Why you may choose to switch your credit card
You might find that over time your credit card has not kept up with your needs. Perhaps you want a credit card that offers:
- Rewards: take advantage of our reward programs to earn as you spend.
- Lower Interest Rates: if you carry over your balance month to month, switching to a card with a lower interest rate can help you save money on interest payments.
- Lower Annual Fee: if you have one of our premium cards and don’t use its features you may want to switch to a lower fee card.
- More Benefits: our premium cards include benefits such as travel insurance and lounge access.
- Credit Limit: you may want to obtain a card that comes with a higher credit limit.
Westpac offers a range of credit cards that suit a range of lifestyle and financial needs. These include:
- Rewards credit cards – these cards allow you to earn points on purchases that can be redeemed towards travel, flights and gift cards as well as a range of lifestyle products
- Low Annual Fee credit cards – you could lower your credit card costs with lower annual fees and interest free days on purchases
- Low Rate credit card – enjoy a lower interest rate on purchases and you could save on credit card interest.
Are you eligible to switch your Westpac credit card:
- You must be the primary cardholder.
- Your card is not currently blocked.
What to consider before changing your card
Switching credit cards can be a beneficial move, but it's important to carefully consider all factors that may impact you. Make sure the benefits of the new card outweigh any potential drawbacks, and ensure the switch aligns with your financial goals. For example, our lower annual fee cards also come with a higher interest rate than our low rate cards.
- It's a good idea to think about how you’ll be using your credit card before making the decision to change to a different card. You can compare our credit cards to find a card that suits your needs.
- Consider the minimum and maximum credit limits as these might differ from your current card.
- You will not be eligible for any existing promotional offers that are currently available for the credit card you wish to switch to. For example cash back, bonus reward points, reduced annual fees.
How to switch your Westpac credit card
- Apply via Online Banking to change your existing card. Under the account details section of your current card account, click ‘more’, then navigate to ‘change your credit card type’ and follow the prompts.
- Visit a Westpac branch.
What happens after your Product switch is approved
If your request is approved, we’ll send you a variation to your credit contract, the terms and conditions relevant to your new card(s), and instructions for how to activate your card.
Activation
You have 30 days after you’re approved to activate your new card. You won’t be switched to the new credit card until the primary cardholder activates the new card. When the card is activated, any additional cardholders on the old account prior to the request to switch will also be switched to the new account. No additional cardholders allowed on Flex Card.
Activating your card will confirm your acceptance of the variation to your credit contract, and the balance of your existing card will be transferred to your new credit card. Your current PIN will still work and your new card account will appear in Online Banking in the next couple of business days.
If you don’t activate your card within 30 days, you won’t be able to use the new card(s) you received and you’ll remain on your old credit card account. You’ll still be able to use your old card(s) and you can re-apply to change your card later. Note that any offers and pricing may then vary if and when you choose to re-apply.
PartPay
If you have a PartPay Card linked to your current credit card account and have decided to switch to a new credit card which is not eligible for PartPay, any outstanding PartPay repayments will be transferred to the new card account. The variable purchase rate will apply.
If you have a PartPay Card on your existing credit card account and you’re moving to another credit card that is eligible for PartPay, a new PartPay Card will be issued for your new card account.
Rewards
If you’re moving from a rewards card to a non-rewards card, you’ll have 90 days to use your points after your new card is activated. Any fees linked to the anniversary date of your old card will continue to apply until you activate your new card.
Things you should know
Important: Applications for credit are subject to Westpac's normal lending criteria.