Westpac are offering a 150 Airpoints Dollar bonus with the Airpoints Mastercard until 30 April 2018. It is the entry-level Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars (APD) earning Mastercard from Westpac.

Digging into the details of the Westpac Airpoints Mastercard

Earning Airpoints Dollars from spend with the Westpac Airpoints Mastercard

The Westpac Airpoints Mastercard will earn you 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $120 spent on the card in NZ dollars, with an effective earn rate of 0.0083 Airpoints Dollars per dollar spent. This is on par with other ‘classic’ Airpoints earning cards in New Zealand.

In terms of cost and earn rate, the card is pipped by the American Express Airpoints card, which earns 1 APD for every NZ$100 spent with no annual fee. Mastercard is however more widely accepted both in New Zealand and abroad.

For frequent overseas travellers and online shoppers with foreign retailers, the earn rate of the American Express Airpoints card is matched, earning 1 APD per NZ$100 equivalent spent, at an effective earn rate of 0.01 Airpoints Dollars per dollar spent.

As most Kiwis and others with previous experience of the Air New Zealand’s Airpoints program know, it is not a complex program – 1 Airpoints Dollar = $1 of flight credit with Air New Zealand when it comes to redemption time and making use of the points earned with the card.

Airpoints Dollars Advance

Westpac will also provide an extra 50 APD advance (kind of like an overdraft facility) to the primary card holders Airpoints account, a useful extra benefit of the card when just a little short of a chosen Airpoints dollar redemption with Air New Zealand.

Extended Gifting

Air New Zealand allow you to gift flights for others who live in your household, through the use of Airpoints Dollars. The Westpac Airpoints cards offer an Extended Gifting feature, which allows you to gift flights to up to 2 people outside your household each year.

Giftees may be nominated during the first 12 month period after opening the account, with these nominations automatically expiring at the end of that 12 month period. Giftees will need to be nominated or re-nominated in every 12 month period thereafter. This offer is not cumulative with any other gifting rights under the Airpoints Programme (including gifting rights available to Gold or Elite Airpoints members).

You can set up your Airpoints Gifting Register by signing in to your online Air New Zealand account.

Summing up – Westpac Airpoints Mastercard

The Westpac Airpoints Mastercard is a basic card that often comes with a decent Airpoints dollar sign-up bonus that will help cover the first year or more of the annual fee.

While the card does not offer any of the included benefits that come with the Westpac Airpoints World Mastercard, such as complimentary Priority Pass membership, two annual Koru Valet parking eVouchers, and included travel insurance, it is reasonable value for someone looking for a card that offers almost universal worldwide acceptance, with a low annual fee and at least some ability to earn Airpoint Dollars on everyday purchases.