Qantas credit card for spending in foreign currency

7 replies

icie_lynx

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Jun 2018

Total posts 8

Hello, I need a replacement credit card for my CBA AMEX which is being cancelled. We mostly spend in foreign currency. Min 1:1 Qantas points. Ideally not foreign transaction fees (which is what CBA has). I already have the Qantas MasterCard. No monthly points caps.

What unicorn card do I need? Thanks!!

Chris C.

Member since 24 Apr 2012

Total posts 1,116

Depending on your income and how much you value Qantas Points, there's always the AMEX Platinum Charge Card - earns 2 Qantas Points per $1 on overseas spend via the Membership Rewards Ascent Premium program, as unlike most other cards in the market, these points can be manually converted into Qantas Points as desired, and at a 1:1 rate.

However, there's a 3% international transaction fee, and the annual fee is $1,450, which may or may not be worth it depending on how much you'd make use of the other benefits like airport lounge access, status upgrades with Hilton/Marriott/Radisson/Shangri-LA and so on.

moa999

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 02 Jul 2011

Total posts 835

I don't think any of the Foreign Fee free cards earn points.


mannej

QF

Member since 21 May 2014

Total posts 176

I don't think any of the Foreign Fee free cards earn points.


The Bankwest Qantas Platinum and World credit cards earn QFF points, but at 0.5ppd and 0.66ppd respectively

icie_lynx

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Jun 2018

Total posts 8

Depending on your income and how much you value Qantas Points, there's always the AMEX Platinum Charge Card - earns 2 Qantas Points per $1 on overseas spend via the Membership Rewards Ascent Premium program, as unlike most other cards in the market, these points can be manually converted into Qantas Points as desired, and at a 1:1 rate.

However, there's a 3% international transaction fee, and the annual fee is $1,450, which may or may not be worth it depending on how much you'd make use of the other benefits like airport lounge access, status upgrades with Hilton/Marriott/Radisson/Shangri-LA and so on.

Interesting! I will go check it out. Lounge access isn’t so useful to us as we usually travel business but I would like late check outs with hotels so maybe....

mos

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 18 Dec 2014

Total posts 31

I’ve got a CBA Amex which will be cancelled soon too. I decided to get the foreign-free-fee 28 degree MasterCard which while it doesn’t earn any points it also doesn’t have an annual fee. I looked into the BankWest Qantas Platinum MasterCard but at an annual fee of $160, you’d have to spend about $32,000 a year on it to make it worthwhile (assuming 1 qantas point is worth about 1 cent). Since I’d only use it for foreign transactions, it wasn’t worth it for me.

MRYJDrake

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

Member since 31 Oct 2016

Total posts 206

I’ve got a CBA Amex which will be cancelled soon too. I decided to get the foreign-free-fee 28 degree MasterCard which while it doesn’t earn any points it also doesn’t have an annual fee. I looked into the BankWest Qantas Platinum MasterCard but at an annual fee of $160, you’d have to spend about $32,000 a year on it to make it worthwhile (assuming 1 qantas point is worth about 1 cent). Since I’d only use it for foreign transactions, it wasn’t worth it for me.

I'm going to declare a little bit of Conflict of Interest on the following comment:

With the 28d, make sure you're aware of who the issuer is for that one, and make sure you don't actually have to talk to them. Their Customer Service makes Citibank look phenomenal.

mos

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 18 Dec 2014

Total posts 31

I’ve got a CBA Amex which will be cancelled soon too. I decided to get the foreign-free-fee 28 degree MasterCard which while it doesn’t earn any points it also doesn’t have an annual fee. I looked into the BankWest Qantas Platinum MasterCard but at an annual fee of $160, you’d have to spend about $32,000 a year on it to make it worthwhile (assuming 1 qantas point is worth about 1 cent). Since I’d only use it for foreign transactions, it wasn’t worth it for me.
I'm going to declare a little bit of Conflict of Interest on the following comment:
With the 28d, make sure you're aware of who the issuer is for that one, and make sure you don't actually have to talk to them. Their Customer Service makes Citibank look phenomenal.


Yeah that’s true as I discovered during the application process. But hopefully I won’t have to talk to them again!

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