Citi Select - ATO payments

[Hammando]

Just in the process of signing up for this card to replace my AMEX Platinum. I am still getting 1.5 points per $ on the Platinum card but that ends in mid Feb.

I am self employed and got a call from them to confirm a few things, and they mentioned several times that the card can't be used for any business expenses, ATO payments etc and my expenses would be monitored and I wouldn't get any points from this spend.

I said sure, sure, but .....

Do they give this warning to everyone and then turn a blind eye to it or are they getting stricter will the inflow of ex-AMEX customers paying ATO bills etc?

 

[Newk]

I have had no problems with ATO payments on Citi select. And I get the points for them. I know others that do the same

That said I take great care to mix ATO payments with a multitude of other payments over several credit cards

Good luck

 

[Danger]

Is the card being referred to this one: Citibank Select Credit Card - Citibank Australia

If so, is it correct that it only earns one QFF point per dollar spent?

 

[cove]

The Qantas version earns a point a dollar and the non Qantas one earns 2 Citi Rewards points per dollar that you can warehouse and then decide who you transfer them to later to avoid the expiry clock starting.
You can get 1.33 net points to SQ Kris out of 2 Citi Rewards.

 

[wafliron]

I said sure, sure, but .....

Do they give this warning to everyone and then turn a blind eye to it or are they getting stricter will the inflow of ex-AMEX customers paying ATO bills etc?

They have gotten much more proactive in warning new customers about this in recent times, but I think we're yet to hear of an instance where points actually haven't been awarded. They certainly didn't used to provide this warning to new customers.

Personally I think they will start cracking down on it at some point, starting with those customers who signed up after they started the more proactive warnings. I do hope I'm wrong though!

 

[albyd]

I called Citi yesterday asking about whether I'd receive points for BPay as I was paying a council rates notice. The operator wasn't very specific. He did say that payments to government - like taxes and he pointed me to the terms and conditions https://www.citibank.com.au/global_docs/pdf/MCG12231.pdf

He pointed me to the end of page 2 "Eligible Transactions". as excluding "government charges" and "insurance charges". My reading of the situation is that given the language barrier, this will have got lost in translation and my interpretation is that it may refer to any government charges that may apply to the operation of the Citi account (which no longer exist since all those taxes were abolished with the introduction of the GST) and Citi insurance such as card payment insurance. I suspect I may be a little biased in my interpretation but I also think this is reasonably logical.

The operator I spoke to said that as Council rates and ATO payments were "government charges", then I wouldn't get any points for these.

I've read a fair bit on these forums to give me some comfort ATO payments will get points - although I suspect this is an endangered species. Is my interpretation above right? What about BPay?

Albyd.

 

[blessed11]

Hi all

In an effort to be proactive in the event Citi crack down on ATO payments, any ideas for the best alternative? Most of the other Visa's I've seen with a reasonable earn rate seem to credit direct to a frequent flyer program.

Cheers

 

[albyd]

If you're not after FF points, then I'd suggest both Coles MasterCard (equals 1% rebate on spend) or Macquarie Visa Platinum =1% cash back for the non QFF card. IF you are after FF points - just the flexibility of which FF program to direct points to, I'm not sure. Pretty new to this - previously an Altitude devotee with gift card redemptions. Been on Citi Select for only a month but getting good ideas from AFF community.

 

[DTM1]

I would have thought that the fewer people who actually called Citi to ask, the bettter - you are only putting it on their radar.

I have been putting very large quarterly amounts through to the ATO, as well well as using it for all of my expenses for a year now and have had no issue.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I would have thought that the fewer people who actually called Citi to ask, the bettter - you are only putting it on their radar.

I have been putting very large quarterly amounts through to the ATO, as well well as using it for all of my expenses for a year now and have had no issue.

Could not agree more.

 

[Cynicor]

Yeah, it's like the fools who don't believe the thousands of positive reviews for the 28 degrees and so feel they have to call and ask about loading it up...

Amazingly, there is no AFF conspiracy designed to sucker people into getting cards they don't need, to pay their taxes. Points are currently earned, the T+Cs are ambiguous and it may or may not change in the future.

 

[albyd]

I agree this is a risk of too many of us calling up. I only called about BPay payments as I know some banks (eg WBC & CBA) no longer pay points on them and they mentioned the ATO payments. I've just started making ATO payments myself and don't want this to disappear either.

 

[spentan]

what I find really interesting, is that my Citibusiness Gold is definitely over my points cap, yet I am still earning a lot of points.

(fine with me, if it was capped I'd probably leave them for another bank) or change up to a Citi Select.

 

[Newk]

MMM: for what it's worth, here's what I do. I use all my credit cards a lot. I barely pay cash for anything. Any ATO payments are mixed up in a flurry of other transactions. I have multiple credit cards so if the merry go round stops on one I can use another. I phone the cc companies as few times as I can. I read the terms and conditions (available on the web sites) over and over again to check that I'm not missing anything. Of course I still miss stuff
If there is any doubt that Bpay will give points I find another way...most of the utilities/councils have web sites that allow cc payments or there is a tear off slip that allows posting in of cc details
Of course everyone is different and may do things different ways. But for me ::I:: reckon this will allow "things" to go on.

 

[wafliron]

MMM: for what it's worth, here's what I do. I use all my credit cards a lot. I barely pay cash for anything. Any ATO payments are mixed up in a flurry of other transactions.

I must say - and nothing personal, just saying this as a general point - that every time I read someone talking about how they "hide" their ATO transactions in amongst other spend (on a Citi card, or otherwise), it just strikes me as a futile effort.

If/when Citi decide to crack down on this, they're not going to manually review detailed lists of transactions (as a first port of call, anyway), nor are they going to run a report of "total transaction volume by-merchant by-card" - they're going to run a report of "total transaction size (in $$) by merchant by-merchant by-card", and the ATO is going to stand out like a sort thumb for 99% of people paying ATO bills.

By all means do it, if you wish - but I personally think it's a waste of time

 

[cove]

This month I am using some of my other cards as well as Select to help balance up our two Kris accounts so that the two sets of redemption nominees have plenty of booking power. With Qantas it is family redemptions and with SQ it is you plus 5 nominees who do not need to be family.

 

[Newk]

I must say - and nothing personal, just saying this as a general point - that every time I read someone talking about how they "hide" their ATO transactions in amongst other spend (on a Citi card, or otherwise), it just strikes me as a futile effort.

If/when Citi decide to crack down on this, they're not going to manually review detailed lists of transactions (as a first port of call, anyway), nor are they going to run a report of "total transaction volume by-merchant by-card" - they're going to run a report of "total transaction size (in $$) by merchant by-merchant by-card", and the ATO is going to stand out like a sort thumb for 99% of people paying ATO bills.

By all means do it, if you wish - but I personally think it's a waste of time

yes, yes, we'll never know
There is some reference on AFF to people with Woolworth's Qantas cards who got their cards cancelled for large amount ATO with no other spend. IIRC that is.
That said I am more than happy to accept that what I am doing may have no more basis than superstition

 

[DTM1]

I must say - and nothing personal, just saying this as a general point - that every time I read someone talking about how they "hide" their ATO transactions in amongst other spend (on a Citi card, or otherwise), it just strikes me as a futile effort.

If/when Citi decide to crack down on this, they're not going to manually review detailed lists of transactions (as a first port of call, anyway), nor are they going to run a report of "total transaction volume by-merchant by-card" - they're going to run a report of "total transaction size (in $$) by merchant by-merchant by-card", and the ATO is going to stand out like a sort thumb for 99% of people paying ATO bills.

By all means do it, if you wish - but I personally think it's a waste of time

It's not about "hiding" the payments to the ATO (I agree that this would be pointless). It's simply about using the card in the normal course and not simply using it just for ATO payments. If you;re using the card generally, they're unlikely to have an issue. They may get upset if they think you're abusing it for just ATO payments (regardless of what the Ts & Cs say).

 

[Newk]

It's not about "hiding" the payments to the ATO (I agree that this would be pointless). It's simply about using the card in the normal course and not simply using it just for ATO payments. If you;re using the card generally, they're unlikely to have an issue. They may get upset if they think you're abusing it for just ATO payments (regardless of what the Ts & Cs say).

what he said LOL.

but as said, we'll never really know. The only real bit of info I am working on is the cancellation of the Woolworths cards

 

[wafliron]

It's not about "hiding" the payments to the ATO (I agree that this would be pointless). It's simply about using the card in the normal course and not simply using it just for ATO payments. If you;re using the card generally, they're unlikely to have an issue. They may get upset if they think you're abusing it for just ATO payments (regardless of what the Ts & Cs say).

I see your point - not sure I agree that they're "unlikely to have an issue with [using it for ATO payments if the card is also being used for everyday spend]", if they decide to crack down on the practice though. YMMV