Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

[N0mad]

I don’t think anyone is suggesting the Australian market impacts “FF programs” in general. But it certainly impacts QFF and Velocity and probably also has an impact on KrisFlyer (as it seems to be the second most important market for KF.).

i generally, think the pivot to non-CC earning has been ramping up for a while now. People will still be earning lots of QFF and Velocity. If i can earn 200k QFF since Nov from market place, energy retailers, internet, health insurance plus all the possibilities i haven't earned anything from eg wine, home loans etc, availability of rewards is not going to improve.

regular flyers will need to use status to release rewards on QFF metal as they do now.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i generally, think the pivot to non-CC earning has been ramping up for a while now. People will still be earning lots of QFF and Velocity. If i can earn 200k QFF since Nov from market place, energy retailers, internet, health insurance plus all the possibilities i haven't earned anything from eg wine, home loans etc, availability of rewards is not going to improve.

regular flyers will need to use status to release rewards on QFF metal as they do now.

But at what additional cost for all those products that earn points?

My hospital cover for example is $140 per month compared to $205 with Qantas. For 27000 points.

 

[N0mad]

But at what additional cost for all those products that earn points?

My hospital cover for example is $140 per month compared to $205 with Qantas. For 27000 points.

You need to work out the cost of the points against the time you need to hold it. Best bang is holding for the required time for the sign up bonus. In you example, $65 per month extra if you need to hold for 6 months is $390, if the signup bonus is 150,000 points, that's a pretty good pay off.

 

[clifford]

My hospital cover for example is $140 per month compared to $205 with Qantas.

Best not to get sick then.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Best not to get sick then.

Eh?

 

[Mr_Orange]

Best not to get sick then.

I'm also confused by this comment......

 

[Happy Dude]

You need to work out the cost of the points against the time you need to hold it. Best bang is holding for the required time for the sign up bonus. In you example, $65 per month extra if you need to hold for 6 months is $390, if the signup bonus is 150,000 points, that's a pretty good pay off.

Except the payoff in the example was 27k, which isn't a great deal.

To get 150k you'd have to take out the very top cover which will cost far more than $65/mo difference. The T&Cs are quite complex too and you need to hold the insurance for more than 6 months, often over 12, to get the full points. But some may find value if they end up using the insurance I guess.

 

[N0mad]

Except the payoff in the example was 27k, which isn't a great deal.

To get 150k you'd have to take out the very top cover which will cost far more than $65/mo difference. The T&Cs are quite complex too and you need to hold the insurance for more than 6 months, often over 12, to get the full points. But some may find value if they end up using the insurance I guess.

this is why you need to do the sums and work out if it works for you, but there are plenty of opportunities that will be of value for many even without needing whatever it is eg past pet insurance bonus points offers.

I will stay away from many bonus points offers if they aren't worth it, even though others do find it of value to them. Still find enough to get by, most recent was Origin energy EDR offer, well worth the additional cost for the short time i stayed with them and i was able to get an extra 2c off per litre of fuel for me and P2.

 

[Oubline]

I don't really get why the changes would necessarily impact sign-on bonuses for credit cards.

I understand why it might affect ongoing points per $.

But I always assumed that the main game with the sign-on bonuses was encouraging customers to sign up and then get into debt, with the bank making money off interest and annual fees. In other words decoupled from the fact that they might make some margin on interchange fees. This wouldn't change - maybe I am just being overly optimistic though.

Surely banks were never making that much from each customer just on the interchange fees, especially when they give points away for each dollar.

 

[dairyfloss]

I don't really get why the changes would necessarily impact sign-on bonuses for credit cards.

I understand why it might affect ongoing points per $.

But I always assumed that the main game with the sign-on bonuses was encouraging customers to sign up and then get into debt, with the bank making money off interest and annual fees. In other words decoupled from the fact that they might make some margin on interchange fees. This wouldn't change - maybe I am just being overly optimistic though.

Surely banks were never making that much from each customer just on the interchange fees, especially when they give points away for each dollar.

I suspect a lot of the customers on higher end cards with the big fees and big SUBs rarely pay a cent of interest. I know I haven't in about 10 years... and even then it was because I forgot to turn on auto pay!