• long running

Bendigo Bank - Ready Credit Card - $0 Annual Fee, 0% International Fee, Travel Insurance

1982

Bendigo Bank Ready Credit Card

This is a repost from the original deal here:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/742184/

Remember OzBargain has their Wiki here for all cards similar to Bendigo Bank's Ready Credit Card.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/cards_with_no_overseas_tra…

This card could be good for people looking to go on overseas holidays over the xmas/ new year period and beyond.
It has some advantages other cards don't have like a lower minimum credit limit, joint accounts and travel insurance.

Joint Accounts Available

Bendigo Bank support joint credit card holders.
Joint account means the credit facility is opened under two peoples names. Not many banks offer this on credit cards.
https://www.finder.com.au/joint-account-credit-cards

Other features

  • Uses the Mastercard Exchange Rate (https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/personal/get-support/convert…)
  • 0% International Fee
  • $0 Yearly Fee
  • Joint accounts available (you apparently need to go into a branch to set this up)
  • $0 Additional Card Holder Fee
  • 90 Days Travel Insurance (inc cancellation cover)
  • Extended Warranty on purchases
  • Purchase Protection on purchases
  • $3000 minimum credit limit

Bendigo Bank is also considered an 'ethical bank' with no investments in fossil fuel's according to Market Force:
https://www.marketforces.org.au/info/compare-bank-table/

Enjoy.

Related Stores

Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank
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Comments

          • @Poor Ass: I'd value the travel insurance over the 2hrs delay lounge passes

            • @legelas: don't forget price protection and merchandise protection if you got it

              longue pass is a perk but yes you should always have travel insurance

  • +1

    Can anyone comment on the application process please?

    • Pretty straight forward when I applied two months ago. Only issue I had was my application was too long, so wasn't able to log in. A quick call sorted out that issue.

  • so this or wise?

  • Okay, I've never had a credit card - I'm looking to travel in May. The travel insurance could be useful for me.

    Is this essentially a no cost card? In that if the balance is at $0.00 you don't have any fees at all? Is there anything I should be aware of when owning a credit card?*

    Edit: *besides paying off the balance before accruing interest.

    • +5

      Yes there is no cost as long as you pay off your balance at the end of each statement period. Nothing you need to be aware of except for the fact it is easier to buy something with a credit card as you don't have to think about whether you have the money in your acct or have to transfer money across etc.

      If you aren't financially mature/sensible you can definitely end up spending more than you would have before having the CC

      • Awesome, thanks for that! I wasn't sure if there were other monthly fees or rates that aren't clearly listed.

  • What do people use for withdrawing cash from foreign ATMs?

    • -3

      you don't

      • +3

        You definitely do.

        • well try to avoid it

          • +3

            @Poor Ass: It's my primary method to get cash if you're at a destination that needs cash, beats money changer every time.

            • -2

              @lawyerz: negative

              if you know a reputable money exchange at the country it usually has better rates

              but if you use your card it's no fuss no fake money and more convenient

              I guess what I mean is there is no one method that wins everytime

              • @Poor Ass: Hmm. This is all good and well but how in the world would you know a reputable money exchange when travelling? Trustpilot reviews??

                • @Naigrabzo: can be hard but those that get a lot of positive mentions wouldn't be too bad

                  but if you were in a dodgy country I'll try to avoid

                  • @Poor Ass: yeah this is my problem. If I am in dodgy country I can't trust neither ATMs nor money exchange… HAHA.

                    • @Naigrabzo: lol maybe walk into a reputable bank that looks legit haha

                      or take cash over and get robbed by corrupt customs / cops

                      • @Poor Ass: I know right. Corrupt customs are so scary. Had one in Cambodia who wanted USD and kept me in the queue for a long time for no reason.

                        • @Naigrabzo: ya that's where all the murderers go to hide

                          what was the going rate USD for customs now?

                          • @Poor Ass: So he wanted me to pay and put it in the passport and hand it to him.

                            Honestly I only had 5 bux in my wallet (Ozbargainers should only have velcro wallets). So I gave him that. He wanted more but I didn't have. He eventually let me go.

                            He was very surrepticious though.

                            I think I was very naive throughout the whole situation. I was a bit shaken afterwards.

                            • @Naigrabzo: Just makes us feel how good we got it here

                              • @Poor Ass: AGREE! Every time I return home, I am so F#$%^ happy.

                                Some of my travels are just to illustrate to kids (and my self) how good we have it here.

    • +2

      UP card. Signed up, card in my apple wallet and transferred money across in less than 10 minutes.
      https://up.com.au/features/cards/

      • what's UP card? ;)

    • ING or ubank.

    • +1

      ING, Up card, Ubank, Citibank - in that order

      • +1

        Ubank:
        Using your card overseas or online
        Card purchases and ATM cash withdrawals

        Free
        Some ATM operators may charge a fee

        1) Do they charge fee for currency conversion or just convert at commissioned rate?
        2) Would this mean main/local banks are the free ATMs and just third-party ATM charge fee?

        • 1) they just convert at whatever the current rate is - whenever I checked, its better than money changers and far more convenient.
          2) depends on the bank - some banks charge an ATM fee for any other card other than their own card, just like Australia did not too long ago. Some don't.

          ING - if you meet their increasingly annoying requirement the month prior, gives you 5 fee-free ATM withdrawal, they rebate you any 3rd party atm fees.

      • Curious to know why you have left the Macquarie Bank Platinum Debit card out? I thought that was a good option as well? $0 FX fees, $0 ATM Fees, including International (albeit Operator fees are not covered, same for ING) ?

    • depends on the country. Check the fx rate at local fx changes and mastercard/visa fx rate.

    • +2

      It's a little complicated. Lots of cards (see those recommended elsewhere in the comments) are pretty good, e.g. UP, Wise, Maquarie (what I use), all have small pros and cons, all have no foreign ATM fees (as charged by the card itself) and use the visa/mastercard rate (as good as you'll get).

      Some ATMs in some countries will charge an additional fee, which is hard to avoid (I think some cards e.g. 28 degrees might offer to reimburse for these fees but IDK I've never tried). The last places I travelled are Indonesia (no fees for any of the ATMs I used) the US (no fees), Mexico (no fees), and the Phillipines (every ATM charged a flat fee so the play was to find the ATMs with the biggest withdrawal limit). All of that comes down to the bank you withdraw from so it's subject to change.

      I strongly disagree with the commenter recomending money changers. Maybe there are some countries where this is true but in general they charge a much worse spread than mastercard/visa.

      • You mentioned you use the Maquarie card. I have recently got one and plan to use it in the US to draw cash. Can you tell me which US ATMs had no fee?

        • Hi stingygeek. So I tried to look into it, and am now worried that I might have misremembered the US experience. In retrospect I believe there were fees (something like a few dollars), but I was able to withdraw large amounts (e.g. 1K US) which made the fee a small percentage.

          In terms of what ATMs to focus on in general, I previously had a citi card and found this resource very handy. I'm not sure whether other cards (e.g. Maquarie) are exactly the same in terms of ATM fees as citi was but it wouldn't surprise me if ATMs had a consistent 'foreign card fee' which is the same for every card, in which case this info might actually generalise decently. https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/citibank_plus_transaction_acco…

    • Yes with debit card. Big no no with credit card :)

  • @E5TOQUE do you know until this offer it's valid? Or it's unknown? I mostly likely will travel next year so this deal looks very good.
    And thanks for posting. 👍

    • Its been out for about a year. I am guessing this credit card is a product Bendigo Bank will be keeping around for a while yet.

  • Which is better? This or the Bankwest Mastercard Zero Platinum card? They seem to offer the same thing…?

    • I would like to know this too (have been using Bankwest zero platinum for few years and can't recommend that enough.) Although the insurance isn't the best (i.e. NAB credit card insurance is much better than Bankwest one)

      • +1

        From what I could glean from another poster:

        Pros

        • 90 days travel insurance (vs. 31)
        • $3000 minimum limit (vs. $6000)
        • Extended Warranty on purchases
        • Purchase Protection on purchases

        Cons
        - Minimum $500 spend on travel expenses to activate travel insurance

        I don't know if that's worth the hassle of opening/closing a new card though.

      • but NAB credit cards mostly have international fees now and $500 to activate for international insurance coverage

        • Anz only $250. I have the rewards one which is about $70 a year (which I mostly earn in points).

  • We recently applied and used this card for our Japan Trip last month. Great card for the added free insurance. We only prepaid one of our hotels via Agoda to activate the insurance early on.

    Only gripe is the app lacks basics features like in and out transaction notifications.

    For atm cash withdrawals, we use our ING card.

    • Does it tell you if insurance is activated, or do you have to keep track yourself?

      • Nah as soon as you spend at least 500 towards the trip, the insurance is implied.

  • +11

    My Ozbargain travel tips:

    • Use AMEX for booking and their Travel Insurance (tends to be the best).
    • Use a Mastercard/Visa Credit Card with no FX fees. Even better if your no FX card (1) earns points, and (2) has a sign on bonus. The Commbank Ultimate Awards and Bankwest Zero Cards come to mind. Use this for all purchases overseas. You might meet enough minimum spend for a few thousand FF points towards your next holiday!
    • Use a debit/travel card with no FX withdrawal fees for cash. You can either use a card which you can pre-convert currency (Wise, HSBC, Revolut etc) or just convert on the fly with other cards (Ubank, UP, etc). Up to you to predict on the exchange rate.
    • I have AMEX but their eligibility requirement kills the benefits of the travel insurance. NAB has similar insurance but eligibility criteria is much better (plus much less annual fees).

      My quick recommendations:

      1) NAB signature card for insurance
      2) Bankwest zero platinum for credit card transactions
      3) ING for cash withdrawals + any debit card requirements

      • Check Anz, I think they are the best.

        • ANZ and NAB has same insurance I believe. But who wants to deal with ANZ credit card application? No thanks for that experience.. lol. If you have an ANZ credit card, good on you..

          • @npnp: I didn’t know it was hard to get a credit card with them. It has been very easy for us.

    • What's FX?

      • +1

        Foreign Exchange (currency conversion)

    • Thanks for the tip!

      Interested in Commbank Ultimate Awards but noticed its only fee free if spend at least 4k per month.. big requirement, otherwise have to cop $35 fee pm which is quite steep..

      Bankwest Zero does not have reward points, does it?

      Atm im using 28D and Wise/Revolut..

  • +6

    Is this really a deal considering Bankwest Zero Platinum offers the same thing, it's more an everyday price rather than a deal or hack.
    The other benefit is they run on WA time so you have more time to contact them in the afternoon

  • Useful deal

  • Are there any cards out there that also have $0 Annual Fee, 0% International Fee and Travel Insurance?

    • See the Ozbargain wiki thats linked in the original post.

  • +1

    I already use the Bankwest card, but more options & competition is always a good thing !

  • does anyone know if this uses the same no fee exchange rate as 28 degree, Coles mastercard, UP or could there be different rates for the same amount?

    • Uses the Mastercard rate.

      Same as UP, Bankwest, 28 Degrees, etc.

  • is there a website or page that compares all the travel insurance cc's?

    • This 500$ spend
      Anz 250$

  • +5

    Everyone is talking about using ING card for cash withdrawal but they have started charging fees now. It's not completely free. Is there any card (debit or credit) for free cash withdrawal overseas?

    • Shit didn't know this and going on a trip soon.
      Looks like Ubank has free international ATM withdrawals

    • ING can reverse charges made by the international bank (up to 5x a month if you meet qualifications) even if the ING side won’t charge you.

      The other banks like ubank for example won’t charge you on their end, but I don’t think they have the feature to rebate whatever the international bank will charge you.

      I don’t think there’s any other banks aside from ING that can do the rebate on the charges made by the international ATM.

      • +1

        You're a few months too late, the atm rebate feature is gone.

        • For some reason, I have mine rebated just last November 10 in a 7-eleven ATM terminal in Japan. Shown as "International ATM Fee Rebate +$5.00"
          Is that different?

          I believe they will still do the first 5 international withdrawal rebates free per month if you meet the requirements vs the old unlimited rebates. https://www.savings.com.au/news/ing-international-atm-operat…

          • +1

            @ozchobie: Interesting, except the linked article appears to contradict itself. One comment (not official ING T&Cs) says they will conditionally offer 5 free rebates here and OS, whereas what seems to be an official ING quote at the end specifically excludes international fee rebates. Iirc you've mentioned your actual experience on another deal (?) so maybe they're selectively applying a rebate.

          • +4

            @ozchobie: 5$ is ING’s fee which it waves first 5 times for eligible customers

            Maybe you got lucky and that ATM did not charge any own fees

            • @evgpek: Doh! That's it. They're rebating ING fees not OS ATM owner fees. Was also discussed on a previous deal.

    • What fees are they now charging? I must've missed that.

  • 3k credit limit. I wonder what's the payslip requirements to get this approved?

    • +1

      Wonder if me Cenno will cover it…? 🤔

    • Apaprently people can manufacture their own payslips!?! There was an article on ABC about this.

  • +3

    Looks like you need to spend a minimum of $500 on prepaid travel costs before leaving Australia to get the complimentary travel insurance.

    https://www.bendigobank.com.au/personal/credit-cards/my-card…

    • Yes, Bankwest card does not require you to spend anything to get the insurance.
      I wouldn't call this a deal for that reason, as well as the fact that it's available all the time and not a "hack" like a lot of other reposted deals are

      And it's not like these cards are not known about, if you google annual free cards or international fee free card they are easy to find and compare

      • +3

        Bendigo has some advantages over Bankwest too.

        • 90 days international travel insurance (Bankwest is 30 days)

        • Travel Cancellation cover (Bankwest doesn’t have it)

      • Thanks, I'll get a Bankwest card instead.

      • +2

        True but with Bankwest you have to pay upgrade fee for further benefits such as

        Additional expenses, cancellation costs, special event expenses, rental vehicle insurance excess, baggage delay expenses, travel documents protection, travel delay expenses, domestic pets boarding, overseas funeral or cremation expenses, travel services provider insolvency, and resumption of journey costs, as well as coverage for loss of income.

        https://www.bankwest.com.au/content/dam/bankwest/documents/l…

        Free cover is basic

  • +10

    For those comparing Bendigo Ready and Bankwest Platinum Zero :

    *Bendigo Ready can cover up to 90 days consecutive international travel vs Bankwest Platinum’s 31 days
    *Bendigo Ready includes travel cancellation cover in its complimentary insurance vs Bankwest Platinum Zero does not, and you have to pay for an upgrade to get this covered
    *Bendigo Ready requires you to spend at least $500 towards your travel to activate the insurance vs Bankwest Platinum Zero has no minimum cost requirement.

    (Can correct me if I got anything wrong)

    • Minimum credit limit of 3k with BB, 6k with BW

  • Wise debit card allows free cash withdrawal up to x2 /month (presumably calendar month) for a total of $360AUS equivalent, after that there is a $1.50 per transaction and an added 1.75% transaction fee ( also there is often a 3rd party atm transaction fee on all withdrawls)
    I do like the using the wise app and setup. There is no reliance on SMS for authorisation - which sometimes is a hassle OS, but internet access is required for app access. There is no need to inform Wise about your travel arrangements. Debit cards dont seem to work well at hotels for holding fees.
    Its always a good idea to have a backup credit card for eftpos transactions, I use my legacy 28degrees (Latitude) card as eftpos OS. But you have to notify them before about your travel through a tiresome phone system and may need an SMS system to keep the card working. Some of the more remote Asian Banks/Merchants may not accept your Mastercard/Visa Network card even though it has the machine has the logo.
    Have a paid NAB card that has travel insurance if you use card to pay >$500 of your trip.

  • What about HSBC global?

  • +1

    Stupid question but how exactly will they make money on this? For someone who sets up the necessary direct debit etc. I am basically using someone else's money for 30-40 days with no interest.
    Are they just hoping people go crazy with spend and then miss payments at which point an interest at exorbitant rates kicks in?

    • +1

      Banks also get fees from users of their card (ie merchants). I suspect (but don't know) that's what generates most of their card profit. Their service fee is why ALDI for example adds a 0.5% fee for c card use. Other businesses simply defray the cost over all sales.

    • Yes

  • will this ask for a payslip?

  • Is hsbc global Better because it has all of these features and you also get 2% cash back?

    • Eh? Isnt that the debit card? You dont get any features aside from the 2% cashback. This is a credit card with platinum features.

    • This is a credit card while HSBC is debit card.

  • Only downside with this card is your slugged a $3 for a purchase via The Lott. Never happened with other credit and debit cards I have.

    • +3

      Never use your credit card for gambling.

    • +2

      Never happened with other credit

      Which bank/vendor? Thought most if not all of them either outright don't allow online lotto purchases or treats it as a cash advance hence the fee?

  • +1

    Time to bend over to Bendigo?

  • Came back from Japan recently. I always bring ING and Macquarie debit cards for ATM and Bankwest credit card for purchases/hotels.
    ING still rebates the international ATM fee of $5. For ATM cash rates, I found I got better rates using the Macquarie debit card than ING (one hour later maybe the rates changed ?).
    Please be reminded that the Bankwest free travel insurance does not include travel cancellation (flights, hotel, tour etc.). Cancellation is an option now and the quote I got for adding cancellation is more than getting a full Allianz Travel insurance. Cancellation is still included free on other credit cards with free travel insurance.

    • +1

      ING still rebates the international ATM fee of $5

      ING is rebating its own fee (only). ING is no longer rebating the operator fee.

      • Hoop jumping 101… create a fee and make customer meet requirements for said fee to be waived.

        The smart customer will find a better bank that just doesn't have said fee.

  • -1

    usually with the 0% international fee they rip you off with horrible exchange rates. maybe i will give this a try, seems like people like it.

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