What credit card to use when Amex not accepted?

[pottsy]

I have an Amex Qantas Ultimate card and also a Citibank Premier credit card (for when Amex is not accepted). The Citibank annual fee has increased over the last year and I feel is no longer worth it. SO looking for a replacement. I am considering the:

Qudos Bank Visa platinum Credit Card - $189

Qantas Everyday Money Card - $99

BOQ Specialist Platinum Card - $0

Bendigo Bank Qantas Platinum Card - $14

Obviously all have greater or lesser points per dollar spend. I wondered however, if anyone else had faced similar decision recently and the choice they made? Also, be grateful to hear any and all thoughts/wisdom re: this issue please?

 

[kileskus]

My Amex is my main card and the other card I use when Amex not accepted was the Velocity flyer card for a while (since the $149 annual fee is nearly offset by the $129 flight credit) but since I cancelled the Velocity card I've been cycling my second card for bonus points.

The annual fees of cards are usually worth it if you take sign up bonuses and then keep the card for a couple of months to earn some points from spend while you re-build your credit to then cancel it and take out a new card. E.g. Qantas Platinum and Westpac Altitude Platinum have been my most recent second cards, got the sign up points and then cancelled right before the second annual fee hits. If you already have a checking/savings/mortgage account with a bank(s) they might offer you a discounted annual fee on their credit cards which makes those sign up bonuses even more worth it.

I think churning your second card is a good strategy because if you're only using it when Amex isn't accepted then you're not spending enough on it to make the points earn rate useful. The BOQ specialist platinum card has a very poor points earn rate and no sign-up bonus so I would only use that if anticipating a period between being able to get new sign-up offers, or if your income/credit rating is high enough you can keep that as your 'third' card and churn the 'second'.

 

[burneracc]

I think churning your second card is a good strategy because if you're only using it when Amex isn't accepted then you're not spending enough on it to make the points earn rate useful.

+1 on this, there’s also not much point holding 2 expensive cards with a lot of overlap if not churning, as it’s essentially doubling annual fees for not much tangible benefit if you rarely use the second card.

The alternative to churning backup cards is to have a 0 annual fee, low-to-none point earning backup. Bonus points for no foreign transaction costs too, although that’s hard to find nowadays.

There is of course also always debit although that’s no fun.

 

[pottsy]

My Amex is my main card and the other card I use when Amex not accepted was the Velocity flyer card for a while (since the $149 annual fee is nearly offset by the $129 flight credit) but since I cancelled the Velocity card I've been cycling my second card for bonus points.

The annual fees of cards are usually worth it if you take sign up bonuses and then keep the card for a couple of months to earn some points from spend while you re-build your credit to then cancel it and take out a new card. E.g. Qantas Platinum and Westpac Altitude Platinum have been my most recent second cards, got the sign up points and then cancelled right before the second annual fee hits. If you already have a checking/savings/mortgage account with a bank(s) they might offer you a discounted annual fee on their credit cards which makes those sign up bonuses even more worth it.

I think churning your second card is a good strategy because if you're only using it when Amex isn't accepted then you're not spending enough on it to make the points earn rate useful. The BOQ specialist platinum card has a very poor points earn rate and no sign-up bonus so I would only use that if anticipating a period between being able to get new sign-up offers, or if your income/credit rating is high enough you can keep that as your 'third' card and churn the 'second'.

Thankyou so much, well explained and very helpful, appreciated!

+1 on this, there’s also not much point holding 2 expensive cards with a lot of overlap if not churning, as it’s essentially doubling annual fees for not much tangible benefit if you rarely use the second card.

The alternative to churning backup cards is to have a 0 annual fee, low-to-none point earning backup. Bonus points for no foreign transaction costs too, although that’s hard to find nowadays.

There is of course also always debit although that’s no fun.

Thankyou, you have helped so much in the logic of working it out, appreciated.

 

[Chrizztofa]

+1 on this, there’s also not much point holding 2 expensive cards with a lot of overlap if not churning, as it’s essentially doubling annual fees for not much tangible benefit if you rarely use the second card.

The alternative to churning backup cards is to have a 0 annual fee, low-to-none point earning backup. Bonus points for no foreign transaction costs too, although that’s hard to find nowadays.

There is of course also always debit although that’s no fun.

I had the same dilemma last year after signing up for a new Amex.

I ended up looking at all my regular payments that I could not make using Amex and I couldn't justify keeping a second points-earning Visa/MC. I ended up cancelling my card and picking up a Bendigo Ready (no points, but no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees) with a low credit limit instead. Has worked well for me so far.

I'm now considering whether to apply for one last points-earning Visa/MC, but mostly for the bonus points before the RBA changes take effect.

 

[Rich]

Mrs Rich has a CBA Smart Awards that earns QF points where the fee is waived on a monthly basis with a minimum spend. They have a few options. I like that card for the travel insurance in preference to the Amex card travel insurance which may be something you want to consider.
I have a Coles Mastercard which I barely use but it is free and earns a few FlyBuys, not to mention the sign on bonus at the time.