There's a new card in town

[littletee]

OK, I applied for my card last night at 5pm and got an email at 10am saying it had been approved!!! Pretty damn quick lol

Also, I checked with all my direct debitors and they said I could use my AMEX card with NO fee's which is great. I also checked with Earth to see if I'd get charged fee's for direct debits and they said NO.

Therefore, I think it's a great deal and street's ahead of my ANZ FF Visa Card.

Before I applied, I called up ANZ to ask if they'd match the Earth Interest Rate before I close my account and they said "NO". Therefore, I'll be closing my card a couple days before I'm due to pay the annual fee......stuff them!!!

 

[Thudd]

OK, I applied for my card last night at 5pm and got an email at 10am saying it had been approved!!! Pretty damn quick lol

My wife applied on the phone yesterday (sunday) at it was approved on the spot. Even quicker! (it helps that she'd had an altitude card previously so they still had all her details)

 

[clifford]

Hi all,

I was an existing Westpac Mastercard holder and received an invitation to join Earth. The 0.99% balance transfer rate (which seemed to be offered to me in the blurb I received) was particulary attractive, and I quite liked the other features as well (not E+ though).

So I applied for the Earth cards and received them within a few days. However, there was no indication as to how to set up a balance transfer, so I phoned the 1800 info line quoted in my acceptance letter (which also seemed to indicate I could participate in a balance transfer). To my consternation, when I spoke to someone on the info line, they really hadn't a clue about it, and suggested that as an existing Westpac customer I mightn't be eligible for a balance transfer deal. The person asked me to fax (!) them a copy of my acceptance letter and they would get back to me.

Well I've been overseas for the last couple of weeks and haven't had an opportunity to see if Westpac has responded. Anyway, I've been less than impressed with their performance to date, and I am inclined to tell them to shove their Earth cards.

Anyone else experienced this problem with a balance transfer?

 

[ric_melb]

Earth website indicates that balance transfer from a Westpac or Virgin card is not eligible for low interest rate balance transfer.

Unless you got a special offer, looks like you can make a balance transfer, but not at the low rate.

 

[littletee]

That's right, in the T&C's which perhaps you didn't read, it clearly states that current Westpac Card Holders do not get the 0.99% balance transfer.

I'm waiting for my balance transfer to go through as well, I activated my about 5 days ago so not sure what the go is there.

Apart from that, used my AMEX to make my first purchase on Sat at Harvey Norman and it's all good.

Cheers

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Anyone else experienced this problem with a balance transfer?

It does state clearly you need to be a new westpac customer, however one could argue that you will be an ex-customer since you were mailed a letter about this (keep in mind the letter you received may have been from a marketing company that does not take into consideration if you are an existing client of the bank or not --- ie SOLD mailing lists)

If this is the case then.....well... you can't really blame them.

 

[Gulliver]

This card is high on my list as I'm shopping around to replace my Ezy Mastercard.

Has anybody tested the "no international fees" yet? I get the impression you might get hit with 1% "charged by mastercard" - I think I read somewhere that mastercard charges 1% then the bank anything they like on top of that.

I don't know how Wizard manages to do it truly free - I guess they absorb that cost for you?? (You can tell they're not a bank )

The Earth+ seems like comprehensive travel insurance for a good price if you use it. Do you agree?

 

[littletee]

I highly recommend it.

Have used the AMEX twice already without incident at both Harvey Norman and Mobil.

I will be canning my ANZ soon - been getting RIPPED OFF for way too long.

 

[clifford]

I highly recommend it.

Have used the AMEX twice already without incident at both Harvey Norman and Mobil.

I will be canning my ANZ soon - been getting RIPPED OFF for way too long.

Well, littletee, my experience with Earth is quite the opposite. I did read the T&C's (for what they were worth) and they did not seem to prohibit a balance transfer from other credit cards such as ANZ or Commbank, especially when my "personal" letter of invitation quite clearly stated that I could do balance transfers at 0.99%.

However, trying to get someone at Earth/Westpac who actually knew what was going on was not possible (I even called in at a Westpac branch), so I have decided to give Earth the assssss...

Who needs a credit card where everyone seems to be a marketing person (don't call them when you are up the Amazon without a paddle).

Good luck!

 

[littletee]

"Well, littletee, my experience with Earth is quite the opposite. I did read the T&C's (for what they were worth) and they did not seem to prohibit a balance transfer from other credit cards such as ANZ or Commbank, especially when my "personal" letter of invitation quite clearly stated that I could do balance transfers at 0.99%."


LOL excuse my ignorance but what the bloody hell are you talking about above??? You are totally contradicting yourself!!!

I know the balance transfer in the T&C's do NOT prohibit a balance transfer from ANZ or CBA, who said they did??? Clearly if you read above, the discussion was about balance transfers from other Westpac Cards or Virgin Blue Cards, NOT from ANZ or CBA!!! LOL

 

[Gulliver]

I've changed my mind about Earth. I'm going with Amex Rewards Maximiser. The extra 1/2 point per dollar will more than cover the higher fee.
I have a free mastercard with no points for when it's rejected, but if it's too much I'll get a Citibank mastercard. Again, the full point per $ spent will cover the fee.

 

[littletee]

Yeah each to their own.....I've already got 145,000 points anyhow so now I'm only looking for lower fee's, lower rates etc etc.

Plus, most of my spend on a monthly basis are all direct debits for things such as mobile, internet, gym, charity, foxtel etc and ALL those come out of my AMEX with NO fee's so I'm sitting pretty.

Good Luck

 

[Thudd]

Damn but those Earth cards are ugly. The mastercard is a weird horrible plasticky pale blue and the amex is only marginally better with a dark purple/grape colour.

 

[kamchatsky]

Is it me or is Earth Card now offers first year free in their website? Did they do this previously?

 

[littletee]

Can't see any evidence of that anywhere on the website!

 

[kamchatsky]

Actually it does ...... just hard to spot though ..... Must be there to counteract Velocity Credit Card .....

From earth - Home
Some of the lowest rates. On Earth.

• Pay just 12.74%pa on purchases
• Up to 55 days interest free on purchases
• Just 5.99%pa on certain Qantas products and services like flights and holidays
• A tiny 0.99%pa* for 6 months on balance transfers
• Plus pay no annual fee for the first year - save $49.

Some of the lowest rates. On Earth+.

• Pay just 14.99%pa on purchases after up to 55 interest free days
• Just 5.99%pa on certain Qantas products and services like flights and holidays
• A tiny 0.99%pa* for 6 months on balance transfers
• Plus pay no annual fee for the firs year - save $79

 

[littletee]

Ah yes, you're right.

I just paid my $49 Annual fee - that's cough......not happy and I'm gonna call them tomorrow for a re-imbursement!!!

 

[JohnK]

The Qantas interest charge isn't an issue - unless you phone up and request the Qantas discount rate... Similar to Commbank's offer of discount % charge on certain puchases (Great Rate, I think it's called). So if you don't request the 5.99% after you've made a purchase, then you pay back the money on the normal terms.

I have activated my earth cards this week and plan on purchasing some airfares on QF before 30 Nov 2006. I have asked for a sizeable balance transfer so it may be in my best interests to ask for the 5.99% QF offer, even though it accumulates interest immediately, as I will not be able to pay the balance in full for at least 6 months.

As for the foreign currency savings, agree it isn't fully quantified elsewhere. I did find a snippet that suggests the benefit is the following:

" * No Westpac foreign exchange fees for overseas purchases
* No Westpac cash advance fees on overseas ATMs
"

Is this on the Earth+ card?. The normal Earth Mastercard has a cash advance fee of 1.5% on the transaction value, any cash advance not just overseas, plus 18.99% interest immediately and a 1.5% foreign exchange fee if using for cash advances overseas or purchases in foreign currency.

 

[Mal]

Is this on the Earth+ card?. The normal Earth Mastercard has a cash advance fee of 1.5% on the transaction value, any cash advance not just overseas, plus 18.99% interest immediately and a 1.5% foreign exchange fee if using for cash advances overseas or purchases in foreign currency.

earth - Features of Earth+
"Savings on foreign currency transaction charges and international cash advance fees are achieved, as the Westpac fees that are normally charged on foreign currency transactions and on cash advances made overseas are waived for Earth+ cardholders. Please note that American Express and MasterCard fees related to processing foreign currency transactions will still apply."

May be more info in the Credit Card disclosure document.

 

[littletee]

My $49 Annual Fee got re-imbursed which is pretty good.

My interest amount last month was $1.59 vs $50 for ANZ - I will NEVER go back to ANZ again.

So far so good for my Earth Card, I'm very happy with it!!!