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

[33kft]

Has anyone had success in meeting the Amex $3,000 spend criteria with ATO payments?

It's specifically excluded for the mastercard but nothing about the ATO is mentioned for Amex

You can meet min spend with ATO, but the points for the transaction (that you earn on top of the bonus points) will be half of the normal earn rate. Not a bad deal if you wouldn't meet the min spend otherwise, or if you were always planning to pay ATO on AMEX. The surcharge is pretty high so it only makes sense with a new card bonus imho.

 

[jingles]

You can meet min spend with ATO, but the points for the transaction (that you earn on top of the bonus points) will be half of the normal earn rate. Not a bad deal if you wouldn't meet the min spend otherwise, or if you were always planning to pay ATO on AMEX. The surcharge is pretty high so it only makes sense with a new card bonus imho.

Thanks.

Yeah the fee is on the high side (which is why I was going to do it on the MC until I checked the conditions) however with one transaction I can easily take care of the Amex spend, which for the convenience makes the fee worth it.

 

[Cynicor]

May I have the bpay biller code for the amex if anyone knows it? I want to prepay some cash to the card to pay a bill over my limit.
Also, I assume the card number for reference will be fine?
thanks!

 

[33kft]

Sure, biller code is 5082 and reference is your card number.

 

[Cynicor]

Sure, biller code is 5082 and reference is your card number.

Thank you!

 

[Dr Ralph]

May I have the bpay biller code for the amex if anyone knows it? I want to prepay some cash to the card to pay a bill over my limit.
Also, I assume the card number for reference will be fine?
thanks!

Be warned about prepaying. Putting your AMEX into credit will cause serious problems. Expect a block on your account. It's happened to me several times and has been widely reported on AFF.

 

[TahoeSkier]

Hi guys - some advice would be ace.

Applied for this combo, MC approved and I have already met the spend. I was actually rejected for the Amex - simple thing that I am sure I could clear up over the phone and gain approval. But I am thinking - maybe I just let it go, and instead apply for a more 'lucrative' Amex deal in the future.

Question is, is it in my best interest to 'clear up' the rejection and gain approval even if I don't activate/use the card, or should I just leave it?

 

[RoMambai]

But I am thinking - maybe I just let it go, and instead apply for a more 'lucrative' Amex deal in the future.

Question is, is it in my best interest to 'clear up' the rejection and gain approval even if I don't activate/use the card, or should I just leave it?

Getting approved for this bank-issued Amex will not preclude you from then signing up for an Amex offer down the track.

If you then proceed with the application, it would make sense to go through with the minimum spend ($3000) and then close it soon after. Amex are paying out bonuses nigh immediately so you won't be waiting long (you still have to wait for your monthly sweep). I applied for this card in late November, got the points 2 days ago and will cancel when I'm back in Australia next week. I then aim to apply for the Amex Explorer before 14 Jan and bag the 100,000 bonus before al nakba on 15 April.

 

[33kft]

Careful, this isn't a bank issued AMEX. It's an AMEX issued card which forms a bundle that Westpac markets.

This is why it's possible to be approved for the MC and not the AMEX, it's two different institutions doing the credit assessment.

 

[RoMambai]

Careful, this isn't a bank issued AMEX. It's an AMEX issued card which forms a bundle that Westpac markets.

This is why it's possible to be approved for the MC and not the AMEX, it's two different institutions doing the credit assessment.

I spoke to Amex who confirmed I would be eligible for both. Plenty of folk upthread seem to also have achieved the double. I'm pretty confident about this but like everything in life YMMV.

 

[33kft]

I spoke to Amex who confirmed I would be eligible for both. Plenty of folk upthread seem to also have achieved the double. I'm pretty confident about this but like everything in life YMMV.

It may not affect your eligibility but it certainly absolutely definitely is an AMEX issued card The giveaways being the AMEX credit check, the card being in your AMEX app/site and not Westpac's, the fact that there are two different accounts rather than one and the fact that you deal directly with AMEX. I am no longer a westpac customer in that I have cancelled the WBC MC, but I am certainly still an AMEX customer with the AMEX card that I will be getting rid of soon.

As for whether it really does affect eligibility, I can't say because I also hold another AMEX card and it's neither here nor there to me, but to be sure it doesn't, you'd need to be outside of the exclusion period with AMEX, apply and receive this card and apply for another AMEX card within the 18 month period following any closure that you may or may not do with the AMEX card.

My reading of the posts in this thread suggest that it won't affect the 18 month exclusion period for AMEX bonuses, would be great to have someone confirm it in practice.

 

[RoMambai]

This issue is also splashed over pointshack and Ausbt. I think you're right about this being an Amex issued card but nonetheless it seems to be categorised as a bank issued ones (which I'm not entirely sure they do anymore so perhaps this is now the new m.o). Either way, if the broadsheets are running with it and people upthread have gotten the bonus, I'd be liking my chances (to say nothing that I was told as much by an Amex rep themselves).

 

[33kft]

So you have sparked my interest here because I am now thinking with the upcoming deval of my other AMEX card, I am best to hold onto the WBC AMEX, cancel my current AMEX and I'll be able to apply for any AMEX bonus point offers in 18 months whilst holding an AMEX card the whole time - a very good deal.

So I have gone to find these posts referenced which show other people confirming this in practice and what I have found is:

On pointhacks (as you mentioned): However, for bonus points eligibility, this card is considered to be a bank-issued card, so won’t affect your eligibility for bonus points on American Express-issued cards

But there are no confirmations I can find in these 15 pages of someone having applied for AMEX cards after this card/or while holding it who still got the bonus. There are lots of people who reported, just like me, getting the Westpac bundle 40K AMEX bonus while holding an existing AMEX card but this is a question of whether this card counts towards the 18 month exclusion with AMEX or not.

It seems like it should work and I'm happy that's the case, I guess I'll give it a try and find out, but it is a long time to wait to find out the bad news if not.

Edit: Have read as much as I can to back this up which consists of Pointhacks' article (says that they confirmed it with WBC). Would be nice if it were written in T&Cs somewhere as I can see it being an issue down the track. I'll give it a go. Calling up AMEX tomorrow to cancel the other card

 

[Scr77]

I received the Westpac/Amex 90k points (around September) and then applied for the 100k explorer card. Received amex points as soon as spend was made.

 

[RoMambai]

No worries 33kft I also agonised over this for the same reasons you outlined. Speaking with Amex directly allayed my fears. I'm glad you're now more confident to proceed.

In my case my 18-month moratorium on the Amex-issued cards ends on 3 Jan which will give me 4 months to rack up as many points as possible and transfer the loot before mid April. The Explorer is calling out to me but I'm also now wondering whether to keep my powder dry in case there's another big one just around the corner. I have a feeling in my water the Velocity Platinum is due for another large one. Oh, the trevails of points hunters.

 

[TahoeSkier]

Careful, this isn't a bank issued AMEX. It's an AMEX issued card which forms a bundle that Westpac markets.

This is why it's possible to be approved for the MC and not the AMEX, it's two different institutions doing the credit assessment.

So given I was rejected for the Amex portion of the bundle, would it be advisable to contact Amex and try to gain approval, even if I don't use the card, so as to avoid having a 'rejection' against my name? Or no big deal?

 

[RoMambai]

If the rejection has already been recorded there is little to be gained by tilling old soil.

 

[exceladdict]

So given I was rejected for the Amex portion of the bundle, would it be advisable to contact Amex and try to gain approval, even if I don't use the card, so as to avoid having a 'rejection' against my name? Or no big deal?

If the rejection has already been recorded there is little to be gained by tilling old soil.

I would certainly call and try to find out why. At the least you'll be better informed for next time. Best case scenario they may have made an error or you may have mistyped something and you'll get the card and bonus points

 

[nickfromeastryde]

It may have been available prior to 1 Jan but closed both the Mastercard and AMEX online today as part of my strategy to reduce cards and start the clock ticking on serving the exclusion periods

Much more pleasant to do it this way (wasn't chasing any retention bonus) and added advantage of email confirmation already received and filed making it easier to keep track of my card closure dates

 

[bullerdude]

Had two statements now for the mastercard but no posting of bonus points
Amex posted within days of achieving spend criteria.