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Our ‘credit card battles’ are designed to help you compare options as you get down to the nitty gritty, making it easier for you to choose the best card for you. So, without further ado, let’s bring in the contenders. Today’s about the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card taking on the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard. Time to compare!
Annual Fees
Why have we chosen to compare these two cards? One of the main reasons is the fact that neither card charges an annual fee. When it comes to credit cards, you don’t often get something for nothing, but with these two cards, you can.
As long as you avoid all unnecessary fees and pay off your balance before it starts accruing interest, you could potentially keep either card in your wallet for free.
What about additional cardholders? While the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard offers one additional cardholder at no extra cost, the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card allows you to add up to four additional cardholders to your account, each with no annual fee.
ResultBoth cards charge no annual fee, helping to keep costs down over the long term. But with the potential to add multiple additional cardholders at no extra cost, the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card takes this round. |
Interest
You will usually find that cards with no annual fee tend to charge higher rates of interest. While the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card has a slightly lower purchase and cash advance rate than the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard, you wouldn’t want to carry a balance on either card.
It is worth mentioning that both cards offer up to 55 days interest free on purchases, as long as you pay your full closing balance from the previous month by the due date.
ResultWith both cards charging a higher than average purchase rate, neither one should be called a winner in this round. However, you can avoid paying interest on both options simply by clearing your balance each month. |
Intro Offers
Currently, the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard has no introductory offers. The Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card, on the other hand has two separate offers, 0% on balance transfers for 12 months or 0% on balance transfer and purchases for 9 months.
ResultIf you want to pay down an existing balance, the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card could be very appealing indeed. You could benefit from 0% on balance transfers, with up to a year to pay off your balance. Take note, any balance remaining at the end of the intro period reverts to the card’s cash advance rate. Or take advantage of the purchase offer. |
| Virgin Money No Annual Fee | Latitude 28° Global Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Purchase rate | 18.99%p.a. | 27.49%p.a. |
| Cash advance rate | 20.99%p.a. | 29.99%p.a. |
| Balance transfer rate | Offer 1: 0% p.a. for 12 months Offer 2: 0% p.a. for 9 months on balance transfer and purchases | n/a |
| Interest free days on retail purchases (unless you have a balance transfer) | Up to 55 days | Up to 55 days |
| Minimum credit limit | $1,000 | $6,000 |
Features
As you compare no annual fee cards, you tend to find a distinct lack of features. Not so with these two cards though.
Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card Benefits
Virgin’s Fixed Payment Option
This allows you to lock in a lower rate of interest on purchases over $500. You will then have up to three years to pay off that purchase, with no fees to worry about. As you are borrowing within your credit limit, you don’t need any extra paperwork in order to sign up, and you still benefit from up to 55 days interest free on your other card purchases.
Visa Features
These provide access to contactless payments via Visa PayWave, and fraud protection thanks to Visa’s Zero Liability.
Tech Compatibility
If you have a Samsung device, you can sync your card to use Samsung Pay to pay for stuff when you’re out and about and online.
Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard Benefits
No International Transaction Fees
This could save you some serious money when travelling overseas, or when using your card to buy stuff online from international retailers. It’s worth pointing out that the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card has an international transaction fee of 3.3%.
Flight Delay Pass
This gives you and four friends access to airport lounges, drinks and Wi-Fi if your flight is delayed by more than two hours.
Free Global Wi-Fi
When you’re travelling, you can access more than 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide via Boingo.
Free Emergency Card Replacement Worldwide
Lost your card? Whether your card has been lost or stolen, you could get a replacement anywhere in the world, free of charge.
Mastercard Features
Similar to Visa features, you can access contactless payments using Mastercard PayPass, with fraud protection provided by Mastercard Zero Liability.
Tech Compatibility
By syncing your card with your device, you can pay using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay or Garmin Pay.
ResultEach card offers a variety of options. While it may look like the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard offers more, its features are really only going to be of value to you if you use them. So then, why would you choose one card over the other? |
Making a Decision
Why choose the Virgin Money No Annual Fee Credit Card?
- You plan to use the card to make larger purchases, and want to save using the Fixed Payment Option.
- You have an existing balance that you want to pay down using the card’s 0% balance transfer offer.
Why choose the Latitude 28° Global Platinum Mastercard?
- You travel frequently, and would likely use the card’s Flight Delay Pass and free global Wi-Fi.
- You want to save on international transaction fees, either when shopping online or overseas.
- You want access to a full suite of digital payment options. While both cards offer compatibility with Samsung Pay, this card takes it home with the option to pay via Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay and Garmin Pay as well.
| With both cards offering something a little bit different – and with neither charging an annual fee – they could both be seen as winners. So which card should you choose? When it comes to decisions such as these, think carefully about what you need from your card, and look carefully at the features we’ve outlined. Then, choose the card that best matches your needs as a cardholder. Love them both? As neither card has an annual fee, it’s entirely possible you could have both of these cards in your wallet, to use each to its own advantage. Decision sorted! |
Photo source: Pexels
Pauline Hatch
Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 8 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Pauline is passionate about seeing Aussies win by making their money – and their credit cards – work smarter, harder and bigger.
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