NAB StraightUp Card

Pauline Hatch

Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Ask Pauline a Question about this card.

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The NAB StraightUp Credit Card Review

Looking for a credit card that works a little bit differently to the rest? The NAB StraightUp Credit Card may be just what you’re looking for. Keeping things simple in terms of extras, this card charges no interest on purchases. Instead, it charges a monthly fee, with predictable payments depending on your credit limit and how much you spend. And if you don’t use the card? You don’t pay the monthly fee.

How It Works

As the NAB StraightUp Credit Card works in a different way to other credit cards, we’re going to change the way our review is set out, so that we can explain the ins and outs of this new offering from NAB. From there, we’ll get into who the card will work best for, and how to make it work for you.

First up, interest. Unlike other credit cards, the NAB StraightUp Credit Card does not charge interest when you carry a balance. The annual interest rate is 0%, which essentially means there will be no interest charged to your account ever.

Instead, this card works on a fee system. With no annual fee, the card charges a monthly fee, which varies according to your credit limit.

• If you have a credit limit up to $1000, your monthly fee will be $10
• If you have a credit limit up to $2,000, your monthly fee will be $20
• If you have a credit limit up to $3,000, your monthly fee will be $30

What’s not so great...

So then, why might this card not suit you? As the name suggests, the NAB StraightUp Credit Card is indeed a straight-up credit card. That means no rewards, no fancy extras, no balance transfers. This card is for purchases only, and cannot be used for cash advance transactions, including gambling, foreign currency purchases or lottery tickets.

For some users, this may not suit the way they typically use their credit card. For others, however, the differences on offer may be entirely refreshing.

Why should you choose this card?

If you want to change the way you use your credit card – or you are new to credit cards and think this type of card would work well for you – the NAB StraightUp Credit Card may be a great fit. Not only is there no interest, there are no foreign currency fees or late payment fees, which could help to keep costs down over the long term.

Instead of paying interest, you will have predictable payments each month, with a monthly fee that is dependent on your credit limit. Want to lower your monthly fee? You have the option to lower your credit limit if that suits your spending style. The card also provides a no use, no pay policy, allowing you to keep costs to a minimum when you don’t use the card.

What we would say though is that before you start using the card – preferably before you even apply – you should read more about how it works in NAB’s easy-to-understand terms. This will ensure you fully understand how the card works, to then allow you to make it work for you as you use the card day to day.

Overall Rating

In this new offering, NAB aims to simplify the way in which users interact with their credit card, taking interest out of the equation, while creating predictable payments with a monthly fee system in place. As long as you understand how the card works – and you’re happy with a simple, no frills option – this card could be a game changer.