Received a letter today on the new policy of capping rewards points earned using Altitude credit cards..
and will be invited for an upgrade to altitude black.
any one has more information on this?
http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/credit-cards/blac…
what package are you referring to?
Premier Advantage Package home loan.
How did you find out about this?
I got the letter too. I am on a premier advantage package.
did you call them to find out about this? that the card fee cant be waived by the premier advantage package?
There wasnt any mention of this on the letter
I have not called them to see if the annual fees on Black card could be waived. I looked up the fine print on the westpac website on free credit cards with Premier Advantage Package. Altitude Platinum, which now is Altitude Platinum Plus was never offered free on the Premier Advantage Package. The annual fee for this card is $295. The black card would replace Altitude Platinum Plus. You can find the details at the following:
http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/home-loans/packag…
Hope that helps. Banking has always been a minefield of fine prints.
I had a Platinum and now a Platinum Plus CC. and the annual fee has always been waived with the Premier Advantage Package since the beginning.
;)
In my case my lending manager has managed to have the annual fees waived for me. However, calling the customer contact centre has never worked. My lending manager always says that he was told this is the last time they will waive it.
Are you able to share how you have your annual fees waived.
BTW with the annual fees waived, I use my points to pay-off the annual package fees.
I applied for the platinum CC and was approved before reading the terms and conditions of the Package. Once I read and realised that the fee is not waived by package. Called the customer contact centre and they said no problem they will waive the fee.
yeah me too.. redeem the $100 rebate for 16,700 points. in the past, i redeemed gift vouchers and others but realised that i can redeem for cash..
looks like they have modified the package. Its free for Altitude, Altitude Platinum or Altitude Black Credit Card.
http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/home-loans/packag…
So if the Black is free on the Premier advantage for home loans now, along with the Platinum (the one that 4 months ago was gold, not the new platinum plus), but the black has no points limit, what does it not include.
Must be something, extended warranty's?, insurances?
On the phone, trying to find out.
First impression is only difference in cards between platinum and black is no points capping on black, and 3 points per amex $.
Black is a replacement for platinum plus, however now seems to be free on the premier advantage. Sure normally it would have a higher yearly fee, but as its free why would anyone on the Premier advantage take the platinum rather than the black. It does have a higher minimum limit though, if you don't get approved for enough.
1.25 points - Altitude Black World MasterCard (Australian Merchants)
3 points - Altitude Black World MasterCard (Overseas Merchants)
Two complimentary Priority Passes per year to use at your choice of over 600 VIP airport lounges in over 275 cities in 100 countries when you enrol
Minimum income to apply $75,000.
OK all changed over.
As above from PissLUR, plus also a minimum credit limit of $18000, which is the only reason I can see people with the Premier Advantage homeloan getting a platinum rather than black, due to not being eligible.
I can't see why however they never offered the Platinum Plus (old platinum) free on the Premier Advantage, but now do with the Black.
It is even a slightly better card than the Platinum Plus as stated above by PissLUR, with the higher mastercard rates as well, which are different for overseas and local, plus the Airport Lounge passes, which I am looking forward to seeing how they work. Got some flights with Singapore this year which should be a good way to use them.
Got the same. Bit annoyed as I only got new card numbers a few months ago, so will have to go through the update the direct debit details process again.
Undoubtedly it will disadvantage me in some way. Thanks Westpac!
Last year, Westpac made a hoo-haw about upgrading my Altitude card from Gold to Platinum (makes no difference) but my points earnings rate stayed the same at 2 points per Amex $1 spend and 1 point per Mastercard spend. Because you need more Westpac points per redemption than CBA, this has meant that I only use Altitude for Amex expenditure, where my expenditure is up to $6K per month = 12,000 points. For them to now restrict that to 7,500 points per month is stupid and miserly. Their transaction commissions are not capped yet their admin costs effectively are. Therefore the more I spend per month, the more they make, and capping points is unwarrented.
This is supposed to be a PLATINUM card for Petes sake! - and it also has a high annual fee! Upon next renewal I'll probably close it and go back to having a "direct" Amex card, which has suddenly become the more economical deal. Either that or just put everything thru my CBA gold Mastercard on which CBA waive my annual fee due to having a home loan with them. Don't Westpac realise that ripping customers off only buys you 6 - 12 months worth of better profits, and thereafter your customers gradually leave?… and they don't just leave, they leave DISGRUNTLED.
I recieved this letter yesterday to, and although on average I won't go over 5000 points, I do expect to collect extra points on those months I do have to spend big. Over the last few months have had some really big and un-expected costs so have had consecutive months of 6000-9000 points.
Not happy that they want to cap my points, so after 10 years I think its time to cash in all my points and keep an eye out for something new. Ill be leaving disgruntled.
Hey folks, how open are they (Westpac) to waiving the CC annual fee? I'm looking at the Westpac Altitude Black ($395 pa), they have a bonus 40k point offer at the moment (apply between 25 March – 1 July 2013), if anyone is keen.
Thanks.
Unless you have savings, mortgages and other investment products you got buckets of them waiving the fee
Cheers honkyb.
I have just ditched my old Visa Altitude card in favour of the Altitude Black, which I received unsolicited in the mail.
I live overseas, and retired - so nowhere near $75k income. I am on the same deal as I had with my old Altitude - same credit limit (< $18k), and same yearly card fee ($100). It also appears that the card fee which I paid in February has been transferred over to cover cover the new card.
Because I live overseas, a lot of my spending will gain 3 Altitude points = 1.5 F/F points ie a 50% gain.
Only downside that I can see is that I won't be able to use the travel insurance features, as my travel doesn't originate in Oz. The concierge stuff is of no interest.
Happy so far!
They will charge the same annual fee which to me is $295 and uncalled points. Current card points will be capped at 7500 per billing cycle.
This card is not available on package.