Local vs International Spend, AMEX & VISA

[cfellows]

Trying to find information on the local vs international spend rules when using Altitude/KrisFlyer branded cards. Just want to see if anybody has any info on this.
My exmaple is for the krisflyer plat card

1.5 KrisFlyer miles - AMEX (in & outside Australia) - This has a 1.5% currency conversion fee I think I've read elsewhere? So should only use this for local spending
1.5 KrisFlyer miles - VISA (outside Australia) - Only 1% currency conversion? so should be used internationally since the points are the same as the AMEX.
0.5 KrisFlyer miles - VISA (in Australia) - Boo

My main question is this, when using the VISA card internationally but if you are spendings on a merchant that can give you a rate in local currency (AUD), does this still qualify as international spend so therefore worth 1.5 miles vs 0.5 miles.
Example is such as in Changi airport you can choose to pay in AUD or SGD , the same when buying from Amazon they can provide a charge in AUD and the amount on the statement is excatly that with no international surcharge. The same goes for when I rented a car in the US recently through AVIS, they charged my in AUD..but should this not be treated as international spend and subject to the 1.5 miles.

Anybody have an explanation to which way miles are being credited in such circumstances?

Just reading the terms and conditions on the westpac site and now I am more confused....

Westpac Processing Fee We charge a fee of 2% of the Australian dollar value of any purchases or cash advances/withdrawals when the applicable credit card scheme converts the transaction from a foreign currency into Australian dollars.

Westpac On-Charged Scheme Fee

• Visa Worldwide Service Assessment Fee - 1.0% of the transaction amount where a transaction is made using your Visa Card and the merchant or financial institution accepting the card is located outside of Australia. We pass this amount on to our customers.
• American Express Foreign Exchange Conversion Fee - 1.5% charged on the transaction amount for converting foreign currency transactions made using an American Express into Australian dollars. We pass this on to the account holder.

There seems to be two conversion fees? even when the merchant converts the charge into AUD, Westpac still puts 2% of the charge on top??

 

[N860CR]

It varies from bank to bank as to whether they consider foreign merchants charging in AUD to be domestic or international transactions. I believe Westpac considers them to be local transactions so would only award 0.5 points per dollar. I know with the Woolies Qantas card they charge international fees for AUD purchases depending on the merchant (which did catch me out from time to time).

You pay the Westpac fee plus the Visa/Amex fee so the Visa is the best value at 3%. Effectively, you pay $30 for 1500 points so it's up to you if you see value in that or not. I generally just use the 28 Degrees card for overseas transactions and deal with getting no points.

Be careful selecting AUD when overseas and offered at the point of sale. You are generally getting a poor exchange rate. Add on a credit card that charges you 3% anyway and then you're really getting ripped… I believe it's basically a system to catch those who don't know better.

 

[cfellows]

I managed to get a decent answer out of the call center.

The 3%/2.5% is just the combined charges as expected. With the AUD international spend I was reassured that no matter what currency was charged the bank always knows the location of the merchant, so points will be allocated correctly. I would hate to think all my international business spend recently on Visa trying to save 0.5% was being allocated points correctly. I still don't trust them haha