Reduced AMEX earn rates from April 2019

[BriarFlyer]

Did u also get your card after nov?

No. Have I misinterpreted? I shall re-read the relevant posts.

 

[Steve Lim]

No. Have I misinterpreted? I shall re-read the relevant posts.

It’s only for cards received after the Nov announcement date that the effective date is delayed

 

[serfty]

Now it would be 90K Amex>60k Marriott/SPG> 25k AA

Thanks ... it would be more cost effective to sum purchase the AA miles outright ...

 

[cove]

I am thinking about buying a chunk of Woolies 5% off gift cards before Amex Platinum Edge stops the 3 points per dollar deal. They made it more difficult where we can no longer go to a Woolies store to switch $500s into the required sizes this past year.

 

[SOPOOR]

I am thinking about buying a chunk of Woolies 5% off gift cards before Amex Platinum Edge stops the 3 points per dollar deal. They made it more difficult where we can no longer go to a Woolies store to switch $500s into the required sizes this past year.

Are you talking about deval in april.
Or is plat edge not earning 3ppd soon via 5% discount?

 

[cove]

April devaluation.
I can buy just over $50,000 a time and then repeat.

 

[unfunkable]

Hi All
I note that quite a few people are going to be cancelling their explorer card.
Just in case I missed something, the explorer will still be earning 1PPD right? Which is better then the amex plat edge of 0.5PPD ( unless @ supermarkets)?

 

[piratematerial]

Hi All
I note that quite a few people are going to be cancelling their explorer card.
Just in case I missed something, the explorer will still be earning 1PPD right? Which is better then the amex plat edge of 0.5PPD ( unless @ supermarkets)?

General spend on the Explorer card will be reducing from 1.5PPD to 1PPD. Quite a few people had combined their Edge and Explorer accounts to get an effective 2PPD - that hack will also be gone. For general spend the Explorer will be much better than the Edge, which will be worse than most Visa/MCs except at supermarkets.

 

[Chicken]

I am thinking about buying a chunk of Woolies 5% off gift cards before Amex Platinum Edge stops the 3 points per dollar deal. They made it more difficult where we can no longer go to a Woolies store to switch $500s into the required sizes this past year.

I am doing this. Does it matter what denomination is a card? You only need plastic card at some Caltex Woolworths, most Caltex Woolworths and all Woolworths Petrol and all supermarkets BWS blah blah take e gift cards, you can store them all in your Woolworths money app.

 

[k3nnis]

General spend on the Explorer card will be reducing from 1.5PPD to 1PPD. Quite a few people had combined their Edge and Explorer accounts to get an effective 2PPD - that hack will also be gone. For general spend the Explorer will be much better than the Edge, which will be worse than most Visa/MCs except at supermarkets.

Thanks. I currently have the edge and st George amplify and Citi signature free for life. I was thinking of the explorer but the annual fee is too high I think to achieve 1 PPD for general spend after the devaluation ?

 

[albyd]

I personally value simplicity for maximum points.

The Explorer makes sense for maximum points for general spend for $200 more than the Edge (unless you spend so much at supermarkets to make the Edge worth the effort) and back that up with Amplify for as long as the current deal is active.

The Citi is reflective of what Visa will earn in the current environment (which is quite low) and figuring out the bonus retailers takes too much thinking time and they’re likely to take Amex anyway.

 

[k3nnis]

I personally value simplicity for maximum points.

The Explorer makes sense for maximum points for general spend for $200 more than the Edge (unless you spend so much at supermarkets to make the Edge worth the effort) and back that up with Amplify for as long as the current deal is active.

The Citi is reflective of what Visa will earn in the current environment (which is quite low) and figuring out the bonus retailers takes too much thinking time and they’re likely to take Amex anyway.

Thanks. I do spend quite a bit at supermarkets and petrol. That’s why I’m keeping the edge. Which card out of these is best for utilities spend ? Car insurance, gas,electric, water and council?

 

[albyd]

Amplify at this moment as none of these spend categories are excluded.

Explorer would be my second best as insurance and utilities at full points with ‘government’ at half points. Other Amex products exclude this type of spend or pay less (like Edge).

Citi excludes all these categories (to my knowledge, not followed Citi closely since their deval).

 

[k3nnis]

Amplify at this moment as none of these spend categories are excluded.

Explorer would be my second best as insurance and utilities at full points with ‘government’ at half points. Other Amex products exclude this type of spend or pay less (like Edge).

Citi excludes all these categories (to my knowledge, not followed Citi closely since their deval).

Ok thanks. I only keep the Citi because it’s free for life. So I guess maybe keep amplify and edge for now and if st George devalues then I will revisit.

 

[burmans]

Ok thanks. I only keep the Citi because it’s free for life. So I guess maybe keep amplify and edge for now and if st George devalues then I will revisit.

I canned the Citi Signature, fee free for life is meaningless if you can't use the card for anything useful.

 

[k3nnis]

I canned the Citi Signature, fee free for life is meaningless if you can't use the card for anything useful.

True. Only Priority pass I guess.

 

[The Analyst]

Hi guys, i noticed a fair amount of people are going to cancel their Amex cards due to the upcoming changes but i am actually thinking of applying for the Platinum Charge. I currently hold an explorer card. Am i correct in saying the travel credits are

$400 (Reserve) + $450 (Platinum) + Accor one night stay ($300?) = $1150 which goes a long way in offsetting the annual fee. To me still looks like a pretty good card? Not to mention the PP and host of other benefits. Please correct me if i am misguided.

Also

1) Possible to use the $850 travel credit on a single booking? Or if booking with Accor Hotels, use all travel credit + Free Hotel Stay.

Thanks!

 

[daft009]

TC has to be separate bookings.
Accor free night has to be booked separately on their own website accorplus. Yes you could book adjoining dates as separately though I guess.

 

[DC3]

... Also

1) Possible to use the $850 travel credit on a single booking? ....

Cannot combine the travel credits, unless someone has a secret work-around.

 

[JohnK]

Points are always earn and burn. Dont store them. The only reason I would apply for a charge is to take advantage of the double points for the Marriott transfer

Not easy to burn them on anything meaningful if you're only earning 30,000-40,000 points a year.