How do the new Amex Westpac Velocity credit cards compare?

From bonus points to travel perks, we've narrowed down which cards are more rewarding for Velocity frequent flyers.

Good news, Velocity lovers! Last week, Westpac bolstered its Altitude credit card suite by adding Velocity to its lineup of points options. You can now earn Velocity Points with the following cards:

• Westpac Altitude Platinum - Velocity
• Westpac Altitude Black - Velocity
• American Express Westpac Altitude Platinum bundle - Velocity
• American Express Westpac Altitude Black bundle - Velocity

Joining Qantas Frequent Flyer and Westpac Altitude Rewards, this means that customers can pick from three rewards programs when they apply for these products. There are fewer credit cards that directly earn Velocity Points compared to Qantas Points, so these are welcome additions to the market. Previously, you could only collect Velocity Points with a Westpac credit card by transferring your Altitude Rewards at a rate of 3:1.

As well as points, some of these cards come with other perks to suit loyal Virgin Australia flyers, including annual lounge passes, complimentary upgrades on select flights and the ability to earn Virgin Status Credits.

Sounds impressive, right? But how do they compare to the veteran Velocity credit cards? To find out, we've compared these new products with some of Virgin Money's Velocity frequent flyer credit cards. From bonus points and earn rates to the perks and the price tags, let's look at how the new Westpac and American Express offerings fare for Velocity frequent flyers.

How do they compare to other Velocity credit cards?

First up, let's look at how the Westpac Altitude Platinum Velocity card and American Express Westpac Altitude Platinum Velocity bundle compare to the Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer credit card.

Fees and card details are correct at the time of publication.

The Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer card offers the same total number of bonus points as the American Express Westpac Altitude Platinum bundle, but the bundle has a higher spend requirement to collect the combined 75,000 bonus Velocity Points. The Amex Westpac bundle has a more competitive earn rate than the Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer card, but the Virgin Money card also charges a much lower annual fee than both of the competing products.

You can offset the annual fee of the Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer card with the $129 Virgin Australia gift voucher each year, but the Westpac Altitude Platinum card and Amex bundle offer the unique Economy X Seat upgrade vouchers.

Now let's look at how the Westpac Altitude Black Velocity and the American Express Westpac Altitude Black bundle compare to the Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer credit card.

Fees and card details are correct at the time of publication.

In this comparison, the Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer card potentially offers points chasers more value than the Westpac Altitude Black Velocity card, with a bigger bonus points offer for a lower spend requirement. It also charges a lower annual fee while offering a $129 Virgin Australia gift voucher as well as the two complimentary lounge passes each year.

If the spend requirement aligns with your budget and you're on the hunt for a quick way to boost your points balance, the combined 120,000 bonus points from the American Express Westpac Altitude Black Velocity bundle could offer even more bang for your buck. This card also has a competitive standard earn rate compared to other cards on the market and offers the unique complimentary vouchers for Economy X Seat upgrades. You can earn Velocity Status Credits with the Mastercard and the bundle, which is another feature that isn't available on the Virgin Money card.

However, the American Express Westpac Altitude Black Velocity bundle's combined $499 annual fee is considerably higher than other Velocity products on the market. Like any frequent flyer card, you should make sure that you take advantage of the extra features and use your points to redeem rewards with enough value to outweigh the annual fee.

The new Westpac Altitude Velocity cards and American Express Westpac Altitude Velocity bundles are an exciting addition to the frequent flyer market. They boast competitive bonus points offers and high earn rates and they stand out from many other Velocity products with the offering of status credits and Economy X Seat upgrade vouchers.

But before you're blinded by the promise of big bonus point offers, make sure to compare these new cards with other Velocity credit cards on the market to decide which one is right for you. To get started, check out Finder's guide to Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards.