Virgin Money Flyer 60,000/High Flyer 120,000, $129 flight voucher, annual fee $64/289

[ylkorea]

Anyone knows if spending on medical bill in public hospitals is counted for the point bonus?

 

[coyote25]

Anyone knows if spending on medical bill in public hospitals is counted for the point bonus?

I’m going to guess no as Government spend given they count some private energy companies as Government.

 

[PDog]

In this world of instant gratification - for W egc purchases - it is instant as a discount on the purchase price. Time value of money at work!

Not sure you can get physical cards anymore as a number of schemes have gone on cost cutting and no longer will mail out cards (major issue with getting Coles Myer group physical cards - sorry Coles Express but you're history since the change in early 2017).

Thanks for the correction!

 

[travelislife]

I’m going to guess no as Government spend given they count some private energy companies as Government.

It's just ridiculous this is a guessing game. And the call centre is no help. It should be so simple. The merchant codes would have all been allocated somewhere in the system.

 

[coyote25]

Okay got my first lot of 40k points after spending well over $3000 monthly requirement.

Now to work out what transactions counted as eligible spend as I’ll be closer to $3000 spend this month and what to not miss the target.

 

[RAM]

Okay got my first lot of 40k points after spending well over $3000 monthly requirement.

Now to work out what transactions counted as eligible spend as I’ll be closer to $3000 spend this month and what to not miss the target.

Good luck on that quest.

Unless you had a few chunky transactions it could turn into a linear programming challenge.

With some of the transactions counted/not counted (if call centre can be believed) it appears to partially be based on which sectors are (or were) predominantly some level of Govt owned (as a major source of not counted transactions).

So a Gym membership at a Council owned facility can count whereas a power bill from a private sector company may not count.

 

[scullkr]

Does anyone know if the 120,000 points offer for the High Flyer is a regular occurrence or was that very much a once off?

I’ll probably go for the card but I’m not in any rush so I might wait and see if the higher bonus happens regularly. My rent payments should help make the monthly spend achievable.

 

[kevrosmith]

Does anyone know if the 120,000 points offer for the High Flyer is a regular occurrence or was that very much a once off?

I’ll probably go for the card but I’m not in any rush so I might wait and see if the higher bonus happens regularly. My rent payments should help make the monthly spend achievable.

Not quite the full 120k points, but the current offer through the Velocity site is 105,000 points sign-up bonus.

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Specials/CreditCards/virgin-money-specials/

It's still higher than the 80,000 points being offered if you sign-up through the Virgin Money website direct.

 

[kevrosmith]

Applied a month ago, initially rejected due to not having FY2017 tax assessment available. Quickly submitted the tax return and sent that through, now approved. Having read through all 12 pages now, hoping people might be able to confirm some spend eligibility details:
Are any of the following not eligible for counting toward spend requirements for bonus points?

• BUPA health fund
• Telstra
• Buying WISH cards through CashRewards
• VA flights
• Thrifty car hire
• Gift cards through RACQ

Apart from diverting my usual spend for 3 months, I might pre-pay some bills for a few months, and then top up the spend buying WISH cards from CashRewards and then converting them to Visa 1 cards at Woolies. Alternatively, buying the $200 cards at Officeworks (with $7.95 card fee). Anyone see any problems with this approach?

Cashrewards and RACQ are my biggest concern in my list above.

Here is some data points as feedback. All the above posted 1 point per $ and therefore, I assume, counted toward the $3k in the first month. (I didn't end up using CashRewards at all as I could obtain discount and free postage on WISH cards via RACQ).

Payments to Ergon Energy also counted. I did three tested transactions: through Bpoint online, telephone payment and via B2BPay. All three transactions counted. B2BPay to ATO also ok. Telstra payment via online portal also ok as was Belong NBN payment (Telstra's LCC for NBN).

Only transaction that didn't count was International Transaction fee for an overseas payment I made. Points on the actual purchase counted, just not the transaction fee. That's as per T&Cs.

Other purchases were usual groceries, shops and general stuff. A couple hire cars via Thrifty and Avis, and Rental Car Toll Payments. All counted fine. Points and bonus points posted on the weekend as soon as the Credit Card Statement was issued.

Successful first month overall - now to pre-pay a few services for months 2 and 3.

 

[PDog]

Thinking of cancelling high flyer once month’s points arrive and applying for the velocity flyer. 60,000 points (spread over 3 months) will be good with a lower spend threshold.

 

[RAM]

Thinking of cancelling high flyer once month’s points arrive and applying for the velocity flyer. 60,000 points (spread over 3 months) will be good with a lower spend threshold.

Make sure you get your $129 Virgin travel voucher before you do!

 

[PDog]

Make sure you get your $129 Virgin travel voucher before you do!

Already used, ta!

 

[GSP]

Make sure you get your $129 Virgin travel voucher before you do!

Heh RAM, just on that. I'd assume once you receive your $129 voucher, you are free to close your Flyer card and not worry about your voucher being invalidated? Just want to check if there are any negative or positive experiences in this scenario?

Thanks

 

[GSP]

Just updating my experience. I rang to close my card today and they (after the arm wrestling) and they wanted to ensure i had got my $129 voucher so looks all good there. As part of the arm wrestle i was offered lifetime waiver for annual fee. I still declined but thought useful intel for any others who maybe not so certain to cancel.

 

[coyote25]

Just updating my experience. I rang to close my card today and they (after the arm wrestling) and they wanted to ensure i had got my $129 voucher so looks all good there. As part of the arm wrestle i was offered lifetime waiver for annual fee. I still declined but thought useful intel for any others who maybe not so certain to cancel.

You know if I was offered the lifetime fee waiver I think I’d take it for the $1 = 1 point earn rate.

Which card did you have? The Money Flyer or the High Flyer (I have the High Flyer).

Good news is got second batch of 40,000 points so only one more to go

 

[odysseus]

You know if I was offered the lifetime fee waiver I think I’d take it fir the $1 = 1 point earn rate.

Which card did you have? The Money Flyer or the High Flyer (I have the High Flyer).

Good news is got second batch of 40,000 points so only one more to go

Weird. You got your first lot 2 weeks after me... yet I'm still waiting for my second lot.

 

[GSP]

You know if I was offered the lifetime fee waiver I think I’d take it for the $1 = 1 point earn rate.

Which card did you have? The Money Flyer or the High Flyer (I have the High Flyer).

Good news is got second batch of 40,000 points so only one more to go

I just had the flyer.

 

[jetcam]

FYI - i applied for a qantas premium in feb. applied for the virgin high flyer in April. and was declined straigt away because citi issue both cards and applications were made within 90 days of each other. I dont know if this is a blanket rule across all citi issued cards but it would have been nice to know before i applied. hope this helps someone else. now i'm on the banned citi list for another 90 days.

 

[PDog]

FYI - i applied for a qantas premium in feb. applied for the virgin high flyer in April. and was declined straigt away because citi issue both cards and applications were made within 90 days of each other. I dont know if this is a blanket rule across all citi issued cards but it would have been nice to know before i applied. hope this helps someone else. now i'm on the banned citi list for another 90 days.

Thanks jetcam, good to know.
That’s a new rule as I applied for (& received) the HF a month - 31 days to be exact- after I applied for the Qantas card last year.

 

[GSP]

Oh. I just closed my Flyer card and are closing down my basic Citi Rewards next week, would i then have trouble going for the Qantas Premier card before the offer ends in June?