New Centurion Annual Fee, Joining Fee and Points Earning Structure

[Deleted member]

Unfortunately no. Originally when a new member joined for Platinum, it was Platinum luggage tags with an embossed leather travel wallet. With Centurion - you used to get a big black box (looks great but not functional) with the luggage tags. Nothing more. Value is less and less. Even the statements quality are getting cheaper - cheap paper (before we selected online statements only) and well designed like the previous Centurion/Platinum statements. So disappointing for a brand and card that I used to be so loyal to...

I never received tags or wallet for plat

 

[sparoz]

I never received tags or wallet for plat

Me neither - that was before the Centurion Card exist and was still invitation only.

 

[Pukka]

You don't want the tags anyway unless it's for cabin luggage it's like a big I'm rich please open my bags and take what you like sign for the baggage handlers

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Has anybody here actually gone to the trouble of doing a post Oct 1 calculation on a previous statement and compared the before / after pts earn?

I cannot personally do it myself as am o/s but certainly intend to do so once I get home.

Gee I wonder would AMEX be so co-operative as to provide an online tool to do the comparison for us as they state in correspondence everybody will be better off and will earn pts quicker post Oct 1?

 

[pshepvic]

I doubt most people are better off. I know I am as I have a high proportion of travel expenses (hotels particularly) and restaurants, but I never come close to the cap anyway.

Anyone who gets to the cap on the card cannot be better off as the cap is the same, it's just been changed from a dollar amount to the equivalent points amount. And if your whole spend is on govt/utilities (unlikely, but I guess could be the case for a business) you'd now have to spend $1.5m to get to the same points cap instead of only $500k (and if you did spend $1.5m previously you still would have got 1 point per $ after the cap, earning 1.75m points in total).


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[RichardKopf]

I would rather they had not increased the cost, but I like the DJ lounge access, Accor Plat, continued CX Diamond and Hilton Diamond even though they currently add no value for me. Realistically, there is no difference to us with the new points calculation. Travel and overseas spend is over 95% of our spend and we usually reach the cap within 6 weeks on Plat cards and a few months on Cent. This means we are paying 700.00 extra for the DJ lounge access, Hertz Pres, CX Diamond, Hilton Diamond. This WOULD be great value if we ever bought a flight ticket, or ever needed to fly economy. With the regular annual points haul, all our travel, domestic and international, is on points, in premium classes, so most of the benefits are never used. I spend about 100 nights a year at Starwood hotels, so earn SPG Plat. The only other hotel program I value, a bit, is Hilton, so the Diamond status has some value to me. The Cent. car rental rates are great, but status is irrelevant as I would always book the car I want.


My calculation based on value to me:
Bonus point cap: $2500.00
QF club for partner: $100 for the 2 domestic economy trips made per year
Insurance for cardmember and supp: $1500
Saving in car rental LDW 50 days @ 20.00 = $1000.00
2 free hotel nights, this year: $700.00
Hilton Diamond benefits for 10 nights this year, incl. club, full breakfast, Internet, maybe upgrade : $1000.00
Lifestyle: gratitude from friends for being able to source sold out tickets.... In Mastercards's words....priceless.

I'll stop looking for benefits at this point as they have well exceeded the cost.

Obviously, my business offers benefits that not all do, but for us, Cent is fantastic

I guess I should add that no bank issued credit card would allow me a limit of nearly half a million, which is a huge benefit of the Amex suite of charge cards, as is the extensive range of air and hotel partners to which I can transfer points. With the percentage bonuses offered throughout the year, it offers a permanent discount on redemptions, if you transfer at the right times.

 

[pshepvic]

I forgot to include the free hotel nights in my calculations earlier, do thank you for reminding me! That adds another $300 for the free night at the Fairmont in Washington in 3 weeks time.


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[sparoz]

I doubt most people are better off. I know I am as I have a high proportion of travel expenses (hotels particularly) and restaurants, but I never come close to the cap anyway.

Anyone who gets to the cap on the card cannot be better off as the cap is the same, it's just been changed from a dollar amount to the equivalent points amount. And if your whole spend is on govt/utilities (unlikely, but I guess could be the case for a business) you'd now have to spend $1.5m to get to the same points cap instead of only $500k (and if you did spend $1.5m previously you still would have got 1 point per $ after the cap, earning 1.75m points in total).

Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

With the new changes to the business card and individual circumstances, I am actually better off. With one of my major supplier no longer accepting amex payment, I would no longer max out my card. However, as you get double points for advertising, all of a sudden I would be getting the same points even without that supplier. That made up the 100k that I lost on my cent card with my spending pattern as our six months old daughter stops most of the eating out and travelling.

As discussed with my account manager the other day, he pointed out now you get 1 to 1 conversion with Krisflyer and Asiamiles. I personally use Asiamiles to travel internationally, and that actually means I am better off. I guess we can't look at the points in isolation without looking at the extra benefits.

I still question if the cent is worth the $ over plat with the new point earning structure for me as I now get the same points with Plat, but I am actually better off compare to 12 months ago.

PS - if the rumour of able to use your card for forex transaction at 1% charge and earning 1 bonus point come to fruition, I would have regained all the points I lost.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I guess I should add that no bank issued credit card would allow me a limit of nearly half a million

Indeed Westpac SQ Plat Amex is uncapped - 1.5pts/$1 and 3pts/$1 on SQ spend.

As discussed with my account manager the other day, he pointed out now you get 1 to 1 conversion with Krisflyer

Do you mean post Oct 1 you will get 1:1 conversion for SQ? You currently get 1:1 to SQ so no change there.

PS - if the rumour of able to use your card for forex transaction at 1% charge and earning 1 bonus point come to fruition, I would have regained all the points I lost.

It is not a rumour that settling AMES forex transactions going forward will earn you rewards pts it is indeed in the process of being implemented. I cannot tell you exact charge / earn rate right now but will have a full discussion with AMEX forex dept on my return to Aust - will clarify then if nobody has been able to do so beforehand.

 

[sparoz]

Indeed Westpac SQ Plat Amex is uncapped - 1.5pts/$1 and 3pts/$1 on SQ spend.Do you mean post Oct 1 you will get 1:1 conversion for SQ? You currently get 1:1 to SQ so no change there.
It is not a rumour that settling AMES forex transactions going forward will earn you rewards pts it is indeed in the process of being implemented. I cannot tell you exact charge / earn rate right now but will have a full discussion with AMEX forex dept on my return to Aust - will clarify then if nobody has been able to do so beforehand.

Thanks for this. The SQ (so I was told by my account manager as I don't use SQ) and Asiamiles change came in March as a "special", but ended up being ongoing. There were no "fan fare announcement" from Amex that these were ongoing, until the points changed has been announced. My POV is that the increase in conversion rate can be view in isolation separate to the points changed. I think they are close enough to be view as a remodelling of the amex points system. I have a friend who flies DJ exclusively and she was extremely annoyed with the point change. Worst still is our industry plat card now earns points in a new reward system called Business Ascent where the conversion to QF is no longer, and to other FF programs has gone down to 3 MR points to 2 FF!

I have just signed up for forex but it still indicates that it needs to put through my bank account. I have a large forex transaction coming up so will see if they can put through the amex.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

You cannot settle forex with AMEX card at this point in time - later this year it will be implemented.

Conversion from AMEX to KF has been 1:1 since Adam was a boy.

 

[RichardKopf]

Indeed Westpac SQ Plat Amex is uncapped - 1.5pts/$1 and 3pts/$1 on SQ spend.

I meant a credit limit of 500k. If I could get a $500000 credit limit on a card, and they charged me less than Amex, it would make my short list.

 

[sparoz]

In that case it is really for people who used Asiamiles that has benefited from the recent changes. Account managers telling fibs... Or I misinterpret what he said.

 

[k3nnis]

Yep and also MH Enrich and TG

 

[Foreigner]

In that case it is really for people who used Asiamiles that has benefited from the recent changes. Account managers telling fibs... Or I misinterpret what he said.

The 1:1 for AsiaMiles applies to platinum cardholders too.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So how many of you guys have actually done a PRE and POST OCT 1 comparison for your last 3 statements to actually see where you would end up earn wise?

I have - and down considerably - post Oct 1 if Select earn rate remains unchanged my Cent Amex spend will be way way down.

I did have a chat with Cent RM yesterday - he was totally unaware of Select earn rates - virtually admitted Cent could not compete with Cel;ect and 5K fee would be a waste.

But still might keep it dependant on what deal is announced re settling Forex transactions with Amex cards. I spoke to Forex reps yesterday - deal still not finalised - earn rate will be 1pt/$1 Forex transaction but cost not finalised - they did mention 1% to 1.5% fee - according to them Amex Forex must negotiate fee with Amex Rewards team - they will advise when deal finalised.

 

[3eef]

So how many of you guys have actually done a PRE and POST OCT 1 comparison for your last 3 statements to actually see where you would end up earn wise?
...

The same as I will cap at 750k but more points quicker as most of the spend is airlines, hotels, restaurants and overseas...

 

[RichardKopf]

The same as I will cap at 750k but more points quicker as most of the spend is airlines, hotels, restaurants and overseas...

Agreed. If we spend to the cap, there is no change, whatsoever with the bulk of transactions being, travel and/ or foreign charges.

 

[sparoz]

Are all overseas transactions @ 1 bonus? I have setup my personal forex account this week and they do asked lots and lots of questions. Rates are not too bad, only 1% more than my usual rate, but with no fees it will work out well for smaller transactions and definitely more convenient then sending it via HK.

 

[cove]

We do most of our forex at work with Westpac and Bell Potter and in each case they deal in US dollars at a meagre 5 to 7 pips so there is no money left to earn FF points. Paying for larger items of inventory are Hard Dollars so we would not leave FF points hanging off such a transaction.
With Westpac Platinum Kris Flyer or Westpac Platinum Altitude cards the net earn rate is a true 1.5 Kris points on Australian Amex transactions. With The Altitude you can warehouse the points and when ready you can transfer them to multiple places and there is no capping on a monthly or annual basis.
i don't use the Westpac Visa cards ever as they are a true half point per dollar.