- Apple Pay credit cards
- Balance transfer credit cards
- Compare credit cards
- Credit cards for first timers
- Credit cards for good credit
- Credit cards for pensioners
- Credit cards with 55 days interest-free
- Credit cards with free additional cardholders
- Credit cards with instalment plans
- Easy approval credit cards
- Google Pay™ credit cards
- Instant approval credit cards
- Low income credit cards
- Low interest credit cards
- St.George credit cards
- Student credit cards
- Visa credit cards
St.George Vertigo Visa
Highlights
- Benefit from a 24-month 0% interest period on Balance Transfers, with a 1% 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 and cons
Pros
Cons
History
Our review
Convenience
Customer service
Rates and fees
Rewards
Trust
Credit card bargain hunters don’t all have the same wishlist. Some are looking for a low ongoing purchase interest rate, while for others a long-lasting zero-interest balance transfer offer may be more important. And for many individuals, the one truly important factor is a low annual fee. But are you out of luck if you are looking for all three of these cost-effective features? No, you are not, because the St. George Vertigo Visa combines all of these desirable components in a single card.
Low ongoing purchase interest rate of 13.99% p.a.
Introductory zero-interest rate offers are all well and good, but when the deal is about to expire and crunch time comes, you’ll want a card with a low ongoing purchase interest rate. There may be future occasions when you need a little short-term financial wriggle room, and the low-interest rate on purchases allows you to pay less interest than you would on many other cards.
24 months @ 0% on balance transfers
You can also transfer balances to this card from up to three credit or store cards not issued by St. George Bank or its two associated banks, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne. If you have an existing debt problem, 24 months should give you time to get your finances sorted out and accumulate enough spare cash to pay off the balance before you have to start paying the revert interest rate of 21.99% p.a. (the same high rate as applied to cash advances.) So plan to pay off the balance within 24 months and avoid the revert rate if you possibly can, to avoid getting into a long-term debt situation.
However, a minor drawback is that this card imposes a 1% balance transfer fee, though it remains competitive at the lower end of the typical range.
No interest-free days if you have a balance transfer
If you do take up the balance transfer option, one trap to be aware of is that you will not be able to rely on the normal monthly interest-free days on purchases. Having an unpaid balance transfer means that you will lose your regular interest-free days until it is paid off. Plan to use cash or another card for purchases until the transferred balance is cleared.
Low $55 annual fee
While it’s certainly true that there are a few credit cards with no annual fee at all, it’s unusual to find a no-fee card that has both a zero-interest balance transfer offer and such a low ongoing purchase interest rate.
That’s the combination you are paying for with this quite low $55 annual fee. When the balance transfer offer expires you will be left with a low ongoing interest rate on an extremely functional card with the following important additional features:
- Up to 55 interest-free days on purchases every month, provided you don’t have any kind of unpaid overdue balance
- One supplementary cardholder at no extra cost
- Visa payWave for speedy contactless transactions under $100
- St. George Mobile Banking app: secure fingerprint login lets you check the balance of your account quickly, and put a block on your card if you misplace it
- Verified by Visa: a system of one-time passwords delivered by SMS for extra security when shopping online
- 24/7 fraud monitoring to detect suspicious purchase transactions
Take a look at similar cards
Before you decide, what can you expect from St. George Vertigo Visa’s low-interest-rate rivals? Check out the most competitive ones: the ME frank Credit Card, the Coles Low Rate Mastercard, and the American Express Essential Credit Card. All of these cards have their own merits, but may not necessarily be the right card to suit your exact circumstances.
You can compare more low-interest cards on the ‘Low interest’ page in our Features section.
The St. George Vertigo Visa could be the perfect card for . . .
- Someone who may occasionally fail to pay off their purchase balance on time, and therefore needs a low ongoing purchase interest rate.
- Someone who does not intend to use the card for cash advances, and can therefore avoid the high 21.99% p.a. cash advance interest rate.
- Someone with existing balances they are struggling to pay off, on one or more credit cards, and could make good use of a long, interest-free balance transfer with no upfront fee.
- Someone with their finances in order, who wants to earn a little interest through the balance transfer offer.
- Someone more interested in a basic, functional credit card than in rewards points or insurance they may never use.
- Someone who only wants to carry one card, and therefore needs to avoid the lower acceptance rate and possible surcharges that come with an American Express card.
If you can say ‘Yes’ to more than half the above points, the St. George Vertigo Visa may be the most appropriate card for your personal situation.
Reviewed by Yvonne Taylor
Lead Product Analyst
User reviews
Convenience
Customer service
Rates and fees
Rewards
Trust
Fairly happy with my first and only credit card
Reviewed by Elle
This is the first credit card I have had and I am pretty happy with it. It has a fairly low rate in comparison to other cards as well as an annual fee of $55 which is not too bad either. No rewards program but there are some special offers such as deals on wine but I have never used any of these myself as the ones I’ve seen don’t really interest me. Customer service has been good, my card was stolen and used to make purchases but the staff quickly cancelled and replaced my card as well as reimbursing the fraudulent charges after an investigation. Otherwise I use online banking which is convenient for viewing the balance and paying bills.
My life line
Reviewed by ddeediz
I know I have maxed out my card but it has mainly been for medical bills I just wish I had a means of paying it off a lot quicker but I have been very fortunate to have it so thank you St. George.
New customer, no issues
Reviewed by Kris
We recently signed on with St George and the service that we got when opening the account was very friendly. We joined as they were offering an interest free period, and with a family of 8 that was very appealing to us. It was processed efficiently, we were contact within a timely manner when the card arrived. There were no issues.
Great product
Reviewed by Jane
Have had not trouble with card. I always use when i am out and see something I like. The convenience is fantastic. I have had other cards in my time and so far this one beats hands down. The security chip is what i like most of all as i feel so much safer.
Great card
Reviewed by Dwayne
The vertigo mastercard is a great card. Initial application is quick and easy, I was approved within a week although receiving the card took a while – but I think it was because my address details weren’t updated properly, however the staff where quick to help fix this up. Plus the paypass is quick, easy and awesome.
Good interest rate, bad customer service
Reviewed by Richard
With St.George you have a credit limit which they continually let you go over, often by large amounts, then charge you an over limit fee. When you ring customer service to complain that you want purchases to be declined once you reach your limit, they have no idea what you are talking about. They blame the merchant’s EFTPOS machine and tell you they will tell their manager and
I'm generally pleased with this credit card
Reviewed by Margarida Sa-Sawyer
I’m generally pleased with this credit card. It has a reasonable interest rate and an acceptable annual fee.
Customer service could be better and it should have a rewards points program. I would like to have points transferred to my Qantas Frequent Flyer account.
My card
Reviewed by Kevin
I have had this card for over 25 years now and have never felt the need to switch to a new provider. I find the interest rate to be reasonable and card repayment times acceptable. The card can be used almost everywhere and is very easy to manage with online banking. All said and done I am really happy with this St.George card.
Interest and fees that aren't crazy high
Reviewed by Nadine
Lower fees and interest than some of the other credit cards, though no rewards offered with this card—it’s best used for day-to-day purchases. This is not a card recommended for overseas travel or if you are after rewards points for usage. I find St.George customer service to be of a good standard and am generally happy with them.
I saved on interest using the balance transfer
Reviewed by Michael
This card was easy to apply for and offered a generous period to pay off the balance. Although the interest charges are high when the interest-free period finishes, they allow a good amount of time to pay off. It is our intention to look at other card options when the balance is paid off.
Had this card for more than 20 years
Reviewed by Ann
I have had this card for more than 20 years and have been hit with an annual charge of $69 each year. It does not have any rewards on it and has high interest. I am definitely going to go for a card with no annual fee from now on, even if it doesn’t have rewards.
No debts
Reviewed by Trudy
I wish I hadn’t got a credit card. I did those balance transfers, and now I have 4 credit cards. I will use cash after I eventually pay my credit cards off. It was convenient to have a credit card at the beginning, but sure learnt my lesson too late.
Eating my money
Reviewed by Pam
Always paying more interest. No one could help me with my enquiries. Next time I am looking elsewhere. I thought my own bank could help, but they couldn’t, which was a shame. Look for a credit card that would benefit you. I’m wasting time and money on this card.
I wish I never had this one
Reviewed by Leanne
I have this card as it was recommended to me as being a low interest card. It is relatively low at 12% p.a., but it isn’t as low as the cards available these days at 9.99% p.a. It doesn’t earn me any frequent flyer points or shopping points and has an annual fee, which other cards don’t have. There isn’t much about this card that I like, except it is a credit card.
Bad interest rate
Reviewed by Nicole
I can’t get ahead because there’s no compromising on the interest rate. They are advertising no interest-free period to new customers, bit can’t change over to it to finally get mine paid off. No budging. No caring. Just taking all the time. I’ll never get rid of it.
Way better than getting a personal loan
Reviewed by Michelle
I applied for this card for a 20 month interest-free balance transfer. I had considered getting a personal loan to consolidate my debt, but after seeing this card and the long interest-free period there didn’t seem to be much point in getting the loan. Love the card and the time period that is given to pay off as well.
The best card for savings
Reviewed by Tammy
It is the best as it has low interest and it has great rewards. It can save you a lot of interest. I have saved about a thousand dollars on interest with this card so I would recommend it to everyone. Please use this card — the best interest and low transfer fees.
Helped me maintain family budget
Reviewed by Aliecia
By getting this card I was able to maintain our family budget and deal with unexpected costs without the stress of trying to find the funds.
Its low interest rate means that there are no nasty surprises each month when the statement arrives.
With a young child comes lots of expenses, and having the card meant i could make sure my child has never gone with out something he desperately needs.
Interest-free period
Reviewed by Glenyss
I took this on to pay off another credit card for the interest-free period only, and never used the card, just paid it off. I was pleased to have 18 months to pay it off, and without the interest it certainly took a chunk off the balance. Easy as, and online banking makes it so much more accessible to pay off.
Low fees, very convenient, great service
Reviewed by Pippa
While on holiday in Thailand, the unthinkable happened. I fractured my ankle. I was coming down a waterslide at speed and when I turned the final corner I noticed a man sitting at the end of the slide, doing none other than taking a selfie. My foot slammed right into his back. I’m still in a moon boot six weeks later and will be for another month. The thing is, we were on an all-inclusive holiday, I brought no cash, so when it came to paying for pain relief and ankle supports, I turned to my credit card. I was confident using it overseas because I’d easily informed St George before I left that I’d be in Thailand, plus it has a low conversion rate. This is just one situation (probably the most memorable) where I would have been lost without my credit card.
Sixteen years of great service and offers
Reviewed by Carmen
I have been a customer of St George for 16 years and can attest to great service and great offers. They’ve even contacted me to change my account so I got less fees. I have used this card for many years as well, with no issues, low fees and reliability.
Cheap and cheerful
Reviewed by Kate
I’ve had this card for a few years now. This is a great card with a low interest rate. The fees are also very reasonable.
The mobile banking app is very user-friendly and easy to navigate.
It’s rare that I actually have to phone customer service. However, when I do the CS team is always great and easily accessed.
Balance transfer was easy
Reviewed by Pri
All the paperwork was done quite smoothly. However, the offer changed during the 18 months to 12 months, which was quite disappointing.
But overall it’s a good card as rates are low compared to other cards. Customer contact is quite helpful when you have a problem. I’m quite happy with the card and the overall service.
Good zero interest balance transfer credit card
Reviewed by Perihan
I applied for a St George Vertigo card as they offered zero interest for balance transfers for 18 months with a very low annual fee. It was very easy to apply for the card online and I found the customer service (although based in a call centre overseas) to be reliable and professional.
They don't want to do business
Reviewed by Mark
Looked like a great deal to me – filled out the online application, received confirmation that I had been approved subject to providing documentation.
Fair enough. I supplied the requested Tax Notice of Assessment (as supplied direct from the ATO)
Would you like to review this product? Click here to write your review and help others make a better decision.
