Qantas Cash Issues

[eric2011]

but i read the terms and conditions and the PDF and I didn't see any warning that the card would be voided if i changed status while away. If it is there i missed it, and only thanks to AFF did I find out.

I must admit I haven't read them in detail and they may not specially mention the changing of status etc but I think it does mention the replacement card thing and new cards are issued when status is changed. Most probably we are just expected to know these things. When something new comes along there are always little hick-ups and as long as QF learn and can fix this ASAP.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I must admit I haven't read them in detail and they may not specially mention the changing of status etc but I think it does mention the replacement card thing and new cards are issued when status is changed. Most probably we are just expected to know these things. When something new comes along there are always little hick-ups and as long as QF learn and can fix this ASAP.

a new card might be issued when we change status but if you are overseas your FF number doesn't change and for most circumstances that is ok (computers will update status for lounge access etc). it is not like Lufthansa where a completely new number is issued.

You would expect any associated cash card to remain vaild with the same number...

 

[Speedbird001]

Mine worked but had other problems:
- didn't post tranx for two months so couldn't finalise my work expenses
- when it did post, it was in USD rather than YEN
- rate is appalling
- customer service weak and slow

Don't bother. No incentive. And plenty disincentive.

 

[dfcatch]

Hmmm. This could be a BBQ stopper if confirmed.

I expect I will hit P1 1/3 way through an upcoming trip....

Perhaps I need to rethink my QF card as backup CC strategy.....

 

[serfty]

Except the problem happens when a new card is issued regardless of status change.

ISTR that a new card issues on an anniversary at the same status level would work fine.

Certainly NB cards don't get re-issued every year.

I was silver and went to gold.... I would have thought I would have been part of the target audience and I had 3000.00 tied up which I couldn't access whilst overseas

Ouch!

I agree this was not thought through properly.

Don't think the target audience being considered at the start was really the statused flyers.

 

[markis10]

ISTR that a new card issues on an anniversary at the same status level would work fine.

Certainly NB cards don't get re-issued every year.

Any issuance cancels the card the moment a new one is made, and we all know that's not on anniversary, in my case it was 6 weeks before when my card was killed, that's hard to predict.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

without a clause in the terms and conditions highlighting the card will expire in the event of a status change, I would say there are grounds for compensation if you were overseas and have suffered loss due to this.

this would include any additional fees, charges and interest for obtaining money you would have otherwise obtained via the cash card, and should you wish to close the account, the waiving of any fees (including conversation fees if applicable) to return any outstanding balance.

that advice would change, obviously, if there was an applicable clause covering this situation.

 

[serfty]

Any issuance cancels the card the moment a new one is made, and we all know that's not on anniversary, in my case it was 6 weeks before when my card was killed, that's hard to predict.

The point I was making was there are far more bronze cards out there than there are PS/SG/etc.

NB cards do not get renewed every year - so there is generally no problem for them.

I am suggesting the marketeers merely looked at numbers and what proportion of the membership might be affected by this problem and decided to proceed anyway. They may have forgotten that statused members, while a smaller proportion of the membership poulation might actually spend more.

i.e. NB w erethe target market.

 

[Cat207]

My card won't even work in the check in kiosks. There's no way I'm fool enough to see if it works for cash!

 

[waynemerry]

Surely there are more substantive fixes to this problem. I understand that some US credit cards allow temporary numbers to be used for online purchases extra, and more than one of these could be active at the same time.

Even my 28 degrees card has a different 16 digit account number from the number on the card. This stuff is not unheard of, having multiple numbers in the system.

Since the system can cope with this, Qantas could issue each card with a "temporary" Qantas cash card number that lasts the lifetime of issue of that card. When they issue a new card due to status change, anniversary, etc, then it gets a new "temporary" number that does not invalidate the old one. The old one can then remain valid for the life time of the card, so if you started as a NB and went all the way to P1, you could still be using the bronze card to make transactions. Qantas could issue NB cards for two year expiries if Qantas cash is active on them also. Other cards typically only have a lifetime of less than 2 years anyway. (Don't know about lifetime PS, SG)

Then there would be no issues with any of the issues that people are experiencing here. The Qantas Cash product needs a product upgrade! Otherwise, it is simply not fit for purpose with this big gaping hole. I was thinking about using it, but not after this!!!!!

EDIT: And under this, if you have a pile of cards for going from NB to P1 in the same year, you could use any of them, whatever floats your boat - a series of different card numbers that all access the same Qantas Cash account. Easy - no problems. I see this as an essential fix to make the product a useful one.

 

[markis10]

NB cards do not get renewed every year - so there is generally no problem for them.
.

No problem or less of a problem given their QF cash component will require a new card on a regular basis?

 

[samh004]

On the original topic of this thread just thought I'd chime in and say my status changed recently but have had no issues continuing to use my old FF card. Still away from home so unsure if I've actually received a new card yet.

 

[serfty]

No problem or less of a problem given their QF cash component will require a new card on a regular basis?

Maybe they have a plan to fix before the NB Cash Card's start to expire in a few years - discounting the issue for status changes/requalification.

Of course, that is conjecture, but to me (having 35 years IT experience) one reasonably logical way to account for this problem - note I had the sense they were in somewhat of a rush due to the imminent arrival of Velocity $$$.

 

[BensAdventures]

Well I spoke with my colleague yesterday, and thanks Red Roo, Qantas spoke to him again earlier in the week. He's happy enough now, but he did say that Qantas were aware of the issue and they take action to target passengers that might be affected and put measures in place so it doesn't happen to them. However this really only seems to work if you are flying QF, as we flew QF, AA & JQ, so that apparently blind sighted them. The root cause supposedly sits with Mastercard, something about them not allowing multiple cards on one account or something. Anyway, obviously there is an issue, and if you a very occasional flyer, and then decided to fly J to Europe with CX or BA or any of the OW airlines for a few weeks, you might get a rude shock when you try to use to your Qantas Cash after SC's are credited! But hey, for the really frequent flyers, like most of us here, they think their processes will make sure YOU are not too badly affected....

 

[blackcat20]

Would be interesting to know if my card currently works given my two-step status change in the last few days. Don't have any Aussie $$ on it to test it out....

 

[dfcatch]

Would be interesting to know if my card currently works given my two-step status change in the last few days. Don't have any Aussie $$ on it to test it out....

PM me your card details and currency balances and I'll test them for you

 

[blackcat20]

PM me your card details and currency balances and I'll test them for you

Nice try

 

[eric2011]

Nice try

Just to be certain, send your QF FF number and pin details instead :idea:

 

[Danger]

Two interesting articles have surfaced in the last couple of days suggesting (i) that both Qantas and Virgin have been particularly lucky with being permitted to send the cash card to members unsolicited and (ii) unactivated cards put the member at greater risk than those who have activated cards.

Qantas and Virgin skirting the law with unsolicited card mailouts

MasterCards for 16-year-olds in massive frequent flyer mail-out

 

[opusman]

Maybe I'm just thick but I don't see where the risk is.

The cash card is unactivated by default - it has no function whatsoever.

Even if a thief did activate it, I still don't see where the risk is. It's not like it's automatically linked to your bank account. They would have to load their own money onto it first.