Atlas Rewards Credit Card Reviews and Complaints

The Atlas Rewards Credit Card is an app-based credit-building card that works differently from a traditional credit card. Instead of simply giving you a conventional credit limit and sending you a card in the mail, Atlas starts you with limited spending power, gives you a virtual card through its mobile app, and uses your linked bank account and account activity to determine how much you can spend. Atlas also uses an automatic payment system called Smart Pay that makes payments toward your card balance from your linked bank account throughout the month. A physical card is available, but you have to take an additional step to get one rather than simply waiting for a card to arrive automatically.

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How the Atlas Rewards Credit Card Actually Works

Atlas is not structured like a traditional credit card. The company describes the product as a way to build credit without interest, but the way you use the card is quite different from a conventional revolving credit card.

When you sign up, you use the Atlas mobile app and connect a bank account. Atlas determines your available spending power based on information such as your linked bank account and account activity. The starting amount can be relatively small, and your spending power can change as you use the account and make successful payments.

Atlas calls this Spend Power. It can include secured credit based on money you add to your Atlas account, Payroll Credit that can grow when you receive qualifying direct deposits, and Flex Credit that is based on the health of your linked bank account.

The important thing to understand is that this is not simply a case of receiving a $500 or $1,000 traditional credit line and then deciding when to make your monthly payment. Atlas is designed to continually manage the account through the app and the bank account you have connected to it.

What Is Smart Pay?

Smart Pay is one of the most important parts of the Atlas system. Atlas automatically makes payments toward your balance instead of leaving you to wait until the end of a normal credit-card billing cycle to make one payment.

According to Atlas, Smart Pay runs automatically and payments generally begin one to two days after a transaction. The payments can take additional time to complete, and the company says the system is intended to keep your utilization low and help prevent missed payments.

You can also make manual payments, and Atlas allows you to postpone Smart Pay under certain circumstances. But the important point is that automatic payments from your linked bank account are a fundamental part of how the Atlas Card works.

You Start With a Small Spending Limit

Atlas does not simply give every new customer a large traditional credit limit. The company says everyone starts with a small spending limit based on the linked bank account and account activity.

Atlas currently says that most virtual cards start with a $300 spending limit. Your spending power can increase through factors such as successful payments, direct deposits and deposits into the account.

This means the amount you can spend can be connected to more than just your credit history. Your bank account activity and the way you use the Atlas account are part of the system used to determine how much spending power you have.

You Get a Virtual Card First

Another thing that makes Atlas different from a traditional credit card is that the virtual card is available through the app as soon as your membership is activated.

You can use the virtual card for online purchases and add it to Apple Pay or Google Wallet for contactless purchases. Atlas says most users stick with the virtual card, but a physical card is also available.

However, the physical card is not simply something every new customer automatically receives in the mail. Atlas says customers can request a physical card through the app, become a payroll user, upgrade to an annual membership, or make a qualifying deposit that can trigger a physical-card shipment.

If you are expecting to apply for a credit card and automatically receive a physical card in the mail, that is not how the Atlas Card works. You start with the virtual card in the app, and getting a physical card requires an additional step.

Atlas Customer Complaints

There are plenty of positive Atlas reviews, but there are also a substantial number of complaints from customers who say they experienced problems with the way the account operates.

The Better Business Bureau currently lists hundreds of complaints involving Atlas, with billing issues, service problems, and product issues making up the largest categories. The complaints include customers describing problems with payments, account access, money being held, fees, account restrictions, and difficulty getting problems resolved.

These complaints are particularly worth examining because many of them involve the same features that make Atlas different from a conventional credit card.

Complaints About Smart Pay and Money Being Held

Some of the most concerning complaints involve Smart Pay and money that customers say became unavailable after being deposited into their Atlas accounts.

For example, a recent BBB complaint describes a customer who said money from multiple deposits and a manual payment was applied to a credit balance that the customer could not access. Another complaint describes a customer who connected direct deposit, had a paycheck deposited, and then had the account restricted while trying to resolve an account issue.

There are also complaints from customers who say they did not understand why money was being moved or held and had difficulty getting a clear explanation of the transactions.

Atlas has its own explanation of how Smart Pay works, but these customer complaints show why it is important to understand the system before connecting your primary bank account or direct deposit.

Customers Complain About Customer Service

Customer service is another recurring subject in the complaints and reviews.

Some customers report that they had difficulty reaching a person when they had a problem with their account. Other complaints describe communication through tickets, email, or automated systems rather than being able to immediately speak with a representative.

That can become particularly frustrating when the problem involves money that is unavailable, an account that has been restricted, or a transaction that the customer does not understand.

Some Customers Like the Atlas System

It is also important to point out that not everyone has had a bad experience with Atlas.

There are many customers who say they like Smart Pay because it automatically handles payments, and some say Atlas has helped them build their credit. Recent BBB customer reviews include people praising the app, customer support, and the automatic payment system.

So the issue is not that every Atlas customer has problems. The more important question is whether the way Atlas operates is a good fit for you.

Why Atlas May Not Be for Everyone

Atlas may make sense for someone who wants an app-based credit-building product and is comfortable connecting a bank account and allowing the company to automatically manage payments through Smart Pay.

But if you are looking for a more traditional credit card where you receive a physical card, have a conventional credit limit, and make your own monthly payments, the Atlas Rewards Credit Card may not be the type of card you are looking for.

Looking for an Alternative to Atlas?

If you are researching Atlas because you want a credit card that can help you build credit but you do not like the idea of having your card so closely connected to an app, automatic payments, and your bank account, you may want to consider another option.

The Ollo Everyday Rewards Mastercard^® is an alternative worth looking at. You can click the link below to check for a pre-approved offer, and checking your offer will not affect your credit score.

➤ Check for Ollo Everyday Rewards Mastercard pre-approval.