💬 Community Tips & Real Experiences

Had ANZ Black, CommBank Ultimate, and NAB Signature. ANZ Black wins for points earn (2x). CommBank Ultimate wins for app experience. NAB Signature wins for flexibility (transfer to both Qantas AND Velocity). All have no FX fees. If you only fly Qantas → ANZ. If you want options → NAB. If you already bank with CommBank → Ultimate.

I transferred $5,000 to a 0% BT card for 26 months. What they don't tell you clearly: any NEW purchases on the same card are charged at the full rate (15-20%), and payments go to the BT first. So my new purchases accumulated interest for months before I noticed. Use a BT card ONLY for the transfer — cut it up and use a different card for spending.

Lost 45,000 Amex points because I didn't know they expire after 24 months of account closure. When switching cards, TRANSFER your points to an airline program first (Qantas/Virgin) where they last longer. I learned this the expensive way — those points were worth about $225.

Everyone recommends expensive premium cards for travel. But Bankwest Zero Platinum has $0 annual fee AND $0 foreign transaction fees. I used it for 3 months in Southeast Asia and saved ~$180 in FX fees compared to my old Westpac card.

Spent 4 months travelling through Europe and paid $0 in foreign transaction fees. No annual fee either. The purchase rate is high (19.99%) so pay it off in full each month. But for pure overseas spending, nothing beats it for free.

I was paying 20.74% on my CommBank card. Switched to Qudos Bank at 9.99%. Same credit limit, way less interest. The app isn't as fancy but I save $400+/year in interest on my average balance. If you carry a balance, check credit unions first.

On a student visa with a part-time job earning $15k/year. ANZ First approved me with a $1,000 limit. No annual fee. After graduating and getting a full-time job, my limit went up to $6,000 and I was offered their Rewards card. Start small, be patient.

I arrived on a 189 visa with no Australian credit history. CommBank Neo was the only card that approved me — no income requirement. After 6 months of on-time payments, I upgraded to the Awards card. Tip: bring your overseas bank statements to the branch.

We spend about $300/week at Woolies. The Platinum card earns 3x points there. Combined with Everyday Rewards offers and the 10% off Woolworths insurance, the $99 annual fee pays for itself in about 2 months. The trick is setting it as your ONLY supermarket card.

Healthcare worker here. Bankwest Heroes Rate gives me 12.99% with no annual fee AND no FX fees. It's basically combining the best of their low-rate and zero-fee cards. Only available to healthcare, emergency services, defence, and education workers. Ask your employer for verification.

If you send money to family in China or use WeChat Pay, the BOC dual currency card bills in CNY directly — no conversion fee. My parents can also top up my CNY side from their BOC account in China. Way cheaper than TransferWise for regular small amounts.

No interest, no annual fee, just a flat monthly fee ($12 for $1000 limit). I know exactly what I pay each month. Perfect if you've had trouble with credit card debt before. The only catch: no interest-free days because there's no interest at all — the monthly fee IS the cost.