Managing your Gem Visa account

How do I request a credit limit increase on my Gem Visa?

Simply log into the Gem Visa Online Service Centre. Enter the new credit limit into the credit limit increase page and if approved, your increase will take place immediately. Register for the Online Service Centre today.

Alternatively you can complete the credit limit increase form and mail it to us.

If your personal circumstances have changed, and you wish to decrease your credit limit, please contact us on 1300 630 977.

How do I pay my account?

With Gem Visa, it's easy to make repayments when you need. Just choose the method that suits you best: direct debit, BPAY, by mail or in person.

How do I manage my account online?

The Gem Visa Online Service Centre allows you to manage your account at a time that suits you. This service allows you to check your account status and transaction history, maintain your account profile, make BPAY payments and request a credit limit increase. You can also access and print up to 7 years of statements.

How do I register for the online service centre?

On the Gem Visa homepage, in the top right hand corner you will notice the Online Service Centre buttons where you can register.

How do I change my contact details?

There are many ways you can update your contact details. The easiest is via the Gem Visa Online Service Centre or by contacting us on 1300 630 977 and following the prompts in the automated system.

How do I set up direct debit to pay my account?

Complete a direct debit request form and return to us.

How do I personalise my PIN?

If you'd like to change your PIN to something easier to remember, simply call us on 1300 559 082. Be sure to have a pen and paper handy and your card number then follow instructions to choose your own 4 digit PIN.

How will I track when my repayments are due?

You'll receive a statement every month, showing the minimum monthly payment amount you're required to pay and the due date, plus any overdue payments and over limit amounts.

For more information or if you have a query about your statement, simply call us on 1300 630 977. You can also access your statement using the Gem Visa Online Service Centre 24/7. You just need your account number and credit limit to register.

How do I manage all my different interest free purchases and when they expire?

We make it really easy for you to keep track of your interest free purchases. Each month you'll receive a statement outlining your unexpired interest free purchases and the expiry date to help you easily manage your repayments to avoid paying interest.

When I make a payment, what promotion gets paid off first?

When you make a payment above your minimum monthly payment and have only interest free transactions remaining on your account, your repayments are directed to any expired long term interest free transaction first, followed by any unexpired long term interest free transactions. This is in your best interests.

Can I make a payment on a particular interest free purchase?

Yes. You can allocate payments to specific interest free purchases by contacting us on 1300 630 977

Are there penalties for early repayments?

No. You can make additional repayments or pay out the balance of your account in full before the interest free period expires with no penalty.

What happens if I don't pay off my purchase within the interest free period?

You'll begin to incur interest on any outstanding amount from the date your interest free period expires. The interest will not be backdated on interest free purchases of 6 months or more, but you should try and pay off this purchase as soon as you can to minimise your interest.

You can continue to make interest free purchases, up to your available credit limit, even if you have an expired promotion on your account.

How are the minimum monthly repayments calculated?

The amount you need to repay appears on your monthly statement. If monthly payments are required, it's calculated at 3% of the total outstanding balance or $25, whichever is greater (plus any overdue payments and over limit amounts).

You can set up a direct debit to make sure your minimum monthly payments are made on time automatically. Call us on 1300 630 977 to arrange this or complete a direct debit form.
Remember, to avoid any interest charges at the end of your interest free period, it is likely that you will need to pay more than the minimum monthly payment each month.

How do I avoid paying interest on my interest free purchases?

When you receive your monthly statement, your interest free purchases are outlined in detail. To avoid paying interest on these purchases, keep an eye on the page which lists your unexpired interest free and buy now pay later purchases. You will need to pay the interest bearing balance and the outstanding balance that needs to be paid before the interest free expiry date in order not to have interest applied to the account.

How can I avoid paying late and overlimit charges?

We're committed to educating our customers about managing their credit cards effectively. An important part of this is letting you know some of the options available to help you reduce or avoid charges altogether.

• Make sure you have enough funds in your account so all direct debits and other scheduled payments can be made.

• Pay special attention when using payment methods such as BPAY, which can take between three to five business days to process.

• Avoid late charges by ensuring you have paid at least your minimum payment before the due date.

• Avoid overlimit charges by regularly checking your available credit and not spending more than this.

What do I do if I cannot afford to make my repayments?

If you are having difficulty making your minimum monthly repayments please talk to us. GE has a hardship policy which may allow us to tailor a solution to your situation. Please refer to GE's hardship page for more details.

There’s information on my statement about paying more than the minimum monthly payment. Can I keep paying the minimum each month?

While only making a minimum payment can give you flexibility and be useful in the short term, it is only the minimum you have to pay to meet the obligations of your credit card’s contract and avoid a late fee. You can continue to pay the minimum monthly payment but it’s important to have a plan to reduce your balance.

How does the new ‘Managing Your Repayment’ section on my statement help me?

Managing Your Repayments gives a monthly snapshot of your account to show an estimate of what would happen if you don’t make any new transactions with your card but kept making minimum repayments. It also shows you how much time and money you may save in the long term, if you can contribute above your minimum payment each month.

What’s the difference between the Managing Your Repayment section and the "Payment to Reduce Future Interest" amount on my statement?

• • The Managing Your Repayments section takes a long term view of your repayments. You may use it to estimate the difference you may make by paying above your minimum repayment every month.
• • The Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount will help you understand how much you need to pay per month to reduce the amount of interest you’re charged in the future, or in some cases, avoid interest altogether.

Both amounts are optional.

When will over limit alerts start?

Over limit alerts will start from late June 2012.

What happens if I go over my credit limit?

We’ll contact you via email, SMS, or automated phone call or may even send you a letter within two business days from the time your account goes over limit. You should only receive one over limit alert between each statement period.
Whilst you won’t be charged for going over the limit you may not be able to make transactions during this time.

Will I be charged a fee if I go over my limit?

No. Gem Visa customers will not be charged an over limit fee going forward.

What do I need to do if I receive an over limit message?

You may not be able to make some transactions while your account remains over limit. If you receive an alert, you should check your balance by logging in to the Online Service Centre. If you haven't registered for the Online Service Centre, registration takes about 5 minutes. Have your latest statement handy when you register.

Why do I need to ‘opt in’ to receive invitations to apply to increase my credit limit?

Recent changes in legislation require us to have your consent before sending you invitations to apply for a higher credit limit. Your ‘opt in’ will allow us to send you invitations to apply to increase your credit limit when you’re eligible.
If you later want to withdraw your consent, you can do this by calling our customer service team.

Can I apply for a credit limit increase without providing consent?

Yes. You can apply for a credit limit increase by calling us to request an increase to your limit. We will then review and let you know if you are eligible to increase your limit.

How often will I receive invitations if I opt in to receive invitations to apply to increase my credit limit?

You may receive an invitation once every three months.

What is Payment to Reduce Future Interest?

It’s an amount on your statement that makes it easier than ever to manage your interest free purchases! Paying the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount each month will help reduce the amount of interest you pay in the future and will include interest free purchases of 6 months or more that are about to expire.

Do I have to pay the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount?

No, each month you just need to pay the Total Due amount. The Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount is optional, however if you pay this amount each month you'll end up paying a lot less interest and may not pay any at all.

Do I have to pay both the Total Due and the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount?

No, each month you just need to pay the Total Due. The Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount is optional, however if you pay this amount each month you'll end up paying a lot less interest and may not pay any at all.

If I choose to pay the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount, by what date should I make payment?

You should always aim to pay the Payment to Reduce Interest amount immediately to reduce the amount of interest you pay, particularly where, for example, if you have an expired interest free purchase or have taken out a cash advance.

Will I be charged interest if I only pay the Total Due?

It really depends on the transactions you have on your account. However to be safe, we recommend you pay the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount to reduce the amount of interest you pay in the future.

What if I pay less than Payment to Reduce Future Interest?

The Payment to Reduce Future Interest is only a suggested payment to help you reduce the amount of future interest you pay on your account. As long as you pay the Total due by the due date your account will be satisfied, however you may incur interest charges if the Payment to Reduce Future Interest is not met.

What if I pay more than Payment to Reduce Future Interest?

If you pay more than the Payment to Reduce Future Interest, your account will be in good standing and you'll reduce the amount of interest you pay in the future.

Why does the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount change each month?

The Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount changes each month depending on the number of interest free plans that may be expiring, or how much interest bearing transactions have occurred during the month.

How is the Payment to Reduce Future Interest calculated?

The Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount includes the full balance of any transactions appearing on this or previous statements that are either interest bearing or will be charged interest because, for example, you have a promotional balance expiring in the next statement period.

The Payment to Reduce Future Interest also includes any overdue or overlimit amounts and the proportion of the minimum monthly payment that relates to unexpired promotions.

If you are currently disputing a balance or transaction on your account then this won't be included in the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount.

Does the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount only include promotional purchases?

No, the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount covers Interest free purchases as well as your everyday purchases. Please note that cash advances incur interest immediately however the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount will include cash advances to help you reduce the amount of interest you pay in the future.

I paid the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount and I've been charged interest, why?

If, in the last 2 months the Payment to Reduce Future Interest was not paid in full, or you have a current cash balance, then you will continue to be charged interest and payment of this statement's Payment to Reduce Future Interest will not stop interest being charged to the account. In this case, the sooner the payment is made, the less interest you'll be charged.

Generally there are three reasons why you might still be incurring interest:

• You have taken out a cash advance which incurs interest immediately.

• You have an interest free plan that has expired.

• Your payments from previous statement periods were less than the Payment to Reduce Future Interest amount.

What does the Gem Visa Online Service Centre offer?

Online Service Centre customers have access to a number of tools that makes account management easier:

• • By switching to eStatements you will receive eStatement payment reminders before your payment’s due. You will also save on paper statement fees.
• • Self-manage your account details and review account status e.g. transactions, credit limit
• • Choose to receive payment confirmations and other alerts, any time

How can I register for an Online Service Account?

You can register here. The process will take about 5 minutes. Just make sure you have a recent statement with you to help answer some of the questions.

Who do I call if my card is stolen?

Call our Customer Care Centre on 1300 630 977.

If you're overseas call us on +61 3 9445 0124.

Who do I speak to if I have a dispute about my interest free transaction?

If you have a dispute about your interest free transaction – for example, you have been given the incorrect promotion or interest free period - we kindly ask you to speak to your merchant to get this resolved. If you are unable to resolve the dispute with the merchant, please feel free to contact us and we will try to resolve the issue from our end.

Below is a list of useful forms and brochures. To print and complete the forms, you’ll require Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can obtain a free copy from http://get.adobe.com/reader

• Authority to disclose & maintain form
• Conditions of use and credit guide
• Credit limit increase form
• Direct debit form
• Identity verification form