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

• Extras:
  • MasterCard Paypass
  • MasterCard Applause
  • Your choice of card colour
  • One free additional cardholder

The Woolworths Everyday Money MasterCard credit card is the newest of all the credit cards we have reviewed and quite impressively takes out the title of #3 in the Editor’s Choice category for Low Annual Fee credit cards.

The main feature on this credit card is the rewards program. Points are earned at a rate of 3 points per dollar spent on Woolworths Select products at Woolworths and Safeway supermarkets (this doesn’t include online purchases).

All other products purchased at Woolworths and Safeway and partner outlets (which includes Caltex Woolworths/Safeway, Big W, epump, Dan Murphys, Woolworths/Safeway Liquor, Thomas Dux, participating Tandy and Dick Smith stores, and last but not least, BWS) earn 2 points per dollar spent.

All other purchases made on your Woolworths Everyday Money credit card earn one point per dollar spent.

Rewards come in the form of shopping cards and start at $20 (which requires 3,448 points). Shopping cards are sent to Everyday Money credit card holders 3 times per year (in March, July and November, or just in November if you have chosen to receive your rewards once a year).

These shopping cards increase in values of $5 (which equates to 862 points), so whatever your points balance is at the time, the nearest corresponding card value (below your rewards points total) will be sent out and any remaining points will be carried over to the next card that is issued to you. All this contributes to the Woolworths Everyday Money Credit Card taking out the top spot for the Editor’s Choice – Rewards Credit Cards category and the #2 spot in the Low Annual Fee category.

You can make balance transfers onto this credit card, at an interest rate p.a. for the first 6 months. After this time the interest rate rises p.a. The downside to this feature is that this Woolworths credit card is issued by HSBC so you won’t be able to transfer a balance from an HSBC credit card.

A great feature of this credit card is that you can use the epump facility at participating petrol stations. Instead of lining up at the counter to pay for your fuel, you pay at the pump instead which means you can get in and out of the petrol station much faster!

There isn’t a frequent flyer program on the Everyday Money credit card, but if you do get this credit card then it’s more than likely you will have a Woolworths/Safeway Everyday Rewards card as well, which you can use to earn frequent flyer points when you make purchases of $30 or more.

A handy hint to know is that your Everyday Rewards credit card acts as a more convenient way to store your fuel discounts. So when you link your Everyday Rewards card to your Everyday Money credit card then you use your credit card at the epumps, the vouchers stored on your rewards card will automatically apply to your purchase.

No more hunting for supermarket receipts!

To ensure your security when making purchases this credit card includes a wee microchip that is embedded within the credit card. This enhances your security by increasing your tracking capabilities and as a result, your protection against credit card fraud.

You’ll also get to take advantage of the MasterCard Paypass facility. For those who aren’t in the know, for any purchase of $35 or less you can just ‘tap and go’ at the checkout instead of having to sign or put in a PIN.

With the interest rates that are attached to this credit card, it’s safe to say that this card would only be recommended over another cheaper card if you used Woolworths and its partner businesses very regularly. If this is the case then there can be some great savings to be made and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Bonus $50 shopping card if you apply by April 30th 2010, and make 3 purchases on your new card by 31 May 2010.

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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 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.

See all our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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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

• • St George Instant Benefits
  • Minimum credit limit $8,000
  • Personal concierge service
  • Complimentary travel insurance
  • Purchase protection insurance
  • Transit accident insurance
  • Extended warranty insurance

While at the higher end of the scale, this card outshines a lot of other credit cards due to the fact that it comes with all the usual benefits of a platinum card all the while maintaining a low interest rate.

These standard platinum credit card benefits include purchase protection, international travel, transit accident and extended warranty insurance, so you’re covered for pretty much anything you might use your card for.

Usually with platinum cards you’re stung with higher fees to compensate for all the benefits you receive, but this is not the case with this credit card. With a low purchase rate p.a.*, up to 55 days interest free* and p.a. on balance transfers for the first 6 months*, the savings available are surprisingly good.

At its annual fee is one of the best around for a platinum card, and is only $10 more expensive than that of the ANZ Balance Visa which has only a rewards program to make it comparable to the St George Platinum credit card.

The range of benefits and affordability of this platinum credit card means that so many more people have access to a high end credit card with great benefits, without being stung by huge fees and credit card rates. For these reasons and it’s many features, it receives the #2 spot in the Editor’s Choice – Platinum Credit Cards category.

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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

• Extras:
  • Fraud Protection
  • Phone/internet banking

The St George Vertigo MasterCard is one of The Credit Card Guide’s most highly recommended credit cards as it takes out top 3 spots in five different categories, including 2nd place in the Editor’s Choice category – Overall.

Another card with a low p.a.* on purchases, the St George Vertigo MasterCard is cracking the whip on some of the other big name banks. It does however have a cash advance rate  p.a.*, but that can be avoided if it’s a real issue.

It comes with up to 55 days interest free* on purchases and a balance transfer rate  p.a. for the first 6 months. The annual fee is fairly average for this kind of card so is not really a deciding factor.

While this low interest credit card would be beneficial for pretty much everyone, it would be most beneficial for those in NSW and South Australia as there are more branches and ATM’s (including Bank SA’s which are owned by St George), so you’d be less likely to be stuck using another bank’s ATM.

The current cash advance rate is p.a. variable. The balance transfer rate remains p.a. for the first 6 months.

See all our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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This card is on the cusp of being a standard interest credit card, only just making the cut with a purchase rate. This is further reinforced by the cash advance rate.

Balance transfers however, are available for the first 6 months and as a refreshing change, this rate only increases to the purchase rate rather than the cash advance rate (as most other credit card rates do after the introductory period is over).

Benefits of this card include price protection cover and purchase protection. So if you have made a purchase on your credit card and you see the same product offered cheaper a week later, you’ll get paid the difference by GE. Or if your credit card purchase is accidentally lost, broken or gets stolen then you’ll be covered for that too.

It is a card that sits in the middle of the range in terms of its annual fees. It includes up to 55 interest free days on purchases, however it should be noted that these do not come into effect until all balance transfers have been paid.

While this is a good credit card overall, and the lowest interest rates of all the GE Money credit cards, it’s not quite good enough to compete with all the other cheaper, low interest rate credit cards out there.

See our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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The GE Money Clear Advantage MasterCard is a very basic credit card supplied by GE Money through Wizard Home Loans.

It has no annual fee which is great, however the interest rate compensates for this a bit  for both purchases and cash advances. While this is pretty high for purchases its one of the lowest we’ve seen for cash advances. It also comes with up to 55 days interest free and a balance transfer rate for the first 6 months.

As banks have their own ATM’S to make withdrawals from it might seem like a bit of a disadvantage getting the GE Money Clear Advantage credit card because of the withdrawal fees you’d get using other banks’ ATM’s. But there’s no need to worry.

GE Money and Wizard have teamed up with Westpac to allow people with this credit card unlimited access to Westpac ATM’s free of charge. So if you go with this card you can use Westpac ATM’s for all your withdrawals without the hassle of ATM fees.

GE Money has had a fair crack at providing a good low annual fee credit card so hats off to them. But when it comes down to it, there are better options out there. Sure there’s no annual fee, but other cards that offer better interest rates will cost you less in the long run despite (in some cases) having to pay a small annual fee.

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This GE Money eco MasterCard is quite vague when it comes to getting all the little details and interest rates.

Instead it prefers to hide behind the main selling point of the card which is a charity-based credit card rewards program that focuses on offsetting carbon emissions and ‘creating a healthier planet’.

While this is a worthwhile and important cause to get behind, they would do well to make the details of the card clearer and easier to find, as we would predict that the people who are concerned enough about their carbon emissions to get this card would be unlikely to be too worried about the cost.

The good news is that we can give you the details without any fuss.

The purchase rate for this card and the cash advance rate. Balance transfers are available at a very low for the first 6 months, after which it increases. You also get up to 55 days interest free (which only apply if you pay your monthly balance in full).

Now for the rewards program…

GE Money has obviously cottoned on to the issues of today’s society and realized that more and more people are becoming concerned about the environment, so would be willing to forfeit material rewards for something that is more beneficial in the long-run.

So, they now offer a rewards program where on Earth Day (April 22nd) each year, GE Money uses 1% of your credit card expenses to purchase carbon offsets on your behalf from the Origin Energy Carbon Reduction Scheme. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and in turn reduces your carbon footprint.

For example, if you spend $200 on the GE Money eco MasterCard, your rewards will offset 500km’s of car travel. Spending $700 on the credit card per month (for a year) you’ll offset the carbon emissions produced from the household energy consumption and card usage of one average Australian.

Alternatively, you can choose to allocate half of the 1% to carbon offset rewards and take the other half as a cash back reward which would be credited back to your monthly statement annually (after Earth Day).

If you are looking for a card that saves you money then this is most definitely not for you. The annual fee of this card is relatively inexpensive for a rewards card; however the interest rates are quite high. But in terms of rewards programs, it is a very valuable card where rewards are accumulated much quicker and are a lot more valuable than most.

See our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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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:
  • Cash back

• Airfare Deals
• Extended Warranty
• Purchase Security
• MasterCard Moments
• MasterCard Applause
• Transit Accident Insurance
• Platinum 24/7 Concierge Service

For a platinum credit card this one from Commonwealth is pretty standard in most areas, but it does have a wide range of features in order to cater well for a wider range of people.

It comes with all the same benefits as the gold card but with longer time periods and greater values (International travel insurance for trips up to 12 months, extended warranty for up to a year longer than the manufacturer’s warranty, purchase security for up to 90 days and transit accident insurance), plus a few other features just to set it apart.

The card’s annual fee, but if you happen to be applying for (or already have) a Commonwealth Bank home loan or bank account then the annual fee of your credit card will be waived. Or, if you are an existing Commonwealth credit card customer then (depending on which credit card you have) your annual fee will be either waived or reduced.

Bank account or home loan – Annual fee is waived
Awards Card – Annual fee is reduced
Gold Card – Annual fee is reduced
Platinum Card – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate Gold – Annual fee is reduced
Low Fee – Waived when you spend $1000 or more per year on your credit card
Low Fee Gold – Waived when you spend $10,000 or more per year on your credit card

This includes a 24/7 platinum concierge service*, a comprehensive annual summary* (which will help at tax time) and a guaranteed pricing scheme*, so if you a find a product you’ve bought for a cheaper price (in print) than what you paid, Commonwealth will pay you the difference.

And now for the Awards program – with every dollar you spend on your Commonwealth platinum card you’ll get one Awards point. You can also get extra points by using the Commonwealth Travel Plus service, or by shopping at selected Bonus Partners.

These points can be redeemed for all sorts of goodies including cash back (which is credited back to your account), entertainment, shopping, merchandise and also travel. You can choose to have your awards points converted to frequent flyer points for your choice of Virgin Blue or Qantas airlines (you must be a member of your airline of choice’s frequent flyer program). Also, if you happen to be flying business or first class on a flight you’ve bought with your platinum credit card with Air Tahiti Nui, Japan Airlines or Air Pacific you’ll be eligible for companion airfare deals.

While this is probably a good deal, we thought there might be some kind of other benefit to really set it apart from the Gold and standard credit cards (not to mention other platinum rewards credit cards). But for an annual fee we still think it’s a really good deal, which is why it takes out the #3 spot in the Platinum credit card category and #2 in the Frequent Flyer credit card category. Adding to this cards prestige (in our eyes) is the fact that we also named it the #3 place getter in the Editor’s Choice – Rewards Credit Cards category.

The interest rate offered is more reasonable on the platinum credit card than on its lower value counterparts with the same rate, at * on purchases and p.a.* on cash advances, along with up to 55 days interest free*. If you have a credit card balance that you need to transfer to a lower interest rate then you can transfer it onto this card  for the first 5 months. After this time any balance remaining from your transfer will be charged * interest.

But to sum up, the Commonwealth Platinum credit card definitely holds its own in the platinum credit card market with its variety of features and it’s standard pricing. It would be ideal for those who fly regularly with Virgin or Qantas and plan on using their rewards credit card regularly for retail payments each month.

See all our top picks in the Editors Choice category

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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. blance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days
• Extras:
  • Phone/Internet banking

• Cash back
• Travel Plus
• Gold Awards
• MasterCard Moments
• Extended Warranty
• Purchase protection
• International Travel insurance
• Commission-free travelers cheques

The Commonwealth Gold credit card is the next step up from the Commonwealth Awards credit card. As the name suggests, the card is based purely around the awards program. But with the Gold credit card you get so much more.

With the inclusion of insurance and travel benefits you’re pretty much covered for anything. The Gold card gets you international commission-free travelers cheques, travel insurance for you and your immediate family (partner and children) for up to three months worth of travel, purchase security and extended warranties (over and above the standard warranty from the manufacturer) to name just a few.

What is impressive about these insurance benefits is that quite a few features are included in the standard benefits which at some banks are usually reserved for platinum cards. This includes such features as rental vehicle excess and travel delay cover.

In terms of benefits, with the current pricing for this credit card’s annual fee (see below), the Commonwealth Gold credit card is pretty well priced (especially when you compare it to the standard Awards credit card). That card gets you access to just the Commonwealth awards program. Then you get an upgrade to a Gold awards program and international travel benefits.

So when you think about it, you’re getting the majority of the international travel insurance benefits that you may need while travelling for less than $60. If you were to go to an insurance company you’d be lucky to find anything as cheap as this for just the travel insurance!

Like the rest of Commonwealth’s rewards credit cards, interest on purchases is p.a. and cash advances accumulate p.a. interest. Balance transfers  interest for the first 5 months, after which it increases to p.a.

You’ll also get 1 point for every $1 spent with the gold card with the ability to redeem your points for cash back (credited to your account), frequent flyer points with Qantas or Virgin Blue, entertainment, shopping and a wide range of other merchandise from Commonwealth’s bonus partners.

In short, if you can pay off your bill each month then this card is great value for money. Commonwealth has stepped up to the plate and created a very competitive Gold credit card with rewards and benefits that would suit a wide range of people, from regular travelers to holidaying families. So it is clear to see why it takes out the #3 spot in the Editor’s Choice Gold Credit Cards category.

Current Annual Fee Pricing Scheme:

The card’s annual fee, but if you happen to be applying for (or already have) a Commonwealth Bank home loan or bank account then the annual fee of your credit card will be waived. Or, if you are an existing Commonwealth credit card customer then (depending on which credit card you have) your annual fee will be either waived or reduced.

Bank account or home loan – Annual fee is waived
Awards Card – Annual fee is reduced
Gold Card – Annual fee is reduced
Platinum Card – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate Gold – Annual fee is reduced
Low Fee – Waived when you spend $1000 or more per year on your credit card
Low Fee Gold – Waived when you spend $10,000 or more per year on your credit card

See our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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With a name like ‘Commonwealth Awards Credit Card’ you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t figure out what the main feature of this card is. So let’s get straight into it. What ‘awards’ can you earn yourself by using the Commonwealth Awards credit card?

Well for every dollar you spend with this rewards credit card you’ll get one point that goes towards your total awards amount. Once you’ve accumulated enough points you can redeem them for such items as vouchers, gift cards or merchandise from over 30 bonus partners, cash back or frequent flyer points for either Air New Zealand, Qantas or Virgin Blue (providing you are already a member of your chosen airline’s frequent flyer scheme).

The card’s annual fee, but if you happen to be applying for (or already have) a Commonwealth Bank home loan or bank account then the annual fee of your credit card will be waived. Or, if you are an existing Commonwealth credit card customer then (depending on which credit card you have) your annual fee will be either waived or reduced.

Bank account or home loan – Annual fee is waived
Awards Card – Annual fee is reduced
Gold Card – Annual fee is reduced
Platinum Card – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate – Annual fee is reduced
Low Rate Gold – Annual fee is reduced
Low Fee – Waived when you spend $1000 or more per year on your credit card
Low Fee Gold – Waived when you spend $10,000 or more per year on your credit card

As an alternative you can also redeem points for cash back which is credited back to your account. If you make regular purchases with your credit card with rewards and therefore spend enough money each week to earn enough points to cover your annual fee, then it pretty much pays for itself.

You’ll also have access to Travel Plus, Commonwealth’s exclusive travel service. You can use this service to book anything from flights to snow passes, and car rentals to traffic packages. And to top it all off, any money spent on your awards credit card using this service will earn you bonus points!

Interest is charged at % p.a. for purchases and p.a. for cash advances, and despite having up to 55 days interest free it’s still pretty high for a card such as this, so should be taken into account when considering this card. Balance transfers earn interest for the first 5 months, after which the interest rate increases to p.a.

The Commonwealth Awards credit card would be great for someone who uses their credit card to pay for everyday items as the points earned from this should be enough to cover the annual fee for just having the card. Any points on top of that is a bonus! But with interest rates like the ones that apply to this card, if you’re not always able to pay your monthly bill in full then it might be better to look elsewhere.

See our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category

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