Charge Cards in Australia:14 Options Compared
- Compare charge cards in Australia based on fees, rewards and more.
- Our expert explains how charge cards work and who may benefit from using a charge card vs a credit card.
Featured offer: Earn 170,000 bonus Qantas Points
With the American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card when you apply by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $6k on eligible purchases on your card in the first 3 months. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.
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Compare business charge cards
This table shows charge cards available to business customers in Australia. Business cards are generally designed for companies with a turnover of less than $10m. The table is sorted by the highest points per $1 earn rate, then lowest annual fee.
Card | American Express Platinum Business Card |
|---|---|
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 350,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $12k on eligible purchases on your new card within 3 months of approval. T&Cs apply. New card members only. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $1,750; $0 per additional employee cards (up to 99) |
| Cash flow days | Up to 55 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Gold Business Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within 2 months of approval. New Amex card members only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required upon application, program annual fee applies. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $249, (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89); plus $119 per additional employee card (up to 99) |
| Cash flow days | Up to 51 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 170,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your card in the first 3 months. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $450; $0 per additional employee cards (up to 99) |
| Cash flow days | Up to 51 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Velocity Business Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 100,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply by 15 May 2024, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. New Amex card members only. T&C’s apply. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $249, plus $99 per additional employee card (up to 99). |
| Cash flow days | Up to 51 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | Diners Club Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | n/a |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $172 (including $77 rewards fee), plus $80 additional cardholder fee |
| Cash flow days | Up to 51 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | Diners Club Card + Mastercard |
| Bonus sign-up points | n/a |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $249 (including rewards fee), plus $79 additional cardholder fee |
| Cash flow days | Up to 51 |
| Visit provider |
| Card | Bonus sign-up points | Points per $1 spent | Annual fee | Cash flow days | Visit provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Platinum Business Card | Earn 350,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $12k on eligible purchases on your new card within 3 months of approval. T&Cs apply. New card members only. |
| $1,750; $0 per additional employee cards (up to 99) | Up to 55 | |
American Express Gold Business Card | Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within 2 months of approval. New Amex card members only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required upon application, program annual fee applies. |
| $249, (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89); plus $119 per additional employee card (up to 99) | Up to 51 | |
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card | Earn 170,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your card in the first 3 months. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply. |
| $450; $0 per additional employee cards (up to 99) | Up to 51 | |
American Express Velocity Business Card | Earn 100,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply by 15 May 2024, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. New Amex card members only. T&C’s apply. |
| $249, plus $99 per additional employee card (up to 99). | Up to 51 | |
Diners Club Card | n/a |
| $172 (including $77 rewards fee), plus $80 additional cardholder fee | Up to 51 | |
Diners Club Card + Mastercard | n/a |
| $249 (including rewards fee), plus $79 additional cardholder fee | Up to 51 |
Compare corporate charge cards
This table shows charge cards available to corporate customers in Australia. Corporate cards are generally designed for companies with a turnover of more than $10m. The table is sorted by the highest points per $1 earn rate, then lowest annual fee.
Card | American Express Corporate Platinum Card |
|---|---|
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 250,000 bonus points plus a $500 credit when you apply by 9 April 2024, are approved and spend $25,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. T&Cs apply. Available for new members only. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $800 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Qantas Corporate Platinum Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 250,000 bonus points plus a $500 credit when you apply by 9 April 2024, are approved and spend $25,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. T&Cs apply. Available for new members only. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $1,200 |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Qantas Corporate Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 50,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your card within 2 months of approval Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $159 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Corporate Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 50,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within two months of approval. Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $159 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Corporate Gold Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 75,000 onus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $194 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) |
| Visit provider | |
Card | American Express Qantas Corporate Gold Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 75,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your American Express® Qantas Corporate Gold Card within 2 months of approval. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $194 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) |
| Visit provider | |
Card | Diners Club Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | n/a |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $172 (including $77 rewards fee), plus $80 additional cardholder fee |
| Visit provider | |
Card | Diners Club Card + Mastercard |
| Bonus sign-up points | n/a |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $249 (including rewards fee), plus $79 additional cardholder fee |
| Visit provider | |
Card | CommBank Corporate Charge Card |
| Bonus sign-up points | n/a |
| Points per $1 spent | n/a |
| Annual fee | $40 per card (1-49 cards) $32 per card (50-499 cards) $24 per card (500+ cards) One-off $300 establishment fee also applies. |
| Visit provider |
| Card | Bonus sign-up points | Points per $1 spent | Annual fee | Visit provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Corporate Platinum Card | Earn 250,000 bonus points plus a $500 credit when you apply by 9 April 2024, are approved and spend $25,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. T&Cs apply. Available for new members only. |
| $800 | |
American Express Qantas Corporate Platinum Card | Earn 250,000 bonus points plus a $500 credit when you apply by 9 April 2024, are approved and spend $25,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. T&Cs apply. Available for new members only. |
| $1,200 | |
American Express Qantas Corporate Card | Earn 50,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your card within 2 months of approval Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| $159 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) | |
American Express Corporate Card | Earn 50,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within two months of approval. Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| $159 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) | |
American Express Corporate Gold Card | Earn 75,000 onus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your new card within 2 months of approval. Available for new Corporate Card Programs only. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| $194 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) | |
American Express Qantas Corporate Gold Card | Earn 75,000 bonus points when you apply, are approved and spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your American Express® Qantas Corporate Gold Card within 2 months of approval. Membership Rewards® enrolment required; annual fee applies. |
| $194 (includes optional membership rewards fee of $89) | |
Diners Club Card | n/a |
| $172 (including $77 rewards fee), plus $80 additional cardholder fee | |
Diners Club Card + Mastercard | n/a |
| $249 (including rewards fee), plus $79 additional cardholder fee | |
CommBank Corporate Charge Card | n/a | n/a | $40 per card (1-49 cards) $32 per card (50-499 cards) $24 per card (500+ cards) One-off $300 establishment fee also applies. |
Compare personal charge cards
This is a simple category to compare as there is only one charge card currently on offer in Australia for individuals (those not applying as a business owner).
American Express Platinum Card | |
|---|---|
| Bonus sign-up points | Earn 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $5k on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval. T&Cs apply. New card members only. |
| Points per $1 spent |
|
| Annual fee | $1,450 |
| Cash flow days | Up to 44 |
| Visit provider |
| Bonus sign-up points | Points per $1 spent | Annual fee | Cash flow days | Visit provider | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Platinum Card | Earn 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 25 June 2024, are approved and spend $5k on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval. T&Cs apply. New card members only. |
| $1,450 | Up to 44 |
What is a charge card?
A charge card is a payment card that operates similarly to a credit card but doesn’t charge interest. Instead, the card’s balance must be paid off in full each month.
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You can use a charge card for payments in Australia and overseas just like you can with a credit card.
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Charge cards also come with most of the same fees, features and rewards as credit cards, although there is no balance transfer option.
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Unlike a credit card, a charge card doesn’t have a fixed credit limit. Spending is approved based on the cardholder’s payment and credit history, as well as their capacity to pay off the card balance (i.e. their income or revenue in the case of a business).
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In Australia, charge cards are primarily used by businesses, although there is one notable option for consumers – the perk-heavy but pricey Amex Platinum Card.
Money.com.au’s credit cards and payments expert, Brad Kelly, says charge cards have some unique advantages for businesses over business credit cards.
Expert's view on charge cards
The biggest benefit is that a charge card is not a liability on your balance sheet, it’s an expense. If you are tying up your balance sheet with credit card liabilities, it reduces your working capital. That’s the fuel that runs your business. A charge card doesn’t do that, which is something a lot of businesses don’t realise. It's a very efficient utilisation of your balance sheet, as long as you pay the bill off every month.
Brad Kelly, Money.com.au's card and payments expert
Charge card vs credit card: What's the difference?
Title | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Charge card | Can be used for payments online and in-store, both in Australia and overseas, with transactions paid off at a later date. |
| Credit card | Can be used for payments online and in-store, both in Australia and overseas, with transactions paid off at a later date. |
Title | Who uses them? |
| Charge card | Primarily used by businesses but available to individuals too. |
| Credit card | Used by businesses and individuals. |
Title | Credit limit |
| Charge card | No pre-set spending limit. |
| Credit card | Each card has a set credit limit. |
Title | Days to pay off purchases |
| Charge card | Charge cards come with ‘cash flow days’ – 55 days is the max available. |
| Credit card | Offers ‘interest-free days’ which is the time period after a transaction is made before interest applies. |
Title | Repayment options |
| Charge card | The card balance must be paid off in full every month (unless there is a ‘flexible repayment plan’). |
| Credit card | A minimum repayment must be made each month but cardholders can ‘revolve’ their balance from month to month. |
Title | Interest |
| Charge card | There are no interest charges but fees apply if the balance is not paid in full. |
| Credit card | Interest is charged on any outstanding balance beyond the card’s interest-free period. |
Title | Rewards |
| Charge card | The card can usually be used to earn rewards points and access other perks. |
| Credit card | Some credit cards offer rewards and perks, but there are also basic cards with no fees. |
| Title | Charge card | Credit card |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Can be used for payments online and in-store, both in Australia and overseas, with transactions paid off at a later date. | Can be used for payments online and in-store, both in Australia and overseas, with transactions paid off at a later date. |
Who uses them? | Primarily used by businesses but available to individuals too. | Used by businesses and individuals. |
Credit limit | No pre-set spending limit. | Each card has a set credit limit. |
Days to pay off purchases | Charge cards come with ‘cash flow days’ – 55 days is the max available. | Offers ‘interest-free days’ which is the time period after a transaction is made before interest applies. |
Repayment options | The card balance must be paid off in full every month (unless there is a ‘flexible repayment plan’). | A minimum repayment must be made each month but cardholders can ‘revolve’ their balance from month to month. |
Interest | There are no interest charges but fees apply if the balance is not paid in full. | Interest is charged on any outstanding balance beyond the card’s interest-free period. |
Rewards | The card can usually be used to earn rewards points and access other perks. | Some credit cards offer rewards and perks, but there are also basic cards with no fees. |
Benefits of a charge card
No interest charges
No pre-set spend limit
Offers the same rewards and perks as credit cards
An expense (not a liability) on company balance sheet
Drawbacks of a charge card
Usually a high annual fee
Fees apply if balance is not cleared every month
Limited number of options available in Australia
Requires discipline to avoid overspending
What do you get with a charge card?
This very much depends on the charge card you choose, but the average charge card typically offers more perks and features than the average credit card.
According to Brad, this is because charge cards are aimed at business and higher-income customers who spend a lot, are prepared to pay a high annual card fee, but expect a lot in return.
For example, analysis by Money.com.au found that all but one of the charge cards on our database offer the ability to earn rewards points. By comparison, only 54% of credit cards offer rewards points (the rest being basic low fee or low rate credit cards).
But you pay for the extra perks. The average annual card fee among the charge cards on Money.com.au’s database is $523 compared to around $135 for a credit card, our research shows.
Charge card features and perks
Most charge cards offer features like:
- Reward points for every $1 spent (either linked to the card provider’s own reward program or a linked frequent flyer credit card scheme)
- Bonus reward points when you sign up
- Complimentary travel insurance
- Access to exclusive discounts, offers and credits for participating retailers, hotels and restaurants.
- Airport lounge passes
- Option to have extra cards for employees (or family members if it’s a personal card)
- Integration with business accounting software and ATO-compliant card statements
Who uses charge cards in Australia?
Charge cards are primarily used as a source of finance for small business owners and large corporate customers to manage spending. There are 14 business and corporate charge cards on the market in Australia, but only one consumer option.
However, according to Brad there can be advantages to having a charge card for personal use due to the flexibility.
“The key is that there's no preset spending limit. The amount of money that you can spend is mainly determined by your ability to repay it,” Brad explains.
A credit card is a lot less flexible because of the credit limit. Let's say, for instance, you take a family trip to Europe and you’re renting cars, booking hotels and eating out a lot. You will max out that hard credit card limit in a flash. With a charge card, it’s more likely the card provider will work with you and wave through a higher-than-usual spend in a month if you need it, as long as the provider is confident you can afford it.
Brad Kelly, Money.com.au's card and payments expert
By contrast, extending your limit on a credit card usually requires a credit application and additional credit check. This could have an impact on your borrowing capacity if you need to apply for another credit product (e.g. a home loan) down the track.
Brad says this flexibility is a major part of the growing appeal of charge cards and why the main providers have been able to grow their market share in Australia in recent years.
Charge card case study: Using a charge card to cover fluctuating business expenses
Our payments expert Brad Kelly is himself a small business owner. He says he uses charge cards for his business, partly because of the flexibility they offer to cover higher-than-usual costs at certain times of year.
According to Brad this means he can make these payments using a charge card, without needing a large ongoing credit card limit sitting as a liability on his company’s balance sheet.
“In some months I need to put ATO payments on the card, or make super payments," Brad explains.
“For those months I can spend more using the charge card, but as a rule I don't need $20,000 or $30,000 tied up in a hard credit limit.
“Amex, as the charge card provider, will allow the higher payments in those months because they can see my spending and repayment history. They understand it’s not the monthly norm but is part of a consistent business pattern.“
Brad says while the annual fee he pays on his charge card is high, as a frequent traveller, the value of the travel insurance alone is enough to cover the fee.
FAQs about charge cards
Who offers charge cards in Australia?
Charge cards in Australia are offered by a relatively small pool of providers, with American Express being by far the dominant one.
Amex offers 12 of the 16 charge cards currently available in Australia. The other main providers are CommBank and Diners Club.
The pool of charge card providers is also set to get even smaller, with Diners Club announcing it will no longer be offering cards to Australian consumers from 2024.
What fees are there on a charge card?
Charge cards come with most of the same fees as credit cards. The actual fees will depend on which card you choose, but these are the fees that generally may apply:
- Annual card fee
- Rewards program fee (optional e.g. on some Qantas point-earning cards)
- Additional cardholder fee (e.g. cards for employees)
- Foreign transaction fees (FX fees)
- Cash advance fees
- Late payments fees
What is the ‘Flexible Payment Option on a charge card’?
While the standard requirement on a charge card is for the balance to be repaid in full each month, it may be possible to get further flexibility to spread the payments over a longer period, up to a credit limit.
American Express offers this through its 'Flexible Payments Option' for business customers. This option means the business can pay the full balance, just the minimum repayment (the greater of $30 or 2.5% of your closing balance) or any amount in between.
This feature essentially means your charge card becomes more like a credit card, as interest will apply to any amount that is not paid off in full by the charge card’s statement due date.
Is it harder to get approved for a charge card?
It’s not necessarily more difficult to get approved for a charge card compared to what's involved with the credit card application process. In fact, Brad explains that because there is a requirement to clear the balance each month, a charge card can be a less risky product to offer for providers.
“From a risk manager's perspective, people who are revolving a balance on a credit card are a higher risk than people who aren't.”
According to Brad, for business customers in particular, the approval criteria are often less stringent than they are for consumers.
“A business card is not assessed the same way as a personal credit card. The National Consumer Credit Protection Act of 2009 does not apply to business cards or corporate cards.”
The main requirements for getting approved for a charge card are:
- Having an ABN
- Trading for at least 12 months
- Annual revenue of at least $75,000
Business finance guides and resources
Learn more about your business finance options and how to get the funding you need to operate and grow your business.
AS FEATURED IN
Written by
Editor
Sean Callery
Reviewed by
Credit Cards Expert
Brad Kelly
