AMEX Platinum advice

[SmokinOysters]

I just moved to Australia from the US (for the next three years or so). I have not been doing much international travel, but will while I am here (most ly flights back with my family). I think given the amount I will be spending, the platinum card makes sense for the bonus mileage. Most of my purchases on the card will be in AUD, so I think I need to apply for a Australian-based platinum card.

However, the website lists as a requirement that I must be a permanent Australian resident/citizen. I have a subclass 457 long-stay visa. Am I eligible for this card?

Alternatively, is there some way that I can apply for a US-based card, but have my home currency set to AUD? If not, the 2.5% foreign currency conversion charge is going to wipe out the benefit of bonus miles.

 

[Evan]

Good question and will be interested to see answers, i use my AUD card overseas all the time, i just accept the currency conversion fee as the price you pay and really did not find any way to avoid it, especially since i do not have the luxury of a long term visa in Singapore.

E

 

[austrider]

However, the website lists as a requirement that I must be a permanent Australian resident/citizen. I have a subclass 457 long-stay visa. Am I eligible for this card?

Alternatively, is there some way that I can apply for a US-based card, but have my home currency set to AUD? If not, the 2.5% foreign currency conversion charge is going to wipe out the benefit of bonus miles.

Subclass 457 is a Business visa, which is different from PR. Having said that, try applying anyway and see what happens as we don't have a national ID / social security system so I'm not sure how AMEX is going to check the PR status.

I do not believe there's a way to set the US-based card to be AUD.

 

[serfty]

If (as you posted on your other thread) you intend to look at AAdvantage for points crediting, note that it's costly to convert Amex MR points to AAdvantage miles.

With your US card, you earn 1 MR point per USD which converts directly to AAdvantage at 1 for 1.

With an OZ amex you earn at 1 MR point per AUD which convert (via SPG) at 1000 MR to 330 AAdvantage miles. (Convert 60607 or more and you get 5K bonus AAdvantage miles).

 

[josko]

Subclass 457 is a Business visa, which is different from PR. Having said that, try applying anyway and see what happens as we don't have a national ID / social security system so I'm not sure how AMEX is going to check the PR status.

Unfortunately as soon AMEX does a credit check on you here in OZ (as they always do for every application) they will find that you have no Australian credit history. they will then do one of two things: Ask you for more information ie how long have you lived in oz.....where did you live prior to coming here or refuse the application out right.

This is designed to stop someone coming here on say a 6 month holiday applying for a card....getting and using it without ever paying anything back then disappearing back home OS.

What can I say.....they have quite a few checks in place these days.....but you never know unless you apply

 

[SmokinOysters]

If (as you posted on your other thread) you intend to look at AAdvantage for points crediting, note that it's costly to convert Amex MR points to AAdvantage miles.

With your US card, you earn 1 MR point per USD which converts directly to AAdvantage at 1 for 1.

With an OZ amex you earn at 1 MR point per AUD which convert (via SPG) at 1000 MR to 330 AAdvantage miles. (Convert 60607 or more and you get 5K bonus AAdvantage miles).

Hmmm... does this mean that the MR points I earn on a OZ Amex are not the same as the MR points that I earn on a US Amex? I was assuming that I could link the two cards to the same MR account -- you can do this if you have multiple Amex cards in the US.

If I am going to be purchasing tickets in AUD and want to convert to AA, what is going to be the best charge card option? One suggestion that I received was SPG. Is this the way to go or are there others I should consider?

 

[oz_mark]

Hmmm... does this mean that the MR points I earn on a OZ Amex are not the same as the MR points that I earn on a US Amex? I was assuming that I could link the two cards to the same MR account -- you can do this if you have multiple Amex cards in the US.

You can link (I believe) 2 Australian Amex cards to one account, but as far as i know you cannot link cards from different areas/currencies together.

 

[one9]

Unfortunately as soon AMEX does a credit check on you here in OZ (as they always do for every application) they will find that you have no Australian credit history. they will then do one of two things: Ask you for more information ie how long have you lived in oz.....where did you live prior to coming here or refuse the application out right.

This is designed to stop someone coming here on say a 6 month holiday applying for a card....getting and using it without ever paying anything back then disappearing back home OS.

What can I say.....they have quite a few checks in place these days.....but you never know unless you apply

I know several international students who have successfully applied for credit cards in Australia by ticking the box/option that they are a PR.

Whilst I do not suggest that you do this, the credit system is limited, as credit providers can not check directly on your immigration status. However before applying for such card, it would be advantageous to apply for at least something that leaves a mark on your credit file first (eg Telstra home phone, mobile service etc.)

 

[pauly7]

You can link (I believe) 2 Australian Amex cards to one account.

Yep you can definitely do that, you just pay a linkage fee of about $85 bucks (which I pass on to my employer in my case )

 

[Homer]

Yep you can definitely do that, you just pay a linkage fee of about $85 bucks (which I pass on to my employer in my case )

Is that new pauly7? I have two AMEX cards linked - one personal and one corporate - and I do not pay a linkage fee.

 

[oz_mark]

When I looked into linking my corproate card there was a fee involved, but I thought it was basically the ascent membership fee. Whether or not I linked them to the one Ascent program didn''t seem to affect the $$ I would have to cough up. Anyway when I crunched the numbers, wasn't quite worth it to pay a fee on the corporate card. I can see for people that have more business expenses than moi, it would be well worth it.

 

[Dave Noble]

I just moved to Australia from the US (for the next three years or so). I have not been doing much international travel, but will while I am here (most ly flights back with my family). I think given the amount I will be spending, the platinum card makes sense for the bonus mileage. Most of my purchases on the card will be in AUD, so I think I need to apply for a Australian-based platinum card.

However, the website lists as a requirement that I must be a permanent Australian resident/citizen. I have a subclass 457 long-stay visa. Am I eligible for this card?

Alternatively, is there some way that I can apply for a US-based card, but have my home currency set to AUD? If not, the 2.5% foreign currency conversion charge is going to wipe out the benefit of bonus miles.

As mentioned, you are ineligable for an American Express card due to visa status

For making purchases, I would suggest opening a bank account with St George which will give you a decent Visa Debit card rather than , as most seem to have, just an eftpos card. This will allow you to use the card anywhere that takes visa and is linked directly to the bank account rather than billed each month

If you really want to use credit cards, unless you are going to apply fraudulently by lying on the form, then be prepared to take the currency exchange hit unless you can find a bank that does not require residency status for eligability

Dave

 

[futaris]

There are a few other banks here that offer Mastercard and Visa Debit cards:

Westpac - Mastercard Debit
Suncorp - Visa Debit
ANZ - Visa Debit
St George - Visa Debit

Plus other prepaid Visa companies, i.e:
Bopo - Visa - www.bopo.com.au
Westpac - Westpac Internet -Westpac MasterCard® Gift Card

 

[pauly7]

Is that new pauly7? I have two AMEX cards linked - one personal and one corporate - and I do not pay a linkage fee.

Hmm, not really new - I have the same arrangement as you a corporate card and a personal card... I (or my employer rather) has been paying the yearly linkage fee since 2005... Are you sure its just not going through automatically on your corporate card and you are missing it?

Or you might just be lucky and it hasn't registered - in which case keep quiet

 

[Homer]

Are you sure its just not going through automatically on your corporate card and you are missing it?

Or you might just be lucky and it hasn't registered - in which case keep quiet

I don't get the corporate card statements - they go direct to our admin dept - so it could very well be appearing on that statement. For some reason I just assumed that because there is no fee on my personal AMEX statement then I am not paying a fee. I think I will let sleeping dogs lie...

 

[straitman]

I think I will let sleeping dogs lie...

I would :!:

I have a similar situation but have to personally account for my corporate card and that's where the fee appears.

 

[oz_mark]

I would :!:

I have a similar situation but have to personally account for my corporate card and that's where the fee appears.

Oh, the monthly joy of assigning expenses to cost codes

 

[simongr]

I have a passionate dislike for corporate cards both from a business and a personal perspective - for the business we risk people charging personal items, running up expenses and leaving the business and have to administer the set up and cancellation. We then have to administer out of pocket expenses as well so teh admin staff or our own staff have to basically complete two expense claims a month. It also gives a key burden at the point in the month when the statements are issued and have to be acquitted by a certain date - if people just made their own claims (supported of course) they would do one claim at random times in the month and spread the burden...

Hmm I must remember to suggest to my boss that we get rid of them...

From a personal perspective if all spend was going through one card I could justify the cost of the platinum charge card, would have only one claim to make and would have one less card in my wallet.