Commbank Credit Card Changes + potential Discover Card offering

[PrudentTrip2775]

This is not good!

I have the Ultimate Awards card, for the sole purpose of having a points-earning credit card to use overseas without having to pay for a foreign transaction fee. I'm a little confused as to what the new effective earn rate will be.

Using Velocity as an example, the effective earn rate is 1.5 VFF points/$ for any non-AUD purchase (you get 3 Awards points per $ redeemed at 2 Awards points per 1 VFF point).

It looks like from October, this will be 0.8 VFF/$ - that's effectively half (2 Yello points per $ for non-AUD purchases, redemeed at 2.5 Yello points per 1 VFF point)!

Will there be any conversion of existing Awards points into Yello points?
If not, I should transfer them now as I'm got a chunk of them there (if only there were a transfer bonus coming up (I know that CBA don't partake in these as often as other banks)).

Also, if the travel credit has to be used via their travel platform, that's effectively useless for me as I don't use that (I normally book directly with the hotel to obtain my hotel status).

Any unused Awards points balance will sweep across to Yello points on 1st October 2026 at a 1:1 rate. Travel credits will most likely be for use on CBA's Travel Booking platform with Hopper similar to how travel credits with Amex can only be used in Amex travel portal.

I guess the travel credits can be used on flights or car rentals? As you'll still be able to earn SC and airline points/miles through 3rd party bookings. Dining credits is interesting. I think it's going to be for the 'Dine In Deals' platform, their new partnership with Eatclub in the CBA app.

 

[SeaWolf]

I have just noticed something I didn't before. The credits don't have to be used in that particular month. They accumulate for up to 12 months. So (based on my read) you wouldn't have to be making a booking with Hopper every month to take advantage of them, just at least once every twelve months. That does change things a bit. I might have to do a bit more maths and see if switching to the Ultimate will work for me on that basis, keeping in mind that I'm barely using it domestically and mostly just have it so I can earn points on international spend.

Travel and dining credits will accumulate until they expire. Any unused credits remain in your Travel Booking Wallet or Dine In Deals account and can be used before they expire. When redeeming travel credits, the full value of your Travel Booking Wallet will be applied to pay for all or part of a booking in a single transaction. When redeeming dining credits, you can choose how much of your available balance to apply. If the transaction amount is less than the credit amount applied, or less than your total available credit balance, any remaining balance will stay in your account for future use.

Travel and Dining credits expire 12 months from the date they are granted, issued or credited.

 

[Stone]

Being based in a regional area the credits will not be as useful for me. I've held various versions of a CommBank Credit Card for over 20 years continuously, I think the scissors will come for it in late December when the fee exemption based on spend is removed.