How is POLi a better alternative to paying by card?

It may not be better but it is definitely different. When paying by a card, you will need to expose sensitive information, including the CVV, and then hope that the data is safe. With POLi, there are no cards involved. You connect the bank where you have an account with the merchant via the safe gateway and that’s it. On the other hand, cards are a payment method included in Aussie-friendly online lobbies more frequently, so this may be a downside but it is not a critical one.