Card Offers Westpac Altitude Black offers: 120,000 Qantas or Velocity Points (expires 30/4/25)

[lovetravellingoz]

Altitude Black | Westpac

Help takes your rewards to new heights
Offer ends 5 September 2018. One application, two great Rewards cards.

Receive 80,000 bonus Qantas Points
When you apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new Westpac Altitude Black Mastercard® within 90 days of Card approval.#

plus

Receive 40,000 bonus Qantas Points
When you apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express® Westpac Altitude Black Card within 90 days of Card approval.^


= 120,000 in total. Or just grab the 80,000 if you can only spend $3000 within 90 days.

PS: Perfect timing for my wife as her 12 month waiting period concludes today 17 July 2018

 

[Dr Ralph]

I assume that applying for this card will stuff up the 18 month exclusion period on regular AMEX cards.

 

[knightfall88]

Are you able to just apply for the Mastercard only?

 

[Dr Ralph]

Are you able to just apply for the Mastercard only?

Comments on OzBargain suggest this is possible, but probably against the spirit of the offer.

 

[knightfall88]

Comments on OzBargain suggest this is possible, but probably against the spirit of the offer.

Thanks. Interesting.
Any chance anyone knows the lowest limit for Platinum vs the Black. Edit: Found the answer: 15k vs 6k.
Reason is that theres existing Westpac Platinum Visa + Amex bundle:
Altitude Platinum | Westpac

And the platinum offers 75k for the 3k spend vs the 80k on the Black for the 3k spend. The amex 3k would be significantly tougher given not many places take amex so I've written that off.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I assume that applying for this card will stuff up the 18 month exclusion period on regular AMEX cards.

Or you can the view that this allows one to get the points now and thereby get around the 18 month exclusion. Especially as the sign-on bonii available on Amex Cards have in the main been slashed of late.

So 40K for $0 in bird in the hand vs unknown benefit later. With 12 month Westpac exclusion might even be able to get this deal twice before the 18 month would expire as well

 

[Dr Ralph]

Or you can the view that this allows one to get the points now and thereby get around the 18 month exclusion. Especially as the sign-on bonii available on Amex Cards have in the main been slashed of late.

Not sure why I would take 40,000 now rather than wait until my exclusion period is up with AMEX in another 12 months and get 100,000+ sign up with one of AMEX's cards.

In any case, it's moot, as I'm on a 12 month exclusion period with Westpac.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

in another 12 months and get 100,000+ sign up with one of AMEX's cards.

.

As mentioned in my post above Amex has of late dropped their sign on bonus rates...so I think the only 100K+ offer at present is the Charge Card with its hefty card fee?

Who knows what will be on offer in a year or more. Could be less, could be more, could be what they are now. They may even have dropped there exclusion period


In any case I posted the offer as I am sure that there are many like me who still have an Amex to milk the 2 or 3 point earn rate and this allows them to grab some extra points as well.

 

[Dr Ralph]

As mentioned in my post above Amex has of late dropped their sign on bonus rates...so I think the only 100K+ offer at present is the Charge Card with its hefty card fee?

Who knows what will be on offer in a year or more. Could be less, could be more, could be what they are now. They may even have dropped there exclusion period

Whilst no one can 100% predict the future, the past is a very good guide to what will happen.

There will be very likely be 100,000+ points offering in 12 months time when my exclusion period ends and it's highly unlikely that AMEX will drop their 18 month exclusion period.

I'd much rather wait to see what happens then take a low offer. But others may definitely be in a different position.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Not sure why 120K of points now for $0 is a low offer? Each to their own I guess. It is up to each of us to decide what opportunities to take or ignore. I am sure this will suit some though. but yes not others.

As for history. I have only been a dedicated points hunter for 2 decades now, and semi-serious for a decade before that and my history would show that offers and conditions come and go. ANZ Bank for one have had periods of time where various terms have allowed exploitation. My biggest hauls have come from new opportunities though.

Very high widespread sign-on bonii have in the main only been a relatively new thing in the Australian market. But yes probably 3 decades ago a Diners Club Card was my first sign on bonus.

I would love the point spend promos to return as they were very lucrative for many a year. However despite that long and lucrative history they remain now in short supply.

The only real constant IMO is that there will always be some way to milk the system to advantage Sign-on bonii is one, but only one, of many current opportunities. There is not just one way to milk things.

Opportunities vary for both earn and burn for each of us.

Just posted this opportunity to spread the love.

 

[mviy]

Not sure why 120K of points now for $0 is a low offer?

The 80,000 for the Mastercard is good (not the best offer from any bank but a good amount).

It's the 40,000 for the Amex which is small compared with the 100,000 points offered from time to time by a direct Amex and would reset the exclusion period for that. Getting both the Mastercard and Amex now means 2 credit enquiries which lowers the credit score and potentially makes it harder to apply for other cards. One needs to be careful what one applies for when churning a lot.

The only real constant IMO is that there will always be some way to milk the system to advantage Sign-on bonii is one, but only one, of many current opportunities. There is not just one way to milk things.

Opportunities vary for both earn and burn for each of us.

For me sign up bonuses are the main way I earn points. I need at least 256K for return J to LHR or 384K for return F yet as a WP I only get about 60K points for a return discount J to LHR. If I only relied on points from flying it'd take me a number of years to save up enough points for the travel on points I'd like to do.

Putting a few hundred thousand a year through credit cards may be realistic for some, but for me I don't know how many years it would take.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Geeze. Tough crowd today. I almost feel ashamed now at only posting a 120K of points deal for $0 fees.

Most bank offers at present do not waive the yearly fee. But hey I take most good deals. This is just one of many credit cards that my wife and I will take this year, and have been taking for decades when they come up. In the last two decades I have paid for only two long haul international return flights with all the others having been redemptions. One was a great deal to NY and the other were $20 Starlclass Fares to Bali. All the others for a family of 5 have been redemptions.

. If I only relied on points from flying it'd take me a number of years to save up enough points for the travel on points I'd like to do. .

Ironically I earn far more points today when I rarely pay for a flight, than back two decades ago when I was a flight warrior flying weekly at a companies expense.

Putting a few hundred thousand a year through credit cards may be realistic for some, but for me I don't know how many years it would take.

There are many ways to earn points. I believe in milking as many as I can. Some you have to think outside the square for. While I do spend a fair few $$$ via CC, I don't pump through a few hundred thousand per year. But despite redeeming regularly, I still currently have over 4 million points at KF, Velocity and QFF and I plan to keep adding to the tally.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

credit enquiries which lowers the credit score and potentially makes it harder to apply for other cards. One needs to be careful what one applies for when churning a lot.

.

If I had of followed that logic I would have forgone millions in FF sign on bonii.

Will have to see how the new regime goes though.

 

[blacksultan]

Are you able to just apply for the Mastercard only?

AyES. dON`T TICK THE relevant box.

 

[blacksultan]

Altitude Black | Westpac

Help takes your rewards to new heights
Offer ends 5 September 2018. One application, two great Rewards cards.

Receive 80,000 bonus Qantas Points
When you apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new Westpac Altitude Black Mastercard® within 90 days of Card approval.#

plus

Receive 40,000 bonus Qantas Points
When you apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express® Westpac Altitude Black Card within 90 days of Card approval.^


= 120,000 in total. Or just grab the 80,000 if you can only spend $3000 within 90 days.

PS: Perfect timing for my wife as her 12 month waiting period concludes today 17 July 2018

Just my luck I was approved for the Platinum Altitude on Sat. Called to ask if I can upgrade to Black now that there is $0 annual fee offer.
was informed since the card has been dispatched. I should have it activated at branch and then get a personal banker to switch..
anyone can throw more light on this ?

 

[Dr Ralph]

Geeze. Tough crowd today. I almost feel ashamed now at only posting a 120K of points deal for $0 fees.

I don't think anyone was criticising your efforts in letting people know about this deal. Rather making sure everyone was fully informed so they can make their own informed decisions.

For me this isn't an option because of the impact it has on my AMEX exclusion period. This is definitely something people should be aware of.

 

[mviy]

Just my luck I was approved for the Platinum Altitude on Sat. Called to ask if I can upgrade to Black now that there is $0 annual fee offer.
was informed since the card has been dispatched. I should have it activated at branch and then get a personal banker to switch..
anyone can throw more light on this ?

As you've applied and been approved for the Platinum I think you'd be ineligible for the Black sign up offer under the T&Cs. If the bank chooses to give you an exception to this that's great, but I'd want something in writing.

 

[opusman]

I've missed something I think, are co-branded Amex cards now issued directly by Amex? What happens if you already have the maximum number of direct Amex cards they allow?

 

[mviy]

It’s due to the RBA crackdown on transaction fees for cards. The banks can’t charge enough to justify the points an Amex needs to provide to be attractive to use instead of Visa/MasterCard, but cards issued direct by Amex still can.

 

[PDog]

Mastercard looks good (I’m sitting out my Amex ban, and will wait for a referral from my husband in Nov), but can’t apply until after the 21st of Sept as I had the platinum last year.

Does anyone have any experience with Westpac extending their offers?