Best everyday points earning CC - Visa & Amex

[billmurray]

All,

In 2017 im looking at re-configuring my credit cards to be geared towards the best native points earn for daily spending (including sign ups to credit cards for the initial points bonus). So far my 2017 is looking like this;


1) I applied for the AMEX Explorer card - hopefully will get 110k gateway points which converts to appx 82k Virgin FF points. Will can cancel the card to get the pro-rata annual fee back - if not then will use the $400 voucher to book some experiences in a Thailand trip we had already book for Mar 2017.

2) Will apply for 1 more card throughout the year for initial points bonus & then cancel.

3) I currently use the NAB Premium Velocity Rewards card which costs appx $130 a year and earns 1.5 (AMEX) & 0.5 points (VISA) per $1 - the points earned on the AMEX side seems pretty good when compared to other cards as its 1.5 points earned across any transaction i believe.


I am thinking it might be good to have a Visa card with a better earn on points. Doing some initial research a CC direct with Virgin can offer 1.0 point per $1 spent for Visa transactions.

Is there an AMEX card that has a better native earn per $? For cards that i will KEEP as my everyday cards i dont want the annual fees to be more than $300 per year total.

What are peoples thoughts regarding the above - am i been too unrealistic?

 

[Beasley]

Would love to find an Visa/Mastercard that provide 1QFF per $1 spend ....... but not limited to $2500 per month.

 

[blueythecat]

If you are able to put a significant portion of your spend through AMEX then I'd have to recommend the Explorer (which you already have) and the AMEX Platinum Edge. They make a great combo!

Whilst you won't get a large signon bonus for the Edge - 15,000 pts if you use a referral link or 10,000 pts without - its earn profile of 3pts/$ at supermarkets and 2pts/$ on petrol is pretty awesome! Its points "currency" is AMEX Membership Ascent (different to the Explorer which earns Gateway pts) points which transfer to VA, SQ etc at 1:1. Annual fee is $199, but the card comes with a $200 AMEX travel credit to "offset" the annual fee.

As for VISA / MC I just switch them each year as I don't consider any to be worth keeping - better value chasing the big signup bonus for Visa / MC in my opinion.

Good luck in your hunt for pts in 2017!!!

 

[albyd]

Would love to find an Visa/Mastercard that provide 1QFF per $1 spend ....... but not limited to $2500 per month.

Depending on your level of non Amex spend, Citi offers two choices for QFF point per dollar with a decent cap:
Diners Club 1 QFF on MC up to $60kpa then 0.75 QFF uncapped $260 annual fee (includes Diners card which works at most major retailers but otherwise not well accepted) no sign up bonus points - https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/partners/card/diners-club-card
Citi Qantas Signature at 1 QFF per dollar up to $20k/month (should do most people) has 50k sign up bonus and $199 annual fee (then $395 after year 1). http://www.citibank.com.au/CardsOnline/qantasff.htm
There is a third option - Prestige point per dollar uncapped but that's $700 so not within billmurray's preferred annual fee range.
Not sure of any other offerings that haven't already been adjusted down with reduced interchange (Citi was first cab off the rank so hopefully this regime will hold until the RBA 'protects' us by cutting interchange again).

 

[PaulZ]

...
Citi Qantas Signature at 1 QFF per dollar up to $20k/month (should do most people) has 50k sign up bonus and $199 annual fee (then $395 after year 1). Qantas
There is a third option - Prestige point per dollar uncapped but that's $700 so not within billmurray's preferred annual fee range.
Not sure of any other offerings that haven't already been adjusted down with reduced interchange (Citi was first cab off the rank so hopefully this regime will hold until the RBA 'protects' us by cutting interchange again).

Albyd - I think the Citibank Signature card earn limits have changed.

Earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on eligible domestic purchases up to $3,000 per statement period, and then 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent up to a maximum of $10,000 per statement period

 

[albyd]

Thanks for pointing that out PaulZ. Looks like the field is very narrow indeed. Amex remain the most lucrative options. If only Amex acceptance was as high as MC/Visa (assuming the earn wouldn't be as high of that was the case).

 

[ramboflyer]

Would love to find an Visa/Mastercard that provide 1QFF per $1 spend ....... but not limited to $2500 per month.

I have been looking around for 2 days for such a thing. A few look good until you find they have the $2500 cap and others are out of the question because of high annual fee or minimum income above mine.

I found a possible option with Bank Australia. They have a Platinum Rewards Visa card with no monthly cap. Annual fee is $189 +$59 additional holder. No annual income requirement, just an assessment of income etc. The knock on it is there is no sign on bonus points otherwise I would have already filled out the application. Will have a think about it.