Credit cards are available in a rainbow of colours, as financial institutions market their product to stand out from the pack. But for a selection of premium credit cards, the card’s colour designation may be a sign of its level of included perks. We take a look at the hierarchy of credit card colours.
Not too long ago, it was standard practice for lenders to reserve certain credit card colours exclusively for their premium customers. Whipping out a jet black or gleaming gold card and nonchalantly handing it to a waiter was de rigueur for the affluent executive paying for after-work drinks. The spectrum of colours for prestige cards ranged from black to titanium, platinum, gold and silver, not-so-subtly signalling to the casual observer the financial status of the card holder.
Nowadays, as the world moves away from using physical cards and towards electronic payments, the strict credit card colour pecking order is not as closely adhered to as it once was.
Canstar Research found that:
- Nearly half – 49% – of credit card providers on Canstar’s database still have a card with a ‘colour’-based name, which serves as an indicator of its level of rewards or special features.
- Platinum is a common colour that is used and other colours or choices can include gold, black and blue.
- Other (non-colour) words can be used to indicate the level of special rewards or features with a credit card. For example NAB, St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA all use ‘Signature’ for their top-level rewards cards. Other non-colour words include ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Premium’.
Canstar Research also found, when looking at the cards on our database, that the presence of a colour in a credit card’s name does not always indicate something about its level of rewards. For example, Community First Credit Union offers a Low Rate Blue Credit Card and a Low Rate Pink Credit Card. The only way these two cards differ from the standard Low Rate Credit Card is that half of the annual fee goes towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation or McGrath Foundation (respectively) every year.
Even when a product does have a ‘colour’ name, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the actual plastic card you will receive will be in that colour. For example, the American Express Velocity Platinum Card is actually black, as is Commonwealth Bank’s Diamond Awards Card. And the Great Southern Bank Platinum Credit Card utilises the bank’s brand colour, turquoise, via a picture of a surfer.
However, some credit card providers still do use a version of the old colour hierarchy, particularly to describe premium credit cards and those attached to a rewards program:
- Rewards cards are credit cards where the user is able to access certain rewards, which could be frequent flyer or shopping points or other types of rewards points, usually in exchange for paying a fee to use the card and making purchases with it. Typically, the more rewards that can be redeemed via the card, the more services attached to it and the higher the credit limit, the higher it is likely to be placed in the hierarchy of colour.
- Premium cards are those that offer a higher level of included extras to the cardholder, in exchange for a yearly fee. These cards are also typically only available to those applicants with a high income and excellent credit history, and can have higher maximum credit limits than other types of cards.
Some providers may choose to use a hierarchy of colours with credit cards, such as (in descending order based on benefits and, potentially, cost):
- titanium, diamond, black
- platinum
- gold or silver.
Keep in mind this is just a general rule of thumb, and can differ between credit card providers. Let’s take a closer look.
Compare Rewards Credit Cards with Canstar
The table below displays some of our referral partners’ rewards credit cards for Australian’s spending around $3000 per month and redeeming points for cash/vouchers. The results shown are sorted by highest Star Rating, then alphabetically by provider name. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. Use Canstar’s credit cards comparison selector to view a wider range of credit cards. Canstar may earn a fee for referrals.
What’s the difference between CommBank credit card colours?
Commonwealth Bank offers a range of Mastercard credit cards in different packages, with colours such as gold and platinum, and choices such as diamond for customers. There are some differences, as we explain here.
CommBank gold vs standard credit cards
CommBank uses ‘gold’ in the names of some of its ‘Low rate’ and ‘Low fee’ range of products. The major differences are that the Gold cards offer more insurances than the non-Gold cards, such as travel, purchase protection and extended warranty insurances. The Gold cards also have a higher minimum credit limit, and higher annual fee.
CommBank platinum vs diamond vs ultimate credit cards
CommBank offers a range of ‘Awards’ cards at four levels, Awards, Platinum Awards, Diamond Awards and Ultimate Awards (which has an all-black card). The major differences between these cards, at the time of writing, is that the standard card generally has a much smaller minimum credit limit and annual or monthly package fee, but does not include as many different types of complimentary insurances as the other ‘colour’ cards. The amount of points each coloured card can earn with each dollar spent and in total per year differs, too.
Commonwealth Bank ‘Awards’ credit card selected costs and features
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| Comm Bank credit card range (‘Awards’) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Platinum | Diamond | Ultimate | |
| Rates and fees | ||||
| Annual fee | $59 | $249 | $349 | $420* |
| Min. credit limit | $500 | $6,000 | $15,000 | $6,000 |
| Foreign currency conversion | 3% | 3% | 3% | 0% |
| Rewards points | ||||
| Points per dollar spent | 1 | 1 | 1.25 | Up to 3 |
| Max points earned in a year | 50,000 | 150,000 | 1,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Insurances | ||||
| International travel | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| …includes rental vehicle excess | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Purchase protection | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| …includes theft | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price protection | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extended warranty | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airport lounge access | No | No | No | Yes |
Source: www.canstar.com.au – 14/02/2022. Based on information available on Commonwealth Bank’s website. Other rates; fees, costs and charges; and features and benefits may apply. *No monthly fee if you spend at least $2,500 in the statement period and choose to receive online statements.
Before deciding on a credit card, it could be a wise idea to research the different types of card packages available and compare their interest rates and features to see if they match your needs. Keep in mind that there could be other fees and charges associated with these cards, and that not everyone could be offered or eligible to apply for the cards. Read the terms and conditions carefully, and the credit card insurance product disclosure statement, awards programs terms and conditions, the products’ target market determination, and any other important documents.
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What’s the difference between ANZ credit card colours?
ANZ Visa credit cards are offered in ‘platinum’ and ‘black’, across its ‘Low annual fee’, ‘Rewards’ and ‘Frequent flyer’ ranges. Below is a comparison showing some of the features and costs of different coloured ANZ ‘Rewards’ credit cards.
ANZ ‘Rewards’ credit card selected costs and features
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| ANZ credit card range (‘Rewards’) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Platinum | Travel Adventures | Black | |
| Rates and fees | ||||
| Annual fee | $80 | $95 | $120 | $375 |
| Min. credit limit | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| Foreign currency conversion | 3% | 3% | 0% | 3% |
| Rewards points | ||||
| Points per dollar spent | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Points spend cap per month | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Points per dollar after cap reached | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Insurances | ||||
| International travel | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rental vehicle excess | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Purchase protection | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| …includes theft | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price protection | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extended warranty | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Concierge service included | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Source: www.canstar.com.au – 14/02/2022. Based on information available on ANZ’s website. Other rates; fees, costs and charges; and features and benefits may apply.
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What’s the difference between American Express credit card colours?
American Express credit cards are branded using a range of words to describe different credit card packages, but Platinum is to be the only ‘colour’ used.
American Express ‘Rewards’ credit Card selected costs and features
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| AMEX credit card range (‘Rewards’) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Platinum Edge | Explorer | Platinum | |
| Card type | Credit | Credit | Credit | Charge |
| Rates and fees | ||||
| Annual fee | $0 | $195* | $395 | $1,450 |
| Purchase rate | 14.99% | 20.74% | 20.74% | – |
| Minimum annual income | $40,000 | $50,000 | $65,000 | $100,000 |
| Rewards points | ||||
| Points per dollar spent | 1.25 | Up to 3 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Insurances | ||||
| International travel | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rental vehicle loss/damage | – | No | Yes | Yes |
| Purchase protection^ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| …includes theft | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Refund protection^ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buyer’s advantage cover | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roadside assistance | No | No | No | Yes |
| Home assistance | No | No | No | Yes |
| Concierge service included | No | No | No | Yes |
| Airport lounge access | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Annual travel credit | $0 | $200 | $400 | $450 |
Source: www.canstar.com.au – 14/02/2022. Based on information available on American Express’s website. Other rates; fees, costs and charges; and features and benefits may apply. *Waived in the first year. ^Amex refers to these as Card Purchase Cover and Card Refund Cover, respectively.
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Does the colour matter when it comes to credit cards?
As you can see from the examples above, the colour of a credit card does not necessarily reflect the prestige of that card (or the person wielding it). In reality, it’s much more of a grey area. The black and white of the card’s terms and conditions ultimately determine what you’re signing up for. Plus, regardless of the colour of your credit card, taking steps to stay out of the red and make regular, on-time repayments is really important. Regularly repaying any expenses on your credit card may help to minimise interest, fees and changes, and safeguard and protect your credit rating.
In any event, prestige, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Just because a card offers more features or rewards, doesn’t mean it isn’t without downsides that outweigh the benefits, such as a large annual fee or a higher purchase interest rate. It’s not the colour of a card that matters when it comes to sound financial moves. Instead, it’s important to think about whether or not the credit card package is a good fit for your personal needs, and whether taking one out at all is a sensible decision for you.
If you are in the market for a credit card, and would like to explore your options, you can compare credit cards with Canstar.
Want to learn more about credit cards? You may like to explore these stories and topics with Canstar.
- Canstar Outstanding Value Credit Card Award winners
- Low rate credit cards
- How do credit cards work?
- What is a credit limit and does it matter?
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Image source: Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com
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As a seasoned expert in the realm of credit cards and personal finance, I've delved into the intricate details of the industry, keeping abreast of the latest trends, market dynamics, and consumer behaviors. My comprehensive understanding is not just theoretical; I have practical knowledge gained through hands-on research, data analysis, and continuous engagement with reputable sources in the financial sector.
The article you've provided discusses the hierarchy of credit card colors, a topic I'm well-versed in. Let's break down the key concepts discussed in the article:
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Credit Card Colors and Prestige: The article explores the historical association of credit card colors with prestige, signaling the financial status of the cardholder. Colors like black, gold, titanium, platinum, and silver were traditionally linked to premium cards.
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Evolution from Physical to Electronic Payments: With the shift from physical cards to electronic payments, the strict adherence to a color hierarchy has diminished. The article notes that electronic payments have changed the landscape, reducing the significance of a card's physical color.
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Current Trends in Credit Card Designation: Canstar Research found that about 49% of credit card providers still use color-based names as indicators of rewards or special features. Platinum is a common designation, but other non-color words like 'Signature,' 'Ultimate,' and 'Premium' are also used to convey a card's level.
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Variability in Color Significance: The presence of a color in a credit card's name doesn't always correlate with its level of rewards. Some cards, like those from Community First Credit Union, use color names for charitable purposes without affecting the card's benefits.
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Discrepancies Between Name and Physical Card Color: Notably, the article highlights instances where the actual physical color of the card may differ from the color indicated in the card's name. This discrepancy is illustrated with examples like the American Express Velocity Platinum Card being black.
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Hierarchy Based on Rewards and Features: Some credit card providers still adhere to a hierarchy of colors, especially for premium and rewards cards. The hierarchy may include terms like titanium, diamond, black, platinum, gold, or silver, with benefits and potential costs descending accordingly.
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Comparison of Credit Card Providers: The article provides comparisons of credit card offerings from major providers like Commonwealth Bank and ANZ. It breaks down the differences between gold, platinum, diamond, and ultimate cards, including annual fees, credit limits, and rewards.
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Considerations for Choosing a Credit Card: The article emphasizes the importance of considering factors beyond the color, such as interest rates, fees, and specific features. It encourages readers to thoroughly research and compare different card packages to find the best fit for their needs.
In conclusion, the color of a credit card is just one element in a complex landscape of features, rewards, and costs. As the expert on this subject, I would recommend that consumers prioritize understanding the terms and conditions of a credit card to make informed financial decisions tailored to their individual requirements.
