Visa Debit Card – Compare Visa Debit Cards

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A VISA Debit Card allows you to spend your own money, not the banks, giving you the convenience of a credit card, with out the risk of getting in to debt.

What is a VISA Debit Card?



The VISA Debit Card is a type of card that gives you an alternate payment method to cash, when spending your own money. When you make a purchase using debit cards, the funds are withdrawn directly from your savings bank account or from the remaining balance that is on the card.

Check out some of the leading Visa Debit Cards in the Australian market.

VISA Debit Card Comparison

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Savings Account Description Monthly Account Fee Debit Card Access ATM Withdrawal Fee Interest Rate p.a. Details
Citibank Plus Transaction Account
Citibank Plus Transaction Account
Enjoy international money transfers from Australia to any account, anywhere in the world. No monthly fees, no ATM fees. $0 Yes, Visa $0 0.00% No ATM fees using Citibank, Westpac, BankSA and St .George branded ATMs OPEN
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NAB Classic Banking
NAB Classic Banking
No monthly account fees ever and get a NAB Visa Debit card with payWave at no extra cost. No ATM fees at one of Australia’s largest ATM networks. $0 Yes, Visa $0 0.01% No minimum deposits required to get $0 monthly service fee. OPEN
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St.George Complete Freedom Account
St.George Complete Freedom Account
No account keeping fees, if you deposit $2,000 per month plus no minimum balance required. $5 Yes, Visa $0 0.00% No ATM fees when using St.George / Westpac / BankSA ATMs OPEN
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HSBC Day to Day Transaction Account
HSBC Day to Day Transaction Account
Deposit at least $5,000 and receive $20 per month, up to a total of $100. Plus enjoy no monthly account keeping fees, unlimited ATM withdrawals and EFTPOS transactions. $0 Yes, Visa $0 0.75% No ATM fees using HSBC, Westpac, St.George, Bank of Melbourne and Bank SA ATMs OPEN
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ING DIRECT Orange Everyday Account
ING DIRECT Orange Everyday Account
No monthly fee, plus a feature to waive ATM fees when you get $200 or more cash out on EFTPOS. $0 Yes, Visa $0 0.00% Withdrawal amount needs to be $200 or more to waive ATM fees OPEN
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ANZ Access Advantage
ANZ Access Advantage
Open ANZ Access Advantage everyday account and enjoy unlimited transactions using ANZ ATMs, ANZ Phone & Internet Banking, plus branch, cheque and EFTPOS . $5 Yes, Visa $0 0.00% No fee when using ANZ ATMs. Unlimited everyday ANZ transactions for $5 a month OPEN
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St.George SENSE
St.George SENSE
An incredible transaction account with a high interest rate! $5 Yes, Visa $0 3.35% No fee when using St.George / BankSA / Bank of Melbourne / Westpac ATMs (in Australia) OPEN
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How the Visa Debit Card has evolved over the years

A Visa debit card is very similar to a Visa credit card because they both operate on the credit card system. This means that merchants accepting credit cards will also accept debit cards for payments. The debit card is directly linked to a transaction account that the cardholder has at a bank or financial institution. It looks just like a credit card, but it uses cash that the cardholder has in his bank account. There is no credit given on a debit card, which means that there is no credit history check. This makes the Visa debit card accessible to almost anybody.

The Visa history is very interesting. Visa has recently converted over from a co-operative of all the Visa card issuers to a profit-making company. It now has shares which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

VISA had its start in California. It was introduced by the Bank of America that had watched the ideas set forth by American Express and Diners Club become popular. They expanded on the Diners Club card and began to offer their own card to customers that wanted to shop using credit at shops, and have all this credit consolidated in one account.

The launch was held in Fresno California even though the Bank of America was based in San Francisco. The Bank of America had a large customer base in Fresno, and they decided to mass mail out their cards to this customer base. The mass mailing was based on a preset credit limit, so only the customers that met the standards were mailed a card. This was the first time that a mass mailing was done like this, and since then there have been many more.

The Bank of America also wanted to make sure that word would not spread if the launch was a failure. Fresno is more isolated from the rest of California than any other major city, so it was a good choice. Needless to say, this launch was far from being a failure.

The Visa debit card was introduced to the public in the 1980s. Since then it has become part of the Australian lifestyle. It is a good option if you don’t want, or can’t get, a Visa credit card.

This is a Visa history summary of the Visa debit card and its beginnings. This card has a strong history, and an even bigger future.

Where can you use a VISA Debit Card?

Visa does not operate its own transaction account, so any debit cards offered by Visa must be linked to a bank account or an account with another financial institution that offers a Visa debit card. Visa is a payment processor, and it works on behalf of these financial institutions on a worldwide basis. The Visa debit card is operated by the bank that is offering them.

A VISA Debit Card gives you the convenience of a credit card, allowing you to pay your bills over the phone, go shopping online when you’re on the internet, or make a purchase over the counter in an EFTPOS machine. The other major benefit of a VISA Debit Card is you are able to use your card overseas to make purchases, anywhere a VISA card is accepted (over 29 million locations worldwide!). You can also use your card in an ATM machine to make a cash withdrawal from one of over 1 million ATM machines world-wide that accept VISA cards.

Using your VISA Debit Card

You can use your VISA Debit Card everyday, like you would any credit card or EFTPOS card. When paying for a transaction, simply press the “credit” button on the EFTPOS machine, and the money comes straight from your own bank account. When you press “credit”, it doesn’t mean you’re paying by credit, but it does ensure you will be protect by VISA’s Zero Liability policy which protects you against unauthorised transactions. You have the choice of using either a PIN Number or signature when authorising the card purchase.

Benefits of VISA Debit Cards

  • The primary benefit of a VISA Debit Card is being able to reduce the risk of getting in to credit card debt, by ensuring you’re spending your own money, and not over-extending yourself by getting a credit card balance you may not be able to repay.
  • Any purchase that you make on your card is covered and protected by VISA’s Zero Liability policy
  • It’s a lot more convenient, easier and safer than carrying cash or using your EFTPOS card.
  • Access your transaction records for your card online instantly through internet banking.
  • You don’t need a good credit history. When applying for a VISA Debit Card, the banks don’t do a credit check, making the application process fast (and painless!).

How to apply for a VISA Debit Card

To make it easier when choosing a VISA Debit Card, we have included a comparison of Australian VISA Debit Cards below. Compare each cards details, monthly account keeping fee, and annual fee. Once you’ve selected the card you would like to apply for, click the “Apply” button to begin the online application. It’s as easy as that!


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8 Responses to Visa Debit Card – Compare Visa Debit Cards

  1. Default Gravatar
    Greg Rosati | December 30, 2011

    I need a Visa debit Card for use in Zimbabwe as soon as possible – who and how can I make this happen ? My wife who is visiting her ill father there at the moment has Mastercard which are not widely accepted.

    • Staff
      Jacob | April 10, 2013

      Hi Greg. Sorry about the delay getting back to you. I’m not sure if this answer is still relevant; however, the quickest way to get a Visa debit card is to see a representative in branch. Jacob.

  2. Default Gravatar
    Margaret Savage | January 26, 2013

    Can I make purchases of over A$1000 online with my Visa Debit Card?

    • Staff
      Jacob | January 29, 2013

      Hi Margaret. Thanks for your question. A Visa Debt Card uses your own money for online transactions, the amount you can spend is limited by the amount of cash you have in your account. Cheers.

  3. Default Gravatar
    Ansari | April 1, 2013

    Can I use my visa debit card online where the site shows ‘ pay only by credit card ‘ ?

    • Staff
      Jeremy Cabral | April 1, 2013

      Hi Ansari

      Thanks for your question

      It is possible to use a Visa Debit Card wherever Visa is accepted online, even when it say “pay only by credit card’ so long as they accept Visa, which most online payment facilities do.

      I hope this was helpful for you

      Cheers,
      Jeremy

  4. Default Gravatar
    Jenna | May 13, 2013

    Hi there,

    I am interested in using a $200 Visa Debit Card as a giveaway in a competition. Are there any restrictions or information that I would need to include in my competition terms and conditions?

    • Staff
      Jacob | May 13, 2013

      Hi Jenna. It depends on how you hose the competition. For instance, Facebook imposes restrictions on some give-aways etc. How did you plan to do this. Our understanding is that once you have purchased the card, you’re free to use it in whatever legal means you wish. Jacob.

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Credit Cards Comparison

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Interest rate (p.a.) Balance transfer rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash advance rate (p.a.)
ANZ Low Rate
ANZ Low Rate
A low rate on purchases, balance transfer and a low annual fee. 13.14% p.a. 0% p.a. for 9 months $58 p.a. 21.49% p.a. Apply Now For The ANZ Low Rate
Read More About The ANZ Low Rate
HSBC Credit Card
HSBC Credit Card
No annual fee for the life of the credit card. Plus a low balance transfer offer. 17.99% p.a. 0% p.a. for 6 months $0 p.a. 21.99% p.a. Apply Now For The HSBC Credit Card
Read More About The HSBC Credit Card
Bankwest Zero Platinum MasterCard
Bankwest Zero Platinum MasterCard
Exclusive Offer to Credit Card Finder. No annual fee credit card with platinum benefits. 17.99% p.a. 0% p.a. for 9 months $0 p.a. 21.99% p.a. Apply Now For The Bankwest Zero Platinum MasterCard
Read More About The Bankwest Zero Platinum MasterCard
Commonwealth Bank Low Rate Credit Card
Commonwealth Bank Low Rate Credit Card
A low interest rate offer on purchases and balance transfers. 0% p.a. for 5 months (reverts to 12.99% p.a.) 5.99% p.a. for 5 months $78 p.a. ($48 for qualifying customers) 21.24% p.a. Apply Now For The Commonwealth Bank Low Rate Credit Card
Read More About The Commonwealth Bank Low Rate Credit Card
ANZ Platinum Credit Card
ANZ Platinum Credit Card
No annual fee for the first year and a balance transfer offer. 19.39% p.a. 0% p.a. for 9 months $0 p.a. annual fee for the first year ($87 p.a. thereafter) 20.99% p.a. Apply Now For The ANZ Platinum Credit Card
Read More About The ANZ Platinum Credit Card

* The credit card offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of credit cards CreditCardFinder.com.au has access to track details from and is not representative of all the products available in the market. Products are displayed in no particular order or ranking. The use of terms 'Best' and 'Top' are not product ratings and are subject to our disclaimer. You should consider seeking independent financial advice and consider your own personal financial circumstances when comparing cards.