Qantas has started to crank the marketing machine for its new Qantas Cash travel money card, ahead of the card's planned Q3 launch.
The airline is now sending emails to selected members of its frequent flyer scheme inviting them to 'jump to the front of the queue' and be among the first travellers packing the shiny new multi-currency plastic.
The move follows last week's identical kick-off campaign by Virgin Australia for its competing Global Wallet.
Both Qantas and Virgin Australia intend to bake the prepaid travel cash functionality into new-look frequent flyer cards, which can then be used to make purchases and ATM withdrawals both in Australia and overseas (earning an as-yet undisclosed number of frequent flyer points in the process).
Each card can store up to nine currencies in separate 'virtual wallets' – these will include the usual suspects such as US dollars, UK pounds and Euros, plus we'd tip NZ, SIngapore and Hong Kong dollars.
Qantas has allied itself with MasterCard while Virgin is working with Visa.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2012
Total posts 371
Received the email today, and very quick to accept. Just wish it would be in time for my trip to USA and Canada in mid July. Does not look like it though.
10 Mar 2011
Total posts 529
Also got the email today so have registered and look forward to giving it a go.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 213
ditto
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
Just wondering what level of memebership you guys are? Im gold but havent recieved anything as yet?!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 213
I am currently P1
Qantas
22 Oct 2012
Total posts 317
Silver
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2012
Total posts 371
I'm a platinum QFF.
08 Feb 2012
Total posts 7
My wife and I are both only bronze QFF and we both received the email this afternoon! Dont know if it would make any differance but wife and I have had three flights in the last six weeks though the flights were on Jetstar with the starter pack.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
i fly international and domestic soely with QF anywhere between 4-8 times a year....would be very disappointed if i didnt get an invite to this as i am super keen to use!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Nov 2011
Total posts 122
I'm plat and have yet to receive anything either.
Not feeling the love from Qantas at the moment - no double status or cash card!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Apr 2013
Total posts 1
I'm doing over 60 return flights on QFF every year and I have not had a thing through yet, lets see over the next few days.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Dec 2012
Total posts 53
Received mine overnight and I am a lowly Silver with QC
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Dec 2012
Total posts 53
Received mine overnight and I am a lowly Silver with QC
08 Feb 2012
Total posts 7
As wife and I are only bronze and we both received our emails yesterday afternoon coud it be as simple as emails are being sent in an alphabet order as our surname bgins with B?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jan 2012
Total posts 171
I got my email and I am also a lowly Bronze as well. My surname starts with P. So I gather random mail out.
22 Jul 2011
Total posts 19
Before thinking this is "for you", wait until you see what the fees and charges on this and the Virgin cards. They're likely to be similar to those for the comparable Air New Zealand card which look like they are basically a fee gouging machine:
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/onesmart-fees
24 Oct 2011
Total posts 162
well they are both copying Air NZ on this idea, so I wouldn't be surprised if the fees schedule are similar, and im guessing something along the lines of this.
monthly account fee. $15.00
top up/loading up fee. $5.00
currency conversion fee. 3%
overseas transaction fee. 2%
ATM withdrawals local $2.50
ATM withdrawals overseas $5
Not to mention to buy foreign currency will probably be at a lower rate. So if you went to XE and saw that $1 AUD is buying $1.05 USD, if you tried to load US currency on your card it would be $1 AUD = $0.98 USD.
Thats just my hunch.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
thats daylight robbery if true!! will not use this card with fees like that....you would think they would make it much more compeitive, given the amount of choice around for similar options!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2013
Total posts 25
Gold and got mine overnight. Registered without hestitation of course.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
thats daylight robbery if true!! will not use this card with fees like that....you would think they would make it much more compeitive, given the amount of choice around for similar options!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
glad to say i got mine over night....very happy about this, as i missed out on the Double Status Credits emails.....1 out of 2 is ok
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 244
Got my invite yesterday and I am only Bronze.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Dec 2012
Total posts 66
My wife got an invite to join today... but I didnt. It is most likely because she barely uses the card (only activity is through Fuel Points). Where as mine is the credit card and flights...
So I dont think its 'selected', but moreso 'random'!
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
Detail is required before any measured assessment can be made. On the face of it no better than any regular debit card and a great way for QF to make profit by having our cash in its pocket.
Credit/debit cards already offer reasonable exchange rates.
The point earn could be key...
...my partner who is Platinum recieved the basic info beforr myself as Platinum One so I don't see any neee to infer exclusivity or priority in the hollow marketing emial campaign (hollow = lack of detail)
PS VA just launched something similar so what's the big deal?
Qantas - Platinum One
18 Jan 2011
Total posts 83
I've seen a lot of these "global wallet" style cards recently - mostly pre-paid affairs.
I sort of understand the concept of buying currency at a specific time to lock in the exchange rate, and then storing that currency - but for those of us who aren't particularly interested in playing the lottery, I don't really understand what benefits this concept offers compared with simply drawing cash off your credit/visa debit card from any ATM anywhere in the world (I find the fees for doing so quite reasonable, considering the convenience).
My biggest annoyance is travelling to a country and withdrawing more cash than I end up needing, then having to bother with converting it back (and paying for it!) or just forfeiting the cash and keeping the notes on the off chance that I'll remember to take them with me if I am visiting the country again in future.
It seems logical to me to keep all your cash in the bank in your home currency, and just take small amounts when you need them from any given country.
Am I missing something? Could AusBT shed some light on other reasons why I might be enticed by a product like this? (other than, in this specific case, the possibility of earning more FF points)...?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Jul 2011
Total posts 186
Depending on which bank you have your Visa card be it credit or debit, the atm & exchange fee can be quiet high. The benefit of locking in a currancy is the ability to purchase and use local ATMs with no exchange fee or in most cases an ATM fee.
I've used the Jetstar version of the currancy card with no problems, having the FF card attached will benefit FF members by being able to rack up FF points on purchases and maybe ATM withdrawls. Also the added security that these cards are not attached to any of your bank accounts.
I'm all for it, one less card to carry :-)
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2553
Low or no ATM fees is a benefit of some travel money cards; many businesses also like them because they can be treated like a 'travel expense card' with an allowance or consolidated per diem prepaid onto the card, which simplifies reporting and eliminates the hassles of reimbursement.
It also depends on how often you travel and where you travel to. I find that a multi-currency card (as both the Qantas and Virgin ones will be) is a huge convenience, although I also like to carry a wad of local cash.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Apr 2013
Total posts 1
Received the survey email over 1 month ago. And recently received the invitation to register. Can't wait to get it as my credit card is constantly compromised every trip to Asia. Hope it is launched ASAP.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 May 2013
Total posts 1
I have tried to click the "register now" link - nothing happens
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
Ok any idea if your status reboots for another 12 months from when the card is issued?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Apr 2013
Total posts 16
how is everyone find the QF money card....have notice that the exchange rates are pretty good so have been loading up of US, takes a while for funds to hit account though?!
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