How many interest free days will I get with a Westpac credit card?
That depends on which card you have. If you’re after a discounted shopping spree and opt for a Westpac rewards card, you’ll have 45 interest free days to pay off your purchases. If you’re going for a low rate, low fee or student card, you’ll get 10 extra days on top of that to pay your balance.
Keep in mind that if you don’t pay off your balance in full before your interest free period is up, you’ll not only be charged interest that month, but you’ll lose your interest free days for the next month as well.
What fees might I be charged?
On any Westpac credit card, there are certain fees you may have to pay, depending on how you want to use your credit card. These include:
an annual fee (unless you qualify to have your annual fee waived)
foreign transaction fees
missed payment fee
overlimit fee
cash advance fees
Can I use my Westpac credit card for a balance transfer?
Yep. You can do a balance transfer using any of your Westpac credit cards, except the student credit card. Each one will give you a 0% interest rate for over a year, but the exact length of time is different for each card. After this period is up, your 0% interest rate will revert to the higher purchse rate - so make sure you’ve got a great payment plan in place to pay the debt back in time.
Keep in mind that this interest free period only applies to the transferred balance and not new purchases.
Can I use paypass with my Westpac credit card?
With a low fee 55 day Westpac credit card, or a low rate option, your credit card will work on the Visa system and you’ll be able to use Paypass or Tap ‘n’ Go.
If you’re going the rewards route with your Westpac credit card, you’ll actually get two cards linked to one account - one Visa and one American Express. This is great because you get the worldwide versatility of Visa (we’ve all seen the ads) plus, the rewards power of AMEX. The even better thing, is that you can use contactless payment for both cards when your purchase is under $100.
Can I use my Westpac credit card while I’m travelling overseas?
As touched on above, no matter what credit card you choose from Westpac, at least one of your cards will have access to the Visa worldwide network.
What rewards options do I have with my Westpac rewards credit card?
You’ve got so many options to earn rewards with a Westpac rewards card it might be hard to keep track of them! We’ve collected all the info you’ll need to know right here to make it simpler. Let's start with the fun stuff - what goodies you could get out of all your spending.
If you have a classic rewards cards your rewards points can be redeemed for:
A huge range of retail products, including brands like Apple, Sony, Dyson and Tefal.
Gift cards and vouchers from stores including David Jones, Westfield and Bunnings.
Frequent flyer points from five different frequent flyer programs including Virgin Velocity and Air New Zealand Airpoints.
If you’re a frequent traveller and opt for a Qantas card, you can reward yourself with:
Flights with Qantas and its partners
Flight upgrades on Qantas
Merchandise or gift cards from the Qantas Store
So what’s it going to take to get your hands on those rewards? Well first off, check out our guide to calculating rewards points to make sure you’re getting the most out of your spending.
Then find out just what your Westpac credit card will give you back by taking a look at our table below:
| Altitude points per $1 spent | Qantas points per $1 spent | Altitude points per $1 spent
| Qantas points per $1 spent
|
|---|
| Visa | Amex | Visa | Amex |
| Classic | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Platinum | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Mastercard | Amex | Mastercard | Amex |
| Black | 1.25 in Aus.
3 overseas | 3
| 0.625 in Aus
1.5 overseas | 1.5 |
Before you go shopping up a storm, remember that point caps do apply to all but Black Westpac rewards cards. On a Classic card you can build up 5,000 Altitude points or 2,500 Qantas points per credit card statement cycle. For Platinum cardholders, that limit jumps up to 7,500 Altitude points and 3,750 Qantas points.
What kind of insurance options does my Westpac credit card offer?
One of the great extra features that comes with Platinum and Black Westpac credit cards is complimentary insurance for a few things. Each card offers cover for different time periods or up to different limits, so take a look at our table below to find out what your Westpac credit card covers you for:
| Altitude Platinum | Altitude Black Credit Card or 55 Day Platinum Credit Card |
|---|
| Overseas travel insurance | Up to 3 months | Up to 6 months |
| Transit accident insurance cover | Up to $250,000 | Up to $500,000 |
| Extended warranty insurance | Up to 3 months | Up to 4 months |
| Purchase security insurance | Up to 1 year | Up to 2 years |
You can also add credit card repayment protection insurance to your Westpac credit card for a little extra peace of mind, although this one isn’t complimentary. This will help cover your credit card repayments if you lose your job or can’t work because you’re sick or injured.
How to avoid credit card fraud
Nobody wants to wind up the victim of credit card fraud, so when you use your Westpac credit card, there are a few security measures to keep your money safe. These include:
An Online Transaction Security Guarantee, which means that if an online transaction is made on your card that you didn’t know about or consent to, you won’t be held accountable for any costs. But remember, you have to contact Westpac about the transaction before your statement due date.
If you’re shopping online you can also look out for sites with Verified by Visa or American Express SafeKey, which will give you added security on Westpac credit card purchases.
24/7 Falcon Fraud Protection monitors your Westpac credit card account for unusual activity. If anything out of the ordinary is detected, you’ll be asked to verify it.
If all that fails and you do end up with some fraudulent activity on your credit card account, the Westpac Fraud Money Back Guarantee means that you will be reimbursed for any losses, as long as you report the fraud as soon as possible.
