Celebrity Questions

[sonia2509]

BankWest MasterCard has no international transaction fees and you can also earn Qantas points. I have been using it now for nearly 3 years for both overseas online transactions and purchases when overseas and I have never been charged. The exchange rate is also very good

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

BankWest MasterCard has no international transaction fees and you can also earn Qantas points. I have been using it now for nearly 3 years for both overseas online transactions and purchases when overseas and I have never been charged. The exchange rate is also very good

 

 

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Are there fees for extracting cash when overseas (apart from the ATM fee).

[sonia2509]

Are there fees for extracting cash when overseas (apart from the ATM fee).

 

 

With the credit card yes but if you link a BankWest Qantas Transaction Fee there is no overseas ATM withdrawal fees but the countries ATM will charge you a fee. You also earn points on the Transaction account. I am not sure but I would think the best way to use both overseas is the transaction account to withdraw monies from the ATM and the credit card for any purchases etc. I have found it the best credit card and I don't work for BankWest or any bank [emoji3]

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

With the credit card yes but if you link a BankWest Qantas Transaction Fee there is no overseas ATM withdrawal fees but the countries ATM will charge you a fee. You also earn points on the Transaction account. I am not sure but I would think the best way to use both overseas is the transaction account to withdraw monies from the ATM and the credit card for any purchases etc. I have found it the best credit card and I don't work for BankWest or any bank [emoji3]

 

 

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Thanks, I currently have the 28 degrees card for purchases and Citibank card fro cash withdrawals. Sounds like the Bankwest card may replace or be in addition to the 28 degrees card.

[The_Big_M]

The fee is charged by Visa or Martercard when the transaction is processed overseas. With Westpac there is no fee for Amex.

 

Partially correct. Visa and MasterCard have a conversion fee. However, whether that is to the client is up to the bank (obviously the bank wears the cost otherwise so wouldn't be so keen on that).

 

Further, banks that pass on that cost typically also add their own conversion fees. e,g. A common charge is around 3% where around 1% may be a pass through fee from Visa/MasterCard, and the remainder direct to the bank.

 

The banks disclose this in their terms.

 

However, the comment related to Celbrity disclosure as the nub was that it appears and would be reasonably expected to be an Australian transaction, so the issue is why Celebrity are processing offshore. As stated, since that is in their terms they're covered contractually. The banks then only do what you would expect in that case.

[Tranquility Base]

I pay all my payments to Celebrity as quoted in NZ dollars and when it appears on my credit card it is in NZ dollars although the payee is RCCL Miami.

Hi

I recently made my first booking with Celebrity.

I asked them, and they emailed to me, details of how to pay as a direct bank debit if I didn't want to pay by card.

 

They also mentioned that when I make a payment to then email them a copy of the payment receipt.

This was - I assume - to make sure they credit payment correctly.

 

Do people do this when making a partial or full payment either by credit card or bank payment ?

 

Thanks.

[icat2000]

I phoned ANZ again this morning. And spoke to someone else and they said as a gesture of final good will they would reverse the fee. So we see if that happens.

[MicCanberra]

I phoned ANZ again this morning. And spoke to someone else and they said as a gesture of final good will they would reverse the fee. So we see if that happens.

 

Good result. Got to love Goodwill. :D

[icat2000]

Good result. Got to love Goodwill. :D

 

Well we wait until it hits my account before I do the celebration dance.

[Beanb41]

Are there fees for extracting cash when overseas (apart from the ATM fee).

 

When one takes cash which is charged against a credit card as opposed to a debit card interest starts accumulating until such time as the money is paid back. This can be quite substantial ie around 20%. When we travel we have a credit card in positive balance in case we need to draw down cash instead of putting the transaction on the card. We also carry two credit cards in case one gets lost or compromised in any way.

[Beanb41]

Hi

I recently made my first booking with Celebrity.

I asked them, and they emailed to me, details of how to pay as a direct bank debit if I didn't want to pay by card.

 

They also mentioned that when I make a payment to then email them a copy of the payment receipt.

This was - I assume - to make sure they credit payment correctly.

 

Do people do this when making a partial or full payment either by credit card or bank payment ?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Things are obviously changing at Celebrity because when I purchased OBC over the phone I was told that Celebrity don't charge credit card fees so it now appears that this is changing. That said when I paid for my Pompeii excursion on the Constellation in April in NZ dollars my credit card was charged in NZ dollars with not 2% transaction fee which is pretty much the norm when credit card charges are charged back to the customer.

 

What is really annoying about such practices is that big international companies especially in the travel industry are charging around a 2% transaction fee for online transactions via credit card and in many instances there is no other way to pay other than with a credit card and because of the large number of transactions they do they wont pay anything like 2%

[MicCanberra]

When one takes cash which is charged against a credit card as opposed to a debit card interest starts accumulating until such time as the money is paid back. This can be quite substantial ie around 20%. When we travel we have a credit card in positive balance in case we need to draw down cash instead of putting the transaction on the card. We also carry two credit cards in case one gets lost or compromised in any way.

 

I was aware of that but 28 degrees Before 1 Jan 2015 had no fees on cash advance as well, so all you got hit with was the ATM fee of $2-3 and not a conversion or international transaction fee.

[MicCanberra]

What is really annoying about such practices is that big international companies especially in the travel industry are charging around a 2% transaction fee for online transactions via credit card and in many instances there is no other way to pay other than with a credit card and because of the large number of transactions they do they wont pay anything like 2%

 

Agreed, if they had alternate methods, then so be it, but to not have the other options is a rort.:(

[Beanb41]

Agreed, if they had alternate methods, then so be it, but to not have the other options is a rort.:(

 

An Air New Zealand representative was asked some months ago why the airline charges 2% credit card fees when a small business like the corner dairy whose cashflow is far more precarious than a major international carrier doesn't? The answer was simply because we can. If one of its competitors or any other major tourist industry stopped these fees then all would eventually do so.

 

The fee charged by banks / credit card companies is a rort especially when there is no alternative. They have buy and sell rates for currency, both of which are different and then they charge a fee for the transaction as well. Double dipping.

[The_Big_M]

Things are obviously changing at Celebrity because when I purchased OBC over the phone I was told that Celebrity don't charge credit card fees so it now appears that this is changing. That said when I paid for my Pompeii excursion on the Constellation in April in NZ dollars my credit card was charged in NZ dollars with not 2% transaction fee which is pretty much the norm when credit card charges are charged back to the customer.

 

What is really annoying about such practices is that big international companies especially in the travel industry are charging around a 2% transaction fee for online transactions via credit card and in many instances there is no other way to pay other than with a credit card and because of the large number of transactions they do they wont pay anything like 2%

 

Why do you say they are changing at Celebrity? Unless I missed it, I didn't see anything showing they were charging a fee.

[Beanb41]

Why do you say they are changing at Celebrity? Unless I missed it, I didn't see anything showing they were charging a fee.

 

My assumption was that Icat2000 made a payment to Celebrity in Australia in supposedly Australian dollars as listed on the Celebrity Australian website. Celebrity have taken this payment offshore and converted it to US dollars and this creating a fee for ICAT2000 for currency transaction. They should have charged her credit card in Australian dollars this avoiding any charges. It appears that ANZ bank are coming to the aid of the party here which is great but these charges should never have arisen in the first place. Again I am summising here that ANZ and Celebrity have done a deal to the benefit of their joint customer. The amount involved in the big scheme of things is chicken feed for a bank that makes around 40 billion dollars profit a year but is important to the customer.

If Celebrity going forward are going to create currency conversion fees for international transactions then they should be upfront , say so and not quote in local currencies as that is not what the customer will pay.

[sonia2509]

My assumption was that Icat2000 made a payment to Celebrity in Australia in supposedly Australian dollars as listed on the Celebrity Australian website. Celebrity have taken this payment offshore and converted it to US dollars and this creating a fee for ICAT2000 for currency transaction. They should have charged her credit card in Australian dollars this avoiding any charges. It appears that ANZ bank are coming to the aid of the party here which is great but these charges should never have arisen in the first place. Again I am summising here that ANZ and Celebrity have done a deal to the benefit of their joint customer. The amount involved in the big scheme of things is chicken feed for a bank that makes around 40 billion dollars profit a year but is important to the customer.

 

If Celebrity going forward are going to create currency conversion fees for international transactions then they should be upfront , say so and not quote in local currencies as that is not what the customer will pay.

 

 

I am not sure on this but somewhere in the fine print there will a point where it states that all payments will be converted to USD if paying direct to Celebrity. Going through an Australian TA you would be paying in AUD. It is the bank charging the international transaction fee which most banks do unless you have a credit card that does not charge international fees. When you are on the ship and you purchase a drink, speciality dining etc you will pay in USD and your bank will charge you international transactions fee not Celebrity

 

 

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[icat2000]

My assumption was that Icat2000 made a payment to Celebrity in Australia in supposedly Australian dollars as listed on the Celebrity Australian website. Celebrity have taken this payment offshore and converted it to US dollars and this creating a fee for ICAT2000 for currency transaction. They should have charged her credit card in Australian dollars this avoiding any charges. It appears that ANZ bank are coming to the aid of the party here which is great but these charges should never have arisen in the first place. Again I am summising here that ANZ and Celebrity have done a deal to the benefit of their joint customer. The amount involved in the big scheme of things is chicken feed for a bank that makes around 40 billion dollars profit a year but is important to the customer.

If Celebrity going forward are going to create currency conversion fees for international transactions then they should be upfront , say so and not quote in local currencies as that is not what the customer will pay.

This is correct. Celebrity in my opinion created the issue by processing it in a foreign currency. ANZ explained this to me. Which triggers the overseas transaction fee. And as a sign off goodwill by ANZ (they said final goodwill) meaning its a once off. They would refund the international fee.

 

Its just another thing to take into consideration when dealing with these lines that don't fully operate in local currency.

[The_Big_M]

My assumption was that Icat2000 made a payment to Celebrity in Australia in supposedly Australian dollars as listed on the Celebrity Australian website. Celebrity have taken this payment offshore and converted it to US dollars and this creating a fee for ICAT2000 for currency transaction. They should have charged her credit card in Australian dollars this avoiding any charges. It appears that ANZ bank are coming to the aid of the party here which is great but these charges should never have arisen in the first place. Again I am summising here that ANZ and Celebrity have done a deal to the benefit of their joint customer. The amount involved in the big scheme of things is chicken feed for a bank that makes around 40 billion dollars profit a year but is important to the customer.

If Celebrity going forward are going to create currency conversion fees for international transactions then they should be upfront , say so and not quote in local currencies as that is not what the customer will pay.

 

There hasn't been any surcharge charged by them then.

 

The issue only arose due to foreign processing. As said previously, it's reasonable to expect that it is processed locally. However, RCL and Celebrity do process off shore, and put this in their terms to cover themselves. Holders of some credit cards will therefore pay a fee.

[icat2000]

I am not sure on this but somewhere in the fine print there will a point where it states that all payments will be converted to USD if paying direct to Celebrity. Going through an Australian TA you would be paying in AUD. It is the bank charging the international transaction fee which most banks do unless you have a credit card that does not charge international fees. When you are on the ship and you purchase a drink, speciality dining etc you will pay in USD and your bank will charge you international transactions fee not Celebrity

 

 

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This is what it says. Celebrity sent it too me.

"When using your credit or debit card to pay us directly for your cruise., please be aware that we may process that transaction via a bank outside of Australia and your card issuer may choose charge you a foreign processing fee". They should just say we will process it in the United States and in USD and you will incur costs from AUD to USD to AUD. LOL.

 

 

I fully expect to be charged international transaction fees when outside of Australia. But for me in my mind I paid the payment for the cruise in AUD on a AUD website so expected no transaction fee. Its a lesson learnt.

 

I now won't book any excursion in advance or pre pay tips cause I just get slugged again. If I decided to do either I will pay in US dollars cash.

Edited February 9, 2016 by icat2000

[icat2000]

There hasn't been any surcharge charged by them then.

 

The issue only arose due to foreign processing. As said previously, it's reasonable to expect that it is processed locally. However, RCL and Celebrity do process off shore, and put this in their terms to cover themselves. Holders of some credit cards will therefore pay a fee.

 

The fee was triggered by Celebrity processing through the US. Had they processed it in Oz. There would be no trigger. But because they used an US bank then that meant ANZ slapped an international transaction fee on it. Well, thats how ANZ explained it to me.

 

I have written back to them asking them what other options of payments would they offer so that someone can avoid unnecessary fees.

Edited February 9, 2016 by icat2000

[cruisine21]

You can also get charged the fee for booking a flight. For example if you book on delta.com the fare is shown is Australian dollars but because it's processed in US there is a fee with some cards.

[icat2000]

You can also get charged the fee for booking a flight. For example if you book on delta.com the fare is shown is Australian dollars but because it's processed in US there is a fee with some cards.

 

Delta.com is a US site.

 

I booked and paid for the cruise on .au site.

 

Basically, Celebrity is masquerading as dealing in Australian dollars when they don't fully as they cause transaction fees because they deal in foreign currencies.

Edited February 9, 2016 by icat2000

[cruisine21]

Delta.com is a US site.

 

I booked and paid for the cruise on .au site.

 

Basically, Celebrity is masquerading as dealing in Australian dollars when they don't fully as they cause transaction fees because they deal in foreign currencies.

 

Agree. I was charged the fee last year when I paid my deposit on my Celebrity cruise. I accidentally used my Westpac Mastercard instead of the Westpac Amex. I made my final payment with Amex which had no fees.

[The_Big_M]

The fee was triggered by Celebrity processing through the US. Had they processed it in Oz. There would be no trigger. But because they used an US bank then that meant ANZ slapped an international transaction fee on it. Well, thats how ANZ explained it to me.

 

Yes, that's what I wrote.

 

Not all banks charge the fee, hence they only say 'may' in their wording. They also say may about where they process to give them flexibility - in case they decide to move it here. Or India. :rolleyes:

 

I have written back to them asking them what other options of payments would they offer so that someone can avoid unnecessary fees.

 

They'll probably offer you direct debit/bank transfer, and may give you some verbiage about alternative banks may not charge the fee so an alternative credit card may suit.