The American Express Essential® Credit Card

Card Type

Annual Fee

$0 p.a.

Interest Rate

14.99% p.a. on purchases²

Interest Free Period

Up to 55 days³

Smartphone Screen insurance of up to $500 each year when you purchase your phone outright or pay your monthly phone bill with your American Express Essential Credit Card⁴

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*Terms & Conditions

The perks of Membership, for less

Earn 1.25 points per $1 spent on purchases

Except on government bodies where you'll earn 1 point per $1 spent³

Smartphone Screen Insurance

Cover for smartphone screen repairs up to $500 when you pay for your phone outright or monthly bill with your American Express Essential Credit Card⁴

Additional Cards at no extra cost

Share the benefits of Membership with up to 4 Additional Cards for family members or friends, at no extra fee⁵

Transfer points to a choice of 9 Airline Partner Programs

⁶ include Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, Emirates Skywards, Air New Zealand Airpoints and more

Earn points on the ‘essentials’

From your daily coffee pick-me-up to the groceries, earn points for every dollar you spend on your Card:

Earn 1.25 Membership Rewards points³ for every $1 spent on purchases excluding government bodies in Australia
Earn 1 Membership Rewards point³ for every $1 spent at government bodies in Australia
Boost your points balance by adding up to 4 Additional Cards to your Account for family or friends, at no extra charge⁵
Check-out faster with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay

Use points to get going on your next adventure, nail the perfect gift or just pay off your Account, the choice is yours:

Transfer your points to one of 9 Airline Partner Programs⁶ including Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines
Book your next holiday with points online at American Express Travel⁷ or Webjet⁸
Shop online at David Jones and pay for your next must-have item with points at the check-out⁹
Use points for gift cards with leading retailers¹⁰
Prefer to keep the cash? Use points to pay for eligible charges on your Account with our Select + Pay with points program¹¹
Turn your points into your next unforgettable experience with Ticketmaster¹²

We’ve got your back

Be confident knowing you have the protection of American Express wherever you are with these great benefits when you pay for eligible items with your Card:

Buyer’s Advantage⁴, extending the manufacturers' warranty by up to 12 months on eligible items purchased with your Card
Purchase Protection⁴, covering eligible items purchased with your Card
Refund Protection⁴, covering you if a store refuses return of eligible items purchased on your Card
Fraud Protection Guarantee¹³, meaning you won’t have to pay for unauthorised charges on your Account
Emergency Card replacement¹⁴, for lost or stolen Cards virtually anywhere in the world.
Plan It™ Instalments¹⁵ is a new feature of your Card that offers you a flexible way to pay off your Credit Card balance in equal monthly instalments, with 0% p.a. interest and a fixed monthly fee.

To save time before applying for your Essential Credit Card, make sure you can say ‘yes’ to the following:

I have an annual income of $40,000 or more
I agree to access my statements online through American Express
I have no history of bad debt or payment default
I am aged 18 years or over
I am an Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. Long term means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.

If all the above are true, apply today to start enjoying the benefits of Card Membership.

Please click here to read the Key Facts Sheet for this Credit Card.

Get loads of benefits with $0 annual fee

Applying takes less than 10 minutes, and you could get a response in less than 60 seconds.

Apply Now

*Terms & Conditions