These credit cards are reward cards with free insurances. Platinum card has five insurances while Signature has six. Minimum income apply. These are the best fee free credit cards I can find to date: no annual fee + 0% BT offer + reward points(1.25/1.5 per $) + comprehensive insurances. Enjoy.
Edit: this has been extended to the end of March or July 2014.
Mine just arrived and im going to do the same tomorrow, is it as simple as asking for a balance transfer with a cheque to self? Do they need to know what its for?
I had my mortgage accounts ready, and the bloke couldn't be bothered he instantly offered me the cheque and was more concerned with signing me up for the protection insurance. As others above said, have your savings account numbers ready, don't admit that it's savings, apparently they can't tell, and if you end up giving the numbers double check that they recorded them correctly as someone above had money go into another's account.
Mine just arrived and im going to do the same tomorrow, is it as simple as asking for a balance transfer with a cheque to self? Do they need to know what its for?
I called to activate and said my new card had arrived and I wanted to activate it, ask about the supplementary card I had ordered and go through the with balance transfer I was offered during sign up. Checked that it was 0% for 6 months and said my 'friend' has been offered the option of a transfer to another account or a cheque mailed to me so I could pay the debt directly. They then offered me a cheque to 80% of the credit limit and confirmed my mailing address… Was pretty easy considering it wasn't a small $ figure for the balance transfer/cheque..
Didn't get the cheque option, just the transfer to another institution, got them to triple check the account number
Thanks guys, might get it done later tonight with the help of your posts. Should I have a credit limit somewhere within the doco sent with the card, or do i not find this out until I activate?
it will be detailed in one of the papers that came with the card… details interest rate, credit limit etc etc
Hmm, will check again, I saw a minimum credit limit but no maximum, same thing maybe?
http://www.citibank.com.au/aus/credit_cards/cards_signature.…
Hi guys, this offer has $ 299 fee but there will be 60k points on first purchase. Is it a better offer?
Fee free for life vs 60k once-off which is worth about $350
Ahh its $299 annual fee. I thought its $299 for life
hasnt anyone applied via that link claimed the 60k then call up b4 jan 31 ask for annual fee refund and transfer card over to this promo?
there have been mixed reports about existing cardholders transferring to fee-free without applying for a new card
Just a pointer (pun not intended)
I had to call up citibank as I wasn't sent out a Visa Debit card for my recently applied for Plus Transaction account (to get fee-free forex overseas). In doing so (because its not an automated process when you already have a physical card with them??) - she gave me 2,000 free points for the inconvenience.
Might be worth a go if you're keen for some free points.
anyone receive email saying thank you and here is 2,500 bonus reward points to be credited in february?
No? What did they say it's for?
Maybe for not taking 80% as a balance transfer and actually using the card, LOL.
Maybe for not taking 80% as a balance transfer and actually using the card, LOL.
thats crazy talk
Dear xxx,
We understand that your time is valuable and apologise for the lengthy delay in processing your credit card application. To thank you for your patience we will be crediting your account with 2,500 bonus reward points provided you have activated your card by 31 January 2014. Your bonus points will be credited by 10 February 2014.
i have platinum before and applied for signature, yes it was little bit slow i think but cant remember details but anyway i got the card now, used it, and also got the cheque to self already, 80% from credit limit.
Yup. Got that email.
Guys I wanted to share with you how I managed to (accidentally) get a Visa Platnium AND a Signature card.
I applied for a signature card with no hope of getting either, as my income last career-break year was a whopping 15k.
The reason I applied was because I had a Citibusiness with annual fees. And the deal was for new applicants so I thought I'd try anyway, nothing to lose.
So applied and got knocked back for the signature but somehow on my 15k income they decided to give me a Platnium.
Called back to cancel my Citibusiness and the rep said I've been with them for 7 years and asked why I wanted to cancel.
Told her the truth that I have the Platnium now and no need for the Citibusiness. She noted that I wanted the Signature and suggested that they upgrade the Citibusiness to a signature. I said ok but I don't want the 299 fee. And she said that I can be put onto that plan after it's been approved. So I go ahead with the application and got rejected due to my massive income lol..
So I called to cancel again but was offered another deal after reviewing my files, he said he could try To move part of my credit limit from my Platnium card $6000 to my Citibusiness card to bump it up to $15000 to ensure I qualify. Two days later, I notice my Citibusiness credit card number changed after logging in. Called to check and they said it's been upgraded to a signature and confirm that it's 0 fee for life. So after a week I got the card and read the details. Somehow with all this shifting credit limits I ended up with a Platinum with 6k limit plus the signature of 18k limit! I am sure my credit file is Fd up for sure now. But will sort it out later!
So for those who got rejected keep trying and see if you can make a deal over the phone and shift your credit limits around since they seem to bypass credit checks. Hope this helps
sorry but i wouldn't have cancelled the citibusiness gold, perhaps the best value non-free airline-rewards credit card - no longer available to new applicants :(
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/29856
Really? The fee was 140 per year and other than the travel insurance I didn't see much use coming from the FF points.
Also vs the signature it's 1.25 vs 1.5 points per dollar and fee free. I might be mistaken but guess it's too late for me now.
you could've had it for $74/yr - and not just in the 1st yr
for qff it has a better earn rate and no annual $49 fee for citibank qantas rewards unlike all other citibank cards
After first being given a Platinum with a $12500 limit instead of the Signature which was the card I originally applied for they have finally agreed to change the Platinum with a Signature with the same $12500 limit. Took a few back and forth email with their Sydney office but it paid off.
wow, i stand corrected, in regard to my earlier post about $15,000 being the minimum credit limit.
it appears that a "minimum credit limit" isn't actually a minimum credit limit!
what email address you used? thanks
:)
liski , im in the same boat , so who do you contact and what's the email address for contact in their sydney office or do you just log in and send a secure message.
i would like to know what you wrote to them?
Can you tell me how you did this? who to contact? etc
I applied back in January but got decline for no apparent reason ans no phone call was received ever from Citibank.
However I applied again beginning of this month and got approved yesterday and got the email but today i get another email but for a statement that says "platinum visa" when i applied for a signature visa and i am well above the $75K income requirement.
cards haven't arrived yet.
i have a plat card and applied for the signature and they rejected the app saying i didnt meet the min income requirements, they didnt even offer me another plat card. they said they would waive the annual fee on my existing card, but i told them check their facts as my card doesnt have annual fee. then they said i have to write a letter to get it reassed. what no. would i call or write to to try and convert my 10k limit card to a signature card?
don't forget to register at
https://www.visaplatinum.com.au
http://www.visasignature-asia.com
https://www.visa-asia.com/premium/signature/ap/privileges/in…
to receive offers such as
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/131163
:)
An FYI.
If you didn't apply for the BT promotion upon activation, you can still take advantage of the offer by calling up.
Just did this without any issues.
I found out i got declined even though i make more than $75k per year (signature card).
Didn't even get a phone call or email even though i submitted an october/september payslip.
spoke to 3 different reps all not helpful.
Citibank can go to hell :D
Some people here had luck with reassessments so you could try that as well
Did you apply for various credit cards recently?
Or did multiple institutions accessed your credit history?
Nope haven't applied for any other credit cards.
Citibank is the only 1
Not sure in that case. Can you call them and ask the reason for the same.
May be different companies from the home loan or car loan might have accessed your credit history when you applied.
your salary is not the only dependency for approval.
credit history, existing debt, dependents, etc
only have a home and car loan and that's it.
always paid on time.
card is only for myself.
doesnt matter anymore, citibank are pretty useless.
No call whats so ever yet.
hmm yeh, maybe they consider existing debt too high
cant believe i didnt see this last month! i've been waiting for the platinum/select card since signing up for the silver fee free for life a few years back.
Anyway quick question can someone with a select card log in to their rewards and tell me how many points it costs for a $300 myer gift card? citibank silver says: 51,600 i just want to know if it changes at all
51,600 points for a $300 Myer gift card for both Select & Signature cards .
I guess the difference is the points earnt per dollar spend.
If you download the Citibank app you can browse the rewards for all level of cards.
Thanks
For the signature card this equates to approx. 0.75% rebate of $$ 's spent in Australia and 2% $$'s spent Overseas. Is this a good reward rate??
As good as many MC/Visa. The fact that it's free makes it head and shoulders the best offer out there.
yep its the best you can get especially for fee free.
It used to be 1% on my silver, but all the rewards changed prices and it became 0.5-0.6%
about the same time the bp rewards card dropped from 1 to 0.5%
The BP rewards card @ 1%, those were the days. Putting on work travel expenses - especially 5% when purchasing fuel - and getting a rebate on money I was reimbursed for, in a completely legal and non-dodgy way. :D
you were never offered free upgrades to platinum or signature?
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/109825#comment-1492715
perhaps because you started with silver not gold? :(
Yeah never offered the upgrade, I'm on classic perhaps my limit was too low… I'm annoyed I didn't apply for the gold the first time…
sometimes people opt out for offers at the beginning. then they dont get offered upgrades / limit increases
wow, re-extended till end of Feb.
I smell, never-ending offer
thanks OP. I have asked for a 'cheque to self' and no problem.
Presumably there is a minimum monthly payment due for balance transfer?
2%
When precisely do you have to pay back the balance transfer? Is it on the day of the first statement after 6 months, or on the actual date of the anniversary of 6 months, or the statement prior? (Or something else entirely?)
Should be the statement "due date" on the sixth statement you receive after opening your account (assuming you did the balance transfer before the 1st statement was issued.
Note that minimum payments will still be required each month even if you have no other purchases.
FYI - I asked the same thing on Whirlpool and the general consensus there is that it falls on the anniversary of the BT being approved, rather than being aligned with the statements. That was based on the experience of somebody who had been dinged interest previously thinking it would be based on statement cycles.
Why not just ask Citibank? I did at time of BT application and they told me to call back after getting my first statement and they will then advise the precise date.
Is anyone else have troubles getting their statements for their Signature Card? I received an initial statement early December, and nothing since. They were not helpful on the phone, and now the next statement is due. And so I am about to ring them again. I cannot access actual statements online either because only my initial statement appears on their web site. I can see transactions & the outstanding debt and am paying it using that knowledge.
My statements have appeared online. I've had a statement the night I applied in dec, then a statement issued bith jan and feb. The statement is also emailed to me as an attachment, password locked statement.
Not sure if anyone has pointed this out already. But I just had a chat with CB (online), they said that there is NO INSURANCE for family and friends offered on the signature cards! ONLY Platinum cards have insurance! For everyone who has applied for signature cards are you aware of this and were you told otherwise?
Depends what kind of insurance we're talking about here. There are so many kinds - this issue could be quite confused without additional clarification.
So is it travel/price protection/etc. or some other kind like repayment protection, etc.?
I called CB to clarify, and the person on the phone says that the card should be exactly the same except no fees! it turns out their online chat personnel are just incompetent! They were trying to tell me absolutely NO INSURANCE is provided on signature cards for the family and friend offer. No travel, no purchase, nothing!
I went back and luckily got the same incompetent person who was trying to tell me I was told wrongly on the phone until I asked her whether she was just purely reading off whatever she can see on the familyandfriends link (which she also kept pasting for me to click on, on the off chance I have never seen it before or something!!). They are probably bots reading what they can see on that page only or something! unbelievable! almost applied for the wrong card based on incorrect info.
I always hear conflict information from the customer service of different companies, so I used to assume the person on the phone is incompetent and would double check if the information provided sounds suspicious.
Cool. Glad it worked out.
I did a balance transfer earlier this month and used the card for normal purchases as well.
I was told on phone before doing the balance transfer that it is interest free for 6 months and I need to pay only the ongoing purchases I am doing each month.
But when I got the bill for this month, I was told by citibank to pay the balance in full, else interest will be charged as I have used the card for normal purchases as well.
e.g. Balance transfer 2k, purchases 1k -> stagement says -> 3k in total. I was told, that I need to pay 1k only and so forth each month for 6 months.
I have spoken to a supervisor who will hear my recording with the rep earlier regarding this, but I wanted to know how this thing works. Is it right that I have to pay it in full within days, if I am using my card for normal purchases as well?
What is the point of getting the balance transfer without using the card?
I think our collective understanding is that purchases during BT do not get any interest free days. And repayments go to the higher interest bearing debt first, that is the purchases. And so, you do not have to pay it all, just the purchases. And you have high interest on those purchases.
Incorrect. Once you make a purchase, you have to clear the full balance of the card by the due date or you will start incurring interest. Full balance includes any balance transfers.
You should always keep BT cards and purchase cards separate.
So if I pay all the purchases plus the min payment for the balance transfer by the due date, there will be no interest induced since the interest rate for the balance transfer is 0%. Am I correct?
no :(
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/123330?page=9#comment-1793…
not paying off the total debt, including any balance transfer, each month means that one is not eligible for interest-free purchases and any will attract interest from their transaction date
I think the answer is actually "Yes"
You pay off all your purchases as well as any interest incurred on those purchases from their transaction date (i think you have to work out this amount yourself) ASAP, then also pay off the min payment for the BT by the due date.
Once you have done this, then DO NOT use your card for anymore future purchases and you should be sweet with the remaining BT amount. Meaning you will still get 0% interest rate for the remaining BT amount.
I got charged $49 for transferring to QFF rewards program on 28th Feb, and i paid it off ASAP (today) with a bit extra for the interest incurred ($50 repayment) as from reading everyones post i assumed that they would have charged me interest on this from the 28th Feb to 5th March. Then i have scheduled my min repayment for my BT amount to occur 2 days before the due date of my statement. And i wont be using the card on any other purchases until after my 6 months.
EDIT: I just called up and they confirmed the above is indeed correct.
as well as any interest incurred on those purchases
= no
ie.
there will be no interest induced
= false :)
Thanks everyone for the replies.
Looks like too much complications and not worth spending time over. Will see what the supervisor say and will pay the balance in full.
Oh and you can call up and apply for this deal still. They said it has been extended to 31st March, but they said it is best to sign up over the phone now as the website has not been updated to show the new expiry date yet.
FYI - I signed up through the website today and was processed and confirmed on phone I will still get no annual fee.
is this worthwhile? how would the rate compare to my gold nab qantas ff mastercard
Just called them and applied. The customer service said this is extended till July ^^.
i wonder if you can combine this with the 80,000 points offer citibank are promoting for the Signature card?
http://www.citibank.com.au/cardsoffer/offers/DM_6DPABF6A.htm
Made the activation call and requested a balance transfer for the full 80% (did not ask for a BT when applying). It was granted without hesitation. Also no issue with them sending me a cheque to self. Going make the minimum repayments, not make any purchases, stick the BT in Ubank and pocket the ~$300 interest.
Get some of the balance to open a new ANZ Access account (if you are not an ANZ customer) and earn $100 more on $2000 deposit :)
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/135360
In the T&C it says
New customers only. Offer ends 31 March 2014. If you do not qualify for one or more of the products, we will still proceed with your application for the remaining products, but you will not qualify for the package. We'll give you six months' notice if we vary your package benefits.
If you have a Citi CC are you still considered a "new customer" for the transaction/savings account?
wifey just signed up for signature and has me as secondary card holder. no problems at all.
thanks OP
anyone know how long the balance transfer takes?
from nab to citibank
cheers
I was told it would be 5 to 10 working days but it really depends on the other institution.
Ok thanks, should be any day then. ta
Confirmed that this Offer extended to 31 July 2014 - it's shown on the page now.
i was told that i only needed to email in bank statements to prove my income by 1 customer service rep then another in the approvals dept now tells me they wont accept anything else but the last two years tax assessments which i dont have. anyone else get the run around trying to apply or get their credit limit increased to qualify for the signature card? ive run out of options might have to wait til end of july to reapply once ive done my tax return for this fin year?
Required documents depend on your employment status:
http://www.citibank.com.au/aus/credit_cards/cards_how_to_app…
You can request a copy of NOA from the ATO
http://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Income-and-deductions/In-d…
It can be that they were not convinced from the statements you provided. As Jay said, you can get previous NOA from ATO. I am not sure why you did not keep them for your own records.
Secondly, did you send your Pay slips?
Applied for Platinum card on Sunday, called them Monday arvo to check if they have received the payslips etc and asked what I need to do to get the application processed. The CSR asked me details on my employment like my job title, and when seeing I have included other income (bank interest, dividend etc) she mentioned I will have to send bank statement etc. I was cbb so told her to just remove it since it's insignificant amount. She double checked that I just want to use my salary in the application? I said yes. The only thing left was to contact my employer.
Got approval email around 5 pm. They are very efficient! Similar experience like when I applied for Bankwest Mastercard Zero Platinum a few weeks ago.
anyone know ho long it took to get the priority pass membership in the mail. once you have registered?
cheers
mine was about 4 weeks
what is priority pass?
see details here for priority pass
https://www.prioritypass.com/
i is basically lounge access at selected airports
Their referencing checking is even more strict than when I had apply for a 2nd home loan. Not exactly a smooth ride when declaring my rental income because I rent out my properties privately.
When I applied for 2nd home loan, it was all smooth and only needed to provide a tenancy lease agreement signed by the tenants for my first property, No dramas.
For this cc application, they won't accept my lease agreement because amount of rent on the form is handwritten. So the final option they gave me was to provide my bank statement such that the rent payments are officially labelled with the tenant's name with the word "rent".
So as a result, they've only accepted half my rental income because one of my tenants pays me in cash instead doing bank transfer online.
Hi everyone,
Happy to report you CAN get (at least) TWO Priority Pass memberships for free - One for the Primary Cardholder, and one for the Secondary (or more?) cardholders.
The 'unique' offer code was used on both cards because they have different numbers.
I used two browser windows (Chrome and IE) and entered my Wife's (secondary) details simultaneously, always submitting my (primary) details before doing hers.
Got through without issue and got provided with two PriPass membership passes.
I don't know how many times you could do this - but for $0 per additional cardholder… I'd get one for the dog…
I should mention although it seemed to work online, I have yet to try it.
no idea…
i did it during activation as once the 6mths (+ 2 months of no balance passes) I'll be using this as my everyday CC so a BT in the future didnt effect me