RewardPay Alternatives

[33kft]

Have they invoked the $24.95 monthly fee they originally stated?

They scrapped that some time back, I suspect when they saw how much revenue they were making off payments alone. The text on their website now says that it is free outside of the surcharges.

 

[Aus ATC]

EBP = no fees other than 0.8% above $1000 per month. Quite happy with it - the only issue I have is that the "dashboard" and other parts of the site do not update in "real time". For example you set up a new payment, it takes a while for the auto-top up settings to catch up. It works - but seems a bit "buggy".

 

[amaroo]

I have been using Easy Bill Pay with my ANZ Black, ANZ Travel Rewards, and Virgin Money Cards with all transactions posting appropriate points. Now, how to get my hands on the bonus point offer for my ANZ Black card??

The first transactions have now posted, and as you advised they all came through as EBP Sydney on the statement. In better news - the bonus points are posting at the same time, so it's all systems go for the next 8 weeks.

FWIW the ANZ app still shows the other lousy name.

 

[amaroo]

Question on EBP.

Do they issue a tax invoice for the CC fee charged? Buggered if I can see it on their website

 

[Foz]

Question on EBP.

Do they issue a tax invoice for the CC fee charged? Buggered if I can see it on their website

You can send them a message and they will eventually email you a tax receipt. It took me a couple times before they sent the receipt through. The good news is the 0.8% surcharge includes GST

 

[amaroo]

You can send them a message and they will eventually email you a tax receipt. It took me a couple times before they sent the receipt through. The good news is the 0.8% surcharge includes GST

Thanks for that. I used their support function to ask the same Q, got a auto reply with a promise to respond.

The gst is good news

 

[jonboixxx]

Is there a cap on dragon spend? I couldn't see in T&C's.

Is there a trick to using multiple cards on EBP, or do you have to just keep changing the priority in the funding source tab? I'm not using bill smoothing. Also does EBP have a limit? TIA

 

[Bell21]

I found it easier to limit myself to one card per EBP account, as changing the priority order seemed like I could easily mix things up, given their payment delays appear to vary somewhat. I don't believe EBP has a limit, but could be wrong.

 

[Bell21]

Btw, Ferni's rate, as an alternative to b2b / RP, has been reduced to 1.95%, including GST, so if you can claim GST, that's 1.77%, which works out at roughly 1.1 cpp for flexible AMEX points if the spend is for a business expense on AMEX Plat (ie, 1.77% with earn of 1.125 points / $, with a tax rate of 72.5%).

 

[Doctore1003]

Btw, Ferni's rate, as an alternative to b2b / RP, has been reduced to 1.95%, including GST, so if you can claim GST, that's 1.77%, which works out at roughly 1.1 cpp for flexible AMEX points if the spend is for a business expense on AMEX Plat (ie, 1.77% with earn of 1.125 points / $, with a tax rate of 72.5%).

Yeah I'm debating whether this is a good idea. With the QF/VA transfer bonuses it drops to below 1cpp.

 

[Bell21]

That's true - it's an interesting toss-up vs say ebp, as it's less cpp, but the points earn is also quite a bit less

 

[33kft]

That's true - it's an interesting toss-up vs say ebp, as it's less cpp, but the points earn is also quite a bit less

That's subjective based on the card used. Taking QFF points as an example, the Qantas Premier Platinum will give you 1:1 up to 10kp/m with reported multiplier bonus offers fairly regularly (but nothing promised here, consider it a bonus if it happens). ANZ Black FF can carry another $7.5kp/m at 1:1 after that, and no point paying higher cpp to get higher ppd at the end of the day, it's just left hand/right hand transfer.

 

[Bell21]

To be clearer, I meant Ferni using AMEX Plat vs ebp on the dragon - it's an interesting cpp value comparison. From a quick look, the QF premium platinum will probably be fairly compelling on ebp in terms of cpp. What is a multiplier bonus in context of that card? I'm not also sure what you mean by 'left hand - right hand transfer' - for me, it's a balance between cpp and total points earnt - I often need to generate large volumes of points and as long as the cpp is not high (roughly 1 to 1.2 cpd or less, depending on intended airline), I'm fine with that

 

[33kft]

To be clearer, I meant Ferni using AMEX Plat vs ebp on the dragon - it's an interesting cpp value comparison.

I wouldn't pair ebp with dragon, for reasons that would make dragon stand alone in its abilities against other cards. It is not the ppd that make it the best choice.

From a quick look, the QF premium platinum will probably be fairly compelling on ebp in terms of cpp. What is a multiplier bonus in context of that card?

Cardowners have been getting offered multiples of 3 or even 5 x the number of points for transactions made within specific periods upon registration, in some cases this has happened 2 or 3 months in a row, but it is targeted and some people have had no offers.

I'm not also sure what you mean by 'left hand - right hand transfer' - for me, it's a balance between cpp and total points earnt

That's exactly it. Paying more for points based on dollar spend (ie cents per dollar/cpd, 0.8 at ebp vs 1.x for AMEX) for higher points per dollar (1:1 for some cards I mentioned, vs maybe 1:1.25 nowadays for AMEX?) is just moving $$ from one column to another. The optimal approach is the highest ppd for the lowest cpd, which is where I think comparing dragon and ebp to AMEX and RP are comparing average to average, although both do have the advantage of larger volume as they are uncapped, but even then you have to be strategic in your approach: you may have a large sum to pay, but are you considering the period over which payment can be made and dividing that by the monthly limit on multiple cards, and stretching it over a period of time like I am (and at worst, falling back on an uncapped lower ppd card), or are you dropping it all in one go and paying more to get less?

 

[Bell21]

a) I don't agree re not pairing ebp with dragon - I think quite a number of us do --- I don't tend to value QF points, so when I look at VF/KF pairings in the market, dragon has one of the better points earn for this pairing on V/MC, especially being uncapped - there may be VF exclusive cards, which earn higher, but then that negatively affects the KF earn and you don't get bonus transfer rates either.

b) That's fabulous re the bonus points / transactions on QF plat premium - I will have to look into that - thanks for the tip --- that sort of thing changes cost equations

c) Of course, highest ppd for lowest cpp - the uncapped nature of AMEX Plat and dragon is very helpful (I guess I could look at multiple capped cards, but that adds a degree of complexity which I'm not sure will add value, for me). YMMV - I don't have the option of payments over time. Also, just for clarity it's AMEX and Ferni approach (not RP) and dragon and ebp has a cpd of circa 0.7, so not sure how that can be average??

 

[33kft]

I don't tend to value QF points

Sure, I'm just too lazy to go and research some other program's earn rates so I use my own, but I still think dragon and ebp pairing is intentionally passing on value opportunities, you don't get any of the benefits that I do in terms of using spend to meet minimum for bonus points, reduced first year fees and higher points earn, and have to wait 12 months at a time to lift that 0.75 to 0.825, but I also understand the greater reasoning, and there's nothing wrong with earning the points you want to spend, and I'm also across all of the opinions about the relative value of program points and whatnot so there's no reason for people to all follow the same script and use the same program.

Flexibility however is key to getting good value, that's about as far as I'd stretch that point.

Of course, highest ppd for lowest cpp - the uncapped nature of AMEX Plat and dragon is very helpful (I guess I could look at multiple capped cards, but that adds a degree of complexity which I'm not sure will add value, for me). YMMV - I don't have the option of payments over time.

Yep, YMMV entirely. Where you do have, there's opportunity but where you can't draw on the flexibility as with the above, you just have to make do with what you have

Also, just for clarity it's AMEX and Ferni approach (not RP) and dragon and ebp has a cpd of circa 0.7, so not sure how that can be average??

ebp is 0.8%. There's a $1k p/m fee free allowance but after that it's a hard 0.8, and 1k p/m doesn't go far. Perhaps we'll say 0.799 instead I prefer to think of it as a surprise bonus to the formula. As for ferni's rates, I don't have them on hand, but anyone who does can do the calculation for themselves. I have seen them before and they did not work for me but I think pointing out all that I have above re: stretching as much value as I can out of these payments with what I consider to be minimal overhead (I just update a spreadsheet as I go to track my monthly limits and due dates) I don't think I'm the target audience for any of the past or present AMEX-based providers.

 

[Bell21]

All what you say makes sense - I think it's very much YMMV - it's a combination of points value, points you want to earn, and possibly how hard you want to 'play the game' - I get the sense you're a bit more willing to 'churn' than I am.

Sorry to be clear, I meant ebp cpp - it's about 0.7 ppc (conservatively). Ferni is now 1.77% (if you can claim GST), which is circa 1.1 cpp on AMEX Plat.

 

[Ghostdunks]

Can I ask why people are pairing EBP with dragon? Isn't that unnecessarily introducing a middleman(for an extra 0.02% fee) when its not required with dragon?

 

[Bell21]

From memory (happy to be corrected), I think ebp fee is GST inclusive?

 

[amaroo]

Is there a cap on dragon spend? I couldn't see in T&C's.

<snip>

Also does EBP have a limit? TIA

There is no cap for the dragon.... if that's your Q. If its related to some sort of EBP cap - I'm not sure. FWIW I've put through >$120k on ANZ black in the past week as they have a current 1p/$ uncapped bonus. No issue with EBP so far, I'm about to purchase a Hilux via EBP as the dealer wants a 1.2% fee.