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Strategy to obtain US Amex

Good morning. anyone able to use Tello this morning? I have 2 Tello Esims. Both unable to call/text this morning with Wi-Fi Calling isnt available (Error code 82). Could not contact Tello at all.

Hoping to see if it's something to do with my Sims or with the Whole Tello Service.

Thanks.
 
This idea of applying for a US amex is super interesting.

Im just curious outside of the annual fee, what does it cost for everything to get past global transfer.
 
There's no fee from Amex for GT. The only other thing you need to factor in is the (small) forex cost incurred on transferring money to your US checking account to pay the bill. I've found that's massively outweighed by the benefits though.
 
Im more talking about the phone number and mailbox fee.

I feel this setup is better for business owners with large expenses rather than a person like me on an average income
 
For phone I got a number from 'US mobile' (they have excellent data speeds BTW!) then ported it to Google Voice, so no cost. Mailbox costs ~US$80/yr, so far I've not had shipping costs as picked up one card when in the US and got Amex to ship the other.
 
Overlylarge said:
Im more talking about the phone number and mailbox fee.

I feel this setup is better for business owners with large expenses rather than a person like me on an average income
Click to expand...
Tbh the cost is high. No only are there gross costs like mail, phone, etc but there are annual fees that you should be able get back through credits.

The biggest killer is time. To make it worth it, it becomes more of a hobby second job. Some people don't think it's worth it as it's very frustrating at times but other times it's bliss
 
Franko Costa said:
Tbh the cost is high. No only are there gross costs like mail, phone, etc but there are annual fees that you should be able get back through credits.

The biggest killer is time. To make it worth it, it becomes more of a hobby second job. Some people don't think it's worth it as it's very frustrating at times but other times it's bliss
Click to expand...
Totally agree to this. I treated it as my 2nd job and it's so time consuming with a lot of organization but the income (points) worths it for my family.
 
I was about to post the same. Open up a chat window and saw this message.

"HSBC will be closing its International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB) business in Australia as part of ongoing simplification of the HSBC group. The closure will take place in phases over the next 18months, subject to regulatory approvals.

You’ll receive dedicated communications with further details on what this means for the products you hold, along with instructions to support you through the transition. To find information about how we collect and handle your personal information on our website, please #md#[click here](https://www.hsbc.com.au/privacy-policy/)#/md#"
 
Slightly more info in the FAQ but still sparse. Main takeaway is ofc premier upgrades closed, no info on how long existing premier customers would be grandfathered post closure before need to find a new home market.

100k liquid or 5k DD/pm to maintain US Premier status, otherwise similar amount £75k with Expat. Or if you trust developing markets, 3m PHP (~49k USD) with Philippines, even cheaper with Egypt or Turkey but more FX risk.

 

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