Advice on Qantas FF & cards

[kelfly]

Hi, this is my first post, so please be gentle

I am a new Qantas ff member & would like to hear views on good cards to maximise points. I don't travel much, but it seems everyone I know is using points for holidays so I would like to get me some of that!

thanx in advance

 

[ksthommo]

You could start off with the Amex Rewards Maximiser, $1 spent = 1.5 points. First year free then $192 p.a.

Rewards Maximiser Gold Credit Card - American Express Australia

If your around the airports, Citibank Counters are offering 10,000 points for signing up to their Credit Card.

 

[coco50]

I would look for a universally accepted card such as a Visa card that will give you at least 1 point per $1 spent and no points cap (ANZ Qantas visa has a points cap). Then use the card for absolutely everything unless there is a nasty surcharge. Pay it out in full every statement.

BTW welcome to the forum.

 

[kelfly]

Ah, 2 different opinions already! Is the AMEX one not as widely accepted as a visa card? I've had cards for years & years but don't really know much about them! And also, I have a citibank card, so they won't give me any points! (I don't use this card, other than as a 'loan' - I got a 3.9% interest rate for life, so I consider just a loan repayment).

 

[vt]

"loan repayment" :evil:

This is becoming a pet hate of mine. If you cannot AFFORD to use a CC and pay it off each month...WHY oh WHY would you want points anyway?

:?:

Get your finances in order, pay for discount and sale fares when they come up, and leave the point collection alone until you can afford to buy them!

Most cards that have points have high interest.

AMEX Rewards Maximiser is 17.99%, which I cannot remember what that actually equates to...22% annually perhaps.

ANZ Frequent Flyer is 18.99, wich would equate to about 23% annually.

Again I ask...WHY oh WHY

And welcome to Frequent Flyer :mrgreen:

 

[snufl]

Hi kelfly, I'm a posting newbie here too but I've been using cc to collect points (and reading this forum) for a long time. Hopefully some of the things I've learned may help.

1. Make sure you can pay balance in full to avoid any interest.
2. Then use card for everything you can.
3. Don't let points influence your spending - they should be a bonus.
4. Watch out for surcharges for using your card.
5. When choosing a card, research, will the potential points be worth the fees?
6. Be prepared to spend a lot of time doing research as cc and ff rules keep changing-bad, at times to can get bonus points-good.
7. Watch this forum as you can pick up some great tips and advice.

Amex is accepted at most large retail outlets etc and this is the card I use most, however some places don't accept it or there is a hefty surcharge. For example I use Mastercard to pay council rates(no surcharge). However with changes to Ezy Mastercard I am again evaluating fee versus point potential.

I have been really happy with the points I've earned from cards but to get the most out of them I spend a lot of time researching and keeping track of my finances. It has become a hobby and I enjoy it. Hope you will too.

 

[JohnK]

This is becoming a pet hate of mine. If you cannot AFFORD to use a CC and pay it off each month...WHY oh WHY would you want points anyway?

Agreed that some people (me being one of them) do have credit card problems. And yes a priority should be to pay them off but there are still some things that are not really necessary but do play their part in the grand scheme of things. Phones, pay tv, car registration, car insurance, petrol, holidays, travel insurance etc. So I save up money for any of these expenses, deposit money into credit card, pay for expense and collect points in the process.

I don't go out buying things I do not need apart from what is mentioned above. I need to go on holidays otherwise I cannot continue to work. I probably do not need status runs but this is a new found hobby of mine and better on a status run than in pokies or other forms of gambling.

 

[vt]

I typically redeem 1 return trip a year to Hong Kong for myself and wife. I am lucky that I do some travel for work and route all my spending through AMEX and VISA where I can.

2 x MEL-HKG-MEL award tickets cost 120000 points plus +++ on QF :shock: .

This would require a mix of spending and point earning from various avenues. A straight earnings from CC would require anywhere from $60,000 to $120,000.

I would suggest someone who is not paying off their credit card each month to look at those numbers.

I am not looking down on the OP or mean the OP any wrath, but rather, I know how it feels to be in debt, having completed uni 7 years ago .

Some advice even close friends and family could not give you. Especially relating to money. It requires the anonimity of an online forum for frank discussion.

 

[JohnK]

I would suggest someone who is not paying off their credit card each month to look at those numbers.

The two are not really related. You can reduce a credit card bill and at the same time still collect points for necessary expenses as mentioned previously. When there is no surcharge involved there is no difference paying a bill with cash or credit card.

 

[Dave Noble]

"loan repayment" :evil:

This is becoming a pet hate of mine. If you cannot AFFORD to use a CC and pay it off each month...WHY oh WHY would you want points anyway?

Can you get a bank loan for 3.9%?

Dave

 

[vt]

Can you get a bank loan for 3.9%?

Dave

Nope...and even with the real annual percentage rate, it would be still be better than any personal loans out there.

But to me, an investment loan at 10% is good debt.
Whereas credit card at 3.9% is bad.

 

[acampbel]

Nope...and even with the real annual percentage rate, it would be still be better than any personal loans out there.

But to me, an investment loan at 10% is good debt.
Whereas credit card at 3.9% is bad.

You are kidding me, aren't you????

If my bank (CBA) gave me the option of a credit card with a 3.9% interest rate then I would grab it with both hands, max it out as fast as I could (paying for items I was always going to buy) and then leave it alone until I had paid off my mortgage (current 7%+). Any points I received would just be the cherry on the top. Do the maths!!!



Cheers,

Andrew

 

[kelfly]

Thanx Snufl for the constructive advice, especially around Amex.

VT - I won't bother getting into a posting war with you. Thanx for bothering to post. It must be great to be so successful.