Our verdict

Offers up to 120,000 bonus Velocity Points and yearly complimentary Economy X Seat Upgrade vouchers, but has a $75 yearly rewards fee on top of the annual fee.

The Westpac Altitude Velocity Black Credit Card gives you a choice of rewards programs, including Velocity Frequent Flyer. Right now, it has one of the biggest bonus Velocity Points offers on the market, with up to 120,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply by 30 April 2025, you'll get 90,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 120 days of card approval and an additional 30,000 points after the first eligible purchase in the second year. That's enough for 2 return business class reward flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast (94,000 Velocity Points plus fees and taxes), or a one-way business class flight from Sydney to Los Angeles (95,500 Velocity Points plus fees and taxes, flying with United Airlines).

This card also earns 0.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, which is competitive with other Velocity cards on the market. But with a combined annual fee and rewards fee cost of $370 per year, it's still important to think about how much value you'll get from the points and other perks before you apply.

Pros

Up to 120,000 bonus Velocity Points
2 complimentary Economy X Seat Upgrade Vouchers each year
2 complimentary domestic Virgin Australia lounge passes per year
Complimentary insurance covers including overseas travel, extended warranty and purchase protection

Cons

Charges a high combined annual fee of $370 p.a.
Only offers up to 45 days interest-free on purchases, compared to other cards that offer up to 55 days

The Westpac Altitude Velocity Black offers points and premium perks including complimentary lounge passes, travel insurance covers and a personal concierge service. It's also set apart from other Velocity credit cards by offering 2 Economy X Seat Upgrade Vouchers for eligible flights each year you have the card. As with any frequent flyer credit card, the value you get from points and other perks can help justify the yearly cost – but only when you use these perks.

Details

Product details

Product Name	Westpac Altitude Velocity Black
Purchase rate p.a.	Purchase rate p.a. 20.99%
Interest-free period	Up to 45 days on purchases
Cash advance rate p.a.	21.99%
Min credit limit	$15,000
Max credit limit	$75,000
Card type	Mastercard

Eligibility

Available to temporary residents	Yes - Conditions apply
Minimum income	$75,000
Joint application	No

Rewards

Rewards program	Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points	120,000
Rewards points per $ spent	0.75

Fees

Annual fee	Annual fee $370
Minimum monthly repayment	2% of the closing balance or $10, whichever is greater
Late payment fee	$15
Foreign currency conversion fee	Foreign currency conversion fee 3%
Cash advance fee	3%
Additional cardholder fee	$0
Number of additional cardholders	1

Congratulations, Westpac!

Westpac Altitude Velocity Black received the highly commended award for 'Frequent Flyer Credit Card – Velocity' in the 2024 Product Awards.

Full list of 2024 winners

How to apply

You can apply for the Westpac Altitude Velocity Black card by completing a secure application on the bank’s website. To get started, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have the necessary information to complete the application.

Eligibility criteria

New customer. To be eligible for the bonus points offer, you cannot hold or have held a Westpac rewards card in the previous 12 months.
Residency. This card is available to permanent Australian residents.

Income. To apply for this card, you must earn at least $75,000 per year.
Age. You must be at least 18 years old to apply.

Required documents

Personal details. This includes your name, email address, living arrangements and a valid form of ID, such as your driver's licence number, Medicare card number or passport details.
Employment details. This covers your current employment status, job title, salary and your employer's contact details. You may also need to provide supporting documentation such as recent payslips, bank statements or tax assessment notices.
Financial details. This includes any other forms of income such as pensions or government payments, as well as savings and investments. You'll also need to share details of your existing debts and financial responsibilities, including an estimate of your living costs such as rent/mortgage payments, bills and groceries.
Frequent flyer membership details. You'll be given the choice of earning points through the Altitude Rewards program, Altitude Velocity, or Altitude Qantas. If you're a member of Velocity Frequent Flyer, you will be prompted to enter your membership number when you choose this option.

Card benefits

Up to 120,000 bonus Velocity Points. When you apply for a Westpac Altitude Velocity Black credit card by 30 April 2025, are approved, and spend at least $6,000 on eligible purchases within 120 days of card approval, you will receive 90,000 bonus Velocity Points. You'll get another 30,000 points after making your first eligible purchase in the second year. Your points will be added to your account within 12 weeks after you've met the spend requirement.
Economy X Seat Upgrade Vouchers each year. When you add your membership number to your account and make a direct spend with Virgin Australia on your card, you will receive 2 vouchers for Economy X Seat Upgrades for eligible domestic flights each year to use for yourself and/or other passengers travelling on the same itinerary. The vouchers will be added to your account within 10 days of meeting the spend requirement and can be redeemed by calling 1300 038 373 at least 24 hours prior to your flight.

Discounted first-year annual fee for existing customers. Existing Westpac customers will receive a discounted annual fee of $225 (including a $75 rewards fee) in the first year, which reverts to $370 p.a. thereafter.
Uncapped points. Earn 0.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent in Australia and with overseas merchants. You can redeem your rewards for Virgin Australia flights, upgrades and many more.
Virgin Australia lounge passes. Enjoy two complimentary single-entry Virgin Australia domestic airport lounge invitations when you make a direct spend with Virgin Australia each year from card opening. You'll receive your invitations within 10 days of meeting the eligible spend.
Complimentary insurance covers. This card comes with a range of complimentary insurances including overseas travel insurance, transit accident insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty insurance.
Westpac Concierge. Your 24/7 Westpac Concierge service can help you with anything from booking restaurants, securing concert tickets or planning an event. You can make requests over the phone by calling 1300 651 999.
Mobile wallets. If you link your card with Samsung Pay, Apple Pay or Google Pay, you can use your eligible smartphone or smartwatch to make contactless mobile payments at the checkout. You can also use your fitness tracker via Garmin Pay and Fitbit Pay.

Rates & fees

Annual fee. Outside of any promotions, this card charges a total annual fee of $370, which is made up of a $295 annual fee and $75 yearly rewards fee for choosing to earn Velocity Points.
Purchase interest rate. The variable interest rate on purchases is 20.99% p.a.

Cash advances. If you use the card to make a cash advance (such as an ATM withdrawal), you'll attract the 21.99% p.a. interest rate (variable). You'll also be charged a fee of 3% of each cash advance amount.
Interest-free days. When you pay your monthly payment balance in full, which excludes current balance transfers, listed on your statement by the payment due date, you will receive up to 45 days interest-free on new purchases. Note that interest-free days are separate from any longer-term interest rate promotions.
Foreign transaction fee. When you spend in a foreign currency on this card, you will be charged 3% of the transaction value.

Sources

Your reviews

No reviews yet. Write a review

Ask a question

To ask a question simply log in via your email or create an account.

Ask a question

Amy Finder

Editor

Hi there, looking for more information? Ask us a question.

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Accept and continue

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Salli

November 04, 2024

Im after a vard that i can use points to upgrade to business class when travelling to france..

Angus Kidman Finder

November 04, 2024

Hi Sali, How you do this would depend on which airline you want to fly. Altitude can convert points to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, both of which do offer flights to Paris. You might also want to look at cards that directly earn Qantas Points as another option. But bear in mind that having the points doesn’t guarantee an upgrade, and higher status frequent flyers get priority. Hope this helps!

Show more Show less

Angie

February 09, 2024

Hi,

My husband holds this card and I am the sub holder.

Does that mean I won’t be eligible for this bonus offer?

Thank you!

Sarah Megginson Finder

February 15, 2024

Hi Angie, That’s fine, if you are an additional cardholder on his account, you would still be eligible to apply for a new account in your own name and get this offer. If you are joint account holders on the initial account and each have a card, you would not be eligible.

Hope this helps!

Show more Show less

Owen

February 24, 2023

I was wondering if the 0.75 Velocity reward point rate would be applicable for payments made to the Australian Tax Office. I understand Westpac Altitude would not but is it different for a Velocity reward card?

Also is it strange that I am not able to view reward points earned per transaction? I have just spoken to Westpac Altitude customer support and they have confirmed it is not possible for me to view each individual transaction earn rate. I can just see the total for the month which is transferred to Velocity… but how can I be sure that it is correct?

Thanks!

Show more Show less

Amy Bradney-George Finder

March 03, 2023

Hi Owen,

Unfortunately, you can’t earn Westpac Altitude or Velocity Points for payments to the ATO with this card. Finder has a guide on credit cards that earn points for ATO payments that may be helpful.

Regarding the amount of points, it’s common for credit cards to show a total amount rather than points earned per transaction. Adding up the eligible spending for a period and looking at the points earned is a simple way to check that it matches up. Just keep in mind that some transactions won’t be for whole dollars, so the value of the cents could affect the amount of points earned. I hope that helps!

Show more Show less

Mike

February 14, 2023

1. With my current black card, I earn point with the dollar spending. With the Velocity card, does it work the same?

2. My Black card came with a Sub card, with the Velocity card do I still get the sub card?

3. How will you get the yearly complimentary Economy X Seat?

Amy Bradney-George Finder

February 24, 2023

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your questions, here are the responses:

1. Yes, this card earns Velocity Points per $1 on eligible spending, at the rate listed in this review and on the Westpac website.

2. You can add 1 additional cardholder to this account at no extra cost, as long as they are at least 16 years of age.

3. To get the complimentary Economy X Seat Upgrade Vouchers, you need to add your Velocity membership number to your Westpac account and make a direct spend with Virgin Australia on your card. The vouchers will be added to your account within 10 days of meeting the spend requirement. To use them, you need to first book an eligible domestic Virgin Australia flight, then call Virgin Australia on 1300 038 373 at least 24 hours before your flight and ask to redeem the vouchers.

Regards,

Amy

Show more Show less

Lisa

September 25, 2019

Does this card attract overseas transaction fee when using abroad?

Joshua Finder

September 25, 2019

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. 😃

The answer to your question is yes. Westpac Altitude Black comes with a foreign transaction fee. This is charged when you spend in a foreign currency. The fee is 3% of the transaction value.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,

Joshua

Show more Show less

Westpac Altitude Velocity Black

Pros

Cons

Congratulations, Westpac!

How to apply

Eligibility criteria

Required documents

Card benefits

Rates & fees

Your reviews

Important information about this website

Advertiser disclosure

How we make money

Sorting and ranking products

Terms of service and privacy policy