Introductory credit card offers can help you save money, earn more points or get cash back to your account when you sign up. To kick-start your comparison, here are Finder's top picks for the most popular types of credit cards.
Get 0% p.a. interest on balance transfers for 24 months with a one-time 1.5% BT fee and a discounted $49 first-year annual fee.
0% p.a. on balance transfers for 24 months
Discounted $49 first-year annual fee
Extended warranty and purchase insurance options
Up to 4 additional cardholders at no extra cost
Charges a one-time 1.5% BT fee
Balance transfer reverts to a high 22.24% p.a. cash advance rate
$99 annual fee after the first year
No rewards program or travel insurance
Rewards program
N/A
Annual fee
$49 for the first year ($99 thereafter)
Purchase rate p.a.
14.99%
Welcome offer
0% Balance Transfer Offer & First-Year Annual Fee Discount
Interest-free period
Up to 55 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
0% for 24 months with 1.5% bt fee, then 22.24%
Bonus points
N/A
Rewards points per $ spent
N/A
Foreign currency conversion fee
3.4%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Apply through the link on Finder.
Be a new Citi Clear Credit Card customer.
Request a balance transfer for a minimum of $500, up to 80% of your approved credit limit from a non-Citi credit card, personal loan or other unsecured lending product issued in Australia.
The 0% p.a. interest rate and 1.5% balance transfer fee apply to balances transferred within 90 days from card approval, for a period of 24 months from the date the balance transfer is processed.
Remember: Any balance transfer debt that's left after the 24-month introductory period will attract the card's 22.24% p.a. standard cash advance rate.
Receive 60,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months and an additional 20,000 bonus points if you haven’t earned Qantas Points with a credit card in the last 12 months. Plus, $50 off the first year's annual fee and a balance transfer offer option. Ends on 01 May 2024.
Up to 80,000 bonus Qantas Points
Up to 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent
Balance transfer offer of 0% p.a. for 12 months
Discounted $349 first-year annual fee
The standard $399 annual fee is relatively high
You will not get interest-free days on purchases if you’re carrying a balance transfer debt
While most Australian spending earns 1 point per $1, anything over $10,000 in a statement period earns a lower rate of 0.5 points per $1
Rewards program
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Annual fee
$349 for the first year ($399 thereafter)
Purchase rate p.a.
19.99%
Welcome offer
Up to 80,000 Bonus Points
Interest-free period
Up to 55 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
0% for 12 months, then 21.99%
Bonus points
80,000
Rewards points per $ spent
1
Foreign currency conversion fee
3%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Apply by 01 May 2024.
Spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from approval to get the 60,000 bonus Qantas Points.
You can get an additional 20,000 bonus points if you haven't earned Qantas Points with a credit card in the last 12 months.
Include your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number on the application. If you're not a member, you can join for free upon application.
Offers 0% p.a. interest for the first 12 months on both purchases and balance transfers (with a 2% BT fee).
0% p.a. on purchases for 12 months, then 12.99% p.a.
0% p.a. on balance transfers for 12 months
Digital card issued upon approval
Charges a 2% balance transfer fee
Charges a 2.95% foreign transaction fee
Rewards program
N/A
Annual fee
$49
Purchase rate p.a.
12.99%
Welcome offer
0% Interest Offers
Interest-free period
Up to 55 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
0% for 12 months with 2% bt fee, then 12.99%
Bonus points
N/A
Rewards points per $ spent
N/A
Foreign currency conversion fee
2.95%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Apply during the offer period. While there is no specified date that this offer will end, it's only available for a limited time.
The 0% interest rate for purchases will apply to all purchases made in the first 12 months.
For the 0% balance transfer offer, the introductory period applies from the date the card is open regardless of when the balance transfer is processed. The 2% balance transfer fee applies to all balances transferred during the offer period.
Balance transfer a minimum of $500 up to 95% of your approved credit limit.
Save with an ongoing $0 annual fee and no international transaction fees on purchases. Plus, complimentary flight delay passes and global data roaming.
Ongoing $0 annual fee
0% foreign currency conversion fees on purchases
Free global data roaming with Flexiroam
Complimentary Flight Delay Pass
High purchase interest rate of 27.49% p.a.
Charges a payment handling fee of $1.95 for BPAY payments and $3.95 for payment at Australia Post. You can avoid the fee by using Latitude’s Online Service Centre or via direct debit.
Rewards program
N/A
Annual fee
$0
Purchase rate p.a.
27.49%
Welcome offer
0% Foreign Currency Conversion Fees
Interest-free period
Up to 55 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
N/A
Bonus points
N/A
Rewards points per $ spent
N/A
Foreign currency conversion fee
0%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Use Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard to shop or travel in a foreign currency overseas or online.
For the flight delay pass, your flight needs to be registered for each leg of your trip, with multi-leg trips requiring separate registrations.
Get 10% cashback (up to $400 total cashback) when you shop at any eligible supermarket. Plus, 6.99% p.a. on balance transfers for 12 months. Offers will end on 31 July 2024.
Up to $400 cashback offer
A low ongoing annual fee
Shopping cashbacks through ShopBack
Competitive purchase interest rate of 13.99% p.a.
Additional cardholder at no extra cost
Cashback offer could make it tempting to spend more than usual
No rewards program
Does not offer travel perks or insurance covers
Rewards program
N/A
Annual fee
$55
Purchase rate p.a.
13.99%
Welcome offer
Up to $400 Cashback Offer
Interest-free period
Up to 55 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
6.99% for 12 months, then 21.49%
Bonus points
N/A
Rewards points per $ spent
N/A
Foreign currency conversion fee
3%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Apply by 31 July 2024.
Get 10% cashback as a statement credit when you shop at major supermarkets and petrol stations for the first 6 months (capped at $400).
The statement credit will be added to your account within 30 days of each eligible spend.
Get 170,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. Offer ends on 25 June 2024.
170,000 bonus Qantas Points
No pre-set spending limit and up to 51 days cash flow
Complimentary travel insurance
2 complimentary domestic Qantas Club lounge passes per card membership year
$450 annual fee
3% foreign currency conversion fee
Rewards program
Qantas Business Rewards
Annual fee
$450
Purchase rate p.a.
N/A
Welcome offer
170,000 Bonus Qantas Points Offer
Interest-free period
Up to 51 days on purchases
Balance transfer p.a.
N/A
Bonus points
170,000
Rewards points per $ spent
1.25
Foreign currency conversion fee
3%
⭐ How to get this offer:
Be a new American Express card member. This means you can't have an Amex card in your name now, or have had one in the past 18 months.
Spend $6,000 in the first 3 months to get 170,000 bonus Qantas Points.
Provide your Qantas Business Rewards membership details. The 170,000 bonus points will be added to your account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria is met.
How to choose a credit card offer
You can get heaps of value from an introductory offer, but there are a few things to watch out for. Asking these questions before you apply can help you choose a deal that gives you the biggest bang for your buck:
When does the offer end?
Make sure you have enough time to apply, and that the offer hasn't expired already. If there's no date when the offer ends, just double-check the details before you apply.
How much time do I have to get value from this offer?
If it's a 0% interest rate offer, check how many months you'll get before a higher rate applies. For bonus points, look at how long you have to meet the spend requirement.
Can I realistically meet the requirements?
A bonus points offer won't be worth it if you can't meet the spend requirement or don't want to pay the annual fee.
For balance transfer offers, the annual fee and any balance transfer fee add to your costs and may mean you take longer to pay off the balance. So you need to consider that when looking at how many months you get interest-free.
What are the card's standard features?
Checking these features helps you avoid getting stuck with a card you don't want after the introductory period. Key features to check include:
The ongoing annual fee
The interest rate for purchases
The revert rate for balance transfers
How many points you'll earn per $1 spent
Any other perks or features you want, such as complimentary travel insurance
How can I apply for a promotional credit card offer?
Each introductory offer has some requirements you'll need to meet to be eligible. The criteria varies but usually you'll need to:
Be a new customer. Introductory offers are usually for new credit card customers. For example, American Express introductory offers are only available if you haven't had an Amex card for at least 18 months.
Apply before the offer ends. Many promotional credit card offers are only available when you apply by a specific date. And deals that don't list an end-date can change at any time.
Include the necessary details when you apply. For example, if you're applying for a balance transfer offer, you usually need to include details of the debt you want to transfer. And if you're applying for a frequent flyer sign-up bonus, you'll need to include your membership details.
Get approved for the card. To get approved, you'll need to meet the card's eligibility criteria. Each card is different but there are usually requirements around your Australian residency status, income and credit score. Banks and issuers need to consider these details to make sure they meet their responsible lending requirements.
Meet the offer requirements. To get bonus points or cash back you'll usually need to meet a spend requirement, such as $3,000 in the first 90 days.
Tip: Keep an eye out for the phrase "up to" with big bonus point offers. It usually means you'll need to meet a spend requirement when you first get the card, then keep it open for at least a year (and pay the annual fee).
What types of introductory credit card offers can I get?
0% balance transfer
If you're already paying off a card, a 0% balance transfer credit card can help by offering an introductory, interest-free period for the first 6 to 32 months. After that, a higher rate applies if you're still paying off the balance. Some of these deals also charge a one-time balance transfer fee worth around 1-2% of the debt you transfer.
0% interest on purchases
If you're planning to pay for some big-ticket items, a credit card offering 0% interest on purchases means you can buy it and pay no interest for an introductory period. Depending on the credit card deal, this could give you 3 to 20 months to pay off your purchases interest-free (but higher rates apply after that).
No annual fee or reduced first-year fee
This type of credit card promotion can save you tens or hundreds of dollars by offering a $0 or reduced annual fee in the first year. After that, the ongoing annual fee is charged – so it's kind of like "trying before you buy".
Bonus points
Rewards credit cards can offer up to 200,000 bonus points when you apply as a new cardholder. These bonus point promotions typically have a spend requirement in the first few months, and sometimes you need to keep the card at least 12 months to get all the points.
Bonus frequent flyer points
Many frequent flyer credit cards also offer bonus points on sign-up, including some that give you enough Qantas or Velocity Points to fly overseas. As well as a spending requirement, you'll need to include your frequent flyer membership details to get the bonus points.
Cashback
Cashback offers usually put money back on your new credit card or give you a gift card when you meet a spend requirement. The amount you get back can range from around $30 to $250 or more.
Other introductory offers
Sometimes, credit card companies will offer more unique deals for new cardholders. For example, gold frequent flyer status, a reduced annual fee fee for life or a mix of different introductory offers.
Introductory credit card deals are meant to be appealing but they shouldn't be the only reason you get a new credit card.
Even when a card has the biggest bonus points offer or the longest 0% introductory rate, you still need to look at the fine print and the card's ongoing features. This helps you avoid paying more than you want on a spend requirement, balance transfer fee, interest charges or annual fee.
The biggest credit card introductory offers usually don't last long, and could change every 1-3 months. But some credit card deals last for over 12 months, and others are only available through particular websites. So it varies a lot between cards.
If there's an offer you want to apply for, check the date it ends. And if no date is listed, check the details listed on the application page before you apply to make sure it's the same offer.
Focus on deals that match up with your goals. This helps you narrow down the choice of cards and get as much value as possible from the one you choose.
For instance, if you want to save money then no annual fee or a 0% interest offer makes sense. If you're dreaming of an overseas flight in business class, bonus points on a rewards or frequent flyer credit card can help you get there.
Why you can trust Finder's credit card experts
We're free
Our comparison tables are completely free to use. We link you directly to the lender's secure application page. Better still, we regularly have exclusive offers that you won't find on any other site.
We're experts
We've researched and rated hundreds of cards as part of our Finder Awards. We've published 200+ guides and our in-house experts regularly appear on Sunrise, 7News and SBS News.
We're independent
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by a bank or lender. That means our opinions are our own and you can compare nearly every credit card in Australia on Finder.
We're here to help
Since 2012, we've helped almost 6 million people find a credit card by comprehensively comparing offers. We'll never ask for your personal information. We're here to help you make a decision.
Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald.
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