percysmith

I too am happy to pass on the SCB Visa Infinite (VI).

Especially given SCB's $300 fee per conversion and the following other offers:

1. SCB AE: $2.5/mile for overseas spending (can be redeemed at same time as VI)

2. DBS Plat: $4/mile for dining

3. DBS AE: $6/mile for AE

4. BEA Plat: $8/mile for bill payments (SCB VI not applicable on bill payments)

That really doesn't leave a lot of spending for "the rest" of Visa spending. Especially given I need to spend around $360,000 on SCB VI to recover the $300 fee for using a $7.5 rate over a $8.0 rate ($360K spending = 48K miles on the SCB VI, 45K miles on the Citi Premiermiles (PM); difference of 3K miles = $300 cash worth using my $0.1/mile valuation (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...-hk-8.html#114)

toplayer

^

There is also the small issue of the HK$6000 annual fee. Fubon at 6-1 is so much better than anything else out there at the moment aside from the BEA rebate scheme as percysmith stated earlier. My VI renewal is up in September and unless they agree to waive I will definitely get the scissors out!

percysmith

Is it non-waivable like Amex fees? Maybe at least there's some discounts.

Note Fubon Asia Miles scheme is terminating on 30 June 10 and they aren't budging on extending the scheme. In fact, the "Sure Win Spending Rewards" for May onwards won't make it to the account in time for the Asia Miles scheme.

After reaching a nice fat round number last Saturday (120,000 points), I've put away the card. Esp now that BEA has extended the 1% part of the 4% rebate scheme to even the threshold amount.

Don't use the scissors on the non-Priority VI card...it's quite an elegant card. I'm pretty sure SCB will let you terminate the card by faxed form.

toplayer

Annual Fee: I will definitely email closer to time for a waiver as I would have easily met their target (200k) if they didn't mess around by changing it to 7.5-1 from 6-1 with zero notice (I recall I found out about it on this board, so thank you). I have over the target on the SC Amex though so will know if that counts for the VI requirement. Will post the result.

Fubon: I hope you don't mind me asking about the source of your info re Fubon not budging about extending Asia Miles? This would be shocking - didn't they only join last year? What would be the commercial purpose of participating for one year? I was expecting them to extend it like they did with the Sure Win scheme back in Feb... Well if they don't then c'est la vie. The Fubon Elite securities trading offer was the best deal in years for miles accumulation.

VI: Yes 2 years ago it was quite nice but now, sadly, it has paid the price for my spending follies. Can't even see the "Standard Chartered" on the front now.

percysmith

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11))

Re "Fubon not budging about extending Asia Miles? This would be shocking - didn't they only join last year?"

http://www.fubonbank.com.hk/web/html/cc_cbp00_e.html

"Terms and conditions for Bonus Points Conversion to Asia Miles:
1.
The promotion period of this program commences from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 (subject to the receipt of the redemption application by Fubon Bank (the "Bank")), both days inclusive ("Promotion Period")."

There's only 2 months before the program ends.

It is too risky to assume they'll extend given they've never extended before (unlike Citi PM, DBS Black wellcome offers).

Also note even if they did extend, Fubon points have one year expiry anyway.


Re: "The Fubon Elite securities trading offer was the best deal in years for miles accumulation."

That may be, but I dunno if the Fubon Elite Securities offer is tied to the Fubon Elite Platinum credit card offer. If yes, that will terminate on 30 June 2010 too (per Fubon CS) (the Elite redemption form and website appears to support the CS's interpretation http://www.fubonbank.com.hk/Elite/ht...rds_cat_e.html)

around the world

What would be the best card to use for overseas spending if one had to use Visa/MC ... Citi Premier Miles? Or some other card?

Also, what exactly do you mean by bill payment? Is this an online banking function tied to your credit card? I usually just try to charge everything (whether personal or business expenses) I can to my credit card. I use PPS for merchants that do not take credit cards like PCCW, Water Supplies Dept., et al.,

Is it possible to link up a PPS account to my credit card instead of a bank account so that the transactions are simply billed to my credit card versus being debited directly from my bank account. If so, would this incur any charges? (or would the transactions be billed as a cash advance instead of a purchase?)

Thanks in advance -

around the world

ChrisLi

CitiPremiers is the best with 1 Miles / HKD 4 with no fee
DBS Plat Visa comes next with 1 Miles / HKD 4 with HKD 100 fee
- If you combine their any restaurant 1 Miles / HKD 4 then the fee is not a deal breaker, and might make your life easier and 1 less plastic in your waller
I think he meant there may be some company don't take Credit Card based auto-payment and you have to go though bank. As I know you can earn points via DBS for utilities payment.
Depends and it differs from bank to bank, basic rule is no points.

Hang Seng do it as a purchase transaction but with no points, which they used to

DBS assume it as cash advance

percysmith

Yes. You haven't been earning miles for PCCW/Water Supplies Dept and like payments? Oh this is criminal for an FT miles hoarder:

percysmith

Sure? I'm pretty sure they don't.

But DBS only gives $12/mile, whereas BEA Platinum gives $8/mile with $100/10,000 mile fee.

HSBC Platinum gives RewardCash like normal purchases which can be converted to miles for $16.67 spending/1 mile.

BoC Platinum, DBS Black and Platinum and Bankcomm all cards give miles for bill payments at $12/1 mile.
(Bankcomm's 2009 3X/5X promotions even covered bill payments. In the Feb-Mar 2010 promotion they've wised up and banned bill payments from the promotions).

Fubon Platinum gives double points even for bill payments (i.e. $6/1 mile) but also subject to the redemption program deadline above (I paid for a PCCW land line bill last month and have been credited with double points).

Definitely going for BEA Platinum.

percysmith

Yep. Bank directly credits merchant and much less merchant discount is paid (if any, in IRD's case). Visa protection for the consumer (like chargeback) do not apply. The only way banks can make money is if you don't pay back all of it in the statement due date and they get to charge you Finance Charge APR.

around the world

Yes, I haven't been earning anything

What bills can be paid through bill payment... my Salaries Tax Bill, Company Profits Tax Bill, others? I am assuming everything government would be covered plus much more... right? Do banks impose limits per transaction or on the amount of miles I could earn per transaction or annually?

If I have a SpeedPost account and bill all my shipments to that, would I then be able to pay my monthly bill through Bill Payment and earn points?

If I understand you correctly this is a completely separate service from PPS, right?

Thanks in advance -

around the world

percysmith

Yes. But all miles-earning banks ban earning miles on payments to the IRD.

Most things for which you get a Government invoice for - IRD, rates, water, traffic infringement payments. There's no TD payee but you can use a 3D-secure online payment when you apply for things like driving licences can't you?

No Hongkong Post/Speedpost payee either.

But I don't have a SpeedPost account.

I know they accept Visa, MC over the counter...just paid for Speedpost by Visa yesterday. I think I even managed an AE transaction at the post office last year.

Of course account sending is conveninent...

Yes, substitute to PPS.

around the world

percysmith:

Thanks for taking the time to reply. A few more questions...:

1) If one is using bill payment, does the corresponding credit card have to be issued by the same bank or can any credit card be used regardless of issuer? Simply put, if my personal and company accounts are held with Hang Seng Bank, do I need to use my company or personal card issued by HSB or can I use any credit card?

2) Can AE or Diners be used for Bill Payment for is it Visa/MasterCard only? Who makes this determination? Is it the bank that you have your registered bill payment account with, the credit card issuer, or the merchants that chose to receive payments via bill payment? I took a look at the 'Bill Payee List' on the Hang Seng website and noticed that some merchants accept payment only by bank account, others only credit card, others both.

3) Is there any charge to use bill payment? Do banks impose fees if you use a credit card that was not issued by their bank?

4) Is there a standard list of bill payment payees among different banks or does it vary?

5) It seems like this service basically renders PPS useless ... right?

around the world

ChrisLi

Sorry I mis-read assuming the OP is paying another credit card bill with a credit card, e.g. pay Dah Sing Bank Bill with Hang Seng Credit Card.

I milk 200+ cash dollar by doing that before they ban it.

PPS does not accept credit card directly. All Credit Card bill payment has to be done via Credit Card Issuing Bank.

As answered in other reply, it really depends on the fine prints from different issuing banks.

ChrisLi

It can be any card as long as it is enabled for online payment (with the respective permission set)

Hang Seng Bank has a special list that some bill can be pay only with credit card only and some only by bank account only. See the list here
http://www.hangseng.com/pib/eng/oth/...bShopBank.html

This is determined by the card issuing bank. The bank clear the bill via the PPS system so the billing company has no say on how the funds were from. They take the money and that's it.
Em ... the bill payment service is a service provided by the credit card company and only allows you to withdraw fund from the credit card they issues. Normally there's no fee attached but some banks, like DBS I mentioned earlier, classify other credit card company's payment as overdraft and the overdraft system kicks in. For Hang Seng the normal "purchase" transaction applies

DBS Example : http://hk.dbs.com/en/ratesfees/pdf/ba28.pdf
There's no standard. The list of bill payment payee differs from bank to bank
Well, if you don't have a credit card with that CC company and need to pay the bill, at the same time your bank does not support credit card bill payee, pps kicks in.

I clear my DBS Credit Card / CX AMEX / SCB CC via PPS, withdrawing fund from my HSBC account.

Technically I can use my Hang Seng CC to clear my SCB accounts, but it brings me 0 points with the only bonus to delay my cash payment for 1 month
Happy Miles Hunting