After D-Day, Whats your new strategy?

[Isochronous]

I'm thinking it might be easiest to shift to the Amplify and forget the rest.

 

[Chicken]

where AMEX isn't accepted (lunch at work, opal recharge

Aren't you using AmEx for 5% off WW gift card to top up your Opal?

 

[Ade]

Aren't you using AmEx for 5% off WW gift card to top up your Opal?

wow! never thought about that ... so can you explain, how does it work ? keen to do it

 

[hossein_au]

... Citi is now only marginally worse than most cards on the market for earning SQ KF miles...

Could you elaborate on that please? I also have the Citi Sig (free for life) but have not touched it since their devaluation 2-3 years ago (Citi is so far removed from my cognition that I cannot even remember when the devaluation was)!

 

[hossein_au]

I'm thinking it might be easiest to shift to the Amplify and forget the rest.

I am 'almost' in the same boat; using Amplify for everything, but I'll keep my AmEx Plat for the time being. If RewardsPay reduced their almost 3% fee, I'll start using them (and the AmEx). If not, I will most probably axe my last remaining AmEx.

 

[Chicken]

wow! never thought about that ... so can you explain, how does it work ? keen to do it

Say you want $100 on your Opal card.

Go to Cashrewards
Open an account (just need e-mail that's it, free, takes 5 mins)
In Cashrewards web site, search for Woolworths.
Click on Woolworths offer page, which re-directs you to Woolworths gift cards web site.
Select e-gift card $100, add to cart.
Check out
You will be asked to pay $95 ($100 - 5%)
Key in your Edge card.
You just earned $95 x 3 = 285 AmEx points
Wait 3 hours.
Go to your e-mail, find the e-mail from Woolworths.
Write down the gift card number from your e-mail.
Walk into a Woolworths with your Opal card.
Tell check out that you want $100 on your Opal card.
Key your card number from the e-mail into EFTPOS keypad.
Now your Opal card has $100.

Could you elaborate on that please? I also have the Citi Sig (free for life) but have not touched it since their devaluation 2-3 years ago (Citi is so far removed from my cognition that I cannot even remember when the devaluation was)!

The highest earning for SQ at the moment is St George Amplify Signature, at $279 per year. You earn 0.75 SQ KF miles per $1. Your free for life Citi Signature is free, and it earns KF miles per $1 at 0.4 for everything (ex govt), 0.6 at national retail chains petrol supermarkets, 0.8 at restaurants hotels airlines. So, I can say that, the Citi at $0 is only marginally worse than St George.

I am 'almost' in the same boat

I would do the same, if I don't have the Reserve.

 

[daft009]

The highest earning for SQ at the moment is St George Amplify Signature, at $279 per year. You earn 0.75 SQ KF miles per $1. Your free for life Citi Signature is free, and it earns KF miles per $1 at 0.4 for everything (ex govt), 0.6 at national retail chains petrol supermarkets, 0.8 at restaurants hotels airlines. So, I can say that, the Citi at $0 is only marginally worse than St George..

Don't forget the extra 10% birthday bonus with amplify

 

[Chicken]

Don't forget the extra 10% birthday bonus with amplify

And how much exactly can I put thru on that 1 day per year? *sigh*

 

[albyd]

It’s a rebate of extra points for your entire year’s spending. Don’t need to concentrate your activity into one day. Quite a nice differentiator compared to the rest of the market.

I hope it can continue in its current form as the best non Amex in the market that I know of.

 

[Chicken]

It’s a rebate of extra points for your entire year’s spending. Don’t need to concentrate your activity into one day. Quite a nice differentiator compared to the rest of the market.

I hope it can continue in its current form as the best non Amex in the market that I know of.

Wow, why don't they have this on their primary page, but have it hidden in the secret signature reward page?

That means $1 = 0.825 SQ KF mile. That's really good. I would get that if I don't need AmEx.

However, I have Reserve, and I am now putting nearly 100% of everything using AmEx via various methods, so I can stick with AmEx.

 

[Ade]

Say you want $100 on your Opal card.

Go to Cashrewards
Open an account (just need e-mail that's it, free, takes 5 mins)
In Cashrewards web site, search for Woolworths.
Click on Woolworths offer page, which re-directs you to Woolworths gift cards web site.
Select e-gift card $100, add to cart.
Check out
You will be asked to pay $95 ($100 - 5%)
Key in your Edge card.
You just earned $95 x 3 = 285 AmEx points
Wait 3 hours.
Go to your e-mail, find the e-mail from Woolworths.
Write down the gift card number from your e-mail.
Walk into a Woolworths with your Opal card.
Tell check out that you want $100 on your Opal card.
Key your card number from the e-mail into EFTPOS keypad.
Now your Opal card has $100.

Awesome, thank you. Will try that out today.

 

[Chicken]

Awesome, thank you. Will try that out today.

Forget about AmEx or any credit card rewards, this process already gives you 5% off your Opal card, in cold hard cash.

 

[snufl]

I am one of the lucky ones with the Reserve, it was offered to me many years ago. Will keep it due the increased earn for Insurance/Utilities/Telecoms and no real change to my everyday spend pattern.
My husband has the Edge, has been with Amex since 1983. Will continue to use it for grocery/petrol only until fee is due in October. Then will do the numbers to see if it is worth the extra 0.5 points or better to cancel and look for sign up bonuses. He is still pretty peeved by the response to his request for points doubling.
Reduced AMEX earn rates from April 2019

 

[serfty]

Other:

I have 4 different AMEX's products.

One is unaffected; of the others I'll cancel the 2 worst affected, keeping other which is affected somewhat less.

 

[SOPOOR]

as many people say, the points game is a constantly changing one, with opportunites closing and opening,

the generous amex points is back down to Visa/MC levels, and the churning opportunitites seem to be reducing,

I hope there is a new way/opportunity but im a little skeptical to be honest

maybe the whole points game for those without business spend is a obsolete thing

 

[andye]

as many people say, the points game is a constantly changing one, with opportunites closing and opening,

the generous amex points is back down to Visa/MC levels, and the churning opportunitites seem to be reducing,

I hope there is a new way/opportunity but im a little skeptical to be honest

maybe the whole points game for those without business spend is a obsolete thing

I think there is still room for optimism
For now, the obvious route is sign-on bonuses. However there will be be all sorts of other ways ( that may require some novel thinking ) that come along as the rules of the game change.

 

[albyd]

Sad day yesterday when I retired my Explorer - has been my points workhorse since I got it. I'm going to use my Charge as my preferred payment method going forward with Amplify Visa as my backup card. Will keep Explorer until the next Annual fee to use for Amex offers. Will then likely can it if can't get a fee waiver.

Was previously using different Amexs to maximise points earn on different spend categories. The silver lining is I'll put everything through the one card now and will only have one statement to keep track of every month. Gotta love simplicity. With the demise of Visa1 GCs, not really spending that much at supermarkets to worry about the extra fraction of a point on Edge (may change my mind eventually).

 

[amaroo]

I've got no need to rush a decision, but looking like I keep the Plat, Edge, and Ult .... that leaves the Explorer on the outer and heading for the bin.

 

[SOPOOR]

I've got no need to rush a decision, but looking like I keep the Plat, Edge, and Ult .... that leaves the Explorer on the outer and heading for the bin.

I would like to bin my amex but the prospect of statement credits, small shop etc is making me hesitate

 

[albyd]

I think it's worth holding your cards for the credits then make a decision when your next Annual fee is due. While the reduced earn is poor compared to what we've been used to, it's significantly better than what Visa and MC can offer which I'm sure is a key reason Amex was comfortable in making these changes. I'm sure they also didn't want to become irrelevant like Diners is now by not meeting the market on merchant fees.