Standard Bank: Credit cards

Standard Bank’s credit card range

Standard Bank offers a full range of Mastercard credit cards — Blue, Gold, Titanium, Platinum and World Citizen — plus a Diners Club/World Elite tier, so customers can choose a card that matches their income and lifestyle. All cards share the same core mechanics: a personalised interest rate from a minimum of prime minus 0.25% up to a maximum of 20.75% per annum (the National Credit Regulator’s current cap for credit facilities, based on the 6.75% repo rate), a minimum monthly repayment of 3% of the outstanding balance, and a once-off R200 (VAT-inclusive) initiation fee on approval.

Secondary (additional) cards carry their own monthly service fee: R38 for Platinum, R150 for World Citizen, and R30 for all other tiers. These figures are effective from 1 January 2026 and are VAT-inclusive.

Airport lounge access and spend thresholds

Complimentary lounge visits aren’t automatic on every card — most tiers require you to hit a minimum monthly card spend, and falling short means a per-visit charge applies instead of a free one.

If you don’t meet the minimum spend threshold in a given period, a per-visit fee applies instead: R220 for a domestic lounge visit and R440 for an international one. Blue and Gold cards don’t carry complimentary lounge access at any spend level.

Using your card abroad

This fee applies to both purchases and cash withdrawals made outside South Africa, on top of any cash withdrawal fee.

What comes with a Standard Bank credit card

• Travel discounts, including savings on flights and car hire via Standard Bank Travel on the Banking App
• A Virtual Credit Card linked to your physical card for safer online payments
• UCount Rewards Points on every qualifying purchase, at a higher rate than debit or cheque card spend
• Optional Credit Card Protection Plan, covering the outstanding balance on death, disability, dread disease or retrenchment

How the 55-day interest-free period works

Your statement cycles over a 30-day period, and you then have 25 days after that cycle to settle the full closing balance — giving up to 55 days from the start of the cycle without interest, provided the balance is paid in full by the due date. For example, transactions from 1 to 31 July would need to be settled in full by 25 August to avoid interest. This interest-free period does not apply to cash withdrawals, which begin accruing interest immediately.

If you don’t settle the closing balance in full, interest can accrue separately across up to three transaction categories — straight (pay-in-full-by-due-date purchases), budget (purchases spread over instalments), and cash — each carrying its own rate, with your repayment allocated across whichever categories you’ve used.

Why your available balance and latest balance don’t match

Your latest balance is your actual outstanding amount, but your available balance — what you can still spend — may be lower. The difference comes from outstanding authorisations: when a merchant reserves a transaction amount (for example, a hotel deposit or fuel pre-authorisation) before it’s actually settled, that amount is held back from your available balance even though it hasn’t yet appeared as a completed transaction. Once the merchant “banks” (finalises) the transaction, the authorisation falls away and the amount moves properly onto your latest balance. If your available balance seems lower than expected, check the Banking App for any pending authorisations before assuming there’s an error.

Eligibility and how your credit limit is set

Your credit limit is determined by factors including your income, expenses, credit history and overall affordability, assessed by Standard Bank at application. Existing cardholders can request a credit limit increase directly through the Standard Bank App, which is reviewed against the same affordability criteria.

Documents you’ll need, and how to apply

You can apply for a Standard Bank credit card online through the Banking App or Internet Banking, even if you don’t currently bank with Standard Bank — a physical branch visit isn’t required to get started. Applying digitally also lets you see an estimated credit limit and card tier before you commit. Documents you’ll typically need:

• A valid South African ID or Smart ID card
• Proof of residence not older than three months
• Your most recent payslip or proof of income
• Your last three months’ bank statements, particularly if you’re not an existing Standard Bank customer

Once approved, the once-off R200 initiation fee and your first monthly service fee are applied to the new account, and your physical card is either couriered to you or made available for collection in-branch, with a virtual card typically available immediately in the Banking App for online spending while you wait.

For an existing credit card query — a declined transaction, a dispute, or a card replacement — use the general customer care number 0860 123 000 rather than a separate “card division” line; Standard Bank routes credit card queries through the same main contact centre as other personal banking queries. See the Helpline page for the contact information and verify the number through the bank's official website before calling.

Frequently asked questions