URGENT is ANZ Platinum Amex paid via PayPal still OK for travel insurance?

[cgichard]

I would like to avoid SQ's new credit card surcharge: I have the option of paying via PayPal linked to my ANZ Amex Platinum Rewards card: is the charge still eligible for ANZ travel insurance?

 

[jbman]

Call ANZ they can put you through to QBE who do the insurance to see whats required to trigger the insurance

 

[beast_man]

And kindly report back to let us all know!

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I would like to avoid SQ's new credit card surcharge: I have the option of paying via PayPal linked to my ANZ Amex Platinum Rewards card: is the charge still eligible for ANZ travel insurance?

don't book through the airlines website. Easy.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I would like to avoid SQ's new credit card surcharge: I have the option of paying via PayPal linked to my ANZ Amex Platinum Rewards card: is the charge still eligible for ANZ travel insurance?

Well with the ANZ card you only need to achieve the minimum spend of $250 plus have a return ticket. You do not need to buy the ticket with the ANZ Card. So just book a hotel or other travel expense for at least $250 and you are covered. Do this NOW though so that you are covered for cancellation.

.ACTIVATION is by- you having (d) a ticket to return you to Australia; and(e) used a participating card account before you went onyour trip to purchase at least AUD$250* in total (inclusive of taxes and other charges) of: (i) transport costs (airfares and/or cruise); and/or (ii) land content costs (tours, hire cars or other hired transport and accommodation); for you and for your spouse and child who are on that trip with you.

 

[cgichard]

OP reporting back. I got through to QBE Travel Insurance just minutes before they closed down for Christmas. They advised that payment via PayPal was fine, but I should keep with me while travelling the PayPal receiptas well as the ANZ card statement on which the charge occurs. So I went ahead and paid via PayPal. The downside was that although I have both the ANZ Visa Platinum and the ANZ Amex Platinum cards linked to PayPal, on this occasion I could charge only the Visa card, so I'll reap fewer award points on the transaction. That's the first time I've encountered that with PayPal. If I'd paid SQ directly with Amex I would have been stung for the 3% CC charge.

Anyway, all done now and I have the flights and seats I was wanting, so all's well.

 

[DeKa]

OP reporting back. I got through to QBE Travel Insurance just minutes before they closed down for Christmas. They advised that payment via PayPal was fine, but I should keep with me while travelling the PayPal receiptas well as the ANZ card statement on which the charge occurs. So I went ahead and paid via PayPal. The downside was that although I have both the ANZ Visa Platinum and the ANZ Amex Platinum cards linked to PayPal, on this occasion I could charge only the Visa card, so I'll reap fewer award points on the transaction. That's the first time I've encountered that with PayPal. If I'd paid SQ directly with Amex I would have been stung for the 3% CC charge.

Anyway, all done now and I have the flights and seats I was wanting, so all's well.

SQ only accepting Visa/Master by PayPal is mentioned here: http://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-airlines-introduces-credit-card-surcharge-in-australia

It's not that long ago that PayPal Australia used to only accept Visa/Master. Perhaps PayPal Singapore doesn't accept Amex yet.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

PayPal doesn't accept AMEX for any airline payments - apparently AMEX won't allow it.
(Wouldn't surprise me if AMEX earns higher merchant fees when airlines charge their cards direct than what they'd get via PayPal... particularly when some airlines surcharge customers 1.3-1.5% for AMEX, whereas PayPal credit card transactions can cost large companies as little as 1.1%, which would be above-cost so that PayPal still makes some money.)
Also avoids issues and complaints from cardholders who normally earn bonus points on airline/travel spend as PayPal transactions won't trigger these.
PS: You can actually pay by AMEX via MasterPass and Visa Checkout, despite the names.....

 

[cgichard]

I'm resurrecting this thread to have a little rant about the Verified by Visa process. Got to the end of a complicated SQ online booking and discovered that if I use some KF miles to lower the cost I cannot pay by Paypal, only by credit card. Then found myself stuck in the Verified by Visa loop, as I don't have a mobile number registered with ANZ. Well, that's because I don't have a mobile phone. Went through the Help loop and was told I could have this transaction allowed on a one-off basis, but it would take 20 minutes to put the 'exemption' into effect. By which time of course the booking had entirely timed out.

If I put it through on Paypal, without using the KF miles, but still using the same Visa card, will it also need to be verified the same way? Does anyone know?

 

[Spongbob]

I cannot directly answer your question. But I agree, ANZ's Verified by Visa is less than helpful to many people. I am not going to give ANZ my mobile phone number so I can get 6-12 calls a weeks from ANZ trying to sell their products.

 

[cgichard]

Thanks for the sympathy, Spongbob. Indeed I'm surprised there aren't more posts here or on Whirlpool complaining about Verified by Visa. SQ's use of it must be fairly recent as I put a similar amount through on Visa via Paypal without that hurdle in December last year.

In the end, having re-read the discussion above about insurance coverage, I opted to pay the full amount via Paypal. There was a new message there to the effect that "if you using Visa we may have to clear it with your bank", but the payment went through without an extra loop; however, it may have still been within the tiemframe ANZ gave me.