Credit Card Options Background

Credit card options

A credit card allows you to borrow money from a bank or financial institution to make purchases and other kinds of payments. A credit card gives you access to a ‘revolving line of credit’. That means you can access money as needed up to a specified limit, called your ‘credit limit’. See below some of the credit card options available so you can make an informed choice that suits your needs.

Group Manager, Research & Ratings
Editor-in-Chief

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Canstar Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards

Looking for an award-winning credit card product or to switch providers or brands? Canstar rates products based on price and features in our Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards. Our expert Research team shares insights about which products offer 5-Star value and which providers offer outstanding value overall.

Canstar rates a range of financial products, covering banking, insurance and investment. We also reveal which providers have the most satisfied customers in our dedicated Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards

About our finance experts

Josh Sale, Credit Card Ratings Manager

Joshua Sale, Ratings ManagerAs Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right credit card for them.

Josh is passionate about helping consumers get hands-on with their finances. Josh has been interviewed by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Reviewnews.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


Nina Tovey, Editor-in-Chief

As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for eight years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp.

Nina has ghostwritten dozens of opinion pieces for publications including The Australian and has been interviewed on finance topics by the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids.

Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series.

You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter, or Canstar on Facebook.


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Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

The Credit Cards Star Ratings are updated daily based on product features at that date, except for the Overseas Travel profile which is updated annually. Current rates, product features and fees are displayed and may be different to what was rated. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. Depending on which card feature/use you are looking at, the results will be sorted as follows:

  • Low fee is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Rewards is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Frequent Flyer is sorted by Star Ratings, then highest airline points per dollar, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Balance Transfer is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest balance transfer rate, then lowest rate for the longest period, then lowest revert rate, then lowest upfront fee, and then alphabetically by brand. Please note that Balance Transfer Star Ratings are not for balance transfer suitability but are instead based on the Low Rate profile. 
  • All card types is sorted by highest Points per dollar spent, then lowest Annual fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Overseas Travel is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest currency conversion on purchases, then lowest annual fee.

 

You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Credit Cards Star Rating Methodology and our Travel Credit Card and Travel Debit Card Star Ratings Methodology. The Occasional Overseas Traveller rating is shown in the table. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products. 

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. Canstar provides information about credit products. We’re not suggesting or recommending a particular credit product for you. If you decide to apply for a Credit Card, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar. It’s important you check rates and product information directly with the provider. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.

Before you elect to terminate or modify existing lending arrangements, it is recommended that you consider all associated fees and application costs, as well as the timing and impact these changes could have on your wider financial arrangements and personal circumstances.