Great Southern Bank is one of the largest member-owned banks in Australia and has been operating for over 75 years. It was previously known as CUA and rebranded to Great Southern Bank on 1 June 2021. Its credit card features include low rates and fees, rewards and complimentary insurance.
The Great Southern Bank Low Rate Credit Card has a 11.99% p.a. variable interest rate for purchases, which is much lower than the average standard credit card interest rate of 20.16% p.a. according to Reserve Bank of Australia data. Its $49 annual fee is also at the low end of the scale for credit cards in Australia, and is currently waived in the first year.
Benefits of getting a Great Southern Bank credit card
Some of the features and benefits you can enjoy with a Great Southern Bank credit card include:
Contactless payments
You can add a Great Southern Bank credit card to Apple Pay and Google Pay to make payments straight from your mobile phone or other device.
Mastercard benefits
With either of these credit cards, you'll get access to exclusive offers for shopping, dining, travel and entertainment through Mastercard Priceless. These cards also offer contactless payments and worldwide acceptance through the Mastercard network, and protection with zero liability for fraudulent transactions and 24-hour global support services.
Interest-free days
Both Great Southern Bank credit cards offer up to 55 interest-free days on purchases when you pay your account’s total outstanding balance by the due date on each statement.
Additional cards
If you choose to get a Great Southern Bank credit card, you can request up to 9 additional cards. This allows you to share your account with a partner or family member. Keep in mind that you remain liable for all purchases made using additional cards linked to your primary card.
Online and mobile banking
Keep track of your credit card transactions and manage your account 24/7 from anywhere using Great Southern Bank’s online banking platform or mobile banking app.
Great Southern Bank member benefits
Great Southern Bank ensures that its profits go back to its customers in the form of lower fees and better rates. It also gives you the ability to bundle products such as credit cards and home loans, which can simplify your banking and help you save more on fees. In addition to these benefits, Great Southern Bank members can participate in its governance, ask questions about management and financial performance and even have voting rights at the Annual General Meeting.
How to apply for a Great Southern Bank credit card
You can apply for a Great Southern Bank credit card online in around 10 minutes. Before you apply, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have all the relevant details on hand to speed up the process.
Eligibility criteria
Age. You must be at least 18 years old
Residency status. You must be a permanent resident of Australia
Income. You must earn a regular income.
Credit history. You must have a good credit history with no bankruptcy or insolvency listed for the last 5 years.
Information and documents you need to apply
Personal details. Your complete name, date of birth, marital status, number of dependents, and mother’s maiden name.
Contact details. Your residential address, time spent there, residential status, phone number, and email address.
Employment details. Your employment status, employer’s name and contact details, and time spent with current employer
Financial details. This includes information on our assets, such as investments, shares or savings. It also includes details of any existing debts and loans, as well as regular payments such as rent and household bills.
What happens after you apply?
Great Southern Bank will send you an outcome by email once you have filled in the application form and upload your supporting documentation. If you're approved, you should get your credit card in the mail within 5-10 working days and can activate it through Internet or mobile banking.
Have a question about your application? Call Great Southern Bank on 133 282.
Credit card brands similar to Great Southern Bank
If you want a credit card from a member-owned bank (or credit union), here are 3 other credit card providers you could compare with Great Southern Bank:
You can request a balance transfer from your existing credit card to a Great Southern Bank credit card when you apply. But there isn't always an introductory low or 0% balance transfer offer available on these cards. Outside of promotions, the cash advance interest rate applies to balance transfers.
You have to provide the name of the card issuer, your account number, and the amount you wish to transfer.
Yes, you can. Cash advances attract a higher interest rate than purchases, though. Great Southern Bank also charges a cash advance fee worth 2% of the cash advance amount, with minimum of $3.50. Note that cash advance transactions are not eligible for interest-free days, which means you'll pay interest from the time the transaction is made.
Important links and details
Great Southern Bank customer service phone number: 133 282 Hours of operation: 8am-8pm Mon-Fri and 8am-4pm Sat (AEDT)
Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald. See full bio
Amy's expertise
Amy has written 584 Finder guides across topics including:
If you’re experiencing financial stress or worry, you can speak to a financial counsellor for free by calling the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visiting the website. I hope that helps.
ToulaAugust 14, 2019
I applied for a CUA credit card on 8/8/19, can you please advise when I am likely to hear back on whether my application has been approved.
thanks
NikkiAugust 14, 2019
Hi Toula,
Thanks for leaving a question on our page about your CUA credit card application follow up. While we review CUA on our pages, kindly note that Finder does not work with CUA and therefore we don’t have access to their records. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to check the status of your credit card application. Best to reach out to them for a follow up.
Hope this clarifies!
Kind regards,
Nikki
AnnaOctober 10, 2017
Hi, I have a low rate CUA Mastercard. I frequently purchase online from overseas and am getting charged a foreign currency fee. Is there anyway to avoid this? Would using my debit card or PayPal be a better option?
Thanks.
Finder
JhezelynOctober 10, 2017Finder
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your comment.
For CUA Platinum and Low Rate Credit card, the Foreign Currency Conversion fee is 3.4% of the transaction value. This takes place when you make a transaction that is converted by a credit card network from AUD to foreign currency. This is one of the features of this card. You may visit our list of 0% Foreign Fees Credit Cards to compare your options.
You can press the “Go to site” button of the card you’ve selected to proceed with your application. Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
ShirleyDecember 30, 2016
I am on the age pension do I qualify with no debts 22,880 per year
MaureenMay 23, 2017
We are CUA.members we have credit cards with ANZ and Westpac
we have nothing owing on Westpac Master card and $approx $1600 on Visa Anz can I transfer to your card from Anz with zero interest?
Finder
HaroldMay 24, 2017Finder
Hi Maureen,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Please note that we are not CUA and thus, we can only offer general information.
Regarding your question, the answer is yes. You can transfer your balance from your ANZ card. You can also enjoy 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 20 months (reverts to 21.74% p.a.). If this interests you, please read more about the CUA credit card and if you believe it is the right one for you, select the “Go to site” button found on this page to be redirected to their website.
Please note that some credit cards have restrictions around which institutions you can balance transfer your debts from. This usually happens when credit card companies have financial ties to one another, or when both credit card companies are actually being financed by the same larger lending institution. To learn more, you can also read our balance transfer guide about which bank you can do a balance transfer with.
I hope this information has helped.
Cheers,
Harold
Finder
MayDecember 30, 2016Finder
Hi Shirley,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately, you must be employed when you apply for the CUA credit card. The banks/credit card companies that may accept applications from retired and pensioner applicants are listed in our article about how retirees get credit cards.
On the same page, you can find the documents you’ll need to improve your chances of approval.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
May
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can you use a low rate credit card overseas
Hi Russell,
You should be able to use any type of Mastercard, Visa or AMEX anywhere overseas where these cards are accepted.
Happy travels!
i have a credit score that is under 500 i really want to get the card so it will help pay off my short term loans
Hi Nicholas,
Unfortunately, it is very hard to get a credit card with a low credit score.
If you’re experiencing financial stress or worry, you can speak to a financial counsellor for free by calling the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visiting the website. I hope that helps.
I applied for a CUA credit card on 8/8/19, can you please advise when I am likely to hear back on whether my application has been approved.
thanks
Hi Toula,
Thanks for leaving a question on our page about your CUA credit card application follow up. While we review CUA on our pages, kindly note that Finder does not work with CUA and therefore we don’t have access to their records. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to check the status of your credit card application. Best to reach out to them for a follow up.
Hope this clarifies!
Kind regards,
Nikki
Hi, I have a low rate CUA Mastercard. I frequently purchase online from overseas and am getting charged a foreign currency fee. Is there anyway to avoid this? Would using my debit card or PayPal be a better option?
Thanks.
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your comment.
For CUA Platinum and Low Rate Credit card, the Foreign Currency Conversion fee is 3.4% of the transaction value. This takes place when you make a transaction that is converted by a credit card network from AUD to foreign currency. This is one of the features of this card. You may visit our list of 0% Foreign Fees Credit Cards to compare your options.
You can press the “Go to site” button of the card you’ve selected to proceed with your application. Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
I am on the age pension do I qualify with no debts 22,880 per year
We are CUA.members we have credit cards with ANZ and Westpac
we have nothing owing on Westpac Master card and $approx $1600 on Visa Anz can I transfer to your card from Anz with zero interest?
Hi Maureen,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Please note that we are not CUA and thus, we can only offer general information.
Regarding your question, the answer is yes. You can transfer your balance from your ANZ card. You can also enjoy 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 20 months (reverts to 21.74% p.a.). If this interests you, please read more about the CUA credit card and if you believe it is the right one for you, select the “Go to site” button found on this page to be redirected to their website.
Please note that some credit cards have restrictions around which institutions you can balance transfer your debts from. This usually happens when credit card companies have financial ties to one another, or when both credit card companies are actually being financed by the same larger lending institution. To learn more, you can also read our balance transfer guide about which bank you can do a balance transfer with.
I hope this information has helped.
Cheers,
Harold
Hi Shirley,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately, you must be employed when you apply for the CUA credit card. The banks/credit card companies that may accept applications from retired and pensioner applicants are listed in our article about how retirees get credit cards.
On the same page, you can find the documents you’ll need to improve your chances of approval.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
May