VA Global Wallet

[Denali]

I'm carrying an extra bag tag because it does have the VA logo on it. . .

Ive been wondering about this as Ive read this thread. Ive not paid too much attention to the tags but they do have the Virgin logo on it by memory.

I only use the tags on my carryon luggage.

 

[anat0l]

There has been many times, when I presented the GW and the other (QC) cards, and they say, (the sales staff), er, um, excuse me, but we don't accept that card, would you like to pay by other means? (!!!)...
Because, you have to tap with the visa/mastercard side facing downwards, so the FF membership side is facing upwards, and I have to keep explaining that its a prepaid visa/mastercard, and can be used at EFTPOS terminals.
It even happened at a Stamford Hotel.
One thing I would love to have had, is that if the VAFF card/GW card, had the bar coded line coming down, like the QC card, so that I could just present the card at VA checkin, instead of having to check in with an ipod, and face that downwards onto the VA gate scanner.
Then having to turn ipod and wifi device off before getting onto the plane.

I can only speak from my experience of using Qantas Cash, but I don't see why the difference with Global Wallet.

I've used the card extensively in spurts, at various merchants - corner stores, fruit shops, supermarkets, hotels, government authorities, post offices.... all with no problem at all. (Had to do plenty of them with signatures too, because I can't remember the immutable PIN to save my life, though I should get used to it soon given the restrictions coming on 1 August).

I can understand sometimes that merchants would rather be safe rather than sorry, even if it costs them a sale, but no more power to those idiots / ignorami, sorry.

 

[erkpod]

I had to tell the EY guy checking me in at AUH 5 times that the VFF info was on the other side of the GW & that it was a VA card.

Is VA the only airline in the world not to have their logo on their FF card?

 

[anat0l]

I had to tell the EY guy checking me in at AUH 5 times that the VFF info was on the other side of the GW & that it was a VA card.

Is VA the only airline in the world not to have their logo on their FF card?

Even if VA don't have their logo on the card, surely all of these partners have been given samples, dummy cards or graphics to assist them in recognising the correct cards to accept. For that matter, they may have been told that Virgin Australia frequent flyer members are known as Velocity. And it is not as if Velocity have just done this change overnight and there has been no time to push out the notification of a change in design or something like that.

Says a lot about the training of the staff in those respective partners, i.e. not good.

 

[erkpod]

Even if VA don't have their logo on the card, surely all of these partners have been given samples, dummy cards or graphics to assist them in recognising the correct cards to accept. For that matter, they may have been told that Virgin Australia frequent flyer members are known as Velocity. And it is not as if Velocity have just done this change overnight and there has been no time to push out the notification of a change in design or something like that.

Says a lot about the training of the staff in those respective partners, i.e. not good.

You'd think so but here we are....

I've had issues on VX, DL, SQ & now EY.

 

[blackcat20]

Even if VA don't have their logo on the card, surely all of these partners have been given samples, dummy cards or graphics to assist them in recognising the correct cards to accept. For that matter, they may have been told that Virgin Australia frequent flyer members are known as Velocity. And it is not as if Velocity have just done this change overnight and there has been no time to push out the notification of a change in design or something like that.

Says a lot about the training of the staff in those respective partners, i.e. not good.

The reaction I got from VX was "what would you like me to do with that?" when I presented my card... The VA logo would probably just help a little.

 

[anat0l]

The reaction I got from VX was "what would you like me to do with that?" when I presented my card....

Not to go off-topic, but frankly if the reaction was that kind of curt statement, I would have offered the repartee, "well, how about I see how far I can shove this card up your backside" if it wouldn't result in a dozen blue and black uniforms pointing their firearms at me.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If VX is Virgin America, as I think I saw, they might call in the TSA and say, that you have been less than manageable, and that you are under the influence of some drug of dependence, so I would not say, especially in the US, go and let me shove this card up your raxoo and see how far it would go.
Just like I certain would not go screaming past Australian airport's domestic security screaming that "I am not a Terrorist and I have rights not to be treated as one" especially when been asked aside to do the bomb residue testing.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

And On the Run franchisees, or are they franchisors, the ones that run the petrol stations, formerly Mobil I think, several times, I have tried tap and go, would not work, and had to insert the card into the bottom entry hole (not being rude), of the EFTPOS machine, and pressed CR and PIN it.
Never had this problem with my other bank cards with the paywave/paypass capability.
Must be all my fault, (add mild expletive here)!
The only reason I have GW & QC, is that apart from Flybuys and Everyday Rewards and Hudsons Coffee and Sushi Train, no other way to earn points, or airline mileage points (on the ground), I do not qualify for visa/mastercard (true) credit cards. They don't issue true credit cards to animals in Australia.

 

[carpenteria]

So with all this in mind, I was thinking of getting one of these to do some test run s with. Should I perhaps hold onto my original Velocity card just in case when I travel overseas, is that allowed?

 

[QF WP]

Can't see any reason why both cards won't work for the Virgin/Velocity requirements (until your original review date). Card expiry date is a month later.

 

[Jack_OC]

They're gradually sending them out to everyone as far as I understand it. I randomly received a Global Wallet card while still Red, even though I was only 2 weeks away from hitting Silver - and I had forward bookings sufficient to take me right through to Gold at the time so it's not like they couldn't have predicted my status was about to change! So right now I'm waiting for my third new Velocity card since March! I've since opted out of Global Wallet BTW, and hoping my soon to arrive Gold card will be a normal one.

Don't count on it - As I said, I've done the same, and they wouldn't budge for me...

Just to report that I received my new Velocity Gold card today, and in line with my opt-out request, it's an old-style standard card, not a Global Wallet one. So in the past 2 months my wife and I have both received standard cards after opting out of Global Wallet, despite both having received Global Wallet cards earlier this year. This leads me to conclude that whoever told you they don't make standard cards anymore was telling porkies. It also really wouldn't make sense to have an option to opt-out of receiving a Global Wallet card online, if in practice you are going to receive a Global Wallet card anyway, so I'm pretty sure that's not what's supposed to happen. I'd try calling them again if I was you, assuming you still want a "normal" Velocity card.

 

[markis10]

Can't see any reason why both cards won't work for the Virgin/Velocity requirements (until your original review date). Card expiry date is a month later.

Think a few are tinged with the QF cash experience where card replacement killed the original the moment it was put in the envelope for posting.

 

[Intra]

Just to report that I received my new Velocity Gold card today, and in line with my opt-out request, it's an old-style standard card, not a Global Wallet one. So in the past 2 months my wife and I have both received standard cards after opting out of Global Wallet, despite both having received Global Wallet cards earlier this year. This leads me to conclude that whoever told you they don't make standard cards anymore was telling porkies. It also really wouldn't make sense to have an option to opt-out of receiving a Global Wallet card online, if in practice you are going to receive a Global Wallet card anyway, so I'm pretty sure that's not what's supposed to happen. I'd try calling them again if I was you, assuming you still want a "normal" Velocity card.

Called for a 3rd time in as many weeks, agent told me they only issued the Global Wallet cards... She was making up stuff on-the-spot as she went along as to the Why of it, and how Partner Airlines should now recognise the card as Virgin Australia... I let her off the hook, told her to pass on some feedback, and gave up....

Who the heck do I need to speak to get a standard VA card? How is it you get one and I can't for the life of me... And yes, having the option online to receive a standard card yet not being able to use said option is stupid. Then again, how many times has the VA websites made any sense....

 

[Jack_OC]

Called for a 3rd time in as many weeks, agent told me they only issued the Global Wallet cards... She was making up stuff on-the-spot as she went along as to the Why of it, and how Partner Airlines should now recognise the card as Virgin Australia... I let her off the hook, told her to pass on some feedback, and gave up....

Who the heck do I need to speak to get a standard VA card? How is it you get one and I can't for the life of me... And yes, having the option online to receive a standard card yet not being able to use said option is stupid. Then again, how many times has the VA websites made any sense....

Bizarre. By the way, it just occurred to me that there is no possible way they can only be issuing GW cards from now on. The reason is, to be eligible for a GW card, you must be at least 18 years of age and have an Australian address. There would have to be hundreds of thousands of Velocity members who do not meet those requirements.

Anyway, I think this warrants a post in the Ask Velocity Frequent Flyer thread. The VFF rep should be able to clear this up.

 

[pythonisman]

So when I received my re-qual'd Platinum card (GW), I called and asked for a standard one, and an extra luggage tag as some of mine have shattered.

"No problems" I was told. About 4 days later I got a new membership card, but it was also Global Wallet. I called and indicated there was a mistake and was told that they only issue GW cards now, and that I couldn't get another one.

Yesterday I got home and had 2 letters from Velocity. One had a new luggage tag, and the other had a new, non-GW standard Platinum membership card with the correct 2015 review date on it. The new cards also now have "Loyalty program of" above the Virgin Australia logo.

In summary:
- It's definitely physically possible to get a standard card
- I now have two non activated GW Platinum cards and one standard platinum card...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

There is an advantage of having VAGW, especially for those who do not want to spend the bank's money and then pay them back. Like me, I only have either of the Visa/Mastercard (debits for both)...
And the VAGW.
And the QFCC.
My only moan is that they take so long for money to transfer across.
And if these 2 had BSBs, wow, then I could get my payers to put my payments straight into these 2 accounts!
My gripe is that for the VAGW, transfers appear after a few hours, but they then need "approval" and this is the thing that takes the longest time.
For QFQC, it just takes so long.
VAGW should also have barcodes on them. Not for buying things, but for the purposes of a paperless check in, and plane boarding process.

 

[markis10]

VAGW should also have barcodes on them. Not for buying things, but for the purposes of a paperless check in, and plane boarding process.

No reason to have an ugly barcode when they are already chipped for that purpose.

 

[brissyflyer]

I did a search and can't easily find an answer, when looking at the ATM fees for Global Wallet the Hong Kong fee is dramatically higher than anywhere else at HK$150 (A$20ish!!) whereas everywhere else seems to be around the $2-3 mark. Is this an error in the fee schedule as the website and PDS both say the same or is Hong Kong really high for some reason.

Looking at actually using this for an upcoming trip and seeing if the fees for cash are better than my CBA account.

Thanks!

 

[markis10]

Looking at actually using this for an upcoming trip and seeing if the fees for cash are better than my CBA account.

Thanks!

You should be looking at a Citibank Plus Debit Card if you want access to cash OS without a significant forex fee or ATM fee.