Credit Card for a Couple That Have No Combined Finances or Assets & Don't Co-Habit

brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 10:08
Last edited 22/04/2021 - 13:22

Hi All

My Girlfriend and I don't co-habit, and have no joint financial or physical assets. We do travel a lot and take a guess at who has to pay for what rather than splitting bills. Usually I pay for food, booze, hire car and airfares and she pays for accommodation and tickets to concerts/theatre, etc. With COVID the split is a bit skewed.

We want a "joint" CC (I assume one of us will be the main holder with the other having an additional card). Zero or minimal fees. Tied in to either Flybuys or Virgin or QF Frequent Flyers (we have all 3).

It will be paid in full every month so interest rates aren't an issue.

My first thought was Coles No Fee Mastercard but I haven't got a great imagination with these things.

Thx in advance.

Edit: Applied for the ANZ Black CC offer. It doesn't tick all the boxes but it ticks enough

Financial Credit Card

Comments

  • aggregate on 22/04/2021 - 10:30
    +1

    Take out a new credit card as an individual, only use it for joint spending and agree to pay half each at each billing cycle.

    Or don't think too much about who is paying too much/too little.

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 11:56

      Take out a new credit card as an individual, only use it for joint spending and agree to pay half each at each billing cycle.

      We need a card each. Often one of us will decide to buy tickets somewhere and just do it without discussion.

      Or don't think too much about who is paying too much/too little

      We haven't worried too much for 4 years but we are talking more than a hundred here or there. Like $7k for Coachella VIP / Accommodation packages, $5k in airfares, $6k for a bushwalk, $3k for vehicle hire.

  • zoombie on 22/04/2021 - 10:48

    If you can hit the spending requirement, apply for two separate cards that give you bonus flyer points. The points will be enough to pay for your next flight.

  • GG57 on 22/04/2021 - 10:53

    Do you both earn a comparable income?
    Is there a reason why you don't want to commit to a joint financial account?

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 12:00

      More or less similar.

      We both have significant assets. There are various reasons why we would both prefer to keep our finances quite separate.

  • Mechz on 22/04/2021 - 10:58
    +3

    Credit cards are almost always in one persons name but can have additional cardholders. So if you get it you are liable for all debt.

    Just something to be aware of.

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 12:04

      Thanks. It will have a $10k limit. If we split it will cost me $5k at worst. My last relationship cost me $200k more than it should have so it's small change in comparison.

      • Mechz on 22/04/2021 - 13:30
        +1

        Not quite, the additional cardholder has no financial responsibility to the account.

        • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 14:47

          If the card is maxxed out to $10k then $5k of that is my spending and my debt. The other $5k is hers. If she chooses not to pay that $5k then it's cost me $5k.

          • Mechz on 22/04/2021 - 16:32
            +2

            @brad1-8tsi: Yeah but she could spend all 10k. There's no individual cardholder limit.

  • bobbified on 22/04/2021 - 11:15
    +3

    If you don't have joint anything else, why would you want a joint credit card?

    We want a "joint" CC (I assume one of us will be the main holder with the other having an additional card).

    As the main account holder, even if she spends on a supplementary card, you're still responsible for paying it off.

    You're probably better off creating a joint account where you both put money in there and carry a debit card each from for that account. When brown stuff hits the fan, you won't have a credit card debt to worry about.

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 11:45

      Thanks. I am aware of the financial responsibilities.

      The crap is unlikely to hit the fan but even if it did the amount of money that will be on the card will be 4 figures at most. It's not an issue.

      We don't want a joint account.

      CC debt has never been an issue or a worry. I only spend what I know I have already.

      • bobbified on 22/04/2021 - 11:46
        +1

        I am aware of the financial responsibilities.

        LOL. I just realised you were the OP. (My bad!) 😂

  • esosite on 22/04/2021 - 11:20
    +4

    Just use splitwise or a similiar app, then just chuck in your expenses there and split it at the end of the month

    • Caped Baldy on 22/04/2021 - 11:32

      Step 1: GF complains
      Step 2: Fight and breakup
      Step 3: Save money, welcome to ozb

  • thirtysixd on 22/04/2021 - 12:09
    +1

    Do you want relationship or credit card advice?

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 12:14

      Credit Card. The relationship is great. These folks mean well.

  • coxjon on 22/04/2021 - 12:20
    +5

    My wife and I share a card, she holds the card and I use Apple Pay. I’ve never needed the physical card

  • Randxyz123 on 22/04/2021 - 13:13

    Amex cards have no additional fees for a secondary card holder. So you could do that. What you could also do is one of you refer the other for a Qantas Amex and then use the bonus points to upgrade on a future trip.

    You'd both have to pay the fees but you'd get more points.

    • kerfuffle on 22/04/2021 - 15:47
      +1

      Amex cards have no additional fees for a secondary card holder.

      Not necessarily the case e.g. DJs Amex

      • Lastchancetosee on 23/04/2021 - 10:17
        +1

        This. I have an extra card on my D J Amex account for my daughter, and it costs the same as mine each year. I use the Qantas points. She has a staff Myer One card, which I use, and she uses those points. Win-win.

        • kerfuffle on 23/04/2021 - 10:24

          The supplementary card should only be $29/year. The primary cardholder is $99/year

  • Seraphin7 on 22/04/2021 - 14:45

    Any reason not to have a joint bank account that you both tip in an agreed amount each week/month/whatever and then you each have a debit card that comes off that?

    • brad1-8tsi on 22/04/2021 - 14:54

      There are other parties that may think they have a claim on my assets sometime in the future. I don't wish to give them the slightest idea that they may have an entitlement to a bigger pot of gold.

  • ozhunter on 22/04/2021 - 19:42

    I guess any of these rewards cards. Coles Rewards has the lowest annual fee. https://www.finder.com.au/credit-cards/rewards-credit-cards

  • HeWhoKnows on 23/04/2021 - 08:37

    You can do this with any FREE credit card
    Too easy

  • OzHunterNSW on 23/04/2021 - 12:07

    You obviously have not thought this through… have you.

    I would wait on the "joint" account as it is clear that you both are not really a couple.

    Stop paying for everything. Hire car, airfare, food, etc is al lot lot more than I suspect her chosen accommodation bill.

    Wake up man… wake up

    • brad1-8tsi on 23/04/2021 - 19:37
      -1

      You would suspect wrongly about who is paying the most. :-)

      Neither of us came down in the last shower. Both of us are well established, well paid and good with finances. Oddly, we both think this is needed so it's fairer on the other party. Both of us have better things to discuss than "You paid $300 for the car and I paid $1300 for the airbnb, how much was the meal at Faro?"

      Communication is a wonderful thing.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 23/04/2021 - 15:32

    You’ll be out 50% of everything in the wash anyways so just get a joint account

    • brad1-8tsi on 23/04/2021 - 19:29
      -1

      What part of "we don't co-habit" don't you understand? We are not defacto. Nor do any of our other arrangements or actions imply we are in a defacto relationship.

      • Tee Rex Arms on 24/04/2021 - 11:33

        So your relationship will never progress to living together?

        • brad1-8tsi on 24/04/2021 - 14:53

          It isn't something we are planning to do as a permanent thing.

          I'm moving in to her place next month for 3 months while the roof is lifted on my place but will be paying rent while there.

  • blueyez on 23/04/2021 - 16:52
    +1

    Came here to potentially suggest a credit card, instead reading assumptions about your future relationship lol

    I guess my only 'advice' re: credit card, if you can do it, then start churning through cards to take advantage of bonus points.

    More travel for the both of you!

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