Apple Pay credit cards

Compare credit cards that work with Apple Pay and start paying using your Apple iPhone or Apple Watch.

By   |   Verified by David Boyd   |   Updated 30 Aug 2024

As seen on

Media - The Sydney Morning Herald
Media - Yahoo Finance
Media - News.com.au
Media - Daily Mail Australia
Media - Australian Fintech
Media - Dynamic Business

Comparing Apple Pay credit cards

St.George Vertigo Visa

Apply by 30 November 2024

St.George Vertigo Visa

Balance transfer

28 months at 0.99% p.a.

Purchase rate

13.99% p.a. ongoing

Annual fee

$55.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • Benefit from a 28-month 0.99% interest period on Balance Transfers, with no balance transfer fee. Afterward, it switches to a cash advance rate of 21.99% p.a.
  • Enjoy a low variable interest rate of 13.99% p.a. on purchases.
  • The annual fee remains low at $55 p.a.

Pros

  • 0.99% p.a. for 28 months on balance transfers with no balance transfer fee.
  • 13.99% p.a. low variable interest rate on purchases.
  • Low annual fee of $55 p.a.

Cons

  • Balance transfer rate reverts to 21.99% p.a. after 28 months.
  • There is no rewards program for this card.
American Express Qantas Ultimate Credit Card

Apply by 3 September 2024

American Express Qantas Ultimate Credit Card

Balance transfer

N/A

Purchase rate

23.99% p.a. ongoing

Annual fee

$450.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • Get up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points. Acquire 70,000 bonus Qantas Points by applying before 3 September 2024, getting approved, and spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, an additional 20,000 bonus Qantas Points in your second year upon fee renewal. T&Cs apply. Exclusive to New Card Members.
  • Receive 2 complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations annually.
  • Access a $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year (conditions apply).

Pros

  • Earn up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points when you meet the criteria.
  • Excellent earn rates on everyday spending. Earns points on payments to the ATO.
  • Access to The Centurion® Lounge. after your first card spend on the card for Qantas products and services each anniversary year.
  • 2 complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations each year.
  • Add cards for up to four family and friends at no cost.

Cons

  • The annual fee of $450.
  • There is no concierge service, even though it's a high end card.
  • Balance transfers are not possible.
  • Transactions in a foreign currency attract a fee.
MONEYME Freestyle Virtual Card

MONEYME Freestyle Virtual Card

Balance transfer

N/A

Purchase rate

From 18.24% p.a. ongoing

Annual fee

From $0.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • Use virtual card instantly once approved (typically within 60 mins)
  • Tap n Pay with up to 55 days interest free
  • Use credit to transfer money to anyone
  • Exclusive features
  • Thousands of 5-star customer reviews

Bank promo

  • Get MONEYME's lowest advertised rate EVER of 18.74% p.a.
  • Annual fee of $0 to $149 p.a. based on credit limit plus a monthly fee of $5 for balances over $20.

Pros

  • Available to use immediately after approval.
  • Money can be transferred to your bank account.
  • Get cashback at participating stores with Cashrewards.

Cons

  • The maximum credit limit is comparatively low.
  • Combination of annual and monthly fees can be quite expensive for the highest credit limit.
  • There is a 1.5% withdrawal fee.
American Express Explorer Credit Card

American Express Explorer Credit Card

Balance transfer

N/A

Purchase rate

23.99% p.a. ongoing

Annual fee

$395.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • Obtain 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points upon application approval and spending $4,000 on your new Card within the initial 3 months. T&Cs apply. Exclusive to New Amex Card Members.
  • Enjoy a $400 Travel Credit annually for flights, hotels, and car rentals when booked online using this card.
  • Benefit from complimentary domestic and international travel insurance coverage.

Pros

  • The 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when approved and reach spend requirement within the first 3 months.
  • Receive a $400 travel credit every year.
  • Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on purchases except for government bodies in Australia where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent (uncapped).
  • Get two complimentary entries per year to The Centurion® Lounge.

Cons

  • The $395 p.a. annual fee.
American Express Platinum Card

Apply by 1 October 2024

American Express Platinum Card

Balance transfer

N/A

Purchase rate

N/A

Annual fee

$1,450.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • Receive 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you apply online, are approved, and spend $5,000 on your new Card within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New Amex Card Members only.
  • Receive a $450 Platinum Travel Credit each year, which can be redeemed for flights, hotels, or car hire.
  • Enjoy up to $400 per calendar year when you dine from a curated collection of over 1,400 hand-selected restaurants both locally and abroad. Terms and Conditions apply.

Pros

  • Receive 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you meet the criteria.
  • Receive a $450 Platinum Travel Credit each year.
  • Enjoy up to $400 Global Dining Credit per calendar year.
  • Access to more than 1,400 lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge.
  • Get the Amex Experiences App to access information on Platinum benefits, travel offers, events and recommended merchants.

Cons

  • The annual fee of $1,450.
Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card

Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card

Balance transfer

N/A

Purchase rate

6 months at 0% p.a.

Annual fee

$0.00 p.a. ongoing

Highlights

  • $0 annual fee for the lifetime of the card.
  • 0% p.a. for 6 months on purchases (reverts to 18.99% p.a.).
  • Up to 55 interest free days.

Pros

  • No annual fee ever.
  • 0% p.a. interest rate for up to 6 months on purchases.
  • Up to 4 additional cards, also with $0 annual fee.

Cons

  • The revert interest rate for purchases are relatively high.
HSBC Platinum Credit Card

HSBC Platinum Credit Card

Balance transfer

12 months at 0% p.a.

Purchase rate

19.99% p.a. ongoing

Annual fee

$0.00 for 1st year

Highlights

  • Avail of the 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 12 months with a 2% balance transfer fee.
  • Enjoy the first year with no annual fee, then it's $149 per year afterward.
  • Earn 2 Reward Plus points per $1 spent on overseas eligible purchases and 1 Reward Plus point per $1 spent for all other eligible purchases.
  • $6,000 minimum credit limit.

Pros

  • 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 12 months.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year.
  • Enjoy 2 airport lounge passes every year.
  • Benefit from HSBC Instant Savings with exclusive dining and shopping discounts.
  • Includes complimentary travel and purchase protection insurance.
  • Choice of points transfer partners (Asia Miles, KrisFlyer, Velocity Frequent Flyer).

Cons

  • The balance transfer rate reverts to 21.99% p.a. after 12 months.
  • 2% balance transfer fee.
  • The 10,000 points cap per statement period.

Learn all about

  • Q&As

What is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is a contactless mobile payment and digital wallet system for use in stores, within apps, or on websites when using the Safari browser. It converts a credit or debit card’s chip and PIN into a digital format and stores the information in an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook Pro or Mac desktop computer.

This allows the Apple device to communicate with contactless point of sale equipment in order to authorise a purchase, adding an extra level of security with either Touch ID (the user touching the device’s screen to enter a previously authenticated fingerprint) or a passcode.

Once your enabled credit card has been added to Apple Pay, you don’t need carry your credit card with you. You can just pay with your mobile device.

What is the benefit of paying with Apple Pay?

The benefits of using it are many, but the following three are perhaps these you would benefit from most in a day-to-day basis:

  • Actually using it to pay for things in store and online is very easy and, importantly, fast.
  • It is highly secure because, thanks to a technology known as tokenisation, your credit card number is not actually disclosed.
  • If you know you will be making purchases at stores that accept Apple Pay, you can leave home without your wallet. Obviously the biggest benefit of that is the reduced likelihood of losing it, but it also means carrying less stuff.

Are all credit cards enabled for Apple Pay?

No. It depends who the card issuer is (i.e. which bank or financial institution) and which particular card you have. Some Australian banks were slow to adopt Apple Pay, but it is now widely supported.

Which Apple mobile devices are compatible with Apple Pay?

To use Apple Pay on your iPhone, you will need to have either an iPhone SE or an iPhone 6 or later model.

  • To use Apple Pay with your Apple Watch, you will need to pair your compatible iPhone (iPhone 5 and later) with your Apple Watch.
  • To use Apple Pay with your iPad (within apps or on websites in Safari) you will need an iPad mini 3 or later, an iPad Air 2, an iPad Pro or an iPad 5th generation or later.
  • To use Apple Pay with your Mac, you will need either a MacBook Pro with Touch ID or a Mac 2012 or later model computer paired with an Apple Pay-enabled iPhone or Apple Watch.

You will need to add Apple Pay to each device on which you want to use it.

How do I add a credit card to Apple Pay on my mobile device?

There may be slight variations in the set-up procedure depending on the bank issuing the card and your device type or model, but the basic steps are:

  • On your mobile device, go to the Wallet app or setting and tap the plus symbol or ‘Add Credit or Debit Card’
  • Scan your credit card using the device’s camera, or load your card details manually
  • Enter your card’s security code and agree to the Apple Pay terms and conditions
  • Depending on the prompt you receive, confirm the process with a verification code sent from your bank by SMS, or by calling your bank using a phone number provided
  • Once your card is verified, tap ‘Next’ to start using Apple Pay.

How can I set up Apple Pay and add a card on an Apple Watch?

To set up Apple Pay on an Apple Watch, you will need to pair your compatible iPhone (iPhone 5 and later) with your Apple Watch. Then:

  • Open your phone’s Watch app
  • Go to the My Watch tab
  • Tap Wallet & Apple Pay
  • Follow the steps required to add a card

Can I add more than one credit card to the Wallet app on my mobile device?

Yes. You should be able to load multiple cards (up to eight). You can also select one card as a default card if you wish.

How do I make payments in store using Apple Pay on my mobile device instead of using my credit card?

  • To pay with an iPhone using your default credit card, simply rest your finger on Touch ID and hold your phone close (within 2.5 cm) to the contactless reader
  • To pay with an Apple Watch using your default credit card, double-click the side button and hold your watch close (within 2.5 cm) to the contactless reader
  • You may be asked to enter your PIN for payments over $100

As well as in-store payments you can also make purchases within apps on your phone, if you see an Apple Pay button on the screen.

Using an iPad, MacBook Pro or post-2011 Mac computer, you can pay on websites in Safari.

How do I know if a store accepts Apple Pay?

You can use Apple Pay wherever you see the normal contactless payment vector logo. Some stores also display the dedicated Apple Pay logo.

Is Apple Pay a secure payment method?

Apple Pay transactions use a specific number allocated to your mobile device, and a one-time transaction code. Your credit card details not stored on your device, or on Apple’s servers, and they are never shared with the merchant, making it not just more convenient but also more secure. Extra security is added by Touch ID, or a passcode when using an Apple Watch.

If you lose your device you can suspend Apple Pay by putting your device in ‘Lost Mode’, instead of having to cancel you card. If you don’t find your device (or if it’s stolen) you can permanently remove the card from the device. You can also phone your bank and ask them to suspend or remove your card from Apply Pay.

What else can I do with Apple Pay?

You can store your billing and shipping addresses, so that when you make a purchase with Apple Pay on a participating website, you don’t need to enter this information.

Apple says that you will soon be able to add your loyalty and rewards cards to the Apple Pay Wallet.

Is Apple Pay the only available contactless mobile payment and digital wallet system?

No. Many credit cards are enabled for Google Pay and for Samsung Pay as well as, or instead of, Apple Pay.