--- company: synchrony title: Synchrony — how complaints actually go last_verified: 2026-10-12 --- ## In short Synchrony issues store cards, CareCredit and other co-brand cards, so start with the service number on the back of your card. A major money trap is deferred interest: if any promotional balance is left at the end of the period, interest is charged back to the purchase date. Fees and interest are a top CFPB complaint issue for Synchrony, and in the 12 months to June 2026 it answered 3.5% of CFPB complaints late, a higher share than Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, Capital One or American Express. Synchrony is supervised by the OCC. It says it never emails you to ask for information. ## How complaints actually go - A CFPB complaint goes to Synchrony for a response, generally within 15 days; a response after 15 days (or after 60 days if it asks for more time) is recorded as not timely. In the 12 months to June 2026, 573 of 16,455 Synchrony complaints (3.5%) were not timely and 9 were still in progress. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=SYNCHRONY%20FINANCIAL&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Synchrony Bank is a federal savings association supervised by the OCC. The OCC asks you to try the bank first; it cannot act as your lawyer, get involved in matters that are in litigation, or seek monetary compensation for you. [OCC HelpWithMyBank: file a complaint](https://www.helpwithmybank.gov/file-a-complaint/index-file-a-complaint.html) - For a fraud concern, Synchrony lists 1-866-834-3205. [Synchrony: fraud protection](https://www.synchrony.com/legal/fraud-protection) ## What tends to work - A CFPB complaint after Synchrony's own channel fails: in the 12 months to June 2026, 3,113 of 16,455 complaints (18.9%) closed with monetary or non-monetary relief. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=SYNCHRONY%20FINANCIAL&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Before you accept a "no interest if paid in full" offer, check that you can pay off the deferred balance in full before the promotion ends; if a balance remains, interest going back to the purchase date is added to it. [CFPB: six tips for retail store credit cards](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/six-tips-when-offered-retail-store-credit-card/) ## Traps and fine print - Deferred interest: if the promotional balance is not paid in full by the end of the promotion, the lender can charge interest calculated from the original purchase date, not just on the remaining balance. [CFPB: the high cost of retail credit cards](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/issue-spotlight-the-high-cost-of-retail-credit-cards/) - Store cards cost more: in 2022 the average private label APR was 27.7%, against 22.7% for general purpose cards, and in December 2024 new cards from the top 100 retailers averaged 32.66%. Synchrony is one of four banks that issue more than 80% of store cards. [CFPB: the high cost of retail credit cards](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/issue-spotlight-the-high-cost-of-retail-credit-cards/) - If Synchrony decides a charge was not a billing error, you owe the amount and the interest and fees that built up during the dispute. You get at least 10 days to pay before it can report it as late. [CFPB: Regulation Z 1026.13](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1026/13/) - The CFPB's 2014 order against Synchrony (then GE Capital Retail Bank), which required about $225 million in relief for deceptive card marketing and for excluding borrowers from debt relief offers because of national origin, was terminated on May 12, 2025. [CFPB enforcement action](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/actions/synchrony-bank-fka-ge-capital-retail-bank/) ## By the numbers - CFPB complaints received July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 for "SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL": 16,455. Top products: credit card 8,451, credit reporting 4,052, debt collection 3,278. Top issues: incorrect information on a report 2,400, a purchase shown on a statement 2,071, fees or interest 1,820, negative or legal action taken or threatened 1,738, improper use of a report 1,272. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=SYNCHRONY%20FINANCIAL&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Of those 16,455 complaints, 13,332 (81.0%) closed with explanation, 1,572 (9.6%) with non-monetary relief and 1,541 (9.4%) with monetary relief; 9 were in progress and 1 was an untimely response. 15,882 (96.5%) were marked timely. Data retrieved 2026-10-12. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=SYNCHRONY%20FINANCIAL&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Complaint data is not a statistical sample. The CFPB says companies sometimes select "Closed with explanation" even when the consumer got relief, and complaints returned as administrative responses are not published. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) ## Scams that target customers - Synchrony says: "We will never email you with a request for information." If an email asks for private information, do not provide it. [Synchrony: fraud protection](https://www.synchrony.com/legal/fraud-protection) - Phishing emails that use Synchrony's name warn of unauthorized access or suspicious charges, threaten to suspend or deactivate the account, offer rewards for a survey, or announce changes to online services. [Synchrony: fraud protection](https://www.synchrony.com/legal/fraud-protection)