AmEx without Membership Rewards Fee or Annual Fee?

battler on 20/05/2016 - 11:52
Last edited 20/05/2016 - 11:52

Currently have a Gold Amex with no annual fee, but get stung $80 per year for Membership Rewards. The fee hits on 1 July.

Have a Citi Signature (now Infinite) Visa for all the day-to-day purchases, only use the Amex for cashback offers, shopsmall, etc.

The $80 cost of Membership Rewards is about equal to the amount of benefit I get from the card's promotions, so it no longer warrants having. Annual spend is probably <$1000.

Questions for all the Amex experts out there, what should I do?
a) keep Amex but somehow remove membership rewards from it (is that even possible?)
b) ditch current Amex and get a different type of Amex, which one would be best?
c) anything else

Happy to spend X amount of dollars in X number of months on an Amex to qualify for any sort of promo, but I guess those cards have annual fees attached (perhaps not in year 1), so may need to repeat exercise 11 months from now.
Had a look at the Qantas Amex discovery, $0 annual fee, no mention of any other reward scheme fees. 7500 promo points would be ineligible for due to owning an Amex in past 12 months.

(other details: in addition to Citi Sig & Amex, also have a 28degrees for overseas action.
have 3300 amex points on existing card that i can convert to $20-$25 of gift vouchers should I ditch the existing card).

Thanks in advance.

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Comments

    • battler on 20/05/2016 - 12:16

      "With the Essential Credit Card you’ll receive complimentary enrolment into the Membership Rewards Gateway program"
      perfect, thanks.

      • Neoika on 22/05/2016 - 21:55

        Veloctiy Escape is also zero annual fee if you prefer Virgin Airlines.
        You will get bonus points when you sign up Qantas Discovery or Velocity Escape as I got both cards and second card still comes with bonus.I guess it means you are ineligible for the bonus if you already own one in the same series/reward program.

  • Paul Atreides on 20/05/2016 - 12:09

    Get either the amex essential, or the velocity/qantas $0 one

    Or you can pay $115 more and get a free flight with the plat edge.

  • cBcBootsy on 20/05/2016 - 12:17

    depends on your spending pattern. if you spend $$ on groceries at supermarkets, http://www.pointhacks.com.au/ recommends you try the AMEX Platinum Edge due to earn rates. There's a promotion now for no annual fee for the first year, but seeing that you have had an AMEX before in the last 12 mths, you aren't eligible =/

    try http://www.pointhacks.com.au/best-frequent-flyer-deals/

    may help with your credit card shopping ^^

  • jackofspade on 20/05/2016 - 13:24

    I think the Membership Rewards Ascent is $80 but Rewards Gateway is free. Can't you just change to the Rewards Gateway?

  • Ararat on 24/06/2016 - 04:05

    I think the platinum AMEX cards don't have membership rewards fees.
    When I enrolled it they mentioned its free for AMEX platinum cards.

    • JohnHowardsEyebrows on 14/09/2016 - 21:10

      But alll those cards come with hefty annual fees. IMO, unless you are getting a hefty parcel of bonus points, only the Platinum Edge co-branded card ($149 with free domestic return flight, plus heavy point earn at supermarkets and petrol stations) is worth paying year-in, year-out.

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