Qantas Cash ripoff...

[hmmm]

Having used Qantas Cash quite extensively in AUD, I decided to try it out with foreign currency. What a disaster. Their exchange rates have to be amongst the worst in the industry, despite their protestations to "being competitive in the prepaid card environment". Nice marketing spin.... except that they're not even that. On a recent conversion, I would have gotten between USD$30 and USD$50 MORE than I did using any number of other companies including the Travelex passport. When you complain, you get told that you agreed to the conversion, which is true, but the exploitation of the Qantas brand is particularly galling. I've decided to cash out of the product and contacted QFF to replace my card with a plain "loyalty" card with no Qantas cash facility.

Not to mention occasionally being charged a second conversion fee on transactions, that I need to call up and have reimbursed, the failure of the touch id login to work and constantly asking me to register for it and the propensity to convert my AUD for a foreign currency transaction that is already loaded onto the card, its time to give up on this heap of junk product.

Any other horror stories?

 

[mannej]

Just curious to know why you'd proceed with the conversion if you are aware of the poor rate prior to confirming the transaction?

 

[straitman]

Having used Qantas Cash quite extensively in AUD, I decided to try it out with foreign currency. What a disaster. Their exchange rates have to be amongst the worst in the industry, despite their protestations to "being competitive in the prepaid card environment". Nice marketing spin.... except that they're not even that. On a recent conversion, I would have gotten between USD$30 and USD$50 MORE than I did using any number of other companies including the Travelex passport. When you complain, you get told that you agreed to the conversion, which is true, but the exploitation of the Qantas brand is particularly galling. I've decided to cash out of the product and contacted QFF to replace my card with a plain "loyalty" card with no Qantas cash facility.

Not to mention occasionally being charged a second conversion fee on transactions, that I need to call up and have reimbursed, the failure of the touch id login to work and constantly asking me to register for it and the propensity to convert my AUD for a foreign currency transaction that is already loaded onto the card, its time to give up on this heap of junk product.

Any other horror stories?

Good morning Hmmm and welcome to AFF.

Can you actually get a FF card without the Qantas Cash part attached? I just use what they offer and ignore the extra bs printing on it.

I used it for a few months some years ago and decided, like you, that it is a poor product and is riddled with problems. I haven't even thought about it since.

 

[serfty]

...
Can you actually get a FF card without the Qantas Cash part attached? I just use what they offer and ignore the extra bs printing on it.
...

Certainly you can't change your profile online to get one without the 'cash' bit (like you can with Velocity).

Maybe calling up?

 

[QF WP]

I agree with straitman, ignoring the back side of the card (a good play on words) is very effective. I only use it to do some low value transactions in AUD and would not consider it for forex.

 

[samh004]

Seeing as all the mods are chiming in...

Can you actually get a FF card without the Qantas Cash part attached? I just use what they offer and ignore the extra bs printing on it.

Certainly you can't change your profile online to get one without the 'cash' bit (like you can with Velocity).

Maybe calling up?

You can get one, I have a Lifetime Silver card that doesn't have QCash on the back.

I believe international members also don't get QCash unless they ask for it, but could be mistaken on this?

And members under 16 (or 18) also get regular cards.

 

[RichardMEL]

I just don't activate the whole marstercard number thing at all. Basically ignore it.

 

[hmmm]

I called up QFF to cancel the product and was asked if I wanted a plain 'loyalty' card which they sent out. Here is the back of the card without the qantas cash drivel included. I'd encourage everyone who doesn't want the product to request a card without it. Hopefully it might force Qantas to change the product or improve its value to ITS loyal customers.

 

[hmmm]

Just curious to know why you'd proceed with the conversion if you are aware of the poor rate prior to confirming the transaction?

There are three reasons. Firstly, when you're away overseas it's very difficult to know what the conversion amount will actually end up being and even with roaming, you'd have to log in and through a convoluted process do a dummy transfer into the currency you're using to get an accurate figure. So it's not very user friendly. Secondly, I compared the exchange figures to the offical XE.com rates which are more up to date than what MasterCard/Qantas cash seem to use (deducting a rough estimate for their conversion fees) and thirdly, for which I take full responsibility, I trusted their 'spiel' about being competitive. I'll cop that one squarely on the chin but fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and the shame is on me and I won't let that happen again.

 

[docjames]

I think the general consensus is waaaayyyy too expensive for a poor product as you have experienced.

 

[moa999]

QF/partners charge a premium for the convenience, for those too lazy to research better solutions.

 

[Steady]

So this is not true

 

[eastwest101]

So this is not true
View attachment 96690

Shouldn't that card members name be Mr G.Ullible?

 

[QF WP]

No, it's improved slightly from the woefully inadequate...they added 0.0001 to the exchange rates.

 

[QF WP]

I called up QFF to cancel the product and was asked if I wanted a plain 'loyalty' card which they sent out. Here is the back of the card without the qantas cash drivel included. I'd encourage everyone who doesn't want the product to request a card without it. Hopefully it might force Qantas to change the product or improve its value to ITS loyal customers.

You may want to rub out the bar code before re-posting as it may contain personal information you may not wish to share in public...and it only takes someone with a barcode reader

 

[hmmm]

You may want to rub out the bar code before re-posting as it may contain personal information you may not wish to share in public...and it only takes someone with a barcode reader

Thanks for removing from the pic. Here is the redacted version.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Seeing as all the mods are chiming in...

You forgot JessicaTam

I used the Qantas card once for some promotion.

I wouldn't dare use it overseas at the poor rate, about the only good thing about these cards is they can be handy for online purchases, or going to the local IGA to buy milk.

 

[JohnK]

Qantas cash along with other cash passport questions was in the survey I did last week.

Very poor value.

 

[Boca68]

I just don't activate the whole marstercard number thing at all. Basically ignore it.

exactly this, you need to activate the Qantas Cash card separately. If you choose not to activate it, it basically doesn't exist.

I used it once when I was PS a few years ago, but have never activated since. Had 3 new cards since then. Its a poor product. Even more so now with the reduced earn rates released a couple of months ago.

Don't waste your money on it. QFF, in general is a good product, with this glaring exception!

 

[mannej]

exactly this, you need to activate the Qantas Cash card separately. If you choose not to activate it, it basically doesn't exist.

I used it once when I was PS a few years ago, but have never activated since. Had 3 new cards since then. Its a poor product. Even more so now with the reduced earn rates released a couple of months ago.

Don't waste your money on it. QFF, in general is a good product, with this glaring exception!

Actually, the earn on international spend has increased. It is the domestic earn that was decreased.

Not that it makes up for the transaction rates.