honu

Mr. honu got an invite in the mail to apply for Diners, fee-free for the first year (but they do charge the $55 for the rewards program). Right now we've got a Woolies MC (our primary card), and we've just acquired a ANZ Gold VISA (no rewards) to be used exclusively as a travel insurance card (thanks Og, Ozstamps, et al for the tip).

We both have some previous experience in the US w/Diners as a card that offers oustanding benefits (primary car rental coverage for collision and such in the US), superb CS (no wait on hold when calling), nearly zero market acceptance ("You want to pay with what? Oh, I haven't seen one of these in three years. No, we don't take it."), and among the highest fees of any US reward card (except Amex Plutonium or something).

So, what's Diners like here? I did a bit of a search, but I couldn't find a recent description of the bennies (lots of discussion about other cards, though). Why would we want to get it? What does it offer that other cards don't? Does it offer rental car insurance as the US-based one does?

Currently we're happy enough with our Woolies card ($1/1point, .25% bonus for shopping at Woolies and affiliates, and no changes have been announced, AFAIK), and it has a low annual fee ($39). It doesn't seem to have an annual point-earning cap, at least I didn't find a mention of that in the literature.

So, should we get Diners as well, or should we just stick with what we have?

TIA for the advice.

GibSpmuh

I've currently got the ANZ FF Diners Club, and have to say its been quietly gathering dust in my wallet since I got it, apart from the past two months when they've had the double points promotion on. But I'm pretty sure it'll be getting sliced up now that promotion has past.

A benefit I found in my travels was that it does get you free lounge access in some airports - which was handy for me on the domestic side of Santiago as there's no OW lounge there. It's a strange selection of countries that there's DC lounges in though - take a look at www.dinersclub.com/en/DCIHome/airport.jhtml to see if any of them are of any use to you . There's also the dining benefits that are available, if you're one that enjoys going out. Overall I couldn't say there's any particuarly compelling reason to go with Diners Club over the other options you already have unless the benefits excite you, no doubt others have their view too.

NM

Our corporate cards are Diners Club charge cards. They are well accepted for travel-related expenses such as airfares (even our Amex coreporate travel centre accepts it), accommodation, taxis (in Australia), rental cars, restaurants etc. However, don't expect to be able to pay many personal bills with Diners, such as rates, insurance, rego etc.

So for business trval use, it is quite ok, but I would not have one as a personal CC. I have Amex for the 1.5 points/$ (and no annual card fee, just the Membership Rewards fee) and still find I have to use my Visa card for about $20K per year of personal expenses that won't accept Amex.

honu

Thanks for your comments. It sounds like we won't bother with Diners then. Acceptability sounds better here than in the States, but I don't see an advantage over our Woolies MC (we're not likely to go to Santiago anyway, and we get lounge access via OW and/or *A, at least this year).

So we'll keep just two credit cards, wow! In a way it's a relief. As a good and obsessed FTer, I must have switched credit cards at least twenty times in the last 6 years in the US, always chasing the latest airline or hotel promo. Mr. honu was a sometimes reluctant participant in the madness... I'm sure he'll be delighted not to have to apply for unnecessary credit every five months or so.

BAe 146

I have a Diners card for my business travel, which is done on a reimbursement basis. It has always been accepted in the many hotels and restaurants around Australia I have used it for (some in pretty remote locations).

Annoyingly however I have recently started to notice a few places levying a surcharge on Diners, even though they don't on any other cards, presumably due to the significantly higher merchant fee.

It works well for me, as I only use it for work purposes and in that case I like the fact that it's not a credit card. Psychologically it's good that you have to pay the balance each month.

On a side note do any of the accountants here know if I can tax deduct the annual fee if I use it primarily for the purpose stated above?

ozflier

I rarely now use my ANZ QFF Visa and have cancelled my westpac visa rewards card .In their place i have a RACQ Amex card .And how great it is .I am constantly surprised at how many retailers take it - some utilities do not but very few.I'm getting 1.5 QFF points for 6 months plus loads of bonuses.
I do not see the diners club sign near as often as the Amex one.
I would steer clear of the diners.
The only problem with all the qantas points I am going to get is how to use them on an airline that does not seem to be friendly to an infrequent revenue flier ( 12 domesteic sectors per annum) but an avid credit card user.

NM

Ahh, another convert! Great card for an RACQ member to have. I just wish they offered a referal bonus ala CitiBank! Then Mrs NM could be joining Mrs QF WP later in the year @:-) .

honu

A few more q's if you don't mind: can you get an RACQ Amex if you're an NRMA member or do we have to move to QLD? (Not that we would mind right now, it's getting pretty cold down here.)

Does NRMA have an equivalent product?

What's so special about this RACQ Amex?

ozflier

There seem to be a lot of these Amex co branded credit cards around - I would be surprised if you needed to be a member of the RACQ - the advert I saw was on their website
http://www.racq.com.au/

NM

There's really no advantage to the RACQ Amex card if you are not an RACQ member. The benefit was a bonus lump sum of MR MR points based on RACQ membership (I am Silver - 15 years membership) and 1.5 poins/$ for 6 months with no additonal fee. After that first 6 months expired, Amex introduced their Accelerator program for 1.5 points/$ for a fee.

So now that I have my joining bonus and my free Accelerator has expired, it is really no different to any other Amex card.

honu

Thanks NM for the explanation. So, if I understand it correctly, any Amex will pretty much offer the same benefit (the 1.5 QF point/$ spent), so no need to move to QLD, and we can continue being NRMA members. (Actually, we're in the Northern Emisphere for the next few weeks, and the chilly weather in So. NSW is not so relevant either, for now.)

NM

That's correct. When I took out my RACQ Amex back in Feb 2003, Amex were not yet offering the Accelerator program and the 1.5 points/$ was a free offer to new RACQ Amex cards, with the duration based on RACQ membership level (Silver got me 6 months). The joining bonus points was also based on RACQ membership level - I think I got 5000 points for being Silver. They also waived the first year's fee, and the subsequent year's annual fee for spending more than A$9000 in the year.

Amex Membership Rewards is now offering their Accelerator program for a small additional fee (was it $22 for six months??) to get a bonus 0.5 points per dollar spent.