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 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, 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.

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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 p.a.* is teamed up with a cash advance rate 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, 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.

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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.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Monthly Fee: Dependant on account chosen
• Free account access:
  • Eftpos
  • Phone/Internet banking
  • St George, Westpac and Bank SA branded ATM’S

• Extras:
  • St George Secure
  • Fee-waive option
  • Visa Entertainment
  • Australia Post Bank@Post service

St George Bank offers a Visa debit card available on a number of accounts. These include the Express Freedom, Complete Freedom, Complete Freedom Student and also the Retirement Access Plus accounts.

The fees at St George for a Visa Debit card are a little more ambiguous than some other banks because the monthly fee amount depends on what type of bank account you have your Visa debit card linked to. Though whichever one you choose, it won’t be too much of a strain on your wallet as the most expensive monthly fee for all the accounts available is very low.

However, if you are a student or an apprentice this monthly fee will be waived when you have the Visa debit card linked with a St George Complete Freedom Student account.

Banking with St George gives you access to not only St George ATMs, but also Westpac and Bank SA branded ATMs free of charge (with mini transaction history available on St George ATMs). Australia Post offers banking services for St George banking customers as well.

You’ll also get access to Visa Entertainment offers which give you exclusive access to various benefits such as priority seating and ticketing for events, and discounts on accommodation. Thanks to this bucket-load of great features, the St George Visa Debit card is the second place getter in the Editor’s Choice – Debit Cards category.

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