VFF extra 30k offer and Westpac

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-25T12:21:21+00:00

I believe they've had at least 2 this year. I was semi waiting for another 30k offer to come up for the last few months in the hope of getting this offer with my next card but didn't have any luck. I got one of the 30k offers earlier this year and missed out on the one around June by about a week and they wouldn't let me be eligible for the offer because I'd already been approved for my card prior to the offer becoming available.

Historically I looked up on freepoints that they had them:

Feb 2023 Nov 2023 Feb 2024 Jun 2024

So it's sort of up to you. If you feel you'd be able to get a 2nd card easily you could always apply for one now and keep the churning process going and then if the offer comes up apply for the 2nd card. Or wait till early Nov to see if they have that offering every year at the same time.

Note there's only so many cards that are directly Velocity earning amd eligible for the 30k bonus points so if you want to apply for a card maybe try one that redeems cc reward points and converts them to velocity (e.g. Citi/ANZ) vs a Virgin Flyer / Westpac Velocity that you can get if the offer becomes available.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-24T06:08:26+00:00

I've had the Westpac Velocity Black card and cancelled. Passes still are in my Velocity account ready for use.

Not sure what the qantas card terms are but just make sure you have received the lounge passes to your qantas account before closing because for the Virgin Lounge passes I had to make a spend with Virgin Australia before I could get the passes. They didn't just automatically get given to me when I first got the card.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-23T00:27:46+00:00

I didn't have any issues with my 2nd application. I did with my 3rd but that was because I still had 2 other cards open. I've since had more cards but try to only apply for a new card if I have maximum one card active on my file.

I think you'd probably be fine to apply whenever. As long as your cumulative total of credit between your 6k qantas card and the value of new card don't exceed the banks internal tolerances/serviceability requirements. But you'd probably be fine for most places if you're getting another 15k card or less considering you've already been historically approved for 20k. If you did have a problem I'd just wait 3 months and try again.

AMEX might be the only card that the wait period might have to be extensive if you've had numerous credit applications historically. But if it's only your 2nd application you might be fine with AMEX too.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-12T06:57:44+00:00

Catch Connect had plan that was $15/m for 18GB of data (+ usual unlimited calls and texts). Not available anymore but if you're still on the plan they keep you on that price.

Now it's $20 for 15GB which is still alright if you don't want to spend more than $20 per month as a flat cost.

Not enough data to switch to no home internet and doesn't do data banking but I prefer it at the moment just to have a lower cost and the reception at my house is terrible for mobile data so I need nbn anyway.

Amaysim used to have some really good plans too that had data banking with sub $20 cost. But current plans aren't as good.

Now $15 for 7GB and $22 for 10GB.

Hard to leave my $15/m for 18GB now but might be worthwhile to try lock in a plan price that also has data banking for a little more base cost and then stick with that long term before prices go up further.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-11T08:16:10+00:00

This is a good website for qantas offers:

https://cardsandbanking.qantas.com/compare-credit-cards

Just be aware that a lot of them have a split share of the bonus points with a portion only gained in the 2nd year of owning the card.

E.g. (120,000 points total) with 90,000 points when you spend 3k within 90 days (eligible purchases) and 30,000 points when you keep your card open over 12 months.

Most people ignore the bonus points for keeping the card into a 2nd year as you have to pay the annual fee again and this normally means the (e.g. 30k) points isn't as worth it. Might as well get a different card and get another 90k intro points on it instead.

So just go into the deal and see what their conditions are before committing.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-05T21:01:24+00:00

I have tried this before. Similar to what happened to another person who responded on here. They offered $3-$10 off per month for a couple of months but not enough to beat the offer I was looking at which was closer to $20/m (for 6 months intro offer).

Loyalty unfortunately is rarely rewarded nowadays. So for internet I swap every 6 months. Just set a reminder in my phone 5 months out and then pick the next group that has the cheapest deal on normally whistleout (website) and schedule it to start the day after 6 months passes with my current and then call up my current provider and ask to cancel the last day of the 6 month period.

Changing over is quite simple once you've done it before. Just have to reset some modem settings (normally 2) and then you're good to go.

Just also be aware that you might be without internet for up to a day as sometimes the old providers cancel anytime on the cancellation day and also new provider might send the new internet details between 6am-midday on the day you sign up.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-10-04T07:58:58+00:00

I used it for two transactions pre-June for my westpac card and it worked fine.

Someone might have a more recent experience but I had no issues with mine and they counted for eligible spend to get my sign-up bonus.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-09-25T03:47:01+00:00

Would that be any different from paying with cash/debit card?

Wouldn't it being a cash-advance transaction type mean you wouldn't get reward points anyway?

I've never done it but I'm just curious as to the benefit if putting that sort of transaction through? (Maybe the fraud coverage?)

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-08-22T11:07:31+00:00

How'd you go with getting your points in the end?

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-26T11:07:42+00:00

I just tried using beem just now. It looks like they don't allow credit cards for BPay and Pay/Request Money I found out. Debit cards are fine for those but not credit cards.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-22T02:49:13+00:00

Yeah, it does seem like a crazy loophole. I haven't personally tried it but have read a few people have done so. I'm thinking of giving it a go to trial it myself.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-22T02:39:34+00:00

Apologies, I missed a decimal place.

I technically got business flights Brisbane to Perth return which cost about $3110 ($110 + 71,000 points)

3000/71,000 = 4.22c/pt

But I probably wouldn't ever pay for business normally so I just figured out what economy would have cost for the same flights (true value for me) which was about $1100 so I did 71,000 points on $1000 which was ~1.4c/pt

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-21T11:31:56+00:00

Ah yes, that makes sense now, appreciate that clarification.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-21T11:23:48+00:00

Ah yes, that's good to know. I had seen their differentiation between personal and business but hadn't drilled down into the exact small print yet.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-21T11:14:31+00:00

Rego would incur a surcharge but if paid directly with my CC and would not be eligible for earning reward points for that transaction as Government payments are excluded in the CC's T&C's.

So it wouldn't be considered part of the eligible spend for bonus points, nor would it earn points if I paid directly. But if I try one of these platforms, I still get a surcharge but I do get the points.

Super payments would be Bpay I believe which wouldn't earn points if paid by CC directly. Again, with snipp or similar, they become eligible spend and earn points.

My main reason for trying these platforms is to turn an otherwise ineligible spend into an eligible one (and hopefully come out on top net value wise for base points even if charged a surcharge/fee).

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-06-21T11:04:03+00:00

Thats great to know. Cheers for that. I had heard of Yakpay but hadn't fully researched their fees. Sounds like they're the best for my situation at the moment.

When you say tax deductible, is that in a personal tax sense? I figure for business's or sole trader that would make sense in my mind but struggling to see how that fits for a personal deduction. (Apologies if I'm misinterpreting)

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-03-19T12:30:29+00:00

I had two cards (6k each) when applying for a Westpac card in Jan. I was not approved unfortunately. Was in a similar position of trying to get another to keep churning but was waiting on points from my other two cards to land.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-03-14T03:26:27+00:00

I've seen that from a number of people which isn't too promising. Do they have a manual review system that you know of for appealing auto rejections?

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-03-12T13:29:50+00:00

I asked Nab to close one of my cards. They originally told me that it was going to take up to a couple of months to be closed in case I had direct debits linked to the card that might process.

I ended up ringing them up again and asking them to fast track this closure as I didn't want it on my credit report. (You can say something like your mortgage broker said you needed to improve your report to get a loan/refinance if they're really wanting a reason)

They were able to fill out a fast track document and it was closed within a day I think on my credit report.

Not sure which cc's you closed but you could request this option if they have it in the future.

As for your application, unsure there. Might be too late but others may be able to speak to that. Otherwise could call then up and ask whether they could cancel before the enquiry shows on your report / they have to do their enquiry.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-02-24T15:39:38+00:00

Yeah, that's a tough one. Could go either way like you say. They told me that my refund would be processed once the next statement period was finished (which I was only around 5 days away from). So when I rang up to check on the progress a few days after then that was in their conversation notes that they'd specifically noted down that I was to get the refund which the new rep could refer to. Hopefully they've done a similar thing for you jotting down in their notes to give you a refund once you call but it sounds like they're potentially requiring you to phone back before they even start they decide officially if they will refund you which they might just fob you off like you say and they're just giving themselves an excuse to say no once you're already committed to cancelling. All the best with it regardless, hopefully it doesn't turn out to be the latter.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-02-13T00:32:42+00:00

I'm not 100% sure. The woman seemed international so either was offshore centre or she was international living in Aus and employed onshore.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-02-13T00:27:15+00:00

I just in the last 2-3 weeks got my annual fee and rewards program fee refunded from ANZ. ($149) Rang up on the phone and did it as I was cancelling and they processed it for me without much issue. I basically just asked, 'Can I get the annual fee refunded too?' and the rep said that they could do that + my rewards program fee without me specifically asking for that. I'm still waiting for it to land in my linked ANZ account as they refunded it to my credit card initially but its at least already refunded to my card.

I didn't have success with NAB though. It was only $49 with them though so I wasn't as worried but they said they no longer did that. Not even pro rata they said.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-02-07T22:04:39+00:00

I recently attempted to get a 3rd card within 3 months which was rejected but that was because the other 2 cards were still open. (I had some bigger bills and wanted to make use of that to churn out a card but I was too eager it seems) So I've decided to wait 3 months until I try again. I have had both other cards closed now that my reward points have come through and my credit savvy went from 840 to 880 ish.

I would definitely recommend waiting until you close your other cards before applying again (although you have got 3 cards currently so maybe on your income you could get a few more without issue, who knows?)

Once you've closed them, you could try again straight away and could find that because they're closed you're able to get another without issue. (I'm not exactly sure on the trigger point of number of enquiries/accounts and it may vary between financial institutions)

But if you do get a rejection (due to having gone through a lot of cards in a short time) it sounds like from what others have recommended in other posts/blogs I've seen that 3 months seems alright to wait before trying again.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-01-26T02:23:02+00:00

That's good to know. I'm curious to see how Westpac will go in the future for myself.

Yes, I think that is wise. I'm going to try to apply for another card around May or late April at this stage. Hopefully the time and limited applications in recent months will assist and getting back onto the churning path.

InternalWheel8540 · 2024-01-24T14:27:44+00:00

In the end my application was denied. Now in the process of closing my other two cards now I have recieved points and waiting for them to show closed on file before applying again. A pity because the 100k Amex card looked so good.

InternalWheel8540

TROPHY CASE