Westpac is offering 70,000 Velocity Points plus a reduced card fee for the first year for new Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum cardholders until 30 April 2024.
The Altitude Platinum is the mid-range card within the Altitude range and is available in Altitude Rewards, Velocity and Qantas variants. This guide specifically looks at the Velocity variant.
In addition to the bonus points, the card fee for the first year is discounted to $99 plus a $50 Velocity Rewards fee. The ongoing card fee is $150 p.a. thereafter (plus a $50 annual Qantas Rewards fee).
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A minimum spend of $4,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days from approval is required to receive the bonus.
Details of the Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum Card
Card Details
| Card | Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum |
| Loyalty program | Velocity Frequent Flyer |
| Points earned from spend | Earn 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on eligible purchases, uncapped |
| Minimum income requirement | $30,000 p.a. |
| Included insurances | Extended Warranty & International Travel Insurance (PDS) |
| Overseas transaction fee | 3.0% of the converted amount |
| Mobile wallet | Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay |
| Card fee | $150 p.a. ongoing + ($50 annual Velocity Rewards fee) |
Altitude Velocity vs Altitude Qantas vs Altitude Rewards
The Altitude Card range offers the choice to earn points through Velocity Frequent Flyer, Qantas Frequent Flyer, or Altitude Rewards through Westpac’s own loyalty program Altitude Rewards. The latter allows cardmembers to transfer their Altitude Rewards Points to a number of airline partners but specifically excludes Qantas Frequent Flyer.
In addition to the ongoing card fee, there is an annual $50 Velocity Rewards fee on the Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum Card.
When choosing either the Altitude Velocity or Altitude Qantas over the Altitude Rewards Platinum, you’ll also need to factor in the different earning rates of each currency and transfer rates to partner programs. Our full guide to Altitude Rewards offers more detail about the program’s benefits.
Altitude Rewards points can be transferred into Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Cathay Pacific Cathay miles at a rate of 3 Altitude Rewards points to 1 frequent flyer program point/mile.
The choice between Altitude Velocity, Altitude Qantas or Altitude Rewards will depend on your personal points-earning preference.
Included insurance and other benefits
The Altitude Velocity Platinum Card comes with a range of insurances, including overseas travel insurance for trips up to 3 months in length, transit accident insurance and extended warranty insurance. You should check the descriptions for each policy if you plan to rely on them. Read the PDS for the Westpac Altitude Platinum here.
This guide references some of the benefits of insurance policies provided with this card. You should read the PDS and obtain independent professional advice before obtaining this product.
Westpac Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay support
Westpac cards support Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay, meaning you can use this card on your smartphone for easier payments. Find out more in our guides for each of the compatible services.
Summing up: the Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum Credit Card
The Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum Card is a mid-range card that will suit those looking to earn only Velocity Points on spend. For those looking to have greater flexibility in which program their points are directed to, then you instead may wish to consider the Altitude Rewards variant of this card, or the Qantas Variant if you prefer to earn Qantas Points.
The card has a decent earn rate compared to similar cards in the market and there is no cap on the number of points that can be earned, which is definitely a perk not seen on most competitor cards.
So good luck to anyone wanting to put themselves through such toil. I wish you well.