. mailing address to apply. UMB can only accept United States citizens.

Q. Do I have to activate and use the card within a certain time period for Principia to receive the $50?

A. Yes. But you only need to use the card once within the first 90 days for us to receive the $50 payment.

Q. Can I manage my account online? 

A. Yes. A representative from the UMB call center can help you set up your account online. After your online account is set up, you may access your account information on the UMB website.

Q. What are Bonus Rewards points?

A.  Bonus Rewards points are earned when you use your card. For every $1 you spend, you earn 1 bonus point.  To use your points, simply shop at the participating local retailers listed on rewards.umb.com. (Once on the site, press "continue" and then "browse only" to see the list of retailers.) When you are approved for a card, you will have a personalized rewards webpage that displays your current rewards points.

Q. How do Bonus Rewards points work?

A. Earn one Bonus Reward point per $1 spent or transferred. Earn 2 Bonus Reward points for every $1 of billed interest. At some participating retailers, you can earn up to 15 Bonus Rewards points per $1 spent when you use your card. Participating retailers can be found on the Retailer Flyer.

Q. How do I redeem my points?

A. When you are approved for a card, simply go to rewards.umb.com to redeem your points.

Q. What can I redeem my points for?

A. You can redeem your points for a seemingly endless selection of rewards such as cash, merchandise, gift cards, travel, event tickets, and activities. For more information about the options for redeeming your reward points, please visit the UMB rewards website for more details.

Q. Do my points expire?

A. Points expire after 5 years. For more information on program rules, please see the Rewards Program Rules disclosure that will accompany your card.

Q. Can I donate my points to Principia?

A. Yes. Bonus points may be donated through the rewards website rewards.umb.com. Points can be donated in increments of 5,000. Example: 5,000 points equals a $50 donation, and 10,000 points equals a $100 donation.

Q. If I have another question about Bonus Rewards points not listed above, whom can I contact?

A. Please contact customer service at 800.821.4115.

Q. Can I see Principia's credit card program agreement with UMB? 

A. You may view Principia's agreement with UMB here.