FFlash

We have threads for Amex and Diners, but not for Mastercard, so starting new.

MC is the most common credit card and I want to have one now that my previously used Eurobonus MC (gave 1p per 1€ previously) has gone downhill to "Travelcash" card type giving only 0,5p nowadays. I dumped it.

I cannot find any good MC co-branded giving points. On AY pages there are a couple of options (and couple of other jokes not even worth mention):

1: AY-cobranded MC. 1p/€ basic&silver, Gold 1,5p, Plat 2p. 50€ annual fee, plat free. (3000p granted for 1st purchase?)
2: Nordea MC. 1p/€. 2000p signup bonus. 60€ fee.

Question regarding option 1 is that if I can have AY MC at the same time I have AY DC? Since it will work "as your Finnair+ card at the same time" it says on both terms. Of course my AY DC plat gives me 3p€ so I would use it always, but when not valid for purchase, I could utilize AY MC then, netting me 2p which is at least more worth than lousy Eurobonus Travelfusk 0,5p.

Option 2 is not enticing, not even the 2000 signup for 60€.

Last resort, is there any other mastercards outside AY world, which could give good earnings in any other programs, or cashback? (forget Stockmann, I used it only to qualify fast for Exe level and then dumped it)

FFlash

Edited OP, it seems when going further in option 1 that there is 3000 bonus for first purchase.

Also chatted with CS and they said only one co-branded can be hold connected to AY, but I will raise this with AY+ plat line to ask confirm.

wkndtraveler

I have both AY DC and AY MC.

intuition

Cards are really not an easy thing in the nordics, are they?. I never felt tempted by any airline card. Even if you could find a decent rate (which you can't, right) you'll get locked in to one single points economy. What on earth would I do with more AY+ points? There are only so many times I can ride the Finnair city bus
So I mainly look for cash-back cards, which seems to be even harder.

But with last years EU decision on limiting interchange fee to 0,3% it got worse and very few companies are willing to offer a great rate of earning these days.

With all that said, and with very little knowledge of cards available in Finland I can at least point you in the direction of Nordic Choice club MC. It is still a points-system, but you can transfer to AY+ and the card also earns 10 qualifying nights in choice program.

Gnopps

I haven't seen this, on the SAS homepage SAS MC is still listed as 1p/€1, where are the news about this change?

Thanks but that one isn't applicable for Finns..

Airline credit cards are really lacking in Finland. Compared to Sweden we're missing for example the BA Visa and SK Amex (with 2-4-1 vouchers).

intuition

OK i browsed the .fi page of nordic choice and it was mentioned there. I assumed therefore it was possible to apply for in finland.

FFlash

To avoid confusion (since there are two types of co-branded cards), is your both DC and MC "Finnair Plus cobranded", in Finnish "yhdistelmäkortti"? So that both earns points to your AY+ account?

I just got reply from AY plat line: "according to our knowledge, a same AY+ account can NOT be combined with more cards than one technically. But if a crediting bank hands out another card, it is OK from Finnair Plus side" which is very confusing answer and further they tell me to contact the crediting bank.

With this, I think I will simply apply the AY MC and look what happens. If not possible, then I look for something else.

Thanks, intuition, for the headsup about declining cashback. I never had those cards (well, S-card is one) so I did not know.

My dream is of course Amex 2-4-1 type like in Sweden, but no love for Finns and offtopic here.

wkndtraveler

I find the airline branded credit cards very useful since I don't fly as much as majority of FT'ers. I use the award points earned by credit cards to maintain my status and upgrade travel class. I rarely by J tickets.

Both of my co-branded credit cards are at the same time Finnair Plus frequent flyer cards with Finnair Plus number and status printed on the card issued by SEB Kort. I don't have any separate Finnair Plus frequent flyer card. And yes, both cards earns Finnair Plus points to my one and only Finnair Plus account.

That's exactly what I have done. I have applied the cards from SEB Kort via Finnair website and never had any problems. This is first time I hear one can only have one co-branded card at a time and don't see the point in that. DC isn't accepted as widely as MC so a DC holder needs MC, too, and SEB only issues co-branded credit cards as far as I know.

Unsub

I'd get the AY MC in a heartbeat to accompany the DC, but I always assumed it's one or the other. Let us know how it goes!

I already have a Nordea MC. It would be perfect to have that one co-branded with AY, but hardly possible as it's SEB and not Nordea offering the AY MC. Not sure would they even grant another MC for this reason..

wkndtraveler

At least I haven't had any problems.

May I ask why you chose Nordea's AY MC since you need to pay the yearly fee even as a Platinum member? SEB's AY MC would be complimentary for you. Or is it basic Nordea MC you have?

My third credit card is Nordea Gold without any connection to AY (complimentary for Nordea's Key Customers). So yes, one can have several MC's as long as the payment record stays clean.

wkndtraveler

FFlash, did you know that also Danske Bank has co-branded credit cards with Finnair? Finnair Plus Visa Gold (annual fee 150 €) gives 10 000 Finnair Plus award points every year, plus travel insurance. Finnair Plus Visa costs (60 €/year) and comes with 2 000 award points but in the first year only.

odo

I've had both over a year without any issues.

Unsub

It's just a basic Nordea credit/debit card I've had for years. Not AY MC. Definitely applying for the SEB AY MC right away. DC is so poorly accepted in countries where I typically travel to.

FFlash

I know. But it seems they have been infected with the AY syndrome of "we cannot let them earn too much freebies" since they have removed the 10k p from 1st year, it kicks in only 2nd year!! What a way to lure in new customers ROTFL

FFlash

Appl sent and got autoreply to get response in a week. Will report back