ATO (tax office) payments by credit card

[jamesD]

Bad news for Bank Australia Platinum cardholders. Damn it.

"The following changes affect the terms and conditions on your Bank Australia Platinum Rewards Visa Credit Card.

From 1 January 2018, ineligible transactions* will include the following additional transaction types:

a.Payments to the Australian Tax Office;
b.Purchase of foreign currency and traveller's cheques;
c.Payments nominated by Bank Australia from time to time"

 

[kpc]

I will be cancelling my BA before my next renewal fee is due....hammered it hard this year for ATO...but now another one bites the dust.

 

[Isochronous]

Yep - time to move to Amplify for ATO then.

 

[cove]

I bought the family AA and Life Miles for Christmas on the most recent promo each had this month. Didn’t have a BA CC but it is now slimmer pickings in this thread. We have Westpac Kris Flyer Amex up to just past April Fools Day,2018.
Looks like I won’t be enjoying making Kris Miles as quickly in 2018.

 

[cove]

Well I did my first ATO payment on my new Visa card that earns Kris Miles. 0.75 Miles with a 0.78% ATO fee. This month is a biggie for us.
Meanwhile my sons booked for the soccer in Russia on my Miles and have used their own points/Miles to get back home.
They booked the flights to Russia a couple of days before the Socceroos qualified just to beat the crowd.

 

[pgsdiver]

I'd be interested in the routings they took to Russia, Cove. (Yeah I know it's off topic).
I'll be plugging away at the BankAust card this month, then no more for me unless I decide I'm desperate enough to use Rewardpay. Although with the AMEX Explorer card it's a little more attractive.
TTFN,
Pete

 

[cove]

PER-SIN-DME (Moscow) with a layover of under 2 hours in Singapore. One way was 130,000 in Business Class. They used their own Miles/Points to book their returns as one is going to Madrid.
The dragon CC has made it into my number one card wallet. It meant the Citi/Qantas card is now out as that card wallet would not snap shut.

 

[Mitch_W]

Well I did my first ATO payment on my new Visa card that earns Kris Miles. 0.75 Miles with a 0.78% ATO fee. This month is a biggie for us.
Meanwhile my sons booked for the soccer in Russia on my Miles and have used their own points/Miles to get back home.
They booked the flights to Russia a couple of days before the Socceroos qualified just to beat the crowd.

Hi Cove,
Just heard the news that our favourite Westpac Kris Flyer Amex Card will be defunct in April. Very sad... I wanted to ask if the Visa Card you mentioned above is Amplify? I have this visa card and was sure it was ATO friendly but heard that it may have changed. Have your points posted as yet? Do you think this is now the best earn rate for ATO?
Cheers,
Mitch

 

[cove]

I may prepay on the Kris Flyer Amex around March 31st as I am addicted to Miles.
Yes and Yes after about March31st for the Dragon CC and Miles.
Qantas points cost less on a MasterCard but are less valuable too.

 

[Mitch_W]

I may prepay on the Kris Flyer Amex around March 31st as I am addicted to Miles.
Yes and Yes after about March31st for the Dragon CC and Miles.
Qantas points cost less on a MasterCard but are less valuable too.

Good to hear! And agree wholeheartedly! I rarely fly Qantas due to the availability problem and value SQ points far more. With the Dragon CC, you also get a 10% birthday bonus then equating to 0.825 miles per $. Do you use Reward Pay for ATO at all? If so, what is the % cost? I have the Amex Explorer @ 1.5 miles per $ except for Government spend. Is it worth considering this card using Reward Pay do you think?

 

[daft009]

If you can claim the rewardpay fee as bank charges then you might say yes.
however most of us using RP, are earning 2KF/$1, anything under I personally do not see the value

will also be applying for the dragon shortly and will use all 3 methods every quarter to share the load & fees

 

[Pointy Bird]

Good to hear! And agree wholeheartedly! I rarely fly Qantas due to the availability problem and value SQ points far more. With the Dragon CC, you also get a 10% birthday bonus then equating to 0.825 miles per $. Do you use Reward Pay for ATO at all? If so, what is the % cost? I have the Amex Explorer @ 1.5 miles per $ except for Government spend. Is it worth considering this card using Reward Pay do you think?

From my point of view, rewardpay is the best value if you can get 2 points per $ and a tax deduction.
See my calculations on this thread post number #7839.
Interested in seeing why others consider the alternative cards better value.

 

[Mitch_W]

From my point of view, rewardpay is the best value if you can get 2 points per $ and a tax deduction.
See my calculations on this thread post number #7839.
Interested in seeing why others consider the alternative cards better value.

Thx Pointy Bird,
I am curious to ask how you can get Ascent Rewards linked to Amex Explorer? When I applied, it was linked to Gateway Rewards which is only 1.5 (proper) miles per $.
Cheers,
Mitch

 

[Mitch_W]

If you can claim the rewardpay fee as bank charges then you might say yes.
however most of us using RP, are earning 2KF/$1, anything under I personally do not see the value

will also be applying for the dragon shortly and will use all 3 methods every quarter to share the load & fees

Thx Daft009,
I am wondering how you can get 2 x KF Miles per $ when the best I can see is 1.5 after conversion from the Gateway Rewards program.
Am I missing something?
Cheers,
Mitch

 

[Pointy Bird]

Thx Pointy Bird,
I am curious to ask how you can get Ascent Rewards linked to Amex Explorer? When I applied, it was linked to Gateway Rewards which is only 1.5 (proper) miles per $.
Cheers,
Mitch

You may wish to read the amex Explorer thread. Basically - apply for Amex Plat Edge ( Ascent), then call Amex + ask Explorer to be linked to Ascent - may take a few calls. Once linked, Explorer will earn 2 ascent ( proper) points per $.

 

[daft009]

You may wish to read the amex Explorer thread. Basically - apply for Amex Plat Edge ( Ascent), then call Amex + ask Explorer to be linked to Ascent - may take a few calls. Once linked, Explorer will earn 2 ascent ( proper) points per $.

As mister bird said, but keep in mind might take a few calls till you find a rep who will say yes and do it without losing points.

It took me 5 calls back in March this year

 

[cove]

I was surprised that a payment from Westpac to my Dragon CC wasn’t there 8 hours later. I am guessing Westpac needed the money more than me for the overnight markets.
I went for Kris Miles and QF points for the two of us.

 

[Mitch_W]

You may wish to read the amex Explorer thread. Basically - apply for Amex Plat Edge ( Ascent), then call Amex + ask Explorer to be linked to Ascent - may take a few calls. Once linked, Explorer will earn 2 ascent ( proper) points per $.

As mister bird said, but keep in mind might take a few calls till you find a rep who will say yes and do it without losing points.

It took me 5 calls back in March this year

Thanks for the info on this gents!
I already have the Platinum Edge card as well. If I call them and they agree, would they just transfer the points from Gateway to Ascent? Or would they just start putting all points into Ascent?How does it work?
Cheers,
Mitch

 

[Pointy Bird]

Thanks for the info on this gents!
I already have the Platinum Edge card as well. If I call them and they agree, would they just transfer the points from Gateway to Ascent? Or would they just start putting all points into Ascent?How does it work?
Cheers,
Mitch

Your existing gateway points should become ascent points. You will only "see" your points when you look at your Edge card online.

 

[mbeder]

I though the same. I’m not aware of a working M’card though.

My understanding is that the Coles Rewards Mastercard is still working - can anyone back me up here?