Bendigo Ready Credit Card

Pauline Hatch

Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Ask Pauline a Question about this card.

The Bendigo Bank Ready Credit Card

I’m giving Bendigo Bank an appreciative little nod for how it structured the Bendigo Ready card. It sits nicely in the middle of the credit card market. There’s no annual fee which is great if you’re a first-time ‘credit carder’ or want an emergency fund in your pocket, but it still comes with premium extras that can actually save you money (no international fees, for example).

Here’s how the Bendigo Ready card works.

What we love…

No annual fee. Like an even rarer bird, there is no annual fee. Most cards with no annual fee don’t come with any features, especially complimentary insurances.

No international fees. Particularly useful if you travel a lot or spend money online on international sites, the fee-free foreign currency conversion could save you some cash. Most cards charge around 3% for each transaction.

Purchase protection insurance. Usually reserved for its platinum cards, Bendigo’s purchase protection covers eligible items you bought with your card that are accidentally damaged, permanently lost or stolen. The insurance will pay back the lesser of the original purchase price or up to $5000 (maximum of $25,000 per year). You’ll have to pay a $250 excess for each claim.

Extended warranty insurance. This insurance extends a 1 to 4 year warranty by the same timeframe as the original warranty, starting from the date the manufacturer's warranty expires. For example, a one-year warranty would be extended by another year. A $250 excess applies for this insurance, too.

55 days interest-free. Once the 18-month promotional period ends, you’ll move onto Bendigo Ready’s standard 55 days interest-free. That means you won’t pay interest for 55 days from the start of each statement period on new transactions. Ultimately, if you pay off your balance each month, the 55 days grace means you won’t need to pay interest at all.

What’s not so great…

You’ll pay some fees, but they’re fairly stock-standard. For instance:

• Cash advances (where you withdraw money from the card) are charged at 19.99% interest
• Balance transfers revert to 19.99% interest
• If you’re late on repayments you’ll pay a $15 fee

Other features

• Bendigo Bank has an app called My Bank, where you can activate your card, manage your account and instantly block your card if it’s lost or stolen.
• Bendigo Bank cards can sync with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Garmin Pay and Fitbit Pay for Tap & Go payments from your phone or watch. It uses Mastercard Identity Check, Visa Secure and eftpos Secure to protect you from fraudulent purchases online.

Why should you choose this card?

I said the Bendigo Ready sits in the middle of the market, but it’s also a bit of a standout. It’s got some sparkle. It has no annual fee but still flaunts money-saving features that only Bendigo Bank’s platinum cards have.

While it’s a good all-rounder card, it mostly stands out for those looking for low ongoing costs, an emergency fund, a first-time card, a traveller’s friend or a way to save on overseas fees.