BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card

Roland Bleyer

Credit Card Expert with over 15 years card experience and the founder of Creditcard.co.nz. Ask Roland a Question about this card.

The Big Review: BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card

Providing cardholders the opportunity to earn Fly Buys points or cashback on their card spending, the BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card is a flexible rewards card offering some nice platinum perks. These extras include extensive overseas travel insurance, retail cover and access to Visa’s Platinum Concierge. New cardholders who apply can benefit from $150 cashback or 1,000 Fly Buys points after a minimum spend of $2,500 in the first three months.

• Receive $150 cashback or 1,000 Fly Buys points when you spend $2,500 in the first three months
• Choose your rewards to earn Fly Buys points or Cash Rewards
• $90 spend = $1 Cash Reward
• $15 spend = 1 Fly Buys point
• Overseas travel insurance (up to 90 days per trip)
• Concierge service
• Extended warranty
• Purchase insurance
• Lowest price guarantee

• Account Fee: $45 half-yearly
• Joint/Additional Card Fee: $10 half-yearly
• Minimum Credit Limit: $8,000
• Purchase Rate: 18.95% p.a. (variable)
• Cash Advance Rate: 18.95% p.a. (variable)
• Interest Free Days: Up to 55 days

This Card: The Lowdown

Recognised by Canstar for offering ‘outstanding value’ – thanks to its modest fee and choice of rewards – the BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card could be a worthy option for cardholders who want flexible rewards with a few extras on the side. With no points cap in place, it could be a valuable option for cardholders who want no limit on their rewards, while also working well for the slightly smaller spender, who may still enjoy value thanks to that relatively low account fee.

However, that low account fee also means the features on offer are not exactly jaw-dropping. Of course, they could be useful to the right cardholder. With up to 90 days of cover per trip, the card’s insurance cover is extensive, and happens to be among the most competitive on the market. Visa’s Platinum Concierge service is another feature frequent travellers may find useful, assisting cardholders with everything from travel arrangements to restaurant reservations.

And of course, its intro offer is nothing to be sniffed at. New cardholders simply have to spend $2,500 on the card within the first three months to be rewarded with 1,000 Fly Buys points or $150 cashback. In terms of rewards options in general, the card offers an easy way to boost points earning for those who choose to earn Fly Buys, allowing for a double dip with Fly Buys partners plus the opportunity to earn points on all eligible spending elsewhere. Cashback, on the other hand, provides an easy way to earn rewards – with both options tallied up and deposited monthly.

Digging Deeper

With the basics covered, it’s time to dig a little deeper into what’s on offer with the BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card, so you can decide whether this card is right for you.

This Card: As a Rewards Card

The BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card is one of the few cards on the market that allows cardholders to choose between a traditional rewards programme and cashback on card spending. As well as having no points cap in place (allowing for unlimited points earning potential), the card also lets cardholders switch between programmes should they want to do so.

Bonus Offer

With its current introductory offer, the BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card provides new cardholders with 1,000 Fly Buys points or $150 cashback, according to the programme chosen at application. To be eligible, all you need to do is apply and be approved, and then spend at least $2,500 on eligible purchases within the first three months.

Transactions regarded ineligible for both the bonus points offer and points earning in general include cash advances, balance transfers, interest charges, bank fees, gambling, betting and lottery transactions, and unauthorised transactions for which you are not liable.

So, which option provides the most value? Valuing Fly Buys at 16 cents per point (based on how much they are worth when making a flight redemption via Air New Zealand and helloworld Travel), 1,000 Fly Buys points would equal $160 in value, coming out ahead of the $150 cashback.

However, while it’s nice to see both options more than cover the card’s account fees in the first year, value is subjective. $150 to spend in cash may be worth more to you than $160 to spend on a flight you don’t need to take. The moral of the story? Choose the offer that provides the most value to you.

Obviously, this idea of ‘value’ also applies to the rewards you earn in the long term. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the two rewards options available on this card.

Earning Fly Buys Points

If you opt to earn Fly Buys on your card spending, you will earn 1 Fly Buys point for every $15 spent. Getting to know the Fly Buys programme is the best way to make the most of your card, so you can learn how to boost your points earning day to day. This could mean taking advantage of bonus offers, or earning points twice at Fly Buys partners, such as Z, Noel Leeming, Torpedo 7 and helloworld Travel.

When it comes to points redemption, there is plenty of choice on offer, with more than 3,000 rewards to choose from at the Fly Buys online store. You could redeem your points for electronics and fashion, home appliances and sports gear, toys and gift cards, or alternatively, you could swap your points for travel when you book travel arrangements with helloworld Travel.

Cash Rewards

Cash rewards provide an alternative option for cardholders who don’t want to be tied down to a traditional rewards programme. If you opt to earn cashback rewards on this card, you will earn a $1 Cash Reward for every $90 spent. You can then use that cashback to reduce your credit card balance each month, or alternatively, transfer it to another BNZ account, where it could earn interest within a savings account or withdrawn as cash.

This Card: Extras on Offer

Aside from offering a higher earn rate, platinum cards such as the BNZ Advantage Platinum Credit Card tend to offer extras that go above and beyond classic cards – which is why they tend to charge a higher account fee. As we mentioned earlier, the account fee on this card is relatively low, which affects the number and extravagance of extras on offer.

With that being said, having fewer features is not always a bad thing. If you only want to focus on rewards, paying out a lower account fee makes it easier to see value on your spending. And, if you really don’t need an abundance of extras, then there’s no point paying for them on a card with a much higher account fee.

Travel Insurance

With up to 90 days of cover for each overseas trip, you can benefit from cover that includes:

• Overseas Medical Expenses
• Cancellation Costs
• Luggage, Personal Effects and Travel Documents
• Personal Liability
• Rental Vehicle Collision Damage and Theft Excess Cover
• Accidental Death
• Loss of Income
• Missed Connection
• Hijack and Detention
• Kidnap and Ransom

While it’s worth bearing in mind that there is a $200 excess for some claim categories, the age limits on the cover could be beneficial for older travellers. Full cover is offered to persons under 75, with limited cover provided to those aged 75-90. This could make it a great alternative for those struggling to get standalone cover due to their age.

Activation is also easy, and cover is available if your spouse and/or dependent children are travelling with you. Emergency travel assistance is another handy addition to this cover. Providing 24 hour medical services to cardholders anywhere in the world, it can help those who need medical advice or who have a medical emergency when travelling overseas.

Retail Insurance

As a cardholder, you can benefit from retail cover in the form of extended warranty, purchase insurance and PriceGuard. Here’s an outline of how each type of cover works (for full details check the PDS).

Extended Warranty: This can extend the standard manufacturer’s warranty on eligible items purchased on your card by up to 12 months.
Purchase Insurance: This offers 90 days of insurance against loss, theft or damage for new items purchased on your card.
PriceGuard: This offers a reimbursement of the difference between the price you paid for an item on your card and a lower advertised price for the same item found elsewhere.

Concierge Service

With the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card, you’ll have access to a number of Visa Platinum extras. These include the Visa Platinum Concierge service, which can assist with anything from restaurant recommendations to gift buying. Other Visa Platinum benefits can offer exclusive travel and dining experiences around the world. Check out Visa’s site for more.

Interest Free Period

Like most credit cards, the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card offers an interest free period on purchases to cardholders who clear their balance each month by the due date. As long as you don’t have a balance transfer on your account, you could benefit from up to 55 days interest free on purchases, providing an easy way to enjoy interest free shopping.

Card Management

As you would expect from a card issued by a big bank, the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card offers all the card management basics. You are protected from fraud, you can manage your card online via online banking and the bank’s app, you can use your card overseas, and you can enjoy faster payments using Apple Pay and Google Pay.

This Card: The Essentials

Taking into account all this card has to offer, it’s now time to work out whether it’s a valuable option for you. As it’s a rewards card, one of the easiest ways to do this is to work out how much you will earn in rewards each year. You can do this by taking your expected annual spend and calculating what that spend equates to in points or cashback. To offer value, that total must be more than the card’s yearly account fees.

Of course, you have to take into account the value of the various features on offer – and how often you will use them. Plus, the intro offer adds more value, in the first year at least. However, if you ever carry a balance on this card, any value you enjoy will be affected by the interest you pay out. As with any rewards card, it’s best to clear your balance each month to really make the most of the rewards on offer.

Decision Time

With a modest account fee, the BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum Credit Card could allow for valuable points earning day-to-day, with no points cap limiting the rewards value on offer. Cardholders have the option to earn Fly Buys points or cashback on their card spending, with access to platinum perks such as overseas travel insurance and a platinum concierge. New cardholders can benefit from an enticing intro offer of 1,000 Fly Buys points or $150 cashback available after a $2,500 spend within the first three months.