Qantas Premier Platinum international transaction fee

[MEL_Traveller]

Action should be taken against the credit card provider, not the overseas merchant in this situation. It is the card provider charging the fee to the end customer.

I dunno... the overseas website could price in local currency so it would be clear that it was a foreign transaction. Those merchants are trying to appeal to the Aussie (or whichever) market by displaying prices in local currency. If I buy a ticket on from London to Paris it shows the price in pound sterling, it doesn't display it in AUD.

 

[encryptededdy]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I haven't been caught out by this fee on my cards before. Maybe I'm just being overly careful though, but my usual rule is physical products shipped from Australia are fine, but all digital products (except really popular ones that I can easily google like Spotify, Youtube premium etc.) outside of Google Play / Apple App Store / Microsoft Store go on my fee-free debit card.

 

[woodborer]

Action should be taken against the credit card provider, not the overseas merchant in this situation. It is the card provider charging the fee to the end customer.

What action? The fees are disclosed in the fee. schedule

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What action? The fees are disclosed in the fee. schedule

It’s a bit like dynamic currency conversion... the customer is only aware of the fee if they are aware of the fee.

For sites billing in AUD, many folk wouldn’t know it is being processed overseas and will incur a currency conversion charge.

 

[Daver6]

The simple solution is a fee free card. The relentless chase for the odd Qantas or Velocity point is ending up costing people more in fees than the points they earn!

The problem with many of these overseas websites is that I guess it must be hard for the ACCC to take action against them?

What action? The fees are disclosed in the fee. schedule

The action @MEL_Traveller was referring to, hence my comment quoting his message.

The point we were both making is that while it is outlined in the schedule, how is an end customer meant to know where an amount in AUD is being processed in Australia or overseas? Short of prior to any transaction actually making contact with the vendor and asking, one will never know. So action could be a requirement for more clarity on this from vendors and being upfront when the transaction in AUD is not being processed within Australia.

 

[nanaof2]

I have now contacted Qantas via messenger letting them know what is happening under their brand. Will advise if and when I get a reply.

Qantas told me it is not their problem, deal with the credit card.
Called QF Platinum who told me they have an arrangement with Mastercard to charge regardless where the office of the supplier is if it is an foreign business, but out of a once of goodwill they will reverse the charge. Which they did. Lesson learned use the card at the supermarket but probably that is it.