Bankwest Breeze Mastercard

• Get 0% p.a. interest on balance transfers for 24 months, with a 3% balance transfer fee (then 12.99% p.a. thereafter).
• An annual fee of $49 p.a., making it an affordable option.
• Add up to 3 additional cardholders at no extra cost.

Get one of the best balance transfer offers around – in three ways – when you apply for the Bankwest Breeze Mastercard.

1. Firstly, there is a long zero-interest balance transfer offer.
2. Secondly, unlike many cards with a balance transfer revert interest rate of around 21% p.a., the revert interest rate is the card’s low ongoing purchase interest rate, not its high cash advance rate.
3. Finally, there's a low ongoing interest rate on purchases, so you can still use your card for purchases without incurring any interest charges while the offer lasts, even though you have an unpaid balance transfer debt.

24-month period at 0% on balance transfers

You can transfer a balance from your existing card or cards, and pay no interest on the balance for a 24-month period.

This 0% balance transfer will save you heaps if you are currently paying around 20% p.a. on overdue debt on your existing card.

Low balance transfer revert rate and low ongoing purchases interest rate

Once the introductory zero-interest balance transfer and purchase offers have expired, you’ll still have a card that charges interest on purchases at the lowest end of the scale. Having a low-rate credit card in your wallet can be very useful if your finances are unpredictable. Paying a low-interest rate for a short period on your purchases balance is much more manageable than paying the 20% p.a., or more, charged by some cards.

And if you can’t quite manage to repay all of your transferred balance after the offer expires, you’ll also appreciate the fact that the revert interest rate is one of the lowest you’ll find.

But the cash advance rate is among the highest

However, since this card’s cash advance interest rate is very much at the top end of the credit card scale, Bankwest are certainly not encouraging you to take cash advances, and that’s not a bad thing. Credit card cash advances are a really dangerous way to manage your finances because there are never any interest-free days on cash advances. You’ll be slugged with high-interest charges from the day you take your advance until the day you repay it.

Up to 55 days interest-free, not 44

Once you can start taking advantage of the monthly interest-free days (after the introductory offers expire) you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll get up to 55 of them each month, not the less generous 44 days allowed by some other cards. That adds up to an extra 132 days every year for your cash to remain in your savings or mortgage offset account.

Up-to-date technology

Not only is the card enabled for Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, you can log into the Bankwest app to access and activate your card digitally before it arrives in the mail.

Low credit limits available

This card has a low minimum credit limit of $1,000, which means that you can reduce the exposure to the temptation that comes with a higher limit you may not need or want. In fact, if you’re approved for a limit of $6,000 or more, you’re likely to be steered toward the more expensive Bankwest Platinum Breeze Mastercard. So, if you just want a low limit, make your preference clear when you apply, and stick to your guns.

Moderate annual fee

The very low annual fee is reasonable for a fuss-free card which still promises a low interest rate on purchases when the introductory offers expire.

There’s no extra charge for up to three supplementary cards on the account.

Competing low-interest rate cards

It’s not too easy to find another card with this combination of a low ongoing interest rate, moderate annual fee and introductory rates on both balance transfers and purchases.

But take a look at our low-interest credit cards section. You’ll probably want to spend some time looking at The Low Rate Credit Card from American Express, the NAB Low Rate Card, and the Westpac Low Rate Credit Card, as well as other cards that have at least some of the features you need.

Look beyond the introductory interest rates

Introductory interest rates don’t last forever, so don’t let them make you overlook the card’s other features. If you need some temporary wriggle room to sort out your debts, this card will help you now, but you can be confident that its ongoing low interest rate may also prove very useful if you find yourself in a similar situation in the future.