Citi Select (post March 2013) - ? worth $700 annual fee

[Cruiser Elite]

Why would you pair Westpac Altitude Black with Westpac SQ, given the effective KrisFlyer earn rate from both is the same, but you can warehouse with Altitude Black? I feel like I'm missing something given Cruiser sounds like he plans to hold onto his Westpac SQ card too..

Yeah I probably will take up Black to warehouse pts - I still won't toss in SQ card though - and as I said Select still working exceptionally well for me.

 

[Beta4Me]

And you don't want to be seen flogging only the SQ card.

Splitting between two cards seems a better idea.

Wait, what? Why not have just the Altitude Black?

 

[kohdeb]

Just to let you know my experience on Citi Select recently with a ~$10k USD overseas purchase made through Paypal. I showed up on my account as PAYPAL AU but charged USD and I only received 2 points per dollar instead of the 5. I also had to pay the 3% currency conversion fee. Does anyone think it would be worth complaining over ~30k points?

That's an interesting one. Is the 5pts/$1 technically for charges from foreign merchants, or for charges in foreign currencies? If it's the former you might be out of luck - but I'd definitely ring up and complain.

Unfortunately the T&Cs seem to be pretty clear about this, and I don't think the currency has anything to do with it.

International Spend means any Eligible Transaction made with a merchant who tells us they are located in a country outside Australia.

Update: After speaking to Citibank, the T&C Jack pointed out is correct. Citibank deem Paypal payments in foreign currency as domestic purchases and will only award 2 points per $. So this is something everyone needs to be aware of.
However much complaining and arguing , I got a refund on the currency conversion fee and 5000 bonus points for Citibank to keep me as a customer.

 

[Kraken]

Citi Select still works for me (for SQ purposes) to the point that I use it in preference of my Amex, which I consider has still has higher transaction fees.

 

[kohdeb]

Update: After speaking to Citibank, the T&C Jack pointed out is correct. Citibank deem Paypal payments in foreign currency as domestic purchases and will only award 2 points per $. So this is something everyone needs to be aware of.
However much complaining and arguing , I got a refund on the currency conversion fee and 5000 bonus points for Citibank to keep me as a customer.

You really need to check your statements with Citibank. I have found that they did not reverse my currency conversion fee. They have charged me for it again by mistake.

 

[legroom]

Non-AMEX spending thus far since I started this thread showed that - on SQ points alone - the fee is justified.

It all depends on your individual case, of course.

I would be behind if I were forced to use the AMEX-linked VISA with its pitiful 0.5:1 earn rate.

So, sadly it looks like I will keep it.

Upset at the ATO loss, yes but it is still relatively good value to me.

 

[aschmid]

So I just called up to close my Select card. Seems they weren't to surprised with some of the issues I listed, guess lot of people must be closing. Interesting the only offer to keep was 10,000 points! That's kind of like saying we'd be happy if you go ... probably not earning them enough interest as always pay in full.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So good people what is the general trend now with Citi Reward pts with Select cards?

I was intending to warehouse Citi pts – but am a bit gun shy now after Citi changed pts transfer rates on some of their other cards so I recently transferred ALL Citi pts across to SQ.

Others doing same? I assume many will just transfer whatever can be transferred month by month going forward?

 

[DeKa]

Update: After speaking to Citibank, the T&C Jack pointed out is correct. Citibank deem Paypal payments in foreign currency as domestic purchases and will only award 2 points per $. So this is something everyone needs to be aware of.
However much complaining and arguing , I got a refund on the currency conversion fee and 5000 bonus points for Citibank to keep me as a customer.

Not Citi Select, but I've noticed this on my Citi Signature card too - points are only earned at 1.5x even though it is billed in USD. I'll stick to 28 Degrees for foreign currency PayPal transactions.

 

[legroom]

So good people what is the general trend now with Citi Reward pts with Select cards?

I was intending to warehouse Citi pts – but am a bit gun shy now after Citi changed pts transfer rates on some of their other cards so I recently transferred ALL Citi pts across to SQ.

Others doing same? I assume many will just transfer whatever can be transferred month by month going forward?

Monthly transfer here, mate

Just ... wary what might happen.

I could be too cautious, I guess.

In any case, I could use my points so there is no issue there.

For those who may have issue with point expiry, ????? option - Take the risk, in that case, and continue parking with Select.

 

[ermen]

I was intending to warehouse Citi pts – but am a bit gun shy now after Citi changed pts transfer rates on some of their other cards so I recently transferred ALL Citi pts across to SQ.

Which cards and what programs? I wasn't aware that Citi changed transfer rates on any of their cards.
I'm warehousing at the moment but will give it serious thought if Citi had indeed changed the SQ rates!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Which cards and what programs? I wasn't aware that Citi changed transfer rates on any of their cards.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-program/cb-rewards-platinum-2-1-a-49958.html

 

[ermen]

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-program/cb-rewards-platinum-2-1-a-49958.html

Thx! Geez. Bad form without notice!

 

[asg29e]

So good people what is the general trend now with Citi Reward pts with Select cards?

I was intending to warehouse Citi pts – but am a bit gun shy now after Citi changed pts transfer rates on some of their other cards so I recently transferred ALL Citi pts across to SQ.

Others doing same? I assume many will just transfer whatever can be transferred month by month going forward?

Yep, monthly transfer for me. Too many sneaky enhancements for my liking. If I have to suck up a few SQ suite flights before the points expire, so be it.

 

[DaveB]

Definitely been a points dump to SQ though now at my upper limit. Will start sending to VA for a month or two.
Citi is no longer getting anywhere near the same spend as apart from ATO, started using Amex wherever possible for warehousing with a view to hotel usage.
Hopefully Citi will count the cost of its underhand strategy in the coming months so I can resume warehousing albeit at a lower level. Still need the Citi Rewards to ensure getting all four on the same flight and for special needs.
All ATO is going to QF which had started to fall getting more patronage in recent times.

 

[wafliron]

So good people what is the general trend now with Citi Reward pts with Select cards?

I was intending to warehouse Citi pts – but am a bit gun shy now after Citi changed pts transfer rates on some of their other cards so I recently transferred ALL Citi pts across to SQ.

Others doing same? I assume many will just transfer whatever can be transferred month by month going forward?

As I detailed in another thread (maybe earlier in this one?), I don't want to continue warehousing but really have no choice - don't use many VA points, and I already have SQ at a level where I'd be worried about any more transferred across expiring before I can use them. I suspect I'll cop an "enhancement" to the value of my points at some stage, but it's better than losing them completely.

Or perhaps I should take asg29e approach, send to SQ, and fly some R for the hell of it if I ever end up in a points-about-to-expire situation

 

[cove]

I had intended to have way more than 5 years of points in a Citi warehouse but following the recent changes those points are now over in Krisflyer with the time clock ticking.

 

[legroom]

.....Or perhaps I should take asg29e approach, send to SQ, and fly some R for the hell of it if I ever end up in a points-about-to-expire situation

This option is more pleasant than seeing the points enhanced away so that all you could do is to fly SIN-KUL return in Y.

That would be ulcerogenic IMHO.

 

[Jack_OC]

I swept all my Citi Rewards points across to SQ a few weeks ago, but that was because I wanted to make a reward booking. Like others, I'm a bit wary of the transfer rate bein "enhanced", but my earn rate would rarely be enough to sweep across each month, bearing in mind there is a minimum 15k transfer out and the Altitude Black Amex is now my primary card of choice. So I'll probably just let my points accumulate for at least the rest of the year, when I decide whether to renew the Select for another year or cancel. As things stand, it's very likely to be the latter.

 

[Spizz]

I'm still warehousing with my Signature Card. Even when the Enhancements were made there was still a week or 2 window before they "enhanced" the website calculator. If and when it is announced for Signature/Select cards then I'll transfer over to KF. Until then I see no need, and Citi is still the best card to earn KF points on, especially for overseas spend IMO.