Pay Bills with Amex ???

[Zoe Nguyen]

How do you pay your Utility bills with Amex, since almost all companies that I currently use do not accept Amex (even through their online payment system).
- AGL
- TRU
- City West Water
etc.

 

[TonyHancock]

Australian Power & Gas take Amex.

 

[QF029]

So do Click Energy although I wouldn't recommend them.

 

[Zoe Nguyen]

Thanks, I'm thinking about changing to Energy Australia.

Dear, QF029, do you mind if I ask why you dont recommend them ?

Has anyone used Lumo Energy ?

Their offer is quite good, 10,000 points to sign up with AMEX. They only provide gas to VIC only, which I am in.

Any water company out there accept AMEX ?

 

[TonyHancock]

Thanks, I'm thinking about changing to Energy Australia.

Dear, QF029, do you mind if I ask why you dont recommend them ?

Has anyone used Lumo Energy ?

Their offer is quite good, 10,000 points to sign up with AMEX. They only provide gas to VIC only, which I am in.

Any water company out there accept AMEX ?

I haven't used Lumo but have a look here for some info.

 

[Limewood]

I use mine constantly at:

Woolworths
Bunnings
BP
PO (big time)
Pay Taxes (fee but worth it IMO)

Amex have been more aggressive in the market place, much better than it used to be few years back.

 

[Zoe Nguyen]

thanks TonyHancock, it seems Lumo has a bad name for their CS. I will look into Energy Australia.

Boo to utilities companies that do not accept AMEX or excessive surcharge.

 

[cove]

Yes Limewood, American Express have done well with their market penetration. I do still use a point a dollar Visa or MasterCard for lots of shire,water,gas and electricity payments where Amex is not taken. If you can justify two cards then you would be really cooking on making a point or three.

 

[Stephen65]

Get a Citibusiness Gold Visa card and you can earn 1.25 QFF per dollar up to $250,000 which is almost as good as the better Amex cards.

You also need to be careful with utilities because by shopping around you can get discounts that more than compensate for the difference between Visa and Amex earn e.g. I discovered my provider for electricity and gas (Origin) offered a flat 7% discount that you just needed to ask for.

 

[Zoe Nguyen]

Get a Citibusiness Gold Visa card and you can earn 1.25 QFF per dollar up to $250,000 which is almost as good as the better Amex cards.

You also need to be careful with utilities because by shopping around you can get discounts that more than compensate for the difference between Visa and Amex earn e.g. I discovered my provider for electricity and gas (Origin) offered a flat 7% discount that you just needed to ask for.

Thanks Stephen65, I dont like Qantas (refusing to use them unless there is no other choice). That's the reason I use Amex to earn points and still hold another Mastercard.

 

[Stephen65]

Zoe

There are options for redeeming Citibank points into non-QF airlines FF programs but I haven't had cause to investigate them or check the conversion rates. I agree that the Amex Ascent Premium points are very flexible because of the large number of programs you can redeem them into.

 

[QF029]

Dear, QF029, do you mind if I ask why you dont recommend them ?

Nothing terminal. I find their billing just a bit confusing. I opted for bill smoothing but it's a joke because they basically charge you $50 each month and then take it off the quarterly bill. After applying the on time payment discount following the main bill, it basically wipes out on of those $50 prepayments anyway! They weren't receptive to feedback and they like to minimize contact. I would be concerned if I had a major problem to resolve (which I didn't).

Anyway, after I left them for Click, Tru Energy offered me a 10% discount to return with no contract so I'm doing that and will pay with Visa.

 

[Bob]

You also need to be careful with utilities because by shopping around you can get discounts that more than compensate for the difference between Visa and Amex earn e.g. I discovered my provider for electricity and gas (Origin) offered a flat 7% discount that you just needed to ask for.

Stephen65, was the 7% discount with Origin for any particular reason? or only for some cards, etc? Thanks