The new Westpac Ignite Credit Card launches today, replacing the much loved Virgin Credit Card held by over 750,000 Australians.
Westpac is promoting the Ignite Credit Card as everything the Virgin card is, and more. But will the new Westpac card really ‘ignite’ the imaginations of all those ex-Virginites?
And if you’re an ex-Virgin customer, should you stick with the Ignite Credit Card or look around for a better deal?
You can see how Ignite stacks up against the rest of the market with our quick Compare Credit Cards tool. Just select Westpac as your lender and Ignite as your card.
Or read on for the Mozo low down on whether Ignite is a dud or a deal.
Westpac Ignite Credit Card Pros:
- Still promises no annual fee… ever (great to see they’ve kept this promise)
- Still has a low interest rate of 12.99% (but beware the cash advance rate is 17.74%)
- Still up to 55 interest free days on purchases
- Added chip security to protect your card against fraud
- No changes to your credit card number or payment method
Westpac Ignite Credit Card Cons:
- No more funky card colours: just one boring red card design. We can’t help thinking they’ve missed a trick here – how many cardholders would have stayed with Westpac just to keep their purple, pink or black plastic?
- No more funky Virgin brand: the cheeky cut off corner is gone and the Ignite Credit Card looks pretty much the same as any other card. Solid. Respectable. Not exactly the sort of brand that will appeal to many Virgin customers.
- No more Mates Rates rewards: Westpac has promised it’s own ‘Instant Offers’ program but details are sketchy.
The good news is that if you’re after a combo of low rate, no annual fee and interest free days, the Westpac Ignite Credit Card is definitely one of the best deals around. But you can do better with the mecu Visa credit card which offers a purchase rate of 11.99%, no annual fee and 55 interest free days.
If you’re paying interest on your credit card balance, then you’re likely better off switching to a card with a lower interest rate and a low annual fee. The BankWest Lite card offers 0% on balance transfers for 8 months and a low ongoing rate of 10.99%, with a $59 annual fee. This card also has an ‘Instant Discounts’ rewards scheme.
Alternatively the Aussie MasterCard offers a 12 month introductory rate of 9.99% on purchases and 5.99% on balance transfers. The ongoing interest rate is 11.74% and the annual fee is a respectable $49.
And finally, if you’re all about great looks over cost, then check out the NAB Low Rate Visa in silver or pink and the cute little NAB Visa Mini in a choice of 5 colours.
Compare credit cards now with Mozo.
