Reduced AMEX earn rates from April 2019

[cove]

We have run up 7 figures of Amplify points so that annual fee is modest.

 

[Chicken]

We have run up 7 figures of Amplify points so that annual fee is modest.

For sure. I am paying $395 for my Reserve + Edge + gold charge combo, and I am keeping them because they are still ahead of everything else on the market post April. Plus I pay for all the annual fees for churning thru Signature cards from banks. I don't use Visa / MC for day to day anymore as I have successfully switched 95% of my spends to gift cards so I don't even need to pay for a permanent Visa / MC.

 

[cove]

On Platinum Edge I have over a third of a million points accumulated mostly from doing discounted gift cards.
I will be hurt by the April changes.

 

[60spud]

Ok so tell me more about acquiring the gift cards without paying the 5 to 7 dollars for each card be it Visa Mastercard or Eftpos and still getting 1 to 3 KF points per dollar

 

[cove]

I go mainly to Woolies thru RAC to get 5% discount and Woolies mail the plastic gift cards to us in about 6 days.
I used a pile of those 5% off Woolies gift cards to buy 5% off Woolies Star cards at Caltex as we run 30 cars at work. That offer has finished.

 

[Chicken]

Ok so tell me more about acquiring the gift cards without paying the 5 to 7 dollars for each card be it Visa Mastercard or Eftpos and still getting 1 to 3 KF points per dollar

I use my AmEx Reserve to buy EFTPOS gift cards, so that's $1 = 1 SQ mile. No surcharge, only $2.5 per card of $999.

 

[albyd]

Please tell us more. While eftpos can’t be used for online purchases, there are plenty of merchants who aren’t Amex friendly and this would be a nice way of using Amex everywhere for face to face transactions and likely without the surcharges for ‘credit’ purchases. Get to have our cake and eat it too.

 

[Chicken]

While eftpos can’t be used for online purchases, there are plenty of merchants who aren’t Amex friendly and this would be a nice way of using Amex everywhere for face to face transactions and likely without the surcharges for ‘credit’ purchases.

This is exactly what I use EFTPOS cards for, paying bills and use it to substitute whenever a shop wants to surcharge or don't take AmEx.

I actually just bought a 2014 Holden Commodore on LPG 2 weeks ago from a Holden dealer. They wanted 1% for Visa MC 2% for AmEx, so I went and bought a deck of gift cards. The finance person at Holden knew what I was doing, so I am clearly not the only person buying cars with gift cards

 

[jkbaus]

I use my AmEx Reserve to buy EFTPOS gift cards, so that's $1 = 1 SQ mile. No surcharge, only $2.5 per card of $999.

Can you tell me where I can buy these EFTPOS gift cards please? $2.50 per card of $999 would be great for my points accumulation. I don't have a business.

 

[andye]

Chicken could tell you on the board but then he'd have to kill you. Try a PM. Ps: I dont know where to get $999 either

 

[michael65]

Your card is 0.75 SQ miles, and $279 annual fee, and only 1 extra card is available.
Comparing against Edge at $195 annual fee with $200 travel credit and 4 free extra cards, which you can justifiy it to effectively $0 annual fee if it suits you.

Of course you would get the STG card if you want the points; but there is a big difference between the annual fees and the number of extra cards you are able to get.

Which is why I keep coming back, that I think some of the criticisms are unjustified / knee jerk reactions.

I have no issue with the changes fo supermarkets, and fuel, but normal spend is now reduced to 0.5 KF point per $. Also I am not happy that they are reducing any accumulated points you have. They could have easily reduced the 3 points per $ to 1.5 points per $ for supermarkets and everything else at 1 point per $. They are being sneaky as all other cards they have reduced benefit by 17 to 25%. In relation to oMembership Rewards they have reduced it by 50% on the whole

 

[michael65]

I use my AmEx Reserve to buy EFTPOS gift cards, so that's $1 = 1 SQ mile. No surcharge, only $2.5 per card of $999.

from April you will only get 0.5 points per $ as normal spend reduces to 0.5 FF point per $

 

[dajop]

Still haven't received any letter, or any sort of communication about the changes. My partner did (noting our card correspondence both come to the same address).

 

[Chicken]

I have no issue with the changes fo supermarkets, and fuel, but normal spend is now reduced to 0.5 KF point per $. Also I am not happy that they are reducing any accumulated points you have. They could have easily reduced the 3 points per $ to 1.5 points per $ for supermarkets and everything else at 1 point per $. They are being sneaky as all other cards they have reduced benefit by 17 to 25%. In relation to oMembership Rewards they have reduced it by 50% on the whole

I agree with you that it is a big reduction; but I keep coming back, what other card gives you 0.5 SQ point for a near $0 annual fee?

Call up AmEx and have a whinge if you can find a card which gives 0.5 SQ point for near $0 annual fee; but until then.

from April you will only get 0.5 points per $ as normal spend reduces to 0.5 FF point per $

Not for me personally, as I have a Reserve card for $395, so it will still be $1 = 1 SQ after April.

 

[JohnK]

I have a Spigen Heavy Duty Tough Armor Hard Cover purchased off eBay for $20+ and no screen protector as it wouldn't fit with this case. Hope this helps!

Thanks. Wife has similar cover on the S5. I prefer to keep phone in shirt pocket and I have both an S5 and S7 in my pocket as well as train card wallet with other cards. A phone cover would be too bulky for shirt pocket.

 

[theblank]

Hey guys so I looked at my point transactions over the last few months and I've been getting 0 points for supermarket spend. Probably tens of thousands of points (@ 3ppd) not awarded..

This month I had a 7-Eleven petrol purchase come up as 0 points. But I have plenty of Supermarket purchases with the correct allocation of points.
No i havent rung them, phone call costs more than the points i missed.

 

[daft009]

so as I only received my platinum charge ~2wks ago, i got the attached letter today in the mail...
nothing about doubling though

 

[andye]

No doubling on Business Accelerator
Its heading toward the scissors

 

[lopes2017]

Citibank Prestige now with its 400 000 points offer + solid redemption rates is looking like an alternative to Platinum Charge
Also note the annual fee $700 vs $1400

Velocity Points Earn

Major restaurants, hotels and major airlines = 1.5 point / $
Major petrol stations, supermarkets and national retailers = 1 point / $
All other eligible spend = 0.5 point /$
International Spend = 1.5 points / $

 

[andye]

Citibank Prestige now with its 400 000 points offer + solid redemption rates is looking like an alternative to Platinum Charge
Also note the annual fee $700 vs $1400

Velocity Points Earn

Major restaurants, hotels and major airlines = 1.5 point / $
Major petrol stations, supermarkets and national retailers = 1 point / $
All other eligible spend = 0.5 point /$
International Spend = 1.5 points / $

The travel credits, statement credits, hotel statuses and insurances would still make me favour the Charge (accepting a superior acceptance rate for Prestige)
The invisibility to Comprehensive Reporting is also an Amex Charge advantage