Amex devalues rewards program

Some American Express cardholders are in for a nasty surprise in November. From 1 November 2015, Amex’s fee-free cards and a small range of corporate cards will no longer be a part of the popular Membership Rewards Ascent program. This program will instead be replaced by the Gateway program, resulting in a range of significant … Continued

Travel Insurance Trap

This week our members discuss paid insurance policies versus credit card-based travel insurance for international travel. One member is concerned about the fine print and asks our members views about whether ‘free’ international travel insurance attached to credit cards provides viable coverage. Our members have lived and learned and can provide some key tips in … Continued

Loitering with intent and the quest for cheap points

Have you ever been waiting in line at a supermarket self checkout frustrated at how slow people are paying for their groceries? Lately, there might be a good reason why. It seems some of our members prefer to pay for their purchase in small increments! Regarding Coles & Woolworths …I’m now doing 99 – 149 … Continued

Best use of Amex points for booking flights

American Express has long been known for its generous rewards program. With many suppliers taking Amex as payment, it often does not take long to amass a good haul. Having got those points, a common question is often asked, how best to spend them? I have approx 600k of American Express points and next April … Continued

Amex Compo Claim

One member this week is understandably outraged that American Express took four months to refund $10,000 of duplicate charges on a Platinum card. Amex as a gesture of apparent “goodwill” has agreed to reimburse the interest accrued over that period. Our member queries whether more compensation is claimable for the inconvenience and headache. One member … Continued