Westpac Altitude Platinum Credit Card

• Earn Altitude points on purchases
• 3 Altitude points per $1 spent on your Altitude Platinum American Express ® Card
• 1 Altitude point per $1 spent on your Altitude Platinum Visa ® Card or Altitude Platinum MasterCard ®
• Two credit cards linked to one account - with one monthly statement and one credit limit
• Money magazine Award Winner - Altitude Platinum American Express ® Card
• No points capping or expiry while you remain an Altitude cardholder
• Receive 15,000 bonus Altitude points when you first use either of your cards
• Extended complimentary insurance covers in accordance with the policy
• Overseas Travel Insurance cover for trips of up to 6 months
• Purchase Security Insurance for 4 months
• Extended Warranty Insurance cover for up to 2 years
• Low balance transfer rate for up to 6 months
• For a fast and convenient payment option for everyday purchases of under $100, simply hold your MasterCard ® or Visa ® Card against the contactless terminal wherever you see your card’s logo and the contactless symbol - no need to enter a PIN or sign
• Up to 45 days interest free on credit purchases applies, as long as the closing balance (including any balance transfer amounts or any other promotional amount) is paid in full by the statement due date each month
• Altitude Platinum Concierge service - available 24/7 worldwide for help with obtaining tickets, hotel bookings, car hire, concert tickets and more
• Get extra security when you shop at participating online retailers by registering with MasterCard ® SecureCode™, or Verified by Visa ®, through Westpac Added Online Security service
• Paperless eStatements available.
• Read the terms and conditions

How does the Westpac Altitude Platinum Credit Card compare for rates and fees against an average credit card? Based on the data from our website this credit card comparison scorecard shows:

		Purchase Rate	Cash Adv Rate	Annual Fee	Bal. Transfer Rate	Bal. Transfer Rate Period
	Westpac Altitude Platinum Credit Card	19.99%	21.59%	$295	3.99%	6 months
	The Average Credit Card	17.17%	21.04%	$95	3.04%	7 months

You can transfer from:



• ANZ
• Aussie
• Bank of Melbourne
• Bank of Queensland
• Bank SA
• Bankwest
• Citibank
• Coles
• Commonwealth Bank
• HSBC
• NAB
• St.George
• Suncorp
• Virgin
• Woolworths

You cannot transfer from:



• Westpac

Winner of Money Magazine’s ‘Best Bank Reward’s Program’ credit card for 2010, and rated 5 stars by Cannex, the Westpac Altitude Platinum credit card is a serious contender for any serious traveller. This card is designed for big spenders who want to get the most from their credit card. You can earn up to 3 Altitude points for every $1 spent and they can be redeemed for anything from flights to gift-cads and shopping. There is even the option to top up your points with cash to get the rewards you want, quicker. It also comes with a plethora of complimentary insurance coverage and a world class platinum concierge service. If you earn $65,000 or more, and regularly use your credit card then read on for our full review.

Pros

The Westpac Altitude Platinum account comes with two credit cards – Visa and an American Express, both of which are managed under one master account. Earning Altitude points is quick and easy because of the dual cards. The Visa card offers 1 point for every $1 spent. However, you can treble that by using the American Express card that offers an impressive 3 Altitude points for every $1 spent – it’s only a matter of time before you’re jet setting, courtesy of Westpac. Westpac offer all new cardholders 15,000 points on any first purchase.

Westpac’s Altitude Rewards program is ultra flexible and doesn’t tie you down to a certain carrier. You can redeem points with the Velocity Rewards program as well as Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich program, and Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer rewards program.

Not only does the Altitude Platinum credit card reward you for spending, but it also comes with a range of complimentary insurance including free comprehensive overseas travel insurance cover for trips lasting up to 6 months, which not only protects the cardholder but immediate family members too. The card also comes with free rental vehicle insurance excess cover and complimentary purchase security insurance cover, which offers up to 4 months protection for loss, theft of accidental damage on new items purchased using the card. Westpac also offer cardholders a free extended warranty insurance policy that adds a whopping 24 month extension period on top of the manufacturer’s standard warranty.

Owning a Westpac Platinum Altitude credit card not only means you get access to rewards and insurance discounts, but it also allows you take advantage of Westpac’s first class concierge service – a 24//7 operation, providing worldwide help for anything from booking holidays to finding concert tickets.

Lastly, the account is protected by CardShield, which combines CHP technology, 24/7 Falcon fraud protection and an online transaction guarantee to give you total peace of mind. You can also register the Visa card with ‘Verified’ to add a further layer of protection against online security fraud.

Cons

There is no introductory interest free balance transfer rate, instead Westpac charge a fairly lacklustre 3.99% p.a. on transfers for the first 6 months. Similarly, if you are after a cheap introductory purchase rate, then you’ll be disappointed as the Altitude Platinum account charges a fixed rate of 19.99% p.a. on all purchases. As with other platinum level rewards program cards, the annual fee is higher, in this case coming in at $295 p.a. This fee will offset the value of the points earned, so it may not actually be all that rewarding unless you use the card to spend with regularly. There is, however, a 45 day interest free period.

Conclusion

The Westpac Altitude Platinum credit card is best suited for those of you who spend a lot and regularly, otherwise the $295 p.a. annual management fee wouldn’t be justifiable. Besides that, with a fantastic range of insurance and a world-class rewards scheme, the Westpac Altitude Platinum account does pack a very rewarding punch.