Am I Just delusional or how are Non-Americans doing this?
#31
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 696
#32
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: All around the world
Programs: Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 607
I've got a Hong Kong visa card that earns me 2 miles per $US spent. I can transfer the miles to CX, SQ, BA, DL, TG, EY and a few others so I've got a lot of flexibility. There is no annual fee if you spend 100000$HK (around 12000 $US). I'm not a Hong Kong resident/citizen and got the card while there as a tourist so I'm sure some of you could get it too if there is no decent option in your home country.
#33
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
Being a dual citizen works great for me although it's a pain that my husband doesn't have a SSN and can't get his own cards. Australia seems to be stepping it up, ANZ has a 50k QF card with annual fee waived. I've been ignoring Aussie cards other than my long-time Aussie Amex because they didn't waive the first year's fee until now.
#34
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
Posts: 2,543
I've got a Hong Kong visa card that earns me 2 miles per $US spent. I can transfer the miles to CX, SQ, BA, DL, TG, EY and a few others so I've got a lot of flexibility. There is no annual fee if you spend 100000$HK (around 12000 $US). I'm not a Hong Kong resident/citizen and got the card while there as a tourist so I'm sure some of you could get it too if there is no decent option in your home country.
#35
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
British Airways has a particularly generous FF programme. Even someone on a modest income like me, with a thorough knowledge of the programme and how to obtain Avios and Tier Points, I can get an F round trip to the States every year. I'll also be BA Gold (OneWorld Emerald) by the new year. This is entirely on my own money.
BA is unusually generous and it is easy for leisure flyers like me to obtain status. Many other programmes concentrate solely on the business flyer.
BA is unusually generous and it is easy for leisure flyers like me to obtain status. Many other programmes concentrate solely on the business flyer.
#36
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: All around the world
Programs: Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 607
You can easily open a bank account in Hong Kong with a passport and proof of address (in any country), even on a tourist entry. As for the credit card, I had to leave a security deposit so they are not really taking any risks.
#38
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 142
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Are swipe fees lower in other countries than in the US? The main reason that they can give you so much in the way of rewards here is that it's just a kickback from the swipe fees that they are collecting.
It really has nothing to do with credit and collecting interest. I use my credit cards like a charge card (pay off in full every month) and the lenders certainly know this about me (years and years of credit card use and not a single interest payment) and they are still happy to give me any card I want, complete with sign-up bonus. I seriously doubt that Chase is expecting me to suddeny change my habits and owe them thousands of dollars in interest after years of using their cards and not owing a penny.
Anyway, if swipe fees are lower, then that would reduce the amount that they could kick back to the consumer. It is all about competition for business -- if they were collecting the same amount of fees and paying less to the consumer, I'm sure that someone would offer more as a way to increase their business. It's a simple free market.
It really has nothing to do with credit and collecting interest. I use my credit cards like a charge card (pay off in full every month) and the lenders certainly know this about me (years and years of credit card use and not a single interest payment) and they are still happy to give me any card I want, complete with sign-up bonus. I seriously doubt that Chase is expecting me to suddeny change my habits and owe them thousands of dollars in interest after years of using their cards and not owing a penny.
Anyway, if swipe fees are lower, then that would reduce the amount that they could kick back to the consumer. It is all about competition for business -- if they were collecting the same amount of fees and paying less to the consumer, I'm sure that someone would offer more as a way to increase their business. It's a simple free market.
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I don't see how population is relevant. They are paying per customer.
If a customer earns you $3000 in swipe fees, it makes sense to give them $1500 in rewards to gain their business. That's true regardless of the number of available customers.
The thing that's relevant is the amount of swipe fees generated per customer. In a country where swipe fees are lower, or where people spend less money on cards, obviously each customer's business is not worth as much, so I'd expect the bonuses and rewards to be lower.
If a customer earns you $3000 in swipe fees, it makes sense to give them $1500 in rewards to gain their business. That's true regardless of the number of available customers.
The thing that's relevant is the amount of swipe fees generated per customer. In a country where swipe fees are lower, or where people spend less money on cards, obviously each customer's business is not worth as much, so I'd expect the bonuses and rewards to be lower.
#42
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 12
Are swipe fees lower in other countries than in the US? The main reason that they can give you so much in the way of rewards here is that it's just a kickback from the swipe fees that they are collecting.
It really has nothing to do with credit and collecting interest. I use my credit cards like a charge card (pay off in full every month) and the lenders certainly know this about me (years and years of credit card use and not a single interest payment) and they are still happy to give me any card I want, complete with sign-up bonus. I seriously doubt that Chase is expecting me to suddeny change my habits and owe them thousands of dollars in interest after years of using their cards and not owing a penny.
Anyway, if swipe fees are lower, then that would reduce the amount that they could kick back to the consumer. It is all about competition for business -- if they were collecting the same amount of fees and paying less to the consumer, I'm sure that someone would offer more as a way to increase their business. It's a simple free market.
It really has nothing to do with credit and collecting interest. I use my credit cards like a charge card (pay off in full every month) and the lenders certainly know this about me (years and years of credit card use and not a single interest payment) and they are still happy to give me any card I want, complete with sign-up bonus. I seriously doubt that Chase is expecting me to suddeny change my habits and owe them thousands of dollars in interest after years of using their cards and not owing a penny.
Anyway, if swipe fees are lower, then that would reduce the amount that they could kick back to the consumer. It is all about competition for business -- if they were collecting the same amount of fees and paying less to the consumer, I'm sure that someone would offer more as a way to increase their business. It's a simple free market.
#43
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kobe, Japan
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,522
In Japan churning is tough, and many cards have huge annual fees and tiny sign-up bonuses.
Fortunately for me I found the Saison UAL Visa or AMEX a decade ago, with an annual charge of about $60. It pays out 15 miles per 1000yen.
At current rates that is 1.5 United miles/$ .87 for EVERYTHING (gas, groceries, clothes etc), which is better than most US-issued cards really.
Fortunately for me I found the Saison UAL Visa or AMEX a decade ago, with an annual charge of about $60. It pays out 15 miles per 1000yen.
At current rates that is 1.5 United miles/$ .87 for EVERYTHING (gas, groceries, clothes etc), which is better than most US-issued cards really.
#44
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ATL
Programs: All of Them
Posts: 511
In Japan churning is tough, and many cards have huge annual fees and tiny sign-up bonuses.
Fortunately for me I found the Saison UAL Visa or AMEX a decade ago, with an annual charge of about $60. It pays out 15 miles per 1000yen.
At current rates that is 1.5 United miles/$ .87 for EVERYTHING (gas, groceries, clothes etc), which is better than most US-issued cards really.
Fortunately for me I found the Saison UAL Visa or AMEX a decade ago, with an annual charge of about $60. It pays out 15 miles per 1000yen.
At current rates that is 1.5 United miles/$ .87 for EVERYTHING (gas, groceries, clothes etc), which is better than most US-issued cards really.