Visa Platinum benefits

While all Visa credit cards include features such as global acceptance and support for lost or stolen cards, Visa Platinum cards offer you even more premium perks and benefits. A Visa Platinum card could give you more points per $1 spent, access to pre-sale ticket offers or even hotel upgrades (among other things).

Platinum cards also usually have higher annual fees than regular cards, which means it's important to make sure you get enough value from the perks to justify the costs.

What benefits can I get with a Visa Platinum credit card?

The perks you'll get typically depend on the bank or issuer and the platinum credit card you choose. But some of the benefits specific to Visa Platinum cards include:

• 24/7 concierge services. Access the Visa Concierge Service with a phone call or email at any time of day (or night) to get help booking restaurants, flights or concert tickets. Sometimes, the concierge can even get you special discounts or upgrades on the booking. A credit card concierge can also help with other requests, such as planning events, buying flowers for someone, or sourcing other gifts and items on your must-have list.
• Visa Offers + Perks. All Visa cards have access to Visa Offers + Perks, but some are exclusively available for Platinum and other premium Visa credit cards. Offers vary but could include premium golf perks, car rental upgrades, online shopping discounts or complimentary gifts.
• Visa Luxury Hotel Collection. Use your Australian-issued Visa Platinum card to book accommodation through visaluxuryhotels.com and get access to exclusive benefits including a best-rate guarantee. Other perks vary by hotel and availability, but could include complimentary room upgrades, complimentary Wi-Fi in your room, and food or beverage credit.
• Pre-sale tickets. Get access to exclusive ticket offers for music tours, festivals and live shows, with partners including Ticketek.
• Global Customer Assistance. Whether you’re at home or out trotting the globe, Global Customer Assistance provides 24/7 support in case you lose your card and need a card replacement or emergency cash.

Other platinum credit card perks

As well as perks available directly through Visa, some of the other perks you'll find on platinum credit cards include:

• More rewards potential. Platinum rewards and frequent flyer credit cards have bigger bonus points offers and earn more points per $1 compared to their basic counterparts.
• Airport lounge access. Some platinum Visa credit cards offer complimentary airport lounge invitations or global lounge access through Qantas, Virgin Australia or a lounge partner such as Priority Pass or LoungeKey.
• Complimentary travel insurance. This ranges from comprehensive cover for overseas trips to interstate flight or hotel cover, transit accident insurance and car rental excess insurance.
• Complimentary purchase insurance. Purchase cover can include purchase protection insurance against loss, theft or accidental damage, smartphone insurance, extended warranty cover and price guarantee schemes for eligible items you buy with your card.

Finder survey: How often do Australians use their credit card when travelling overseas?

What else do I need to think about when looking at Visa Platinum credit cards?

The benefits, rewards and privileges you can get with a Visa Platinum card are only really worth it if they offer you more value than what you pay for the card. So, make sure you also look at the following features:

• Rewards. If you're looking at rewards cards, think about what type of points you'll earn and the ways you can redeem them to decide whether you'll get value out of the program.
• Interest rates. Platinum cards generally charge higher interest rates than regular cards. So, if you don't pay off your balance by the due date on each statement, these costs could quickly add up.
• Annual fee. This is also usually higher among premium cards, which means the perks will only be worth it if you think you will realistically use them every 12 months.
• Credit limit. Platinum cards may have higher minimum credit limits than standard cards. So ask yourself whether a higher limit would be useful, or whether it could tempt you to overspend.
• Eligibility criteria. A platinum credit card may require a higher minimum income than regular cards, although not all providers list these details as part of the application requirements.