When comparing the Westpac Earth Platinum credit card to the other Earth cards available from Westpac, it looks as if it’s targeted purely at those who travel with Qantas a LOT.

Why, you ask?

Well for starters all interest rates are exactly the same as Westpac’s other two Earth credit cards (including balance transfers), as well as up to 45 days interest free on purchases, bonus points and special interest rates when purchasing selected Qantas products using the Earth Platinum card.

All travel insurance benefits are also included on this travel credit card, including one that is exclusive – the 24/7 personal concierge service. Available from anywhere throughout the globe, this service gives you all the help you need with all those tedious little organization jobs like making sure you don’t miss out on tickets to a concert or making bookings at your favourite restaurant or hotel. But it’s not just limited to entertainment, you can get them to organize anything from organizing holidays to getting a dog wash service for your family pet (now that’s handy)!

Time periods for the travel insurance benefits on this card are quite a bit longer than those on the Earth Gold credit card, with 24 months extended warranty (rather than 12) and 4 months travel and purchase protection insurance instead of just 3.

The only other difference between the Platinum and the Gold Earth cards is that while the annual fee might seem a tad over priced (double the price of the Earth Gold credit card) you see the benefits of paying extra when it comes to your frequent flyer points. The platinum card gives the cardholder 1.5 points (as opposed to just 1) for every dollar spent using the American Express card.

It may not seem that much better than the gold card, but this rate results in a spend amount that is significantly less (almost half that of the Earth gold credit card from Westpac) when amassing points for both domestic and international flights.

As a result the Westpac Earth Platinum credit card was only just pipped at the post for a top 3 placing in the Editor’s Choice for platinum and frequent flyer credit cards. The Westpac Earth credit card provides a truckload of benefits for anyone planning on traveling, and would virtually pay for itself if you are a very frequent flyer.

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

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 transter rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55

• Extras:
  • Fraud protection
  • MasterCard Applause service

The Aussie MasterCard is one of only two non-bank credit cards that made the cut on The Credit Card Guide, and it more than holds its own among the big wigs.

This no-frills card has a solid investment in keeping things on the down low for its customers, with a low interest rate on purchases for the first 12 months, after which it creeps up to just a small amount.

Balance transfers are also low  for the first 12 months after which they rise just a small amount, however, it does have up to 55 days interest free and a mid-range annual fee.

This combination of features has allowed this card to take the top spot in The Credit Card Guide’s picks for the Editors Choice – Interest Free credit cards category as well as #2 in the Low Interest category. Unsurprisingly, it also takes out the prestigious title of 1st place overall in the Editor’s Choice’s category.

The only downside that we found with this interest free credit card was that if you happened to lose your card, getting a replacement will set you back a whopping $50. However, if your card gets stolen and you report it to the police, Aussie will give you $200 just to tide you over. Now isn’t that nice?

With not much else to fault it with, the Aussie MasterCard offers great deals in pretty much all relevant areas, proving that you don’t have to be a bank to be a trusted and reliable credit card provider.

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

It’s a sad day when the only real difference between a gold and standard credit card is the price. Unfortunately that day has come.

Bank of Queensland’s Gold credit card has a low annual fee. Sure, this seems pretty average for a Gold credit card, but when you get down to the nitty gritty you can see that value for money is not something that was taken into account when they created it.

All the extra benefits are the same as the Blue Visa from Bank of Queensland, although there is the addition of international travel insurance and an increase in the purchase cover limit (which at $125,000 we have to admit is substantial). While international travel insurance is a good addition to a credit card, it doesn’t really justify the higher annual fee and low interest rates on purchases and on cash advances.

There are a couple of features on this card which if they weren’t on there, we’d see it getting a complete ‘bottom of the barrel’ review. The first is its Low balance transfer rate.  The fact that this rate is ongoing is great, especially seeing as most cards offer an introductory period that, once over, has the same interest rate as cash advances for your unpaid balance.

The second of the features that save it from an ‘epic fail’ is the cash back rate. Surprisingly enough, the Gold Visa from Bank Of Queensland actually fares pretty well in the cash back category, just missing out on a top 3 spot.

Rewards points on the Q Rewards program are offered at 1.75 points per dollar spent using your Bank of Queensland Gold rewards credit card. This is a marginal increase from the Blue Visa that offers a reasonable earn rate, but with limited information about redemption for the many rewards on offer, it’s hard to say whether or not it’s worth even factoring into your credit card decision.

This card has bucked the trend of Gold cards out-performing their respective platinum cards. So it’s safe to say that if you’re not planning on travelling then the Blue Visa would be a much smarter option; but even then, there are other more affordable cards on offer.

On the whole it’s an over-priced credit card, however the cash back rate and balance transfer rate make it quite appealing if that is what you’re looking for in a credit card.

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