Bye Bye 28 Degrees MasterCard

I know there's been a couple of topics on this, but interested in getting a poll going to see if many others are planning on jumping ship.

Currently it's been identified that to process a BPay from your bank will cost $0.95 from July, and a recent survey that went out indicated they may be considering an annual fee.

For these reasons I'm going to see if I can jump across to the Bankwest Zero Platinum MaserCard. Bit of a weird feeling as it's currently the longest held account I have (had it for 6ish years).

Poll: Are you planning on staying or going?

Poll Options

  • 36
    Going to keep my 28 Degrees
  • 158
    Going to find a new provider
  • 109
    Bikies

Related Stores

Latitude Financial
Latitude Financial

Comments

  • +2

    I know the bikies reference has been around for ages but forgot what it means, can someone please refresh my memory!

    • +3

      Its a running joke here. Someone posts a forum topic saying "My neighbour is flinging monkey poo at my pet canary - what should I do?" and the stock response is always "bikies".

  • OK so as someone travelling next month should I apply for a 28 degrees card or look at Bankwest?

    • +4

      Citibank is meant to be good arent they ?

      • I have citibank. I want a credit card for hotel deposits etc… Sometimes they can take a week to come back on your card

        • +2

          It would appear that Bankwest while it doesnt charge any transaction fee, maybe doesnt give as good an exchange rate as 28 degrees.

        • any idea what the difference is between the bankwest no annual fee cards are?
          There is classic, gold and platinum but the only difference i can see with them is that the platinum doesnt charge 2.9% transaction fee.

        • Have to watch out for this. I was getting slugged ~$AUD 250 every time I got a new bike from one of those bike sharing stations in Paris (even though it was only a few euros each time). Riding around after a late night to find some crepes cost me dearly!
          I got the money back about a week later but it was pretty annoying.
          This was back in 2011 so it might not hold true now….

        • you can use other credit cards for hotel authorisations… then ask them you want to pay with another card on arrival.

        • @kiribatian:
          same thing with the bike sharing they have in melbourne, i think everytime you take a bike its $50 deposit.

        • @RockyRaccoon:
          do you know about my question below? RE: classic/gold/platinum?

        • @RockyRaccoon:

          What gave you that idea?

        • @Hirolol:

          If avoiding the international transaction fee is not a priority, I'd get a card with rewards points over those other two BankWest cards. ANZ platinum with 50000 QFF points for example.

        • @Hirolol: We have bikie sharing? That's a great idea! Oh…

        • @dazweeja:
          im looking for one for when i travel.
          I just want the card for deposits for accommodation and emergency.
          so needs to be no annual fee and no fees when withdrawing from ATM.

          Do you know the difference with the classic/gold/platinum apart from the 2.9% transaction fee being waved for the platinum?

        • @Hirolol:

          For withdrawing from an international ATM with no ATM fees, you need the Citibank Plus. It's a Visa debit card attached to a normal savings account, not a credit card though. The credit cards will charge you a cash advance fee at ATMs. There used to be a trick with the 28 Degrees card where you could load it into positive balance and avoid the cash advance fee but they stopped this a while ago. So a common combo is Citibank Plus for international ATMs, Bankwest Platinum for international purchases on credit.

          Sorry, I have the Platinum but don't know how it compares to the classic and gold.

        • @RockyRaccoon: Don't they both process at Mastercard's daily international rate? Can't say I've ever noticed a difference.

        • @Hirolol: Only platinum has no FX fees.

      • Worst banking app ever
        Customer service at the same level as their app

        Also cancelled my 28degrees card

  • I literally applied for this last night for the foreign currency option.
    Any other recommendations?

    • the coles mc (rewards version) is exactly the same. same insurance but slightly higher fee but price protection is up to 24 months (also $0 if you pay off the balance before statement is generated). no international tx fee on the rewards version either. to avoid the annual fee you call them to downgrade to the no annual fee version and then change back to the rewards version a week or two later.

  • -1

    time for royal commission into FSS.

  • I have no problems with direct debit instead of bpay. Althoughh I'm used to bpay.
    I suspect there is more cost involved for 28D accepting bpay, and if this is the case I'm happy to help them keep their cost low in order to provide a low cost product to me.

    I honestly think business should charge extra for forms of payment that cost them more, Amex surcharges are the prime example. Retailers that don't surcharge the card user, is reaping it back from all payers, it's a defacto tax upon the low cost payers directing points towards who use high cost cards in order for their users to get points. It's not fair. So happy to support any policies to even up the field.

  • Loyalty is dead!

    • Loyalty from banks to customers? I agree.

      • +2

        Something that never was alive cant be dead. These are banks not loyalists

  • I already have got a Bankwest Platinum Credit Card in place which I have not started using so far since I got it, so as soon as they introduce a Bpay or Annual Credit Card fee, I will jump ship and close the 28 Degrees Mastercard account.

    Where is it mentioned that for Bpay payments they will start charging a an immediate fee? I have received my 28 degrees credit card statement on 06 May 2016 and in the bpay payment method, they have not made any mention of Bpay payment fee.

    • Payment handling fee $2.50 (in person)
      $0.95 (online) This excludes payments made via the Online Service Centre.

    • The OP already said

      from your bank will cost $0.95 from July

      BTW I also saw an ad in one of the papers that also notified of this impost

      • It says bpay from your bank…..

        So just use the online service centre instead of bpay

        • We are in agreement. I indicating WHEN it is to be applied to the question by saty

          will start charging a an immediate fee?

      • +1

        I just spoke to them onbthe phone. They won't be charging for the online service centre, however, from July 11 this year they will be charging $0.95 because the banks are charging this fee. 28degrees is just passing on the charges that Oz banks are charging them. This is why they have introduced the new payment system "pay my account"

        • I am just wondering… This "Pay my account" option just requires a BSB and account number, so in theory anyone that has a bank BSB and account number can use the money in the account (?).

          I am just thinking if a scammer has your bank details (BSB and account number), then he/she can use it to pay on things that allow this kind of payment method..

          I had always thought even a scammer has my bsb and acc number, they can't do anything with it, but looks like this is not the case anymore ?

        • @OzFrugie: It's a "reverse" direct debit. Normally you'd authorise your bank to send money. In this case you authorise them to ask your bank for them to take the money. They only allow large established organisations like banks, utilities etc to do this, so I don't think scammers can utilize it. They can still stuff up though. I used to have a direct debit authorisation on my gas account. I cancelled the account and authority, and years later changed providers. Some 4 or 5 years later I get a direct withdrawal from my account to the cancelled gas company without any authorisation in place! When I queried my bank they said "oh we just take their word for it. If there is a mistake we reverse the funds". That doesn't help if you need your money for something in the meantime.

        • @endotherm:
          Thanks for the explanation, @endotherm.

          When the request to take money arrives, does the bank do a check whether the request comes from the same name as the owner of the bank account? Or some other checks..?

  • Will likely hold my 28D until they introduce an annual fee.

    Disappointed when they removed the free ATM withdrawals but still low fees for purchases o/s is good.

  • The 28 degrees website says this….Payment handling fee $2.50 (in person)
    $0.95 (online) This excludes payments made via the Online Service Centre.
    I have never used the online service centre, however, it appears to be similar to bpay….just put in your bsb and account number.

  • So from now on, just use the online payment system instead of bpay.

  • I am actually, really, really impressed with them lately. An online retailer shop247.com.au didn't send me all my order. I rang 28degrees and they are chasing a refund for me. They may even ban the retailer if they don't send me a refund. Go GE you good thing!!!!!!

    • Go GE you good thing!!!!!!

      It's no longer GE. It's now owned by Latitude Financial.

      • And I only just stopped calling it my "wizard" card, and they go and change the name again…..lol

  • I'll keep it as long as there is no annual fee. I got Citibank Plus but I still find 28 degrees handy to have for the shopping protection and to get a bit of credit while I transfer the funds after I use it (Direct Debit would be fine too). I'm not sure if I would qualify for a BankWest credit card at the moment, not sure what the minimum income requirement is etc.

  • Where is this 95c fee for paying your balance with bpay? I'd be grateful for a source if it is in fact true.

    • +3

      It's on the last page of latest statement.

      Notice of Variation to your credit contract:

      Effective from 11th of July 2016
      The terms relating to the payment handling fee will change from 'A payment handling fee will be charged
      to your account each time you make a payment to your account, except that no fee is payable for
      payments made by mail, by direct debit or by BPAY®' to 'A payment handling fee will be charged to
      your account each time you make a payment to your account, except that no fee is payable for
      payments made by mail, direct debit or via the Online Service Centre'.
      The payment handling fees are $2.50 (in person) or $0.95 (online).
      The paper statement fee is increasing from $2.00 to $2.50.
      This change was advertised in The Australian Newspaper on 10th May 2016.

      • So direct debit is free but if you do not it's $0.95 a month (unless you do it via the website?)? And $2.50 if you pay in person (I didn't think that was possible still!)

        That is strange…

        • When I rang them on the phone, they said that the banks have introduced this fee on them, they are just transferring it intonthe customer. Many other institutes will likely follow now with a fee on bpay.

      • I've checked my latest statement dated 6 May and it doesn't have this notice.

        • Keep going back to June of July.

  • I have a CitiBank Plus and 28Degrees, they are stashed with my passport and used exclusivley while travelling overseas, I will be keeping this combination as long as there is no annual fee or any charges to have them sit stashed away during my non travelling time (unfortunalty most of the year)

  • +2

    The Bankwest Platinum Mastercard doesn't seem to be an option for me since unlike everyone else here (apparently) I am not an affluent middle class aspirational. They knocked me back for not having a high enough annual income, whereas I had no trouble obtaining a 28 Degrees Mastercard (it was called Wizard back them) with a $1500 limit many years ago when I was even poorer than I am now. I am so angry about our government constantly cutting interest rates in order to drive up the prices of all the property the baby boomers own; overseas and digital purchases costs 40% more than they did 3 years ago. Of course low interest rates mean the middle class has even more money to spend on acquiring property and on overseas holidays and luxury goods. God bless class warfare.

    Can a lower class person obtain a Citibank Plus, or do you need to be a high income earner to qualify?

    • My god that's a new spin.

      The last I read was that lower interest rates were promoted by the younger generation to increase the availability of finance to ensure they can afford a home, that overseas buyers are snapping up.

      Overseas investors are buying because their children are being educated here, so no government wants to stop them otherwise the tertiary education market will die, and all the progressives will be out of work.

      Although It's the Reserve bank that dropping the interest rates which is independent of the political masters in power at the time. And Baby Boomers are also said to have savings in bank accounts that they are supposed to be living off, so while their house appreciates, their cash flow drops. No income, let them eat bricks, or sell up to cashed up foreign buyers.

      And a higher dollar means more incentive for production to be offshore. No jobs here unless its from the taxpayer like building submarines etc at 3x the overesas prices. While that sounds good, thats less money availbale for hospitals education etc.

      Plus you even contradict yourself at the end, how can the middleclass afford overseas trips when the cost of travelling has increased the 40% due to the dollar drop. Why to do now find fares dropped dramatically Dramatically for overseas travel, because people arent travelling. Airfares are only a small part of the cost. Hotels food etc OS will eat moe of the budget with lower a dollar.

      Since the dollar has come down some 30% lets look at prices here in Oz for say cars. A Hyundai i30 is still 20K driveway. A Toyota Camry at $27K driveaway is around the same price than in the the USA, when last year it was 30% more. So the reduction in the dollar hasn't transpired into higher prices here for many goods.

      BTW Go for the Citibank Plus account, its a debit card, so your income doesnt impact your qualification.

  • +2

    I only use feeless cards, refuse to use ones with a yearly fee. I have 2 bankwest an amex, hsbc and umm I think that's it (I don't pay interest so I kind of don't need to pay close attention to the cards TBH)

    I would ditch any card that would introduce a yearly fee

  • +3

    I'm staying unless they add an annual fee or of course charge like wounded bulls for currency conversion..

  • Is there a minimum amount of money you must earn per annum to qualify for the Bankwest Platinum Mastercard?

  • The 28deg card waived the MC currency conversion fee. Doesn't mention that at all for Bankwest so I'm guessing the conversion rate will always be worse for the BW card? In that case there's no point getting the BW card until 28deg starts charging an annual fee or adds in other fees, am I correct?

    • +1

      No, I don't think so.
      Let me put it this way. I've made dozens of standard overseas purchases in Gbp and Usd using both 28degcc and Bwcc, and been charged nothing by either card. The conversion rate for both has no markup. Specifically I've found BW mastercard to be spot on the official rate at:
      https://www.mastercard.com/global/currencyconversion/index.h…
      Bwest update their system faster I believe which is a big plus.

  • I used the Pay My Account thing on their website (via the service centre) the other day and have since made another purchase. I just went in to make another payment and it wouldn't let me:
    "Your account is ineligible to use this feature.

    This could be due to the status of your account, or because you have recently used this feature in the last five days.

    Alternatively, you can pay your account using any of the methods below."

    I use the card often and like to make payments fairly regularly - so not loving this at all. I also realised that you can only pay the balance or less.

    • That is interesting- so they're capping the ability to pay via their service centre to once every five days?

      But why would you make regular payments rather than pay whenever your statement is due?

      • It's just something I do with this card since it's not used very often. Something I used to do anyway.

      • Late reply I know; but I might be making regular payments if for instance I make adhoc last minute purchases prior to my statement date.

        Since Shopper's Protection requires you to pay off your balance before statement date (to avoid paying a premium), I usually pay off my balance a few days in advance just to be safe. But if I happen to make a last minute purchase in the couple days between my payment and the statement date, I would probably have to try and rush in another payment to reduce my balance to $0 again.

  • I'll just keep using 28 degree until one day they decided to charge annual fee.

  • +1

    I just tried to use their new "Online Service Centre" payment. They won't let you pay above the balance owing and if you put in the balance owing they reduce it by 1 cent. If it is not fully paid off that means they get to charge me for Shoppers Protection, and also it takes 3 days to clear. Yeah I think I'm done with 28 degrees unless it is an emergency.

    • I am kinda surprised that you could not pay the exact amount owing using the "Online Service Centre". (You mentioned that it would reduce it by 1 cent?)

      I just tried to pay the balance owing (although I stopped at the confirmation step), it seemed to allow me to pay the exact amount owing.

      • A bug perhaps? Either way unacceptable, previously BPAY would allow payment of more than what was owing. I sent a couple of BPAY payments of 1c before the fee kicks in (1c to make up the shortfall and 1c extra to piss them off), and I'm going to use Citibank Plus for a while instead.

      • +2

        I managed to pay my balance owing off just fine. Exact amount shown on my statement, through the online service center. No hitches for me, I will stick with it for now.

        • I did it last month and didn't find any issue at all. Automatically reducing 1 cent from the balance doesn't make any sense to me.

    • +2

      I just had a bunch of problems using their online payment system.

      Somehow, I was a couple of hundred dollars over my limit. I did make a partial payment earlier, but from an account that doesn't allow direct debits, so it bounced without anyone telling me. One of the reasons I don't like direct debit.

      I'm also a couple of days out from my statement date, so I wanted to pay it in full so I don't have to pay price insurance protection. I also had one pending transaction. I added up the balance owing and added the pending transaction. I tried to pay that exact amount. Got the "You cannot pay more than the balance" error. So now what to do? Pay off the cleared balance, then have the one pending transaction bite me in the ass and find myself having to pay the price protection premium? It also messes up my due dates for the next couple of statements.

      As there was no way to pay it in time, I just decided to pay via bpay, plus put in an extra $1 or so for the fee, because if I forget it they will add it when I least suspect, and exceed the $0 balance again. It sucks having to pay the extra money just because their system won't allow you to pay them what you owe them. I get the feeling they are deliberately hobbling it so you can't go into credit, and if they can catch you out with a positive balance (even 1c as stated above), hit you for price protection.

      I'm close to bailing out, but I've come to like the no-international-transaction-fee etc. with the 6 month price protection. I wonder how long it will be until Coles follows suit? I have one of their cards but refuse to use it for international transactions

      • Maybe I had a 1c authorisation on there that did it. Lucky there is no BPAY fee yet.

        • I don't know how I missed the 11 July date, I thought it had already kicked in.

      • +1

        If you can't put money in to end up in positive balance via the online payment system, I'm thinking about jumping ship too! That totally sucks, I hate getting stung for the price protection fee, and much prefer my account balance to be in credit at the statement date, not in debit!!

        • +1

          Just attempted to pay more than the balance and endotherm was right - you cannot put your account in credit.

          Anyone been getting system unavailable issues when trying to pay their account via the online payment channel?

          This card is not worth keeping as my main card anymore due to all these issues. I'll retain it only for overseas transactions only and price protection…

        • @kati: I just tried to pay my balance via the online centre and got a service unavailable message. Not really acceptable considering this is the way they want us to pay.

        • @chichi: You could message them on their FB and complain. they seem to be responsive to messages (apparently they respond within a day). if only they could sort out their online payment system…

        • @kati: Yes, I noticed quite often, when trying to logon, that it was down.

          I was using it a lot after Citibank started to charge a fee for foreign merchants; and know 28D does not have this fee. But now OzB members have confirmed Amex does not have this fee, I will reserve this only for overseas transactions.

          I have never used the price protection before, and was going to check it out at some stage. So, in your opinion, no point checking it now - given all the restrictions? Thanks in advance.

        • @bluesky: Don't bother with price protection now.

          What do you know about Citi/Amex "fee for foreign merchants"? I thought Citi was free

        • @The Land of Smeg: Thanks, I won't bother then - with the 28D price protection.

          Re Citi DCC fee, this post will provide some info regarding this. Basically, Citbank brought in a raft of changes in March. This thread will tell you all about these. In addition, the other day, someone mentioned Citibank had increased the points to redeem gift cards again, lowering the reward value even further. I haven't verified this, since I don't intend to use Citi CC anymore. I have completely switched to Amex Essential, which provides 0.741% cashback, without the DCC fee uncertainty.

        • +1

          @bluesky: Thanks for that. I got Citi Debit, so no change for me thankfully

        • @The Land of Smeg: Sorry, my oversight :-). I should have made clear, it is the credit, not debit card!

    • Forget the 1 cent. Combine "won't let you pay above the balance owing" with "it takes 3 days to clear" and there's the dealbreaker.

      • +1

        Yeah, I have pending transactions and they won't even let me pay (balance + pending transactions). Which is really odd.

  • I like to top up my card as the weeks go by.
    I just saw the "PAYMENT HANDLING FEE (ONLINE)" of $0.95 every time.
    I won't be doing that again!

  • bye bye 28 degrees.

  • I just paid using their website and painless, just enter your BSB, account number, and amount you want to pay. Takes a few seconds and no fees.

  • I "paid" my latest bill by being forced to use their direct debit system. Unfortunately the account I specified was a couple of dollars short after another bill was paid in the time between authorising the transaction and them processing it. I was hit by a $19 direct debit dishonour fee. Went to pay it again when I found out and it refused, saying you can't use the direct debit payment service more than once in 3 days or something ridiculous. Just let me bloody pay the bill by sending you the money and stop making me jump through hoops!

    • Yes, cannot use it again for 5 days I think. A bit like walking in a minefield.
      I only use it for transactions in foreign currency nowadays.

      • Me too, but you still have to pay it off each month.

        • Agree, not sure why they want to make it so difficult. It will only annoy customers. How is that beneficial is not really obvious.

        • +1

          @bluesky: Well they are in the business of making money. GE money is famous for lending money to people that can't afford the repayments and charge exorbitant interest. Most can't pay it off on time, or live with a full balance etc. and end up paying lots of interest. OzBargainers are a different breed, always paid off on time, getting free price insurance, making price insurance claims, using their money for international transactions and not wearing the international fee and exchange rate. We are the ones getting stuffed around and I'm sure they wouldn't mind seeing us leave. The other type of person isn't going to be too fussed paying 90c when they regularly get hit with a couple of hundred dollars a month interest… When I rang them about why bpay was getting hit with fees, they said it's because it costs them money, and they can't afford to absorb it!

        • @endotherm: That makes sense.

  • Now I get this crap when I go to pay directly from my bank account:

    From my bank account

    Your account is ineligible to use this feature.
    This could be due to the status of your account, or because you have recently used this feature in the last five days.
    Alternatively, you can pay your account using any of the methods below.

    I haven't used it since last month. Now I'm forced to use bpay, or set up a direct debit for god-knows what amount each month. They have lost the plot!

    • Haha, and the fees at the sweet spot where it's not really worth calling up to complain.

      I'm doing the test of leaving $0.95 on there to see if it gets written off.

  • I would like to find out what account details 28 degrees uses when they take money from my bank account?
    When I look at my saving account statement it doesn't give their account number and BSB. I might call my bank and see if they can tell me.
    The reason is so that I could pay without the waiting time.
    If it is the same as BPay it would be no benefit as the idea is to avoid any fees.

  • So I have been racking up quiet a lot of these stupid new $0.95 Bpay charges.

    Time to close this card and move onto someone else.

    Who is everyone jumping ship too?

    • I stopped using mine and the 95c got credited :)

      A lot of people have mentioned The Bankwest option.

      I went to the Coles Rewards card. It's got an annual fee, but the flybuys Points I have earned has already exceeded the fee.

      • Bankwest could be a good option, what is the card called?

        • +1

          Bank west Zero Platinum

        • @tomsco: Thanks Tom, I will probably apply. Even though 28C is now only $3 or $4 a month in BPay fees it's still a little unfare.

          The Exchange Rates will be the same, you just don't get the buyers protection correct?

Login or Join to leave a comment