Like its siblings, the Bankwest More Gold MasterCard is a bit of a wild goose chase when it comes to getting down to the nitty gritty and finding all the right information. With interest rates usually being the first thing that people look for when assessing a credit card, it was strange to see that these weren’t included on the credit card’s information page.

But seeing as we’ve got the information, how about we share it with you?

A number of the core features on the More Gold MasterCard are exactly the same as the standard More MasterCard. There’s the interest free period which is up to 55 days, the interest rates (18.24% p.a. on purchases and balance transfers, 20.99% p.a. for cash advances) and also the points earning rate of 1.5 points per dollar spent on the More Gold MasterCard.

But that’s where the similarities end and the advantages of having the Gold card over the standard More MasterCard shine through. For only $31 more in annual fees, the BankWest More Gold MasterCard has everything that the standard More MasterCard was missing. For starters, you get 10,000 bonus points from Bankwest when you activate your credit card and the maximum points you can earn is capped at 200,000 (as opposed to 150,00 on the standard credit card).

You’ll also get purchase protection which will cover you if items that you have bought on your credit card are lost, stolen or damaged within three months from the purchase date. Extended warranty on these goods means you’re also covered for an extended warranty period that matches that of the manufacturer’s warranty.

Transit accident insurance is also included, along with the big kahuna of credit card benefits….travel insurance, which is available for trips up to 3 months in length. As an added benefit, you’ll also get great discounts and offers from MasterCard Moments, purely for having a Gold MasterCard.

Overall, the Bankwest More Gold MasterCard is evidence of yet another Gold credit card that is by far better than the standard option, and possibly better value than the Platinum option. The interest rates are fairly run of the mill for a Gold credit card, but the rewards program in combination with the interest free days, travel and insurance benefits make it a worthwhile rewards credit card to consider.

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

FEATURES SUMMARY

• Annual fee: $87
• Purchase rate: 18.99% p.a.
• Cash Advance rate: 20.74% p.a.
• Balance Transfer rate: 7.99% p.a. for first 6 months
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days

• Extras:
  • Apply online
  • 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. At just $87 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 (18.99% p.a.*), 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.

At just 7.99% p.a. for the first 6 months*, 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.

Not a major, but if the balance transfer is one of your motives for getting this card then forgetting to do this will mean you’ll be paying 18.99% p.a.* instead of 7.99% p.a. for the first 6 months.

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.

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

FEATURES SUMMARY

• Annual fee: $195
• Purchase rate: 19.49% p.a.
• Cash Advance rate: 20.74% p.a.
• Balance Transfer rate:
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days
• Extras:
  • Apply online

• 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 – $195 as opposed to $95 on the standard frequent flyer card. 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.

So in order to take advantage of this card’s benefits, you would have to join the program yourself and pay the $82.50 program fee on top of your card’s annual fee. This would bring your fee for the first year to a grand total of $277.50. 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.

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