The St George No Annual Fee credit card is yet another card that totally misses the point in terms of what people want and need in a credit card.

Ok, we don’t live in a perfect world so we’re never going to get a cheap as chips annual fee AND a really good interest rate. But we thought more banks would be willing to take a risk in this area. This card has no annual fee, so in turn offers an interest rate of 19.49% p.a. for cash advances and purchases with no interest free days.

This could seem like a good deal compared to credit cards that have a mid range annual fee of say, $60 or more, but in most cases you’ll end up paying more because of the higher interest rate than you would if you just got a credit card with an annual fee.

In all fairness, it is a bonus that the cash advance rate is lower than most at 19.49% p.a.*, but with no other features like purchase security or travel insurance to boost the value of the card then it seems a bit unjust paying this rate for both cash advances and purchase.

There is also no option for balance transfers onto this card, so if you are looking to merge any existing credit card debt then this is not the credit card for you. As with all St George credit cards, the No Annual Fee card includes free membership to the St George Instant Benefits program. This gives you access to instant discounts when shopping, amongst other special offers.

When it comes down to it there’s not much else we can say about this card except that we would not recommend it. Blunt, but fair.

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

St George’s Gold Low Rate credit card is a stepping stone between the banks standard card and its platinum card. Understandably it is very similar to the platinum card with all the same benefits except the personal concierge service.

But the most obvious and significant difference between this and the St George Platinum card is that balance transfers aren’t available on this credit card. While it’s not an essential feature for everybody, it could be considered a major downfall by many.

Despite this, it does have its merits.

The credit cards low interest rate of 14.99% p.a.* is teamed up with a cash advance rate of 18.99% p.a.*, which is lower than that of the platinum card (and many other non-premium credit cards). It also has up to 55 days interest free*, an annual fee of $79, and free membership with St George’s Instant Benefits rewards program.

This instant credit card rewards program allows you to get discounts, exclusive deals and more at a wide range of retailers across Australia. So instead of accumulating points you get the rewards straight away when you use your St George credit card.

So if you have no need for a balance transfer then this card is a great option as you will get a low interest card with a lot of benefits. If you do, on the other hand, need the balance transfer feature then the platinum card is a much better value for money for only a small increase in price.

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

FEATURES SUMMARY

• Annual Fee: $89
• Purchase rate: 15.74% p.a.
• Cash Advance rate: 21.24% p.a.
• Balance Transfer rate: 3.99% p.a. first 6 months
• Interest-free days: Up to 55 days
• Extras:
  • Apply online
  • 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.

But on top of that you’ll also get access to St George’s Instant Benefits program. This program tops a lot of other rewards programs as its rewards are instant in a wide variety of retailers throughout Australia so you don’t have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars just to get a voucher once a year.

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 of 15.74% p.a.*, up to 55 days interest free* and 3.99% p.a. on balance transfers for the first 6 months*, the savings available are surprisingly good.

At $89 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.

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