Credit Card Rewards Schemes

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Cheers Cactus, best i get onto it!

 

No surcharge for the larger companies...I use MC is there is a surcharge.

 

Just don't give it to the wife who fails to ask the question "is there a surcharge for Amex"

 

I rarely travel so most of my reward points go towards Bunnings gift cards

The mastercard earns 0.66% (Bunnings $ per card spend $) vs amex 1.58%. Like most people I use the MC if amex isn't accepted or has a surcharge.

 

I've got the David Jones Amex and find it to be a great card. $99 annual fee only, and it earns you 1 point per $1 spent on regular purchases, 2 points per $1 spent at David Jones (a bit useless), but most importantly 3 points per $1 spent at major supermarkets and major servos.

Has anyone else got this card? Anyone has transfered points across to an airline rewards program?

 

I just came across this while googling info about credit cards rewards programs:

Compare Credit Card Rewards

Looks like the David Jones card is top of the list!

 

The Amex Platinum Edge is slightly more but gives you a free flight which offsets the annual charge. Point redemption though is the same. Amex Membership rewards is one of the more flexible points schems out there.

 

Just had a look on their website - it does look pretty good with the return domestic flight every year but I noticed it's only 2 points reward on fuel.

Also had a look at Amex's airline partners:
Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air New Zealand AirpointsTM , THAI Royal Orchid Plus, Malaysia Airlines Enrich and Cathay Pacific Asia MilesTM

It looks like Qantas is not in there, which is a bit of a shame. Unless Qantas shares the points system with another airline like Air NZ maybe?

 

When you follow the link on the Canstar website though the annual fee is stated at $295...

 

Yeah I have given up on QFF, so much easier for me to redeem/upgrade VA flights than QF.

 

@BennEznElle I think there are several cards - you are be looking at the more premium one called Platinum.

Check it out here:

Compare American Express David Jones & David Jones Platinum Cards

Also on the Canstar website you can see the fee is $99.

Hope this helps!

 

And I just realised you can choose QFF as a reward program on the Amex!
Gotta look into that!

 

All cards are pruning rewards. APRA are pushing it with capital adequacy rules and RBA pushing for lower intercharge fees which funds these freebies. It was never free.
ANZ halved its rewards... Canstar did a good review

The credit card reward schemes being trimmed

 

Velocity has by far the best balance of ease of accumulation, reward availability and out of pocket taxes cost on redemption.

I use:
Supermarket - Platinum Edge Amex - 3 Velocity Points / $
Petrol - Platinum Edge Amex - 2 Velocity Points / $
Every Amex is accepted no surcharge - ANZ Black AMEX - 1.5 Velocity Points / $
For Everything else theres Mastercard - ANZ Black MC - 0.625 Velocity Points / $

N.B The ANZ points are warehouse until the Bi-Annual 15/20% bonus on transfers meaning further benefit.

Sadly @Paul@PFI is right about the pruning, or "enhancements" as the marketers spin it. Both the reward points getting paid is being reduced and the number required to redeem a flight is getting increased regularly. Up until February it was worthwhile paying my PAYE & BAS on the master card, now it is not.

 

Except when Virgin sell $999 NY return flights or $839 LA. The fare itself has eroded the value of points really and since the cheapest seats arent available for FF use they are really overpricing the FF fare. Mates rates - They ramp up the price and then offer a token discount. Often the taxes arent far off a cheap fare.

Gimme discounted store prices (Aldi) and cheap shopping any day and I will buy my own cheapest fares. I'm way ahead. Cash savings are available on every airline, every seat and can be used on the cheapest seats.

 

Aldi is fine for most things, but i prefer meat for Safeway/Woolworths. Coles meat is the worst though IMO.

Virgin reward flight used to be (not sure now, but i believe it has recently changed) 94,000 points and $127 return. IF you don't pay surcharges, this is a pretty good deal.

I flew a family of 4 Melbourne-AbuDhabi-London & Rome-AbuDhabi-Melb for $600 in taxes last year. Again I think this is a pretty good deal. I also paid for 2 weeks car hire and a number of nights accom on points.

Each to their own though!

 

yeah with the help of pointshack.com.au, I flew my wife and I business class to Abu Dhabi and then economy to Munich last year on points (except taxes) As Cactus writes I used the biannual 15% top up from Membership awards to Velocity, plus a few sign ups and slamming as much as possible on the Amex Platinum Edge.

 

The only problem for this card is that the David Jones Membership Rewards point is worth half of the standard Amex Membership Rewards points when transferring to airline partners. For example, for Platinum Edge card, the point conversion to most airlines are 1:1. For DJ card, it is 2:1. That is a huge difference.

 

To get most value from those points you really need to redeem it on Business or higher class. Yes for Economy award with high fuel surcharges, it is not worth it in general.

 

@Cactus, please check with ANZ to see if your point earn rate for ANZ Rewards Black has been halved. It applies to existing card holders who joined prior to Sept 2015.