Could you save with a credit card that suits your spending habits?

Twice per year, Canstar’s Research team crunches the numbers on interest rates, fees and a number of other costs and features to reveal which lenders on our database offer outstanding value credit cards to customers.

The 2019 Canstar Credit Card Star Ratings saw the team compare 192 personal unsecured credit cards from 63 lending institutions in Australia, revealing some interesting findings.

For instance, a 5-Star Rated credit card in Canstar’s Low Rate customer profile has an interest rate of 9.78% on average, while the market average for credit cards is 16.41%.

Someone with a 5-Star Rated rewards card would get around $52 in value over a year after factoring in annual fees and other charges assessed in the methodology, assuming an annual spend of $12,000.

This compares with someone with a market average rewards card, who would end up in the negative, spending about $84 more in fees and other charges than they would get back in rewards and extras. So, it pays for those seeking rewards to do their homework.

Whether you’re in the market for a low-rate, low-fee, premium, rewards or frequent flyer credit card, Canstar can reveal a shortlist of credit cards on their database that provide outstanding value for a range of different cardholders.

The recipients of our 2019 Credit Card Star Ratings are listed below.

Outstanding value credit cards

Listed in the tables below are the 5-Star Rated Outstanding Value winners for each type of cardholder considered in this year’s ratings, with lenders listed in alphabetical order.

Outstanding Value – Low Rate Credit Card

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit card, available for a credit limit of $6,000 and have been available in the market for 6 months. Interest rates for products considered in this profile range from 6.64% to 24.99%.

The following credit cards with a low interest rate received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019:

 Compare Low Rate Credit Cards

Outstanding Value – Low Fee Credit Card

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit card and available for a credit limit of $6,000 and have been available in the market for 6 months. Annual fees for products considered in this profile range from no annual fee to $450 per year.

The following credit cards with low fees received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019:

 Compare Low Fee Credit Cards

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card – $12,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that provides direct access to merchandise, cash-back, gift cards, lifestyle rewards or food and beverage rewards.

The following credit cards that offer rewards points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $12,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card – $24,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that provides direct access to merchandise, cash-back, gift cards, lifestyle rewards or food and beverage rewards.

The following credit cards that offer rewards points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $24,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card – $36,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that provides direct access to merchandise, cash-back, gift cards, lifestyle rewards or food and beverage rewards.

The following credit cards that offer rewards points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $36,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card – $60,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that provides direct access to merchandise, cash-back, gift cards, lifestyle rewards or food and beverage rewards.

The following credit cards that offer rewards points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $60,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card – $120,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that provides direct access to merchandise, cash-back, gift cards, lifestyle rewards or food and beverage rewards.

The following credit cards that offer rewards points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $120,000 on their credit card a year:

Compare Rewards Credit Cards

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card – $12,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that either allows for earning frequent flyer points or rewards points that can be transferred to one or more frequent flyer programs that collectively offer flights between Sydney and the six destinations considered.

The following credit cards that offer frequent flyer points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $12,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card – $24,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that either allows for earning frequent flyer points or rewards points that can be transferred to one or more frequent flyer programs that collectively offer flights between Sydney and the six destinations considered.

The following credit cards that offer frequent flyer points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $24,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card – $36,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that either allows for earning frequent flyer points or rewards points that can be transferred to one or more frequent flyer programs that collectively offer flights between Sydney and the six destinations considered.

The following credit cards that offer frequent flyer points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $36,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card – $60,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that either allows for earning frequent flyer points or rewards points that can be transferred to one or more frequent flyer programs that collectively offer flights between Sydney and the six destinations considered.

The following credit cards that offer frequent flyer points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $60,000 on their credit card a year:

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card – $120,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer a rewards program that either allows for earning frequent flyer points or rewards points that can be transferred to one or more frequent flyer programs that collectively offer flights between Sydney and the six destinations considered.

The following credit cards that offer frequent flyer points received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019, based on a customer who spends $120,000 on their credit card a year:

 Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards

Outstanding Value – Premium Credit Card – $24,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer consumers access to benefits beyond the standard offering. To be eligible, cards must offer at least four out of seven of the following features: extended warranty cover, international travel insurance, domestic travel insurance, pricing guarantee scheme, rental vehicle excess cover, rewards, concierge.

The following credit cards that charge an annual fee but offer cardholders a range of exclusive benefits for a customer who spends $24,000 a year, received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019:

Outstanding Value – Premium Credit Card – $60,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer consumers access to benefits beyond the standard offering. To be eligible, cards must offer at least four out of seven of the following features: extended warranty cover, international travel insurance, domestic travel insurance, pricing guarantee scheme, rental vehicle excess cover, rewards, concierge.

The following credit cards that charge an annual fee but offer cardholders a range of exclusive benefits for a customer who spends $60,000 a year, received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019:

Outstanding Value – Premium Credit Card – $120,000 Annual Spend

To be considered in this profile, cards must be a personal, unsecured credit or charge card and offer consumers access to benefits beyond the standard offering. To be eligible, cards must offer at least four out of seven of the following features: extended warranty cover, international travel insurance, domestic travel insurance, pricing guarantee scheme, rental vehicle excess cover, rewards, concierge.

The following credit cards that charge an annual fee but offer cardholders a range of exclusive benefits for a customer who spends $120,000 a year, received a 5-Star Rating in April 2019:

 Compare Premium Credit Cards

For more information about how Canstar’s 2019 Credit Card Star Ratings are calculated, please view the methodology.

 View methodology