Credit Card Offers Amex Explorer: 50,000 bonus Amex points

kamchatsky · Sep 7, 2016

I just had a check on my Explorer point balance this morning.

I noticed that for Australian expenses, I got 2 Gateway points per dollar. However for overseas transaction, Amex is only offering 1 point per dollar. Is this right?

[TABLE="class: dataTable, width: 100%"]
[TR="class: imgCol"]
[TD="class: date en_AU"]05/09/2016[/TD]
[TD="class: desc en_AU"]PROJECT MGMT INSTITUTE NEWTOWN SQUARE[/TD]
[TD="class: charge en_AU"]$82.04[/TD]
[TD="class: basepts en_AU"]82[/TD]
[TD="class: bonuspts en_AU"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: totalpts en_AU"]82[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: dataTable, width: 100%"]
[TR="class: rowEven"]
[TD="class: date en_AU"]03/09/2016[/TD]
[TD="class: desc en_AU"]AA MISC SALE/ TAX/ FEE/ HDQ[/TD]
[TD="class: charge en_AU"]$37.60[/TD]
[TD="class: basepts en_AU"]37[/TD]
[TD="class: bonuspts en_AU"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: totalpts en_AU"]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

mini2 · Sep 7, 2016

Got a call telling me what I already know...I can't hold more than 2 credit cards at the same time. Oh well.

alexy23 · Sep 7, 2016

kamchatsky said:
I Amex is only offering 1 point per dollar. Is this right?

No. 2 points per dollar except government bodies.

Earn 2 Membership Rewards points[SUP]3[/SUP] per $1 spent on all purchases except government bodies in Australia where you will earn 0.5 points per $1 spent

Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards Gateway program available at membershiprewards.com.au. Certain transactions will earn 0.5 points per dollar with Merchants classified as; “government”, including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), federal/state and local government bodies.

mini2 · Sep 7, 2016

adelee said:
Quite risky though, particularly when the same few users tend to keep buying and selling multiple batches of points, which would surely flag as suspicious in the QF system.

A number of buyers got burned a few months back when QF did an audit and confiscated points transfers where users couldn't prove that the transfer had taken place in line with the T & Cs - while both buyer and seller accounts are suspended and the points confiscated, the buyers are the ones that lose out the most, as they lose both the money they paid for the points as well as the points themselves.

They could've done it differently - instead of selling points they could've just make the booking on someone else's behalf. This is pretty much how they sell Asia Miles overseas and I'm sure there's no rules saying you can't redeem tkt for a stranger off a forum?

Steady · Sep 7, 2016

mini2 said:
I'm sure there's no rules saying you can't redeem tkt for a stranger off a forum?

I thought the t&c's limited it to family and listed the accepted relationships?

johnny_yh2000 · Sep 7, 2016

KrisFlyer and Asia miles does allows you to issue tickets from a list of names. You can add anyone you want. I think there are 4 or 5 names you can add. If you want to delete one of the name in order to add a new one, Asia miles does charge you for it.

cjd600 · Sep 7, 2016

mini2 said:
They could've done it differently - instead of selling points they could've just make the booking on someone else's behalf. This is pretty much how they sell Asia Miles overseas and I'm sure there's no rules saying you can't redeem tkt for a stranger off a forum?

Incorrect for QF - same restrictions apply to redeeming, as transferring
'Eligible family member'
'Eligible Family Member' of a Member means any person the Member can demonstrate, to the reasonable satisfaction of Qantas, as being related to that Member in any of the ways described below:

Husband/Wife
Parent/Step-parent
Domestic Partner/De Facto
Child, including foster & step-child
Brother/Sister
Half Brother/Sister
Grandparent
Grandchild
Son/Daughter-in-law
Brother/Sister-in-law
Father/Mother-in-law
Uncle/Aunt
Nephew/Niece
First cousin

mini2 · Sep 7, 2016

cjd600 said:
Incorrect for QF - same restrictions apply to redeeming, as transferring
'Eligible family member'
'Eligible Family Member' of a Member means any person the Member can demonstrate, to the reasonable satisfaction of Qantas, as being related to that Member in any of the ways described below:

Husband/Wife

Parent/Step-parent

Domestic Partner/De Facto

Child, including foster & step-child

Brother/Sister

Half Brother/Sister

Grandparent

Grandchild

Son/Daughter-in-law

Brother/Sister-in-law

Father/Mother-in-law

Uncle/Aunt

Nephew/Niece

First cousin

Doesn't worry me one bit whether that's kosher or not as I don't intend on either buying or selling my points. I was merely suggesting it could've been done in a slightly different manner and I'm sure purely redeeming for someone will be harder to audit given it's not like a same account being credited or crediting to and from various other accounts?

tuvz · Sep 7, 2016

adelee said:
Quite risky though, particularly when the same few users tend to keep buying and selling multiple batches of points, which would surely flag as suspicious in the QF system.

A number of buyers got burned a few months back when QF did an audit and confiscated points transfers where users couldn't prove that the transfer had taken place in line with the T & Cs - while both buyer and seller accounts are suspended and the points confiscated, the buyers are the ones that lose out the most, as they lose both the money they paid for the points as well as the points themselves.

Qantas have staff who look into things like family transfers etc all the time, i dont believe this was a one off audit. Also if you look at the people who got their accounts closed they were doing 4-5+ transfers all to different people - a big flag!
much safer to do a once off transfer to one person even for a large amount

mini2 said:
Doesn't worry me one bit whether that's kosher or not as I don't intend on either buying or selling my points. I was merely suggesting it could've been done in a slightly different manner and I'm sure purely redeeming for someone will be harder to audit given it's not like a same account being credited or crediting to and from various other accounts?

Thats true, its probably less of a flag. that being said if you do a lot of tickets, qantas will probably come knocking..

Everything in moderation people

lovetravellingoz · Sep 7, 2016

tuvz said:
Thats true, its probably less of a flag. that being said if you do a lot of tickets, qantas will probably come knocking..

Everything in moderation people

Though in this case your own moderation may not be enough. If the person who buys/sell your points/flight gets audited then you still get caught up. So unless you know that your trader is also "moderate" then beware. Hence why buying/selling through any website/forum is so risky.

cjd600 · Sep 7, 2016

mini2 said:
Doesn't worry me one bit whether that's kosher or not as I don't intend on either buying or selling my points. I was merely suggesting it could've been done in a slightly different manner and I'm sure purely redeeming for someone will be harder to audit given it's not like a same account being credited or crediting to and from various other accounts?

No worries, you said you were sure there were 'no rules'....I was just pointing out that there are.

tuvz · Sep 7, 2016

lovetravellingoz said:
Though in this case your own moderation may not be enough. If the person who buys/sell your points/flight gets audited then you still get caught up. So unless you know that your trader is also "moderate" then beware. Hence why buying/selling through any website/forum is so risky.

thats true...

They seem to have it pretty down pat on OzB though
looking through the persons account history etc over skype before they transact

Im not saying its risk free, but there are definitely ways of mitigating the risk

peanutz · Sep 7, 2016

tizey said:
Confirmed 100k bonus points applied to my account this morning, whilst holding Velocity Platinum & Platinum Charge.

Did you get Platinum card recently?

adelee · Sep 7, 2016

tuvz said:
thats true...

They seem to have it pretty down pat on OzB though
looking through the persons account history etc over skype before they transact

Im not saying its risk free, but there are definitely ways of mitigating the risk

I reckon I've seen at least 10 or so posts on Ozbargain over the past 4-5 months where you have advertised to buy points or responded to a seller seeking to buy. So one would assume you have quite a 'history' of points transfers in your account - are you not concerned about airlines flagging you for suspicious activity?

tizey · Sep 7, 2016

Yes. Only applied in July 16 and got the 120K points referral bonus that existed at the time. Got that card about 2 weeks after I got the Velocity Platinum.

July/Aug have been big points months

peanutz · Sep 7, 2016

It's so tempting to apply for bonus points. I currently have Platinum (back in Mar'16) and Edge (looong time ago). Should I take a chance?

nightelves · Sep 7, 2016

peanutz said:
It's so tempting to apply for bonus points. I currently have Platinum (back in Mar'16) and Edge (looong time ago). Should I take a chance?

I would if you have good credit rating.

tizey · Sep 7, 2016

Points offer isnt going anywhere in a hurry - has someone with Platinum Charge & Edge combo received bonus points yet? If you cant wait - consolation prize is that its a fee-free card once offset by the travel credit.... nothing ventured, nothing gained.

potm · Sep 7, 2016

tizey said:
Yes. Only applied in July 16 and got the 120K points referral bonus that existed at the time. Got that card about 2 weeks after I got the Velocity Platinum.

July/Aug have been big points months

Are your points in a separate gateway program or are they linked to the charge card's ascent program?

tizey · Sep 7, 2016

Seperate gateway program.. already converted them to KF Miles to ensure cant be retracted.

All 3 cards exist under seperate logins to amex website.

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