Australian credit card statistics
Figures for the 251 Australian credit cards we compare, across 71 issuers and 52 card types. Every number is calculated from our own card data.
These figures cover the cards listed on Credit Card Compare, not the whole Australian market, and change as product data changes. They are general comparisons, not product ratings.
Market spread
The band is the middle half of cards (25th to 75th percentile); the line is the median. A wide band means cards vary a lot, a tight one means they cluster.
Balance transfer
90 cards carry an offer, split by network. American Express and UnionPay run none.
| Metric | All | Visa | Mastercard | American Express | UnionPay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cards with an offer | 90 | 57 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Cards with a 0% rate | 68 | 38 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Cards with no transfer fee | 44 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Median 0% period | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | — | — |
| Median transfer fee | 1.0% | 0.0% | 3.0% | — | — |
| Median revert rate | 21.36% p.a. | 19.99% p.a. | 21.99% p.a. | — | — |
A single median hides the split: Visa balance transfer offers have a 0.0% median transfer fee, Mastercard 3.0%. Figures, not recommendations.
- Longest 0% period
- 36 months(MyCard Clear - Balance Transfer Offer)
- Lowest revert rate
- 8.99% p.a.(3 cards →)
- Lowest transfer fee
- 0.0%(44 cards →)
Low rate and low cost
Cards that keep ongoing costs down: low purchase rates, no annual fee, and no fee on overseas spend.
- Low rate cards
- 116
- Median rate among low rate cards
- 12.99% p.a.
- Cards with no annual fee
- 50
- Cards with no foreign transaction fee
- 29
- Lowest rate among low rate cards
- 6.96% p.a.(Greater Bank Business Visa Credit Card)
Networks and card types
How the cards split across payment networks, product types and who they are for.
- Visa
- 152
- Mastercard
- 78
- American Express
- 20
- UnionPay
- 1
- Credit cards
- 232
- Charge cards
- 16
- Monthly-fee cards
- 3
- Personal cards
- 200
- Business and corporate cards
- 51
Rates and fees
Across all 251 cards, then split by payment network.
| Metric | All | Visa | Mastercard | American Express | UnionPay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual fee | $70 | $55 | $99 | $249 | $60 |
| Median cash advance rate | 21.74% p.a. | 19.99% p.a. | 21.99% p.a. | 23.99% p.a. | 21.74% p.a. |
| Median foreign transaction fee | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Median interest-free days | 55 days | 55 days | 45 days | 51 days | 50 days |
| Median purchase rate | 18.99% p.a. | 13.99% p.a. | 20.74% p.a. | 23.99% p.a. | 19.99% p.a. |
Medians use the cards that have the figure: purchase and cash advance rates exclude charge cards. Figures, not recommendations.
- Highest annual fee
- $1,750(American Express Platinum Business Card)
- Highest purchase rate
- 28.99% p.a.(3 cards →)
- Lowest purchase rate
- 6.96% p.a.(Greater Bank Business Visa Credit Card)
- Most interest-free days
- 110 days(humm90 Platinum Mastercard)
Rewards
126 cards earn rewards across 26 programs. Cross-program figures are shown in dollar value, since points are worth different amounts by program.
- Cards earning rewards
- 126
- Distinct rewards programs
- 26
- Median sign-up bonus value
- $1,000
Values use conservative per-point estimates so programs are comparable.
| Metric | Qantas | Velocity |
|---|---|---|
| Cards earning the points | 36 | 7 |
| Highest earn rate | 1.5 pts per $1 | 1.25 pts per $1 |
| Median sign-up bonus | 100,000 pts | 100,000 pts |
| Largest sign-up bonus | 150,000 pts | 150,000 pts |
Within-program points, directly comparable. Qantas and Velocity are the two largest programs by card count.
- Highest rewards value per $1
- 2.5c per $1(Bank of China Global UnionPay Card)
- Largest sign-up bonus value
- $3,500(3 cards →)
- Biggest frequent flyer bonus
- 150,000 pts(10 cards →)
Rewards figures are value-adjusted using conservative per-point values, since points are worth different amounts by program. Last updated August 2026. See our data accuracy page for how we keep the data current. To cite these figures, link to this page and note the month above.