ATO (tax office) payments by credit card

[blessed11]

and all other transactions if the Account is
more than $10,000 in credit.

I wonder if Citi will start enforcing this rule as well. Has anyone had any experience post March 1st placing a transaction when account is more than $10k in credit and have been awarded all points?

I'll have the opportunity to test next week.

 

[wxxnxs]

It's a shame because its got the single best earn for QFF of any Visa card ($1:1.25 QFF) and a reasonable annual fee ($149). I will have to cancel though because if I can't use it for tax it's worthless to me. At least I won't have to deal with Citibank credit cards call centre anymore (I have one of their Citi Plus visa debit cards for o/seas travel and its a good product).

I'm thinking of looking at either the Woolworths QF card or the HSBC QF card both of which I understand earn 1:1 on QFF. Does anyone know whether they are likely to disallow large ATO transactions?

They might give you points if you do occasionally and with small amounts, but someone in this forum got experienced that WWS EDR card was suspended immediately due to ATO payments and no annual fee was refunded because of breach its T&C.

 

[Jack_OC]

Does anyone know if Virgin Money cards will also now stop earning points on ATO transactions? Since they are provided by Citibank, I’m assuming the answer is yes, but I’d be grateful if someone can say otherwise.

If so, I’ve done a bit more research on other MC or Visa cards that can (directly or indirectly) earn Velocity or KrisFlyer points, and as far as I can tell, the best you can get is CBA Diamond Awards MC with a rate of 0.625 points per $. Can this be correct? Citi Select gives 1.33 points per $, Virgin Money High Flyer gives 1.25 points per $, and then the next best earns at only half that rate??

Anyway, unless I’m missing something, bank-issued Amex (1.5 points per $) is the only sensible way to go unless you want to use a direct earning QF card. So it looks like I’ll just have to live with the 1.45% fee.

 

[Danger]

They might give you points if you do occasionally and with small amounts, but someone in this forum got experienced that WWS EDR card was suspended immediately due to ATO payments and no annual fee was refunded because of breach its T&C.

Well thanks for pointing that out. I was in the middle of applying for this card for ATO payments but will now look elsewhere.

 

[Pukka]

So I need to spend my hard earned Citi points before they get snatched back if ATO payments are not earning points

So options anyone, don't really want to transfer to SAL as the points expire after 3 years I think.

Going back to UK next year so I suppose I could have a splurge on suites as I've got other points to.

Are Asia miles any good do they expire or can you just transfer them over & leave them?

 

[Jack_OC]

So after all this I rang Citi as I thought I might go on the direct transfer to QA scheme.

Just so you know if you do that you will forfeit any remaining points the nice lady said. Is that a problem sir?

Well yes it is as I've got just under a million points

What's your logic for trying to convert to Citi's direct earning QF programme? I assume ATO payments using their QF card will also earn zero now. If you want a card that earns points (of any description) off ATO payments, I believe you have to get one from a different provider. So why not just keep your current Citi card, and if you want a direct earning QF card, get one from someone else.

 

[Pukka]

What's your logic for trying to convert to Citi's direct earning QF programme? I assume ATO payments using their QF card will also earn zero now. If you want a card that earns points (of any description) off ATO payments, I believe you have to get one from a different provider. So why not just keep your current Citi card, and if you want a direct earning QF card, get one from someone else.

I'm just a bit concerned about the potential for retrospective reversal of points earned from the ATO

 

[Danger]

Does the Jetstar (Platinum) MasterCard allow ATO payments as QFF points earning? It seems that that card is a a decent 'entry level' card in the Master/Visa circle for points earning.

 

[Stephen65]

Citi rang me today in response to my complaint. The agent was polite and explained that their computer system had recently been "upgraded" and as a result it was now identifying ATO transactions as "non-retail" when previously they had been credited for earning rewards points. She apologised for Citi not informing customers in advance that this change in the application of the rules was going to be made and said my complaint was under further consideration. She hinted I might be allowed points for my recent ATO transactions because they hadn't notified me of the changes and because I was a valued customer.

I indicated that I thought allowing me points for the recent ATO spend was the least fair thing Citi could do but that they ought to reconsider disallowing points earn on ATO spend because after all it was marketed as a "business" card and if they didn't allow points on ATO spend they would be at a competitive disadvantage to other banks who did.

 

[oz_mark]

Begs the question of what else may have been reclassified as non retail.

 

[Flashback]

Begs the question of what else may have been reclassified as non retail.

Anything that earns a reasonable amount of points for little effort?

 

[cj0325]

Does anyone know if Virgin Money cards will also now stop earning points on ATO transactions? Since they are provided by Citibank, I’m assuming the answer is yes, but I’d be grateful if someone can say otherwise.

I can confirm that my Virgin Money High Flyer Platinum is no longer earning points for ATO payments. Seem to have been allocated some points for a payment made on 1 March but none for a payment on the 7th.

Very grateful to have uncovered this on a relatively quiet month of payments - a month later and I would have paid almost 300K on our March BAS & PAYG.

 

[angusburns]

Hi All,

I am thinking of transferring some of my Citibank Select points to a partner airline. I already have lots of points with KrisFlyer and was wondering if I should put some into AsiaMiles/Cathay.

Krisflyer is 1.5:1 whereas AsiaMiles is only 2:1 (CB->AM) when transferring.

My main concern is how hard it might be to redeem points for flights on Cathay? Is it as hard as Qantas International, or as easy or easier than Singapore Airlines?

Would appreciate the thoughts of those who have and use/fly both programs/airlines.

Thanks in advance!

Angus

 

[cove]

If you keep the warehouse Angus you can delay your decision for a while to avoid that decision which you can make any time...but later seems better.
We have two accounts at Kris Flyer so we can move 5 each plus ourselves.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hopefully this is not too OT - mods feel free to move to more appropriate thread if indeed so - but +1 to angus'ssss query re CX redemptions. I have used SQ solely over many years for J Saver redemptions - wondering how CX and now MH actually stack up in terms of redemption availability / pts reqd for MEL-PEK/PVG redemptions.

 

[legroom]

Hi All,

I am thinking of transferring some of my Citibank Select points to a partner airline. I already have lots of points with KrisFlyer and was wondering if I should put some into AsiaMiles/Cathay.

Krisflyer is 1.5:1 whereas AsiaMiles is only 2:1 (CB->AM) when transferring.

My main concern is how hard it might be to redeem points for flights on Cathay? Is it as hard as Qantas International, or as easy or easier than Singapore Airlines?

Would appreciate the thoughts of those who have and use/fly both programs/airlines.

Thanks in advance!

Angus

Sorry if off topic !

I have not done it myself but from what I read (here on AFF), CX redemption is fraught with the fact that J seats are released very close to departure date.

In effect, you could have difficulty planning for that.

Unlike SQ (or QF's JASA) where you could have some certainty planning forward.

It is off topic and could conceivably be split / merged somewhere, mods ?

 

[perthtraveller]

Hi all

Sincere apologies as I am sure these issues below have been covered.

Which reward cards are still issuing points for ATO payments? Has Westpac been issuing points? Thinking about getting the Altitude Black. Would be great if someone pro could summarise this in one post.

I put through a material amount of ATO payments on my Citi Select card in March. The points appear to have come through on the March statement but my online points balance appears to have been static this month - Citi potentially retrospectively recouping ATO points issued in March. Has anyone else seen this happen? I will do a reconciliation in April.

Also, does anyone know what other transactions have not received points from Citi Select? My view would be that everything else has been credited in the past.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[Rallygirl]

wondering how CX and now MH actually stack up in terms of redemption availability / pts reqd for MEL-PEK/PVG redemptions.

Mods please move if OT. Not sure about PEK/PVG but i just booked a MH redemption from LHR to KUL, and there were 4 available seats in J for every flight when looking a month out of travel. I did look at up to HKG and there were many seats avail so China should be similar. It is a bargain for LHR-Australia in J as only 51K, with A380 for LHR-KUL. I could not book in F to Aust but LHR-KUL was about 136K so I considered it not worth it.

Points above are quoted with the 10% off for online bookings already deducted.

 

[cove]

Have a six figure ATO bill to pay in a week so I think it will go to Westpac Amex KrisFlyer to give them a thrill. Sure I hate the higher fee but I will use the free credit days to lessen the pain of 1.45% for 1.5 points per dollar.
The fee in this case will be deductible so that will cut a hunk off the cost in real terms and it is just a matter of making the payment on a card after the month close off to get the free days.
The bill has to be made on the due date as the ATO would charge interest on any days past due at their penalty rate.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Um, re the WW card...some here have already had their cards cancelled IIRC
I counsel care with very large ATO payments, but others of course may disagree. It's one thing to get yourself cancelled, it's another to muck up the whole game

Prudence says you use 2 or 3 cards if you have big bills to pay