You can't say I didn't try. I've been writing this review for the past two hours and I can't find anything interesting to say about this card.
It's neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad. It doesn't offer any unique features. It's only remarkable characteristic is its uncanny ability to be completely unremarkable.
Reading the card PDS (which is a droll task at the best of times), I kept picturing the Family Guy character Buzz Killington talking about Penny Farthing bicycles. I was bored.
The Westpac Earth Platinum is the supposed premium option of the Westpac Earth range. While it certainly is more expensive (the annual fee is $250, as opposed to $125 on the
Earth Gold), it doesn't manage to deliver much value and I suspect consumers may rightfully feel ripped off by a card with double the annual fee and no additional features.
Granted, there are improvements. You get access to a concierge service and the included insurance products are extended. International travel insurance covers trips up to 6 months instead of 3, the purchase security protects your purchases for 4 months instead of 3 and the extended warranty protection gives 24 months cover instead of 12.
On the American Express card you'll earn 1.5 points per dollar spent instead of 1. If we generously assume you spend an average of $2,000 per month, it equates to about $7.40 per month of value.
In other words...meh.
Everything else is the same as the Gold. The purchase rate is still 17.74%, the cash rate is 19.24%, reward points go toward your Qantas Frequent Flyer account (membership is included) and Westpac offer 0.99% for 6 months on balances transferred.
Like the other Earth cards, you get a fixed rate of 5.99% on selected Qantas products and services.
Unfortunately, the interest free period is still 45 days, which is a little short. This was our major criticism of the Earth Gold and we hoped it would be corrected in the Platinum, but it seems Westpac have adopted the 45 day period for all their cards, except their 55 Day, 55 Day Gold and 55 Day Platinum cards.
Bottom-line: This isn't a bad card, but most consumers are unlikely to pay an additional $125 per year for incremental coverage improvements on insurance products they'll never use.
