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Canstar reveals its latest 5-Star credit cards

credit card star ratings

Unsure if you’re getting Outstanding Value from your current credit card? Canstar’s latest Credit Card Star Ratings have been revealed, and may help you narrow down your options if you’re shopping around for a card that fits your spending habits.

Australians collectively owe over $50 billion (seasonally adjusted) on their credit cards, according to RBA statistics from August 2019, with well over half of that total accruing interest. And with ongoing credit card interest rates on Canstar’s database ranging from 6.64% up to 24.99% at the time of writing (and annual fees ranging from $0 to $700), selecting the right credit card for your needs could make a big difference to your finances. 

Canstar’s Credit Card Star Ratings aim to help consumers navigate the market by identifying the cards on our database which our experts deemed to offer outstanding value across a range of factors, including interest rates, fees and features. 184 credit cards, 59 providers and 15 consumer profiles later, we can reveal the 55 credit cards that were awarded a 5-Star Rating.

Each card was rated against at least one of the five cardholder profiles considered – Low Rate, Low Fee, Premium, Rewards and Frequent Flyer. For more information on the profiles and spending levels used to assess products, read the credit card Star Ratings methodology.

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Which cards won 5-Star Ratings?

The tables below list the 5-Star Rated credit cards for each profile considered in our Star Ratings. The winners are shown in alphabetical order by provider name. 

Outstanding Value Low Rate Credit Card

This profile focuses on cards designed for consumers looking for a low interest rate and flexible repayment conditions. Cards assessed against this profile cannot have a minimum credit limit higher than $6,000. 

ProviderProduct
American ExpressLow Rate Credit Card
Auswide BankLow Rate Visa Credit Card
Bank AustraliaLow Rate Visa Credit Card
Bank of usVisa Credit Card
Bendigo BankLow Rate First Mastercard (for <25s)
Bendigo BankLow Rate Mastercard
Community First Credit UnionLow Rate Credit Card
Community First Credit UnionLow Rate Pink Credit Card
Easy Street Financial ServicesEasy Low Rate Visa
First Option BankLow Rate Visa Credit Card
G&C Mutual BankLow Rate Visa Credit Card
MOVE BankLow Rate Credit Card
Nexus MutualLow Rate Platinum Credit Card
Northern Inland Credit UnionLow Rate Visa Credit Card

Outstanding Value – Low Fee Credit Card

Cards considered as part of this profile are designed for consumers who want to avoid paying a large amount in ongoing fees, and who may be interested in a card with access to some premium card facilities. 

ProviderProduct
American ExpressLow Rate Credit Card
Bank AustraliaVisa Credit Card
Bank FirstVisa Classic Credit Card
BankVicVisa Silver
First Option BankLow Rate Visa Credit Card
Heritage BankGold Low Rate
Horizon BankVisa Credit Card
Hume BankValue Visa
INGOrange One
MEFrank Credit Card
Northern Inland Credit UnionLow Rate Visa Credit Card
QBANKBluey Card
Qudos BankLifestyle Credit Card
Teachers Mutual BankCredit Card
UniBankCredit Card

Outstanding Value – Premium Credit Card

If a consumer is looking for a card that offers benefits beyond what’s considered standard, but doesn’t necessarily require access to a rewards program, a premium card may be of interest to them. This profile is broken up into separate credit card spend amounts outlined below, based on different consumer habits, with ratings assigned for each.

$24k annual spend

ProviderProduct
ANZRewards Platinum
ANZRewards Travel Adventures Card
BankSAAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
Bank of MelbourneAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
BankwestMore Platinum Mastercard
Bendigo BankPlatinum Rewards Mastercard
BOQPlatinum Rewards Credit Card
HSBCPlatinum Credit Card
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option
St.George BankAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option

$60k annual spend

ProviderProducts
ANZRewards Platinum
ANZRewards Travel Adventures Card
BankSAAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
Bank of MelbourneAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
BankwestMore Platinum Mastercard
Bendigo BankPlatinum Rewards Mastercard
BOQPlatinum Rewards Credit Card
HSBCPlatinum Credit Card
NABRewards Platinum Card
St.George BankAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option

$120k annual spend

ProviderProduct
ANZRewards Platinum
BankSAAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
Bank of MelbourneAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option
BankwestMore Platinum Mastercard
BankwestMore World Mastercard
Bendigo BankPlatinum Rewards Mastercard
BOQPlatinum Rewards Credit Card
HSBCPlatinum Credit Card
Nexus MutualVisa Platinum Credit Card
RACQ BankPlatinum Rewards Mastercard
St.George BankAmplify Platinum – Rewards Option

Outstanding Value – Rewards Credit Card

The Rewards profile assessed cards aimed at consumers who want a return on their spending, whether it’s in the form of merchandise, cash-back, gift vouchers, or some other form of reward. This profile is broken up into separate credit card spend amounts outlined below, based on different consumer habits, with ratings assigned for each.

$12k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
American ExpressEssential Credit Card
HSBCPlatinum Credit Card
JetstarMastercard – Rewards Option
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option
Latitude Financial ServicesInfinity Rewards

$24k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
JetstarMastercard – Rewards Option
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option
Latitude Financial ServicesInfinity Rewards
Summerland Credit UnionRewards Card

$36k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
JetstarMastercard – Rewards Option
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option
Latitude Financial ServicesInfinity Rewards
Summerland Credit UnionRewards Card

$60k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Rewards
BankwestMore Platinum Mastercard
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option
Summerland Credit UnionRewards Card

$120k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Rewards
BankwestMore Platinum Mastercard
BankwestMore World Mastercard
ColesRewards Mastercard
JetstarPlatinum Mastercard – Rewards Option

Outstanding Value – Frequent Flyer Credit Card

If a consumer is looking to spend the points they’ve earned on the card to buy flights, a frequent flyer card may be worth considering for them. This profile is broken up into separate credit card spend amounts outlined below, based on different consumer habits, with ratings assigned for each.

$12k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressExplorer Credit Card
American ExpressPlatinum Edge Credit Card
American ExpressQantas Discovery Card
American ExpressVelocity Escape Card
American ExpressVelocity Platinum Card
ANZRewards Travel Adventures Card
HSBCPlatinum Qantas Credit Card

$24k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressExplorer Credit Card
American ExpressPlatinum Edge Credit Card
American ExpressVelocity Platinum Card
ANZRewards Travel Adventures Card
HSBCPlatinum Qantas Credit Card

$36k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Rewards Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressExplorer Credit Card
American ExpressPlatinum Edge Credit Card
American ExpressQantas Ultimate Card
American ExpressVelocity Platinum Card
HSBCPlatinum Qantas Credit Card

$60k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressExplorer Credit Card
American ExpressQantas Ultimate Card
American ExpressVelocity Platinum Card
Diners Club AustraliaPersonal Dual Card

$120k annual spend

ProviderProduct
American ExpressDavid Jones Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Qantas Option
American ExpressDavid Jones Platinum Card – Rewards Option
American ExpressExplorer Credit Card
American ExpressQantas Ultimate Card
American ExpressVelocity Platinum Card
Diners Club AustraliaPersonal Dual Card

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If you want to learn more about Canstar’s latest credit card Star Ratings and how they were calculated, please see our credit cards Star Ratings methodology.

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James HurwoodFormer Finance Journalist
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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.