Westpac hotpoints Mastercard

Roland Bleyer

Credit Card Expert with over 15 years card experience and the founder of Creditcard.co.nz. Ask Roland a Question about this card.

The Westpac hotpoints Mastercard

As Westpac’s entry-level hotpoints earning card, the Westpac hotpoints Mastercard offers an easy way to earn rewards on everyday card spending, paired with a very affordable annual account fee. Aside from the usual security and payment basics, the card keeps it pretty simple in terms of features.

What we love...

First up, that balance transfer offer. Westpac’s balance transfer deal offers 5.95% p.a. on balance transfers for the life of the transferred balance.

Now to the fun bit – rewards. Providing an alterative rewards option to cardholders who are not interested in earning Airpoints Dollars, this card offers an easy way to earn points on the hotpoints programme. Using the Westpac hotpoints Mastercard, you will earn 1 hotpoint for every $1 spent, which can then be redeemed on a variety of rewards.

Once you have a minimum of 2,220 hotpoints, you can start redeeming rewards on the hotpoints website (a Points + Pay option is available if you don’t have enough hotpoints to get the reward you want). With the hotpoints programme, you can redeem your points for merchandise and gift cards, for travel through Flight Centre, you can save via your KiwiSaver, you can donate hotpoints to charity or gift them to a friend.

What’s not so great...

While the account fee on the Westpac hotpoints Mastercard is nice and low, its purchase rate is not. However, you can avoid this becoming an issue by avoiding paying interest. As long as you clear your balance each month, you can take advantage of up to 55 days interest free on purchases, keeping your interest costs at zero.

Why should you choose this card?

If you want to earn rewards on a flexible rewards programme but don’t spend that much on your card, the Westpac hotpoints Mastercard could be an excellent option for you. With its low account fee, it requires a smaller spend to see value back on rewards earned, plus there are plenty of lovely rewards to choose from when you start to accumulate points.

As a basic option, it could suit cardholders who want to focus solely on rewards. However, it does offer all the features you would expect on a credit card, including contactless payments, 24-hour emergency credit card assistance, and access to Mastercard Priceless Cities. While the card does offer no international transaction fees (usually $2) when withdrawing money from a Global ATM Alliance ATM, bear in mind this counts as a cash advance, so will come at a higher cost in interest.

Overall Rating

A basic rewards card, the Westpac hotpoints Mastercard offers everyday points earning on the hotpoints programme.