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Chase Bank (now known as JPMorgan Chase Bank) is adding a “binding arbitration” clause into their terms and conditions for some credit cards. A new section titled Arbitration Agreement is being added to the end of your card agreement.
You may receive a notice by mail or email. You have until 11 December 2021, depending on the card, to reject the arbitration clause. Otherwise, the new Chase arbitration agreement automatically kicks in.
Here is a basic template letter you can send to Chase to opt out of the binding arbitration clause.
Chase Customer Service
P.O. Box 17235
Wilmington, DE 19850-5298
Your Firstname Lastname
Street Address
City, State ZIPCODE
November 1, 2021
Regarding: Rejecting Chase Binding Arbitration Agreement
To Whom It May Concern:
On 26 October 2021, I received written communication from JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., explaining certain changes to the terms of my customer relationship. Among those changes is a new binding arbitration provision with an opt-out notice.
Please note that I REJECT the Chase Binding Arbitration Agreement effective December 11, 2021. Please confirm receipt of this rejection and annotate my account(s) appropriately.
I reject forced arbitration of future disputes relating in any way to my relationship with JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., Chase Bank USA, N.A., and all parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and related entities (“Chase”). I reserve my right to litigate all claims against Chase — including collective actions — in court.
Name: Firstname Lastname
Account Number(s): 4147-2222-3333-4444, 1234-5678-9012-2342
Billing Address: 124 Address Street, City, State ZIPCODE
Signature: (Actually sign here)
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Signature
Firstname Lastname
Here is a Google Doc version, a Word doc version of the letter for you to print or a PDF (you will need to edit the PDF).
Cards affected may include Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Hyatt card.
In this post:
MLA and Chase Binding Arbitration Clause
Thankfully, it appears if you are covered by the Chase Military Lending Act (MLA), which all military servicemembers and their spouses should be, then you are automatically opted out. Here's the quote from the Chase Military Lending Act Notice:
If you are covered by the Military Lending Act, (i) then you are not bound by the Arbitration Agreement below, and (ii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this agreement, to the extent required by the Military Lending Act, nothing in this agreement will be deemed a waiver of the right to legal recourse under any otherwise applicable provision of state or federal law.
Even if you are military, I think it is important to send a message to Chase that these kinds of changes are not how you treat customers fairly.
Send Chase a quick letter opting out to make it clear that they shouldn't remove our rights to a judge and jury.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chase Arbitration Agreement
What is Binding Arbitration?
Here's how Chase defines binding arbitration in their new terms and conditions:
BINDING ARBITRATION: Unless you timely reject the agreement to arbitrate, disputes with us may be resolved by binding arbitration. With arbitration, you cannot go to court, have a jury trial or initiate or participate in a class action for your dispute(s) with us. In arbitration, disputes are resolved by an arbitrator, not a judge or jury, and procedures are simpler and more limited than rules applicable in court.
Note that these terms and conditions will remove your right go to court, have a jury trial, or participate in class action lawsuits.
Will this close my credit card account?
No. Rejecting the Chase Arbitration agreement will not close your account. From the Chase email I received:
Can I (the customer) reject this agreement to arbitrate?
Yes. You have the right to reject this agreement to arbitrate if you notify us no later than 12/11/2021. You must do so in writing by stating that you reject this agreement to arbitrate and include your name, account number, address and personal signature. Your notice must be mailed to us at P.O. Box 17235, Wilmington, DE 19850-5298. Rejection notices sent to any other address, or sent by electronic mail or communicated orally, will not be accepted or effective.
Do I have to physically mail a letter to Chase?
Yes, they are purposely making this hard so people don't opt out. Send the letter to P.O. Box 17235 Wilmington, DE 19850-5298. You cannot send a rejection notice by electronic mail (email) or by communication verbally or orally (over the phone).
If Chase automatically opts me in for binding arbitration, can I participate in class action lawsuits?
No. Binding arbitration means you have waived your rights to a class action lawsuit. From the Chase email I received:
UNLESS YOU REJECT THIS AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE, YOU AND WE ARE WAIVING THE RIGHT TO ASSERT OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION, OR ANY REPRESENTATIVE OR CONSOLIDATED PROCEEDING IN COURT OR IN ARBITRATION.
Again, you MUST opt out of this binding agreement or you CANNOT participate in class action lawsuits.
How do I opt out of the Chase Binding Arbitration agreement?
The only way to opt out of the Chase binding arbritation change is to physically mail them a letter with your name, account number(s), address, and personal signature no later than December 11, 2021.
I suggest you send this letter quickly and send it certified mail so you can get receipt when they receive it. Here's the quote from the email:
YOU CAN REJECT THE BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT. YOU MUST MAIL YOUR REJECTION TO US BY 12/11/2021. PLEASE SEE THE END OF THIS NOTICE FOR INSTRUCTIONS
Please share this letter with other Chase customers so they can also opt out of the Chase binding arbitration agreement.
It depends, but usually arbitration favors the party who demanded the arbitration. This is not a consumer friendly policy.
I received a letter form chase about them updating the terms of my chase freedom unlimited to include forced arbitration in late October. I mailed them my rejection letter and today, when I logged into my account I see that my credit card account was closed.
No notice that they were closing it, nothing. I send them a message via chase.com messages and am currently waiting for a reply. In the letter they sent, all they said was that there is an opt out option. Nothing about them closing your account if you reject forced arbitration.
I thought i had until today the 10th for both if my cards to mail them my arbitration rejection letter, however I just checked the emails and one said for the 9th. Is there anything I can do? Or if I closer the card and open a new card, if there a way to reject? Or just hope for the best? I hate how they sent us these important account changes via email than by mail.
You can always send the rejection letter in. Worst they can say is no. For military servicemembers, you are automatically opted out thanks for the Military Lending Act (MLA).
Can I just put the last four number to my card or will I have to put the complete account number?
Whole account number.
I had a couple Chase credit cards 10 to 12 years ago. they were cancelled and paid off. Now I got the letter about arbitration and it has the last four numbers of my old credit cards that should be cancelled..my last name isn’t even the same. Got married 6 years ago. What’s the deal?
Great article, thank you for helping us jump through the “hoops”.
Thank you for this helpful article and for confirming I should mail it certified mail. The PO Box address is not very confidence inspiring, for sure.
I may never need this and I may accept arbitration in some future dealing, but I feel it’s essential to keep all options open.
Hello. I got a notice via mail regarding arbitration on an Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card. Only the last four digits of the card number are included. To the best of my recollection, I’ve never had an Amazon Rewards Visa signature card. It states beginning 5/18/2019 all references to Chase Bank USA, NA shall be read as JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA. I called Chase customer service and was transferred to the Fraudulent Security Department. They told me the account has already been “released” and only a supervisor can help me. Some one is supposed to call me back but I’m not holding my breath. What should I do next? thanks.
My deceased husband (died 13 years ago) was sent an opt-out letter as above. No account number is included. Have a mortgage with Chase.
Should the surviving spouse respond? Obviously the deceased cannot.
First, thanks for the letter template. It’s very helpful.
Second, and in all seriousness, how the /hell/ did you get the first four and last four numbers of my card number? 4147 and 4444? When I copied and pasted the ting and started to fill in my info, I had to do a triple take. I had to chuckle.
many if not all visa numbers start with 4147. the 4444 must be a coincidence.
Let’s say I decide to open a new credit card with Chase after the arbitration rejection deadline (8/10/2019). Would I have the ability to opt out and reject the arbitration clause for the new card? Or is the binding agreement definite on any new card opened after the rejection deadline passes?
I believe once the arbitration rejection deadline has passed, any new accounts opened with Chase will automatically include the binding arbitration clause. This should not apply to military servicemembers or dependents, thanks to the Military Lending Act.
Comenity Bank is also doing the same thing. I’m going to use your wonderful template to opt out of the agreement on every card I have, thank you! Here’s my question, though: I have multiple cards through Chase (and multiple through Comenity as well). Can I include all my card numbers in the same letter to the bank in question, or do I need to send a different letter for each?
You can include all the card numbers for each card holder and bank on one letter.
Thanks for the letter templates.
For the “Account Number(s)” section it looks like you listed card numbers and not a 9-digit Chase account number. Should I do card numbers instead of account?
List the account numbers of any accounts you want to opt out of arbitration with. All my accounts with Chase that were notified of arbitration were credits cards, so I listed 16 digit numbers as examples.
I’ve heard they are closing account s that don’t agree to the clause. Is this true?
Just a rumor at this stage. They are automatically opting out military servicemembers so there must be a mechanism in place to track those who opt out. Nothing in the fine print says they will close the account if you opt out of arbitration.
I called Chase three times about this asking if my account would be closed and got different answers from different people. One guy said if I don’t accept the new agreement I won’t have business with them any more. The next, a woman, said quickly and assuredly that this wouldn’t close my account. The third person spoke with 2 supervisors who both said this should not close the account.
I dunno who to believe. It’s not like I have the phone calls recorded…
I was informed by a Chase card services customer representative for JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. via a phone call to 1-800-981-8359 on June 5, 2019, that my decision to reject this agreement is my right and that choosing to reject the agreement would result in NO negative consequences regarding me or my account (including no termination of my account or change in interest rates). She confirmed this multiple times during our conversation. I have the conversation recorded after being given consent by the representative.
Wonderful resource, thank you for your generous help to fellow card users!!!
If you have a joint account with your spouse do you each have to send a letter or send one signed by
both parties?
Only the primary account holder, not the authorized users.