AT&T; Extends Deadline to Get Its No-Fee Credit Card

American Telephone & Telegraph hopes that it has an offer that will reach out and touch even more consumers.

The telecommunications company said Tuesday that it is giving a three-month reprieve to procrastinators who might miss the year-end deadline to get its popular Universal credit card free of annual fees for life.

AT&T;, which launched the card last March, has been giving out “charter memberships” to all new applicants. The charter memberships entitle consumers to get the card without annual fees for life--provided that the consumer uses the card to charge at least one purchase annually.

This offer was to expire at year-end, but AT&T; said it would extend the offer until the card’s one-year anniversary March 26.

“This is our way to say thanks to consumers” who have signed up for the card, said Paul Kahn, president of AT&T; Universal Card Services Corp., in a statement.

AT&T; customers have charged $3.3 billion in goods on the Universal card. And although customers get the card free, they pay 18.9% interest on any unpaid account balances.