Steer clear of Qantas Cash

[scholar]

When QFF announced the Cash card I was interested, signed up, loaded funds, lost most of them to inactivity fees and still didn't learn my lesson.

We've just returned from a quick trip to NZ. In planning for the trip and watching the Aussie dollar falling, I decided to load a small sum of NZD onto Q'Cash for quick, easy and cheap (approx $2 atm fee) access to cash at ATM's in NZ.
First lesson, the ATM fees are cheap because the FX fees were 4.6%. My credit card is 'only' 3%! Ok, so the net fee on the credit card is still higher (3% FX + 3% cash advance).

Off to Queenstown with the kids!
First day, checked into the hotel and ran into town to grab some bread and milk for the kids breakfast .... I'd better get some cash out.
Second lesson, don't use Q'Cash, ever! I tried ATM's @ 3 banks plus a standard credit card purchase as the chemist. All were declined with the error the card had expired.
This seemed odd, the card arrived and as activated in Oct 14, expiry date on the card is 11/15, my QFF status hadn't changed, I'd even gone through the PIN retrieval process (Q'Cash customer service people recommend this in 9 out of 10 problems). At one ATM I intentionally tried a bogus PIN, oddly, the error I received was quite normal (Incorrect PIN).

Now we're not talking vast sums here, I had only loaded $500 AUD on top of an existing $20.90 AUD Q'Cash balance.
And no one was going to go hungry with plenty of credit card funds available.
But the kick in the Derick (sorry Derick's) is that upon returning to Sydney I logged into Q'Cash to send the inaccessible funds back into the bank - no fees right!
Upon doing so, the total sum to be sent to my account was $467.62 ..... ahhhh, there's that pesky 4.6% again!

So to summarize, the whole experience provided zero benefit at only 10.22% fees (and FX rate changes)!.
If you take anything away from my tale, please make it the lesson I didn't learn


RK

 

[Red Roo]

When QFF announced the Cash card I was interested, signed up, loaded funds, lost most of them to inactivity fees and still didn't learn my lesson.

We've just returned from a quick trip to NZ. In planning for the trip and watching the Aussie dollar falling, I decided to load a small sum of NZD onto Q'Cash for quick, easy and cheap (approx $2 atm fee) access to cash at ATM's in NZ.
First lesson, the ATM fees are cheap because the FX fees were 4.6%. My credit card is 'only' 3%! Ok, so the net fee on the credit card is still higher (3% FX + 3% cash advance).

Off to Queenstown with the kids!
First day, checked into the hotel and ran into town to grab some bread and milk for the kids breakfast .... I'd better get some cash out.
Second lesson, don't use Q'Cash, ever! I tried ATM's @ 3 banks plus a standard credit card purchase as the chemist. All were declined with the error the card had expired.
This seemed odd, the card arrived and as activated in Oct 14, expiry date on the card is 11/15, my QFF status hadn't changed, I'd even gone through the PIN retrieval process (Q'Cash customer service people recommend this in 9 out of 10 problems). At one ATM I intentionally tried a bogus PIN, oddly, the error I received was quite normal (Incorrect PIN).

Now we're not talking vast sums here, I had only loaded $500 AUD on top of an existing $20.90 AUD Q'Cash balance.
And no one was going to go hungry with plenty of credit card funds available.
But the kick in the Derick (sorry Derick's) is that upon returning to Sydney I logged into Q'Cash to send the inaccessible funds back into the bank - no fees right!
Upon doing so, the total sum to be sent to my account was $467.62 ..... ahhhh, there's that pesky 4.6% again!

So to summarize, the whole experience provided zero benefit at only 10.22% fees (and FX rate changes)!.
If you take anything away from my tale, please make it the lesson I didn't learn


RK

Sorry to hear of this unhappy Qantas Cash experience. So I can follow up for you, please send me a private message with your Frequent Flyer number as reference.

 

[froggerADL]

You need a Citibank Plus debit card for ATM withdrawls and a 28Degrees credit card. No fees and the best exchange rate. Lots of info on this forum on both.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

While I do realise this is not my OP/thread, here is what happened to me, in regards to QCC.
I used my QCC at the Novotel Auckland airport, on check out, (not for a deposit on checkin), and guess what happened?
The card was rejected/dishonoured. The PIN number I entered was correct, I know it was correct.
So, had to use a non earning Visa debit to pay for the purchases at that hotel (very recently).
Back a few weeks ago, also, at a merchant in Aust, (BP/On the Run in Adelaide), the QCC also got rejected/dishonoured. That time, I had the QCC PS as spare, was using the QCC red, red got rejected. So got using QCC PS card.
This time, had the QCC SG card as spare, as the QCC PS card got rejected. Am now using the SG card.
I didn't make a fuss, but am now wary about using the QCC at anywhere except Coles/Woolworths,
I don't know how the merchant's staff can make a card go bad, maybe they think its a FF card, and don't turn the card over, and reject it just because it looks like a normal FF card, ...
I am now scared.
VGW has never gone "rogue" on me.

 

[tomlee1986]

That is no good.. hope my trip to HK will be smooth too!

 

[UP4014]

There seems to be a few bad experiences with the cash card.

Use QF for a plane ride and use a bank for a debit or credit card.

Matt

 

[Deleted member]

When QFF announced the Cash card I was interested, signed up, loaded funds, lost most of them to inactivity fees and still didn't learn my lesson.

We've just returned from a quick trip to NZ. In planning for the trip and watching the Aussie dollar falling, I decided to load a small sum of NZD onto Q'Cash for quick, easy and cheap (approx $2 atm fee) access to cash at ATM's in NZ.
First lesson, the ATM fees are cheap because the FX fees were 4.6%. My credit card is 'only' 3%! Ok, so the net fee on the credit card is still higher (3% FX + 3% cash advance).

Off to Queenstown with the kids!
First day, checked into the hotel and ran into town to grab some bread and milk for the kids breakfast .... I'd better get some cash out.
Second lesson, don't use Q'Cash, ever! I tried ATM's @ 3 banks plus a standard credit card purchase as the chemist. All were declined with the error the card had expired.
This seemed odd, the card arrived and as activated in Oct 14, expiry date on the card is 11/15, my QFF status hadn't changed, I'd even gone through the PIN retrieval process (Q'Cash customer service people recommend this in 9 out of 10 problems). At one ATM I intentionally tried a bogus PIN, oddly, the error I received was quite normal (Incorrect PIN).

Now we're not talking vast sums here, I had only loaded $500 AUD on top of an existing $20.90 AUD Q'Cash balance.
And no one was going to go hungry with plenty of credit card funds available.
But the kick in the Derick (sorry Derick's) is that upon returning to Sydney I logged into Q'Cash to send the inaccessible funds back into the bank - no fees right!
Upon doing so, the total sum to be sent to my account was $467.62 ..... ahhhh, there's that pesky 4.6% again!

So to summarize, the whole experience provided zero benefit at only 10.22% fees (and FX rate changes)!.
If you take anything away from my tale, please make it the lesson I didn't learn


RK

Yep, same experience.
Mrs GPH who keeps an eye on such things says just use my 28 deg card. Better deal all round.

Late edit: Mrs GPH points out we don't use 28 Deg for cash withdrawals.

 

[Daver6]

That is no good.. hope my trip to HK will be smooth too!

I had issues getting cash out at the airport on arrival. Card worked fine everywhere else. Extremely frustrating.

 

[Mr_Orange]

You need a Citibank Plus debit card for ATM withdrawls and a 28Degrees credit card. No fees and the best exchange rate. Lots of info on this forum on both.

One credit card alternative is a Bankwest Platinum or higher card as the forex fees are waived. If you go for the QFF card then earn points on your foreign spend too, which is nice. Annual fees do apply though, unlike 28 Degrees.

 

[Pvcmenace]

I had no problems with it in Germany, Netherlands and France last year. Funny thing is there were problems with the 28 degrees card.

 

[samh004]

Not had any troubles in Australia, however haven't used it overseas.

 

[snabbu]

You need a Citibank Plus debit card for ATM withdrawls and a 28Degrees credit card. No fees and the best exchange rate. Lots of info on this forum on both.

This imho really is the solution to all overseas transactions, bar none.

 

[pshepvic]

I've used the QCC in NZ, a number of European countries, China, Hong Kong, and even Japan which is notorious for ATM issues and it has been fine.

The only issue was Hong Kong where it took me three different ATMs to realise the keypads there are the opposite way around and I'd been putting the PIN in incorrectly the whole time!

 

[JohnK]

Yep, same experience.
Mrs GPH who keeps an eye on such things says just use my 28 deg card. Better deal all round.

I have a 28 Degrees card as a backup to cash.

Funny story in Batam a few weeks ago. I arrived around 8:30pm expecting to be picked up by shuttle bus. Had no rupiah. Exchange was open at the time but closed a few minutes later. Waited and waited but no shuttle. Thought I had better get some beers so went to ATM and withdrew 100,000 Rupiah. Got some beers. Waited and waited and still no shuttle. So now need a taxi. How much? 100,000 Rupiah. Back to ATM to get another 100,000 Rupiah.

The transactions appeared on my statement

22 BATAM IDN

[TD="align: right"]-$9.73
[/TD]

CASH ADVANCE FEE

[TD="align: right"]-$4.00
[/TD]

22 BATAM IDN

[TD="align: right"]-$9.73
[/TD]

CASH ADVANCE FEE

[TD="align: right"]-$4.00
[/TD]

I think that is funny. More than 40% cash advance fee. :shock:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Never had a problem having used in Japan, USA, Caribbean & Mexico - the latter when SO's NAB Travel card didn't work.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

#13, lucky, because with most ATMs and cards, if you enter your PIN 3 times wrongly, the machine would have swallowed up your card, as it happens here in Aust.

 

[pshepvic]

It was three different ATMs - I think it only swallows the card if you enter the wrong PIN 3 times on the same ATM doesn't it?

 

[harvyk]

Had no problems using it in Hong Kong last week. I did however test the card at SYD airport before leaving just to be on the safe side. I figure that on arrival into a foreign country is not the time to test to see if your money access methods are actually working.

 

[openseat]

You can use the QCC to buy tickets on Tigerair without fees. Just fill in the details as a debit mastercard.

 

[ABC1]

Just had a week in Honolulu. No problems at all.. Some places still wanted a signature, but others took the pin. My eldest daughter has just spent a month on the mainland USA, and apart from having to top it up, she too had no problems. I didn't take any cash out at ATM's, but my daughter did and was charged $1.95US or $2.40 AUD to do so.