I've just got an Amex with a Qantas frequent flyer promotion and I cant pay a single one of my bills with it.
How do people make the $3k spend cap? I think I'm going to have trouble hitting it.
How Do People Reach The AmEx Spend Limit When Its Not Accepted Anywhere
haggertm on 11/03/2024 - 23:32
Comments
All supermarkets, I pay my rates, electricity, phone, Internet etc… If your provider doesn't accept Amex try AU Post bill pay, choose PayPal and pay via PayPal.
Grocery and other household goods would take up most of it, insurance bills (monthly or annual), petrol, eating out, takeaways, public transport.
Easily 80% of my spend is on AMEX. The rest goes on my ANZ Black.
Link it to your paypal and that's a huge percentage of online transactions right there.
Everything above is great advice.
Could you bring forward a purchase? say a new phone upgrade or TV, fridge, washing machine.
Alternatively ask your friends, are they buying anything big(things mentioned above), just go along with them, pay for it and get them to pay you back. This way can be a bit tricky, but you could hit your spend without using your own money.
Watch out for the extra surcharge for bills, i guess thats why using gift cards at supermarkets are the go. i got the minimum spend done and probably will never use it again. Nonody accepts it and when they do it costs a lot more!
I think you reach the spend limit by all the extra surcharges.
You don't spend on anything else?
Food?
Petrol?
Clothing?
Entertainment?I haven't been to a place that doesn't accept it. It's become much more widely accepted in recent years
I have had an Amex Card since 1981. (They sent me a bottle of wine to commemorate 10 years with them, nothing since. - maybe at 50 years)
It's my goto credit card, for pretty much everything - the only place I have encountered that doesn't take it, is Costco.
PAy it in full every month.
Back in the day, when I used an Amex Charge Card, on one occasion, I bought 4 first class round trip, Sydney to Boston air fares on it for family, as part of a relocation for an international assignment. Wasn't a problem.
Interestingly enough, before Costco dropped its partnership with amex a few years ago, they were great for racking up maximum spends. Could spend lots of money at Costco on a small, expensive item(eg. Top of range laptop) with no card surcharges, leave it sealed then return it once bought as they would allow you to refund the money to any other card ie. choose your bank debit card to get the money in your account to use to pay off the amex charges. Card minimum spend done.
Dick move.
Is it really a dick move?
Boo hoo, a $300+ BILLION dollar company has to spend a couple of bucks on returns.
@millie2323: I think so.
Why not walk into the cafe and pinch a hot dog or two while you're there? It's only a couple of bucks to the $300+ BILLION dollar company.
YMMV
Why not walk into the cafe and pinch a hot dog or two while you're there?
Stealing something is different than taking advantage of a service included with your membership…
You're literally paying for the benefit of a flexible return program, not for hot dogs…
Is it a dick move that you're getting 2% cash back, especially if you're paying extra for that benefit?
AusPost BillPay using Amex in PayPal wallet. I prepaid rates and then put my everyday spend on it - 90% was Amex accepted (public transport in Sydney, groceries and eating out).Annoyingly, Amex transfers the points at the end of the month (vs. end of statement cycle which I'm used to), so I have earnt the points now but they won't transfer to Qantas til the end of March. Which was a bummer as I'd booked rewards flights on double status thinking I'd be in Points Club by mid-March.
Woolies/Coles giftcards and Amazon giftcards would be my go-to if I couldn't hit spend in time.
Never ever had an issue finding somewhere that accepts it. Where have you tried? Supermarkets do, phone carriers do. Most utility companies also do.
kikki.k don't accept Amex; same with Costco
As others mentioned, Auspost and PayPal. Also snip and Deft
Anyone have suggestions on how to pay for Aldi using Amex? I cant even use their giftcards as Aldi giftcards are only sold at Aldi…
Hi @vicerum
Try the grocery gift card @ https://card.gift/product/the-grocery-gift-card/
Make sure you select the digital version. No fees, and you can easily add it to your Apple wallet/google pay and use at checkout as any other debit/credit card at any supermarket (including ALDI). And of course you can pay for it with your AMEX.
Simplest answer would be buy gift cards pay bills.
Multitude of other options covered at length in other topics, without guessing everyone's spending habits and budget.