Moving to Germany: M&M credit card or Payback?
Feb 11, 2015, 11:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,827
Moving to Germany: M&M credit card or Payback?
Hello forum,
soon I will move to Germany and I will have to change my current Belgian M&M credit card.
Currently I am SEN so I could get the M&M card for free, however I will not keep the status beyond the two years (no travel at the new job).
I read a little about Payback and the fact that it's a little more "flexible", and allows 1:1 transfer to M&M if necessary.
What would you recommend as a strategy to continue adding a few thousand award miles (~20000) a year to my account?
Thank you!
soon I will move to Germany and I will have to change my current Belgian M&M credit card.
Currently I am SEN so I could get the M&M card for free, however I will not keep the status beyond the two years (no travel at the new job).
I read a little about Payback and the fact that it's a little more "flexible", and allows 1:1 transfer to M&M if necessary.
What would you recommend as a strategy to continue adding a few thousand award miles (~20000) a year to my account?
Thank you!
Feb 12, 2015, 1:14 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Berlin
Programs: BAEC; LH M&M; HH Diamond
Posts: 814
Sounds like a reasonable idea, given that you will not be doing air travel in your new job
The PAYBACK card is free and it gets you points for shopping at a series of gas sations, supermarkets, department stores, drusgtores and so on.
You can set up an automatic transfer system on your account and they transfer the points 1:1 to M&M.
Brings me in around 10-15k points per year which is actually quite a lot considering how measly LH are with M&M points on discounted domestic air travel, which, basically, is all I do with them.
The PAYBACK card is free and it gets you points for shopping at a series of gas sations, supermarkets, department stores, drusgtores and so on.
You can set up an automatic transfer system on your account and they transfer the points 1:1 to M&M.
Brings me in around 10-15k points per year which is actually quite a lot considering how measly LH are with M&M points on discounted domestic air travel, which, basically, is all I do with them.
Feb 12, 2015, 3:03 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,626
Hello forum,
soon I will move to Germany and I will have to change my current Belgian M&M credit card.
Currently I am SEN so I could get the M&M card for free, however I will not keep the status beyond the two years (no travel at the new job).
I read a little about Payback and the fact that it's a little more "flexible", and allows 1:1 transfer to M&M if necessary.
What would you recommend as a strategy to continue adding a few thousand award miles (~20000) a year to my account?
soon I will move to Germany and I will have to change my current Belgian M&M credit card.
Currently I am SEN so I could get the M&M card for free, however I will not keep the status beyond the two years (no travel at the new job).
I read a little about Payback and the fact that it's a little more "flexible", and allows 1:1 transfer to M&M if necessary.
What would you recommend as a strategy to continue adding a few thousand award miles (~20000) a year to my account?
Payback only gives you points at a selection of stores (online and offline). If you keep your M&M-CC, you will additionally get miles for paying with your M&M-CC and enjoy unlimited mileage validity.
Feb 12, 2015, 4:35 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 33
I fully agree.
M&M-CC is a normal CC with some nice features (CDW upon car rentals, mileage validity, .. ). Payback is a system where - upon giving up some privacy on your buying patterns and utilizing some advanced multipliers - you can generate quite some points (= M&M miles) as kickback on spending money.
M&M-CC is a normal CC with some nice features (CDW upon car rentals, mileage validity, .. ). Payback is a system where - upon giving up some privacy on your buying patterns and utilizing some advanced multipliers - you can generate quite some points (= M&M miles) as kickback on spending money.
Feb 12, 2015, 4:58 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southern Bavaria, Germany
Programs: LH Blue, BA Blue, Hyatt Gold
Posts: 1,517
I fully agree.
M&M-CC is a normal CC with some nice features (CDW upon car rentals, mileage validity, .. ). Payback is a system where - upon giving up some privacy on your buying patterns and utilizing some advanced multipliers - you can generate quite some points (= M&M miles) as kickback on spending money.
M&M-CC is a normal CC with some nice features (CDW upon car rentals, mileage validity, .. ). Payback is a system where - upon giving up some privacy on your buying patterns and utilizing some advanced multipliers - you can generate quite some points (= M&M miles) as kickback on spending money.
You can hold these Payback points nearly to their expiration date after three years and then transfer them to Miles & More. Then the validity of the award miles begins with the transfer date and not the former collection date.
Therefore for all non-SENS and non-FTLS and non-holders of a more expensive M&M card the automatic transfer is not a good strategy.
Payback points can be transferred on any given day beginning with 200 points and increments of 1 point. The "transfer subscription" doesn't deliver any additional value.
Hope this helps.
Feb 12, 2015, 6:47 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,827
Thank you all for your advice. I read more about payback and I understand better how it works. Maybe the free Payback AMEX is not a bad idea as a backup card (as long as it's free), while the Visa seems like a waste of time and money (1 point each 4€? Really?).
The travel insurances might be worth paying for the M&M credit card. I'll get the SEN one when I move, and then see what to do in 2017.
Thank you!
The travel insurances might be worth paying for the M&M credit card. I'll get the SEN one when I move, and then see what to do in 2017.
Thank you!
Feb 12, 2015, 6:51 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CGN
Programs: KL FlyingBlue Gold, AY+, MM FTL, TK*G
Posts: 348
Also note that Payback offers a VISA card and an Amex card as well. The VISA card gives one payback point for every 4 Euros spent and the Amex gives one payback point for every 2 Euros spent. No points for cash withdrawals, although the one reason for getting the PB Visa is that cash withdrawals are free of charge in the Eurozone and in Sweden and the UK.
Feb 12, 2015, 6:52 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,626
Thank you all for your advice. I read more about payback and I understand better how it works. Maybe the free Payback AMEX is not a bad idea as a backup card (as long as it's free), while the Visa seems like a waste of time and money (1 point each 4€? Really?).
The travel insurances might be worth paying for the M&M credit card. I'll get the SEN one when I move, and then see what to do in 2017.
Thank you!
The travel insurances might be worth paying for the M&M credit card. I'll get the SEN one when I move, and then see what to do in 2017.
Thank you!
Feb 12, 2015, 11:10 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,667
A few months later they had a campaign with "no yearly fees forever", so I applied again and recieved a couple of thousands points again. This time I'll probably just keep the card because it's nice to have an AMEX "just in case".
HTB.
Feb 12, 2015, 11:29 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,827
That was my reasoning as well. A backup, free AMEX is not a bad thing to have.
I was wondering about "double dipping": say that I buy somewhere which awards payback points, and I pay with the M&M credit card : would I get 2 miles per €?
I was wondering about "double dipping": say that I buy somewhere which awards payback points, and I pay with the M&M credit card : would I get 2 miles per €?
Feb 12, 2015, 11:37 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Berlin
Programs: BAEC; LH M&M; HH Diamond
Posts: 814
Yes, I think you would.
I, for instance, buy stuff at my local drugstore and pay with my BA Barclaycard, but also present my PAYBACK card so I get PAYBACK points for using the store AND BA points for using the Barclaycard.
Same should apply for any M&M-routed credit card.
btw, if you haven't been solicited yet and still want to sign up for a LH Visa with a German address send me a pm with your details, since if I recruit you I will get some LH miles as a reward
I, for instance, buy stuff at my local drugstore and pay with my BA Barclaycard, but also present my PAYBACK card so I get PAYBACK points for using the store AND BA points for using the Barclaycard.
Same should apply for any M&M-routed credit card.
btw, if you haven't been solicited yet and still want to sign up for a LH Visa with a German address send me a pm with your details, since if I recruit you I will get some LH miles as a reward
Feb 12, 2015, 12:08 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,610
Additionally you can extend the lifetime of all points collected at Payback - in case that you have no Miles & More credit card which abolishes the award miles expiry.
You can hold these Payback points nearly to their expiration date after three years and then transfer them to Miles & More. Then the validity of the award miles begins with the transfer date and not the former collection date.
Therefore for all non-SENS and non-FTLS and non-holders of a more expensive M&M card the automatic transfer is not a good strategy.
Payback points can be transferred on any given day beginning with 200 points and increments of 1 point. The "transfer subscription" doesn't deliver any additional value.
Hope this helps.
You can hold these Payback points nearly to their expiration date after three years and then transfer them to Miles & More. Then the validity of the award miles begins with the transfer date and not the former collection date.
Therefore for all non-SENS and non-FTLS and non-holders of a more expensive M&M card the automatic transfer is not a good strategy.
Payback points can be transferred on any given day beginning with 200 points and increments of 1 point. The "transfer subscription" doesn't deliver any additional value.
Hope this helps.
Malmotoso , I would bide your time and wait for a signup bonus. It might be worth sitting out. By the way, you can select up to 2 shopping partners with the Payback AMEX to receive double points on all purchases. I selected dm and Kaufhof, because I do quite a bit of shopping in both places.
Feb 13, 2015, 1:41 am
#14
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,132
I have both, but hardly use the °P Amex. The main reason is the low 2€:1°P ratio and the limited acceptance of the Amex in Germany (yes, its still an issue). The two dm I shop at also switched to accepting MC (previously only Visa and Amex), so I don't bother to use the Amex.
Feb 17, 2015, 4:16 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CGN
Programs: KL FlyingBlue Gold, AY+, MM FTL, TK*G
Posts: 348