NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Geobugs]

There is no card better than the Citi® Platinum American Express® Card.

Earn 15,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after $300 in purchases.

Earn 5 points per $1 spent on select purchase for the first 24 months.

No Annual Fee for 12 months, $125 thereafter.

 

With the NCL card, we could earn 1000 points per year, $1000 off a cruise for $33,333 in charges.

 

With the Citi Amex, we can earn 150k points per year, $1500 off ANY cruise for $27,000 in charges, the first year. The second year, 150k points, $1375($1500-$125 annual fee) off ANY cruise for $30,000 in charges.

 

Once I get my 2k total points this month, I am applying.

[OceanDreaming2]

I'm not so sure I'd apply for a CitiGroup card - they will be cutting as many as 53,000 jobs globally.

[c breeze]

There is no card better than the Citi® Platinum American Express® Card.

Earn 15,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after $300 in purchases.

Earn 5 points per $1 spent on select purchase for the first 24 months.

No Annual Fee for 12 months, $125 thereafter.

 

With the NCL card, we could earn 1000 points per year, $1000 off a cruise for $33,333 in charges.

 

With the Citi Amex, we can earn 150k points per year, $1500 off ANY cruise for $27,000 in charges, the first year. The second year, 150k points, $1375($1500-$125 annual fee) off ANY cruise for $30,000 in charges.

 

Once I get my 2k total points this month, I am applying.

 

But of course, American Express is not taken many places, so...... that makes it a bit more difficult to earn points, and then you need a second card.

[Geobugs]

But of course, American Express is not taken many places, so...... that makes it a bit more difficult to earn points, and then you need a second card.

 

What places?

[c breeze]

Well, now my son's college has just sent out a letter stating that there will be a fee imposed for bills paid with credit cards - 2.75% so it is hardly worth it to put the tuition on the card now. I guess it is going to take us a lot longer to earn anything, with a new card and no charging tuition.

[MSUcruisers]

What places?

 

Lots of small businesses do not take American Express.

[c breeze]

What places?

 

Lots of places do not take Amex. The one grocery store chain here (Giant) does not, physicians, dentists, vets, many merchants -their fee to the vendor is higher than the other cards. It is generally accepted for travel and entertainment and most restaurants. I have heard that many places outside the country do not accept it as well, but that is not from first hand experience.

[*Wink*]

Well, now my son's college has just sent out a letter stating that there will be a fee imposed for bills paid with credit cards - 2.75% so it is hardly worth it to put the tuition on the card now. I guess it is going to take us a lot longer to earn anything, with a new card and no charging tuition.

Bummer, c breeze ~ What's your plan of action? Perhaps buying the coins?? Hope you can find a way.

[AFT_LOVER]

As the CEO changed me when Delta bumped us from our Hawaiian flight 11 months after I booked it at the airport when we were boarding. I phone AMEX NYC immediately & told them we are bumped for using Skymiles not a credit card. I told them we did it for 15 years with our timeshare. CEO tells me they give Delta $46 mil & that is how they are thanked. So he got us on the flight FC & a rental car free also. Then we get home to a AMEX BLUE account with miles tranferred from Delta. So we can use the miles on ANY airline. NO FEE and great ways to get triple miles at their mall. So call them to change to it now!!!!

 

 

Thanks!!! For all the info.

 

I also had an AMEX Delta Miles, I still have it but I don't use it fopr the same reasons you mentioned. I could never get the flights I needed even a year in advance.

 

I don't care for an annual fee, but still looking for the best points wards at this time.

 

 

Thanks

[c breeze]

Bummer, c breeze ~ What's your plan of action? Perhaps buying the coins?? Hope you can find a way.

 

Thanks, AWinkler! I am working on it.... I think we will have enough on this billing cycle (with the coins) to get 250 points. The real trick will be to get our last 107 points the last two weeks of December. I want to have enough points posted by Christmas Eve, since it can take several days for the points to post. I already have a ridiculous number of grocery store gift cards...... I think I may have to pay my son's spring rent (he is off campus) on the card and pay that fee. That will give me an extra month to actually pay the rent, and I believe it may be worth it to spend $80 to get that last $500 certificate! It's either that or more gas or grocery cards......

[Sea Hound]

Well, now my son's college has just sent out a letter stating that there will be a fee imposed for bills paid with credit cards - 2.75% so it is hardly worth it to put the tuition on the card now. I guess it is going to take us a lot longer to earn anything, with a new card and no charging tuition.

 

I agree -- pay your son's tuition with $1 Presidential Coins!;)

 

I work at a college and would LOVE to see our business office cope with tuition paid in coins!!:eek:

 

Sea Hound:D

[Geobugs]

Speaking of coins, what would happen if you went in to a BoA branch and asked to pay your $2k credit card with $2k worth of $1 coins.

[c breeze]

I agree -- pay your son's tuition with $1 Presidential Coins!;)

 

I work at a college and would LOVE to see our business office cope with tuition paid in coins!!:eek:

 

Sea Hound:D

 

If it wasn't an eight hour drive each way, I might do that!

[c breeze]

Speaking of coins, what would happen if you went in to a BoA branch and asked to pay your $2k credit card with $2k worth of $1 coins.

 

I love this idea!!!!

[Crusin'Cousins]

Here's a scenario to consider:

 

Lets say I have, at the end of the year, 800 points on one card and 800 points on another card. I should get from BOA two $500 certificates and six $100 certificates.

 

Now here's the question: If you were NCL and you received from a wonderful customer (who had booked a suite with no possibility of an upgrade) two $500 certificates and five $100 certificates, would you discount the cruise $1,500???

 

What would you do?

 

Sea Hound:D

 

It would really seem quite reasonable to us that since NCL is shutting down the program mid-stream, they would be willing to allow for you to get an additional $500 certificate. Situations like these need a person to take a step back and look at the situation objectively and do what makes the most sense. The current stance at NCL is no, they will not accommodate the request. The representatives state they are following the program rules as established and basically do not want to reason with anyone stating anything different.

 

We are bias toward your situation as we are basically in the same boat. I sent an email to Scott Rogers, Sr VP Marketing & Sales at NCL, the gentleman who signed the letters notifying us of the changes to the card, asking for an executive review or consideration. After a couple weeks with not even an acknowledgement, I spoke with his admin, I believe, who put me directly in to his voice mail where I referenced my email asking for a chance to discuss the situation with him. Almost another week has past and there has still been no response. My suspicion is that we are out of luck!

 

Quite unfortunate! Fortunately our experiences on the ships have generally always been wonderful, but dealing with corporate is not always a positive experience. They could choose to make lemonade of the the lemons they have served us, but it appears that they have chosen otherwise.

 

If I hear anything, I will post it here. Good luck!

 

I'm curious to hear what others think about Sea Hound's original question... Is he/she being reasonable to ask for another $500 certificate?

[darlak8]

Well, now my son's college has just sent out a letter stating that there will be a fee imposed for bills paid with credit cards - 2.75% so it is hardly worth it to put the tuition on the card now. I guess it is going to take us a lot longer to earn anything, with a new card and no charging tuition.

 

Merchants are not allowed to add surcharges for payments by credit card, nor can they require minimum or maximum charge amounts. All cc companies have verbiage stating such in their Merchant Agreements. For MasterCard go to http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/support/rules.html click on MasterCard Rules pdf and see page 125.

 

I bet that if you send your cc payment along with a copy of this rule to your son's college billing dept AND legal dept, they will gladly take your cc payment. Maybe pre-pay the next semester too? :)

[c breeze]

Merchants are not allowed to add surcharges for payments by credit card, nor can they require minimum or maximum charge amounts. All cc companies have verbiage stating such in their Merchant Agreements. For MasterCard go to http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/support/rules.html click on MasterCard Rules pdf and see page 125.

 

I bet that if you send your cc payment along with a copy of this rule to your son's college billing dept AND legal dept, they will gladly take your cc payment. Maybe pre-pay the next semester too? :)

 

Well, thanks... but all PA state colleges are converting to this policy (my other son's college did this a year and a half ago, a year before he graduated - oh the lost certificates!) and they are not actually making any money on this (as it would be illegal). What they are doing, is passing along the fee that they have been paying to the cc companies each time someone uses thier cc to charge. Every merchant that accespts cc as payment have to pay the cc companies a percentage of everything charged. This is the same policy the apartment complex he lives in has used from the begining. They will take the card, if you pay the fee instead of them. I am certain it is perfectly legal, or state universities would not all be changing there policy about this. I did just forward the info to the bursar, though, so we'll see what they say.......

[Marlissa]

If it wasn't an eight hour drive each way, I might do that!

 

Remember when parent's would safety pin a note (or something) to $ bills and the kiddo would give it to the teacher/milk lady at school...can't you do something similiar, maybe a really heavy duty backpack or perhaps even a dump truck...guess it would depend on the tuition bill :D.

[Marlissa]

[snip....]

I'm curious to hear what others think about Sea Hound's original question... Is he/she being reasonable to ask for another $500 certificate?

 

Oh, I think he/she is being reasonable and I also think BoA/NCL 'thinks' they are being reasonable. Unfortunately, they, not us, are the ones holding the certs. Probably doesn't really matter what I think... ;)

[Marlissa]

Merchants are not allowed to add surcharges for payments by credit card, nor can they require minimum or maximum charge amounts. All cc companies have verbiage stating such in their Merchant Agreements. For MasterCard go to http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/support/rules.html click on MasterCard Rules pdf and see page 125.

 

I bet that if you send your cc payment along with a copy of this rule to your son's college billing dept AND legal dept, they will gladly take your cc payment. Maybe pre-pay the next semester too? :)

 

A lot of times, the merchants are allowed to offer a 'cash' discount, which just so happens to be the exact same % that is charged if a cc is used. Thus, they are not adding a surcharge.

[Dreamer 2000]

Question: Say a cruise costs $959 and I put down the required deposit of $250. I now owe $709. If I send in two Compass Certificates at $500 each, I know they will credit me $959 and I forfeit the $41 (no problem).

 

But, if I pay the deposit with the NCL deposit from a previous cruise {(pay $250 now for a future cruise, get $100 OBC today) sorry I forgot what that is called} Anyway, so now I make the deposit with my $250 "coupon" and I owe $709. When I send in my two Compass Certs will I get the full $959 credited back to me or do they only credit the $709 since that is what I 'paid'? Or do they credit $859 (which is $709 plus the $150 net charge I paid on the first cruise??)

 

Sorry, I hope this isn't too confusing. My actual scenario is more complicated but this is the simplest way for me to ask:)

 

ONE MORE QUESTION: Does the Compass Cert count against the fuel supplement?

 

For any replies, please indicate if it is your educated guess or personal experience. :):D

Edited November 20, 2008 by JLynch

[blindrid]

Merchants are not allowed to add surcharges for payments by credit card, nor can they require minimum or maximum charge amounts. All cc companies have verbiage stating such in their Merchant Agreements. For MasterCard go to http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/support/rules.html click on MasterCard Rules pdf and see page 125.

 

I bet that if you send your cc payment along with a copy of this rule to your son's college billing dept AND legal dept, they will gladly take your cc payment. Maybe pre-pay the next semester too? :)

 

Wrong.

 

The merchants can add a cost of service. It is typical when dealing with state, county and municipal organizations. The logic is if I pay for my car tag with cash and someone else pays by CC, that consumer is adding a cost (or reducing their revenue by XX%). That is legally recouped.

 

Pay a ticket next time and see what the surcharge is........

[BCOS]

Merchants are not legally allowed to tack any fee on and *call* it a fee for paying w/cc other than when accepting a foreign payment and charging the currency conversion fee back to the one making the payment.

 

Merchants, municipalities, etc., *can* impose a fee and call it something like a 'convenience fee'. For instance, I can pay my property tax bill online using my card, and will pay a 3% 'convenience fee' for having done so. If I walk into the courthouse and pay with cash or check, there is no convenience fee.

[OceanDreaming2]

The Capital One MasterCard for Professionals offer has been withdrawn.:mad:

 

Back to the drawing board. Any other good ideas for new a MasterCard?

[c breeze]

The Capital One MasterCard for Professionals offer has been withdrawn.:mad:

 

Back to the drawing board. Any other good ideas for new a MasterCard?

 

What do you mean it has been "withdrawn"?