If the Commonwealth Low Fee Credit Card was a muffin, it would be bran.
Like bran, the card is plain and simple. But it also lacks the qualities and appeal of a white chocolate and raspberry muffin. It's so completely devoid of features that even amongst credit cards (a somewhat dry topic to begin with), it can be considered boring.
I'll abandon the bakery metaphors for now because I'm sure you get the point: the Commonwealth Low Fee Credit Card is a basic model. You'll find no rewards program or travel insurance here. It's boring. But is boring a bad thing?
If you're in the market for your first credit card, the Commonwealth Low Fee is an OK option. It would even be a good option if the interest rate was low. But it's not. Commonwealth have produced an entry level card which will alienate the low-end of the market with its high interest rate. The sort of people who want a no-frills card are price-sensitive and price-sensitive people don't want to pay 19.99% on purchases.
To be fair, this card technically can be cost-neutral, albeit with a few caveats. It has 55 days interest free and if you're an existing Commonwealth customer and you spend more than $1,000 on the card per year, the annual fee is waived. However, there are much better cost-neutral cards out there (including Commonwealth's own Awards and Gold Awards cards).
There is a modest balance transfer offer of 5.99% for five months, but apart from a complimentary additional card, there are really no other features.
Bottom line: if you're a Commonwealth customer looking for a basic credit card and you're likely to pay your balance in full each month, the Commonwealth Low Fee Credit Card might be worth considering. For everyone else, there are better cards available.
