Westpac increasing all credit card annual fees on 15/6/23

[Mattg]

Effective 15 June 2023, Westpac will increase the annual fees on all of its Altitude Platinum and Black cards.

The new fees will be:

• Altitude Velocity & Qantas Platinum: $250 (was $200)
• Altitude Rewards Platinum: $175 (was $150)
• Altitude Velocity & Qantas Black: $370 (was $300)
• Altitude Rewards Black: $295 (was $250)

The fee increases will also apply to existing cardholders when the next annual fee is due.

Rewards cards changes

www.westpac.com.au

 

[cove]

I am on St George so it may take a few days for Westpac to get around to their other business names to increase annual fees.

 

[jastel]

Just got an email about this for my Qantas Black...not real happy.

The card fee has risen a bit...fair enough...but there is a $75 fee now just to get Qantas Points. From what I see this gets me nothing more than I already get and is just a gouge. What are they trying to do force you to get Altitude points instead...which cant be converted to Qantas Points.

Unfortunately I am not in a financial position currently to argue with them or apply for other cards, so will just have to suck it up.

 

[kpro]

The Amplify range across St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA has now increased too. Got an email today about my Amplify Platinum.

Platinum went from $99 fee to $124 + $75, so essentially doubled in price.
Signature was $279 and has increased to $295 + $75.

 

[flyingmachine]

When does Westpac usually charge the annual fee? Just got the credit card and wondering when I'll be stung..

 

[kerfuffle]

When does Westpac usually charge the annual fee? Just got the credit card and wondering when I'll be stung..

First bill

 

[Pele]

First bill

I just closed my card after receiving the first statement and managed to dodge the annual fee but couldn't dodge the $75 Qantas points fee.

 

[Lost Redditor]

No reason for anyone to pay the full fee when it's generously lowered for "existing customers". Just open a free savings account and apply from inside the netbank.
I think my first year fee for Westpack Velocity Black is $150

 

[jastel]

First year only was cheaper for existing customers but you dont get the extra bonus points that newbies do and you still have to pay the Qantas/Virgin fee unless you stay Altitude only.
I dodged the fee a few times while I had a loan and a friendly manager, but now no loan, no manager, full fee plus the $75 Qantas gouge.

How do you avoid that Airline fee?

 

[Lynda2475]

If you have a Westpac mortgage with an advantage package you can get any of those cards for free.

Lucky for me I was staff briefly and as long as you dont close an account the staff flag stays even after you quit, so when my mortgage ends next March my Altitude Black will remain free as staff flagged accounts dont pay any annual fees.

 

[Lost Redditor]

First year only was cheaper for existing customers but you dont get the extra bonus points that newbies do and you still have to pay the Qantas/Virgin fee unless you stay Altitude only.
I dodged the fee a few times while I had a loan and a friendly manager, but now no loan, no manager, full fee plus the $75 Qantas gouge.

How do you avoid that Airline fee?

Sorry, what "extra bonus points for newbies" are you referring to?

 

[jastel]

The 100000 points or whatever it is now, when you switch from another bank...and spend x amount in x time.

Post automatically merged: Jun 21, 2024

If you have a Westpac mortgage with an advantage package you can get any of those cards for free.

Lucky for me I was staff briefly and as long as you dont close an account the staff flag stays even after you quit, so when my mortgage ends next March my Altitude Black will remain free as staff flagged accounts dont pay any annual fees.

As I said no loan...no freebies.

 

[Lost Redditor]

The 100000 points or whatever it is now, when you switch from another bank...and spend x amount in x time.

The credit card sign-up bonus? You still get that even if you are an existing customer, as long as you haven't held any of their rewards cards in the last 12 month

 

[jastel]

There wouldn't be many existing customers without some kind of previous Wespac Credit Card these days...or even a few years back when I didnt get any points.

 

[QPProletarian]

From memory I was only paying $75 or so for the Qantas Black with no extra fees for QF direct earn, but my acct dates back almost 20 years as an earth card initially.

 

[jastel]

Yep had Earth before this as well. Been banking there for 40 years, parents 60 years...no love at all...you need 7 figures invested or a big loan to get any attention it seems.