Looking to add some convenience and flexibility to your spending experience? A credit card can be a great way to handle your budget, as long as you choose the right card and then use it wisely. Each type of credit card has pros and cons, and each provider offers different things as well. One thing you’ll be happy to know about Westpac though is that they took out 2019 Mozo Experts Choice Awards in the best Travel Credit Card and best Low Rate Travel Credit Card categories.
Australia’s first and oldest bank, Westpac was established in 1817 as the Bank of NSW, and began trading under the name Westpac in the early 80s. Today, it offers Aussies a huge range of banking products like savings accounts, home loans, insurance and a range of credit card options. So if you’re ready for a flashy piece of plastic, check out all the details about Westpac credit cards below.
Rates and fees verified as correct at 21 September, 2020. Other information correct at the time of writing.
Looking for an interest rate that won’t bite you? A low rate credit card from Westpac will keep you in the clear if you tend to carry a balance from month to month. This is a no frills card but it’s also great value - not only will you get a low purchase rate, but Westpac also offers a fee free first year to existing customers who apply online. What’s not to love? Well, the cash advance rate is one thing - keep in mind it’s quite a bit higher than the purchase rate.
| Product | Purchase rate | Balance transfer rate | Annual fees | Interest free days on purchases | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.90% p.a. | No current offer | $108 | 45 | ||
| 13.74% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 20 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $59 | 55 | Go to site |
So you’ve never missed a credit card payment in your life and break out in a cold sweat at the thought of carrying a debt from month to month? A no fee card is probably for you. Because you’re so good at paying off your balance, a higher interest rate won’t worry you so much, but an annual fee could be a real downer. If you meet certain requirements, you can even use your low fee Westpac credit card entirely fee free!
| Product | Purchase rate | Balance transfer rate | Annual fees | Interest free days on purchases | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% p.a. for 15 months then 20.09% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 6 months and then 21.49% p.a. | $30 $0 when you spend over $5,000 p.a, $0 in the first year | 55 | ||
| 13.74% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 20 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $59 | 55 | Go to site |
Making the most of your shopping habit is easy with a good rewards card and at Westpac you can choose between a bunch of options. Westpac offers rewards credit cards you can use to get your hands on some great shopping vouchers, gift cards and products or cards designed specifically to help you earn frequent flyer points. You can choose between a Classic, Platinum or Black card, each of which offers a different amount of rewards points per purchase and come with a different annual fee. Platinum and Black cards also come with some cool bonus features, like complimentary insurance and concierge services.
Keep in mind, if you’re opting for a rewards credit card, you’ll pay a higher purchase rate and annual fee for the chance to get your hands on all these goodies.
| Product | Points per dollar | Purchase rate | Balance transfer rate | Annual fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.25 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | No current offer | $250 | Go to site | |
| 0.75 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | No current offer | $300 | ||
| 0.5 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 18 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $200 $99 in the first year | Go to site | |
| 1 point per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 18 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $150 $99 in the first year | Go to site |
Why not have the best of the best? Although it will bump up your annual fee, opting for a platinum or black credit card option from Westpac will mean getting your hands on a heap of premium goodies, including a personal concierge and complimentary insurance covers. Take advantage of the waived annual fee in the first year, and higher rewards earning potential than on regular rewards cards, and you’ll be glad to have this flashy piece of plastic in your arsenal.
| Product | Points per dollar | Purchase rate | Balance transfer rate | Annual fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.25 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | No current offer | $250 | Go to site | |
| 0.75 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | No current offer | $300 | ||
| 0.5 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 18 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $200 $99 in the first year | Go to site | |
| 1 point per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 18 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $150 $99 in the first year | Go to site | |
|
| 0% p.a. for 9 months then 20.09% p.a. | No current offer | $90 $0 when you spend over $10,000 p.a, $0 in the first year |
If your main aim is racking up frequent flyer points, then get your hands on a Qantas card from Westpac. One of the rewards program options from Westpac, a Qantas card will automatically convert all your hard earned rewards points to Frequent Flyer points. No hassle, no fuss - just really great savings on your travel. Just remember that as a rewards option, your Westpac frequent flyer credit card will come with a considerable annual fee and interest rate attached.
| Product | Points per dollar | Purchase rate | Balance transfer rate | Annual fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | No current offer | $300 | ||
| 0.5 points per dollar on Mastercard, uncapped | 20.49% p.a. | 0% p.a. for 18 months and then 21.49% p.a. (1.00% balance transfer fee) | $200 $99 in the first year | Go to site |
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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, and you can also check out our guide to the Westpac rewards program. 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.
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.
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.
Mozo users have rated Westpac credit cards on price, features, convenience, trust and customer service so you can see what real Aussies have to say about their experiences.
Customer service very poor. Applied for credit card four weeks ago. Followed up 13 days later, provided all requested information and promised a response within three days. Another week passed and no response. Followed up two days ago and promised...
Customer service very poor. Applied for credit card four weeks ago. Followed up 13 days later, provided all requested information and promised a response within three days. Another week passed and no response. Followed up two days ago and promised a response for today however still nothing.
Marian, Western Australia, reviewed 17 days ago
I have credit limit with them I wanted to transfer to another facility. I have plenty of security and personal income from investments, so you would think an easy deal... but no. Westpac wasted days of my time, 10 emails with 12 attachments...
I have credit limit with them I wanted to transfer to another facility. I have plenty of security and personal income from investments, so you would think an easy deal... but no. Westpac wasted days of my time, 10 emails with 12 attachments requested, 24 pages of forms filled in, 5 phone calls, 60 mins waiting, 2 bank visits, had to deal with 9 different people... all that just to have Westpac reject the application, with conflicting, unclear, incomplete reasons. One Westpac banker told me it was because I didn't have enough personal income (not paying myself a salary as starting new business) easy fix I show other income or start paying myself a salary, the other Westpac banker said it was that my new company that had 48% monthly revenue growth did not have enough profit (because we are investing in growth). Not only that, they claim to be environmentally friendly but they were going to invest in the Adani Coal mine. Been a Westpac customer for 15 years, now I am leaving them for good. Do not do any banking with Westpac!
Simon, New South Wales, reviewed 17 days ago
I have been with Westpac for 25 years, I have no reason to change.
I have been with Westpac for 25 years, I have no reason to change.
Bob, Queensland, reviewed about 1 month ago
Have been with the bank for years. Recently being retired we changed our credits cards so that we do not have to pay an annual fee (does not have rewards but they were helpful in getting the remaining points out which we have now changed for...
Have been with the bank for years. Recently being retired we changed our credits cards so that we do not have to pay an annual fee (does not have rewards but they were helpful in getting the remaining points out which we have now changed for amounts to use at Woolworths). The assistant actually changed our credit cards for us in the bank. She then followed us up with a phone call. Plus we had an email from the bank. All making it so easy for us. Thank you Westpac
Ann, Queensland, reviewed about 1 month ago
I dislike this bank because at first I thought it wanted to help us in our time of need, but now I realise that the only thing the bank/s cares about is profit.
I dislike this bank because at first I thought it wanted to help us in our time of need, but now I realise that the only thing the bank/s cares about is profit.
Rodney, New South Wales, reviewed about 2 months ago
Mozo may receive a payment from financial providers listed on the site. Customer reviews are in no way affected by any commercial relationships Mozo has with providers. Reviewers may receive a voucher from Mozo in exchange for their review. Vouchers are given to all reviewers who meet our review guidelines regardless of the sentiment of their reviews.
When you go to apply for a Westpac credit card, there are a few things you’ll want to remember. First of all, to apply, you need to be over 18 and an Australian resident.
You’ll also need to provide:
Want to know more? Check out our guide on applying for a credit card.
Hide