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What's a Mastercard credit card?
Mastercard is one of the 2 largest electronic payment networks that handle card payments in Australia. The other network is Visa. And there's also American Express, which issues cards on its own network.
Mastercard itself doesn't issue credit cards. It provides the payment technology behind the credit card.
Mastercard credit cards do offer some specific features and benefits, like Zero Liability protection and security features. But when comparing credit cards it's more important to look at the rates, fees, perks and features of a specific credit card.
Who is Mastercard?
Mastercard grew out of a series of regional bankcard associations in the late 1960s. Mastercard expanded throughout the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Mastercard went public in 2006.
Which Australian banks and card providers use Mastercard?
- Commbank
- Westpac
- Qantas Money
- Citi
- ME Bank
- Coles
- Latitude
What benefits can I get with Mastercard?
Every credit card has its own rates, features, fees and benefits regardless of the network it's on. But cards on the Mastercard network do offer some specific features and benefits.
- Mastercard Priceless. Mastercard Priceless gives you access to offers for travel, dining, shopping and entertainment, with a global network of deals. To give you an idea of the offers available, when we looked in January 2025, you could get up to 16% cashback on accommodation through Booking.com.
- World Mastercard benefits. If you have a World Mastercard, you'll get access to this booking service that offers exclusive deals and perks such as complimentary breakfast, room upgrades and late check-out at partnered hotels.
- Global acceptance. Mastercard is accepted in over 200 countries and territories around the world, including almost every business that accepts credit card payments in Australia.
- Contactless and mobile payments. Mastercard contactless (sometimes called PayPass) is a payment option that lets you tap to pay for purchases when you're at the shops. In Australia, Mastercard credit cards offer contactless payments as a standard feature, giving you a way to pay without entering a PIN if your purchase is under $100.
- Digital wallet. If your credit card issuer supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay or another mobile wallet, you can also use your Mastercard credit card for contactless payments from your mobile phone or other device.
Security features of a Mastercard credit card
As well as security features offered by your bank or card issuer, some of the options you can get with a Mastercard include:
- Zero Liability. Mastercard’s Zero Liability policy protects cardholders from unauthorised and fraudulent charges made using their cards.
- Mastercard SecureCode. SecureCode is designed to help protect your Mastercard credit card or debit card account from unauthorised transactions by providing an additional layer of security to online payments.
- Emergency Services. You can contact Mastercard's 24/7 customer service team on 1800 120 113 within Australia.
Visa, Mastercard or American Express? What's the difference?
Visa and Mastercard boast very similar benefits and protections. These include:
- Zero Liability protection
- Security and fraud monitoring
- Contactless payments
- Travel, dining and entertainment perks (depending on the card)
There are differences between the two. With Mastercard contactless payments you need to enter a PIN on transactions above $100. For Visa it's a bit higher at $200.
American Express is a little bit different to Visa and Mastercard. It issues its own credit cards which have many features and benefits. But fewer businesses accept these cards (although most major businesses today do).
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"If you're looking for a new credit card, good news: the payment network doesn't matter much. You really want to work out what kind of card you want, and then compare options from different banks. Let them worry about the difference between Visa and Mastercard while you worry about fees, rates, rewards points and benefits. "
How to compare Mastercard credit cards
Whether a card uses the Mastercard network or another network is less importance than the details of the card itself.
Look at:
- Annual fees. Most credit cards in Australia charge an annual fee, which ranges from $30 to $700 or more depending on the card. There are also some Mastercard credit card accounts that offer no annual fee, either for a promotional period or for life.
- Interest rates. Mastercard credit card interest rates typically range from 9.9% to 23.99% for purchases. You can also get 0% interest rate offers for purchases or balance transfers, which helps you save on costs when you open a new account.
- Bank or card company. A lot of Australian banks and financial institutions offer Mastercard credit cards. As they determine many of the features and fees that come with the card, it's important to consider which company issues the card when comparing your options.
- Rewards. If your goal is to earn points with a credit card, you can compare frequent flyer and rewards cards to find a Mastercard with the features that you want.
- Complimentary insurance and other perks. Some Mastercard credit cards offer complimentary insurance for travel and shopping, as well as perks like airport lounge access and concierge services.
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I need to cancel my MasterCard and get an email confirming this, I note ,there is NO repeat NO email address for this .
Hi Bertg
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
For any card cancellation request, you must either call or visit the bank issuer of your MasterCard. You may ask them to send you the email about this request as well.
I hope this helps.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jeni
Hi I am looking for Platinum MC with rewards and no interest on balance transfer and no international transaction fee with complimentary Travel Insurance can you suggest few for me thanks
Hi Elias,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
You can also have a look on these pages and compare your options:
https://www.finder.com.au/what-is-the-best-credit-card-complimentary-travel-insurance
https://www.finder.com.au/credit-cards/balance-transfer-credit-cards
You may click the name of your preferred card to know more details and you may click the green “Go to site” button to submit an online application through their official site.
Cheers,
Rench
I have a Westpac Earth platinum Master card. Does it come with free travel insurance?
Hi Zhi,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Yes, your Westpac Earth Platinum Card comes with complimentary travel insurance, but I’m afraid that the policy does not include cruise cover. Thankfully, you can compare travel insurance and find the right policy that comes with cruise cover. You might like to compare travel insurance options which include cover for cruises.
Hope this information helped.
Cheers,
Arnold
How do I find out if my Woolworths Rewards Card is connected to my Qantas Frequent Flyer account?
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your enquiry.
You may check online if your Woolworths Rewards card is linked to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account by signing into your Woolworths Rewards account, select ‘My Account’ in the top right corner, then ‘Cards & accounts’ and scroll down to check your linked Qantas Frequent Flyer account.
Please check out our website for a guide on how to link your Woolworths Rewards card to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account, if you have not linked the two accounts yet.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Jason
Can you tell me if any master card have rewards or frequent flyer points please? I have 2 visa cards which both have rewards and woulike a MC to replace my Amex card.
Thank you for your time with this email
Regards Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks for your question.
You may want to check out Emirates Citi World MasterCard Review and Bankwest Qantas Platinum MasterCard for more details.
Cheers,
Anndy