Westpac is capping rewards points monthly from June 17th 2013

[Pollywaffle]

Credit where credit's due. We got the letter advising of the pts limit but no invite for Black. Looked back through statements and I earn on average 15,000 pts a month so we'd have been impacted by at least 50%

Girlfriend (who is the account holder) phoned up today and asked if we could have Black and they said no problem - all done. No other changes to the account - so i assume we are still fee free for life (as she used to work for Westpac)

I've got the KrisFlyer cards. Not sure if they are also changing as I haven't looked into it. I am wary of changing anything because like your girlfriend, I am ex-staff and want to keep my benefits.

Would you mind asking her if she did keep the benefits? I would have thought a change in card is a change of account so staff benefits no longer apply.

Thanks, pw.

 

[djchuckles]

She asked if anything would change on her account with the new cards and they said no.

Guess we'll find out when it comes round to fee renewal time - if we get charged we'll just phone up and push the fact she is ex staff and therefore entitled to a fee free for life card

 

[Pollywaffle]

She asked if anything would change on her account with the new cards and they said no.

Guess we'll find out when it comes round to fee renewal time - if we get charged we'll just phone up and push the fact she is ex staff and therefore entitled to a fee free for life card

Bolding is mine.

Interesting. I did not think this was the case. I thought it was only for accounts held at the time of leaving. I'll have to ask some friends that still work there. I must admit I did not look too closely when I left.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Looking around isn't enough though... I've got a Diner's and refuse to pull it out at cafes and restaurants now as everyone laughs in your face (despite having a sticker on the window and being featured on the Diner's app). I use mine mostly online and with PayPal...

For 3 points per dollar, it's worth trying at places I regularly go to, and have been pleasantly surprised on a number of occasions and find myself going back there more often.

 

[strat]

so has anyone here received the actual black cards yet?

 

[AdMEL]

so has anyone here received the actual black cards yet?

Not yet, but expecting to receive them Thursday or Tuesday.

 

[strat]

Not yet, but expecting to receive them Thursday or Tuesday.

Cool, lets hope i see mine at the same time.. I think this time round we are going to be issued with new numbers if we choose to accept the cards??

not like the previous moves from gold to platinum etc.. we kept the same number??

 

[AdMEL]

Cool, lets hope i see mine at the same time.. I think this time round we are going to be issued with new numbers if we choose to accept the cards??

not like the previous moves from gold to platinum etc.. we kept the same number??

I doubt you'll receive yours that soon.

Definitely new card numbers.

 

[k3nnis]

I have a home loan with westpac with the premier advantage package. I currently have the Altitude Plat (non plus). According to the westpac website sicne I have the premier package I can have earth black or altitude play black fee free. Do I need to call up to get it or will they switch automatically? And I'm finding it hard to go for altitude or earth..... I am leaning towards altitude...

I guess the downside in changing cards is that I need to change my direct debit details...

Thanks,
K.

 

[kevrosmith]

I have a home loan with westpac with the premier advantage package. I currently have the Altitude Plat (non plus). According to the westpac website sicne I have the premier package I can have earth black or altitude play black fee free. Do I need to call up to get it or will they switch automatically? And I'm finding it hard to go for altitude or earth..... I am leaning towards altitude...

I guess the downside in changing cards is that I need to change my direct debit details...

Thanks,
K.

It really depends where you want your reward points to go? Earth goes solely toward QFF, while Altitude provides a wider range of options on how you use your points.

 

[k3nnis]

Understood. I think later down the track I will go QF but for now I think will go altitude for the flexibility, i.e. VA and MH.

It really depends where you want your reward points to go? Earth goes solely toward QFF, while Altitude provides a wider range of options on how you use your points.

 

[erwin]

OK, got the letter about the cap as well but no offer for the Black one yet which surprises me because I'm a frequent flyer freak and I get around 15-20 thousand points every month and last year I got a lot of point so I don't know if WPac wants to get rid of the ones who actually get a lot of points.

I will most definitely cancel my card if I don't get offered the new one and wanted to ask if anyone is going to upgrade the card online, I went there and the black card is already there for upgrade from an existing card but problem is that the new black one has a 18k minimum credit limit which is not what I have so I guess if I try to upgrade it may be declined and they may ask to increase the credit limit first. I know it's still in early stages but does anyone know anything about this? Has anyone upgraded online? Although I'm really waiting on the offer card to get the same annual fee as before...

 

[ij05]

I spoke to our banker about receiving the caps letter and no invite on that letter - and he said that the mail out of invites begins in the 2nd week of April (so assume Monday week), and that I will be receiving an invite in the mail on the current fee structure.
Considering I've got it included as part of my Premier Package at the moment, that'll mean fee free. Now I'm not sure if ill be receiving an invite because I asked the question, or as to whether that's the norm for everyone....

However, it is worth noting as pointed out earlier that the Black is advertised on the Westpac site as being an eligible card for the Premier Advantage package. As such this is a significant change from the Platinum Plus which wasn't. Many people who have a Premier Advantage package should probably look at this card now considering it'll be included in the overall fee structure.

 

[k3nnis]

I just increased my altitude plat credit limit to $18000 from $9000. Got approved straight away. I did it online. I also have the premier advantage package for my home loan via westpac which lets me get the black fee free. I will ask them to switch my cards next week.

 

[zzyss]

Where are people getting this info about the Premier Advantage Package getting Black fee free? The site (https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/home-loans/packages/home-loan-package/) just says "Savings on annual credit card fees" and I only just this morning had my big showdown with Westpac with the net result that I got DOWNGRADED from Plat Plus to Plat to retain fee-free status!!!?!!!

(I stayed because I couldn't decide how best to burn nearly 400k points if given 90 days expiry from cancelling...)

EDIT: just read the Benefits tab of that page. W.T.F. goddam_ why did it have to be Easter tomorrow. LOL. Boy now I feel like a dumbass.

 

[zzyss]

Alright. Just rang up to clarify. Talked to a very lovely "senior banker" by the name of Vicky. She told me that the Premier Package does qualify for fee-free Black, but it won't be available until after May (i.e. June). She tried putting it through for me manually but all the codes she tried wouldn't let her proceed. But she reassured me that I absolutely could, just that the web content guys had jumped the gun and put that info up too early.

So a quick call back in June should settle it. Huzzah.

 

[k3nnis]

Hi zzyss,

I have the premier advantage package for my homeloan from Westpac and got the black altitude approved over the phone....

I had the altitude plat mastercard/amex combo. Basically last week I increased my limit to $18000 as per requirements to get the black card. Then I called up and asked for a product switch from altitude platinum to the black. It took all of 5 mins and she put it on the computer and it went through ok. She said 5-7 working days my cards will be ready.... So maybe I was lucky? I won't say so until I get the cards though!

Cheers,
K.

 

[zzyss]

I had the altitude plat mastercard/amex combo. Basically last week I increased my limit to $18000 as per requirements to get the black card. Then I called up and asked for a product switch from altitude platinum to the black. It took all of 5 mins and she put it on the computer and it went through ok. She said 5-7 working days my cards will be ready.... So maybe I was lucky? I won't say so until I get the cards though!

That's great to hear - I hope you get your cards!

On my side I was very adamant that it would be correctly set up and linked to my Premier Advantage Package since I was promised this had been done for my old Platinum Plus (hence fee-free for life), and it wasn't, and every year for about 5 years I would have to ring up and beg for them to waive the annual fee. Even when I was "downgraded" from Plat Plus to Plat, the person I talked to said that after I received the cards, to ring them back to make sure that the codes were put in to have the annual fee waived.

 

[k3nnis]

Thanks. I hope I get them too! I will call up to activate and also ask them to check that my fees will be waived as well...

 

[Beta4Me]

Has anyone got their cards yet and/or does anyone know when they should start being sent out?