FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days

• Extras:
  • Rewards
  • Design your own card
  • Visa Entertainment
  • Phone/Internet banking

There are two features of the ANZ Balance Visa which make it an affordable and worthwhile card – the rewards program and the low interest rate.

Purchases made on your ANZ Balance Visa will incur a Low interest rate  p.a.*, and when it comes time to make your repayment, you’ll be rewarded with one rewards point for every dollar you repay. This includes both fees and interest paid on your account. It receives the title of #3 in the Editor’s Choice – Balance Transfer category with just a low p.a. for the first 18 months on all balances transferred.

Points can be redeemed for a number of rewards, such as gift vouchers, shopping vouchers and even cash back. All rewards are available in values of $100, $50 and $20, with cash back rewards credited straight back into your account and the total reward amount being deducted from your credit card’s balance.

There is, however, one downside to this rewards system which is that you need to spend quite a significant amount of money in order to be able to redeem your points. For example, the lowest redemption amount is 4,000 points (which gets you a $20 voucher) and the highest being 22,000 points, which gets you a $100 Caltex voucher. This can be counteracted by the fact that points earned on repayments includes purchases, fees, interest, cash advances and repayments on balances transferred*.

When divided weekly this just over $420 a week, but this would have to be a regular expenditure which, if you are not careful, could result in some huge bills. So spending $22,000 just to get a $100 voucher? Not really the greatest rewards deal out there, but is more realistic with the points earn rate that’s on offer.

With a low annual fee you are paying a bit more than most low interest credit cards but if you are looking for an affordable monthly interest rate with rewards then it is relatively cheap.

Especially seeing as these two features work in tandem as the main draw cards of the Balance Visa; rewards points for repayments act as an incentive to pay back the lower interest on your credit card bill, faster.

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This credit card boosts the amount of Frequent Flyer points earned by ANZ customers, especially when booking flights with the Frequent Flyer card through Qantas.

The ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card is very similar to the ANZ Rewards Visa, however, the Frequent Flyer’s rewards program is focused solely on air points and travel bonuses for all those regular air-travelers out there.

One downside that you will find is that while it has a rewards program based on travel, there are no insurance benefits to go with it. Also, you are not automatically signed up to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, which incurs a separate joining fee.

Frequent Flyer points are earned by making purchases on your ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card. So for your first $1500 you spend you’ll earn 1500 Qantas Frequent Flyer points. After that you’ll earn one point for every two dollar spent on your card*. These points are capped at 5,000 per month.

Another way to maximize your points is to make use of both the cards you receive under the Frequent Flyer program (American Express and Visa). Use the Frequent Flyer American express card where accepted and you’ll earn 1 point for every $1 spent, and when you use your Frequent Flyer Visa you’ll earn one point for every $2 spent.

While the benefits are there, it is important to use the card wisely and monitor your balance, as the interest rates are relatively high and there is just the one credit limit for both of the cards so there is potential to max it out if you’re not careful.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate:  Low p.a. balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days

• Extras:
  • Phone internet banking
  • Up to 9 additional cardholders
  • Visa Entertainment benefits
  • Worldwide emergency card replacement

The ANZ Gold Credit Card offers much the same benefits as the ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum credit card without the huge price tag, enabling it to come in second in the Editor’s Choice – Gold credit cards category. With a low annual fee a year it is even cheaper than the standard ANZ Frequent Flyer card.

While it is not the cheapest credit card on offer from ANZ in terms of its interest rate  it has a number of features that make it stand out from the rest, and also give it the title of #1 Editor’s Choice in the Gold Credit Cards Category. One  example of why it is the leader in this category is a great introductory offer on balance transfers.

With a low balance transfer rate, a small balance transfer could be paid off at a much cheaper rate than what you would normally be paying for that balance on a different credit card. The only catch is that you have to apply for your transfer at the same time as you apply for the Gold credit card.

The ANZ Gold card also includes the following travel insurance benefits:

- 90-day purchase security (after the expiry of the product warranty)*
- Overseas medical and travel insurance*
- Commission free travelers cheques*

This card sits on the middle of the scale in terms of price, but makes up for any price-related concerns you may have by having very reasonable rates for pretty much all of its features, rather than just focusing on one, like a lot of other credit cards tend to do.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

 

• Annual fee: High annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days
• Extras:

• • Concierge Service
  • Extended Warranty
  • Phone/Internet banking
  • Overseas Medical Insurance
  • Up to 9 additional cardholders
  • American Express/Visa Entertainment benefits

Earn 20,000 bonus Qantas Frequent Flyer Points to help get to your destination sooner.
 * 20,000 bonus Qantas Frequent Flyer Points if you apply by 28th Feburary 2011. Offer available to only new applicants.

The ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum credit card is the top dog of the ANZ Frequent Flyer cards, so as well as being the #1 credit card in the Frequent Flyer category, it also takes out the #2 spot in the platinum credit card category.

Being the next step up from the Gold Frequent Flyer card, it has a number of benefits that are exclusive to Platinum credit card holders and are very beneficial for a regular traveler.

The core features of this airline rewards credit card remain the same as the other frequent flyer cards offered by ANZ (interest, balance transfer, interest free period). However the inclusion of travel insurance benefits makes this card much more valuable than the rest.

With this card you will receive extended warranty on purchases*, 90-day purchase security on lost/stolen/broken products*, not to mention overseas medical insurance*. Safety measures such as these can often be expensive and a major hassle to organize, so if you do fly regularly then the inclusion of these features is very convenient.

Using your Platinum American Express credit card will earn you 1.5 points for every dollar spent (up to $2500 a month), and like the lower level frequent flyer cards, 1 point for every $2 spent on the Frequent Flyer Platinum Visa. ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum cardholders also benefit from the concierge booking service*, which adds another level of convenience to your international travels.

The annual fee for this card burns a hole in your pocket, so if it is mainly frequent flyer points you’re looking for then we recommend the ANZ Frequent Flyer Gold credit card as this offers the same rewards benefits with a much cheaper annual fee. Otherwise, the ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card comes very highly recommended.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low p.a. balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days
  • Extras:

• Phone/Internet banking
• Purchase Security Insurance
• Commission-free travellers cheques
• Worldwide emergency credit card replacement
• American Express/Visa Entertainment benefits

Like the standard ANZ Frequent Flyer card, the ANZ Frequent Flyer Gold credit card gives you two choices of cards to use when making purchases, and therefore more opportunities to build up your Qantas frequent flyer points.

The majority of the features of this card are the same as the standard ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card, such as the interest rate and interest free days. But according to the ANZ website you ‘go further with the Frequent Flyer Gold’ card.

What exactly does this mean?

Well it starts with paying a bit more in your annual fee. After reading the fine print, it was found that the fee for joining the Qantas Frequent Flyer program is not actually included in the card’s annual fee. The good news is that this Qantas fee is a once off payment rather than an annual fee.

Another shortcoming of this travel credit is the difference in points-earning potential between the standard and gold frequent flyer credit cards is marginal. The gold credit card offers just 1.25 points for every dollar spent on the American Express card, and is the same as the standard card’s points rate on the Visa ($2 = 1 point)*.

These points are capped at 10,000 points per month which is 5,000 more than the standard card, so it is quite obvious that this card is aimed at those who will be spending quite a bit more than those with the standard card and will of course be able to reap the benefits.

This credit card takes out the #2 spot in the Frequent Flyer credit cards category, so if you’re already a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyers program or plan on doing a fair bit of travelling over the next few years, then this card will be highly beneficial for you. Otherwise, it would be wise to cover all your bases to make sure you’re getting the best airline rewards credit card on offer.

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Looking for a credit card with a rewards program that caters for the whole family? Well you’ve come to the right place.

When you make purchases using your Rewards Visa you’ll earn one point for every $1.50 you spend (up to $50,000). Points can be redeemed for holiday perks (through a number of airlines), cash back, electronics, adventure activities, movie tickets, vouchers, and even kitchen appliances.

Just remember that unfortunately, any rewards points earned on this card expire after 36 months (3 years) so you need to make sure you redeem your points before this happens!

While the interest rate on purchases is quite high, the annual fee is still relatively low compared to other rewards cards. No doubt these costs are applied to the ANZ Rewards Visa in order to account for the huge range of rewards on offer.

With an introductory offer the balance transfer rate for the ANZ Balance Visa is very affordable. So if you are looking for a good balance transfer rate then this card is one of a number of good options and comes highly recommended.

While it is similar to the ANZ Frequent Flyers credit card there is much more to choose from with the ANZ Rewards Visa, and with so much flexibility you sure to find a reward that tickles your fancy.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low p.a. balance transfere rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 44 days

• Extras:
  • Rewards
  • Phone/Internet banking
  • Visa Entertainment benefits
  • Worldwide emergency credit card replacement

The ANZ Rewards Visa Gold is the next step up from the standard ANZ Rewards Visa, so the majority of its features are exactly the same.

Like the ANZ Rewards Visa, you get 1 point for ever $1.50 you spend and these points are valid for 36 months. Interest rates are also the same on purchases* and balance transfers (after the 6 month introductory period).

But here’s where you the benefits of the ‘Gold’ rewards come into play…

You’ll get all the perks of a premium credit card and more, such as a higher credit limit, commission free traveler’s cheques, ANZ Falcon credit card security, and your maximum spend for earning points is double that of the standard card at $100,000. You’ll also get up to 55 days interest free on purchases* as opposed to just 44 on the standard rewards card.

These features enable this card to take out the #1 spot in the Editor’s Choice category for cash back credit cards category.

The annual fee on this card is a reasonable. So if you’re a reasonably big spender looking for a rewards program to accompany your spending habits then the ANZ Rewards Visa Gold is a good match.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 44 days

• Extras:
  • Design your own card
  • Phone/Internet banking
  • 3 additional card holders free

The ANZ First Visa is a great card to get if you are new to the world of credit cards. It’s a straight-forward source of credit without all the bells and whistles of other credit cards, which means a low annual fee.

It includes up to 44 days interest free on purchases*, however you’ve got to make sure you pay the full balance of your statement by the due date or you’ll end up having to pay the interest as well. Balance transfers are low on this card.  This interest rate, in conjunction with it’s other features gives this card the title of #2 in the Editor’s Choice – Balance Transfer category.

An added bonus to using this credit card is that it comes with features such as extended warranty on credit card purchases and 90 day purchase security. These are features that are usually reserved for premium credit cards (e.g. Gold and platinum). Warranties on this card protect you for up to 12 months longer than the purchase’s manufacturer warranty*.

The purchase cover differs from the extended warranty as it covers most purchases of personal items made on your credit card against theft, loss or accidental damage for approximately three months from the purchase date.

The only real downside to this card is that its interest rates are relatively high which can sting you if you don’t pay your monthly bill on time, however as we all know, this can be avoided.

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