With the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S9 comes the opportunity to earn some valuable frequent flyer points if you are in the market for one. This guide takes a look at your points-earning options.

As with all purchases, it is worth shopping around different retailers for the best price. Samsung advertises the Galaxy S9 for a Recommended Retail Price of (RRP) of NZ$1,399 and the Galaxy S9+ for NZ$1,599.

How many points or miles can you earn?

All five major online shopping portals offer the ability to earn points on Samsung phone purchases. These include:

Qantas Online Mall

You can earn 3 Qantas points per NZD spent directly with Samsung through the Qantas Online Mall.

Airpoints Mall

You can’t earn Airpoints Dollars directly with Samsung at the Airpoints Mall. Instead, you can purchase via an online store at eBay. Purchasing through eBay.com.au will earn you 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZD spent.

Velocity eStore

You also can’t earn Velocity points directly with Samsung at the Velocity eStore. Instead, you are directed to Kogan.com, a reseller of the Galaxy S9. Purchasing through Kogan.com will earn you 2 Velocity points per AUD spent.

Asia Miles iShop

You can earn 1 Asia Mile per USD spent through the Asia Miles iShop.

KrisFlyer Spree

You earn 7 KrisFlyer miles per 10 USD spent directly with Samsung through Singapore Airlines’ shopping portal.

So if you were to purchase a Galaxy S9 from one of the the above stores based on the RRP, the following points or miles can be earned:

• 4,197 Qantas Points
• 12.79 Airpoints Dollars
• 2,398 Velocity Points
• 876 Asia Miles
• 613 KrisFlyer Miles

Note that all of these except Qantas are calculated based on the NZD:AUD/USD exchange rate as at 5 September.

As you can see, purchasing through the Qantas Online Mall will reap you the most points. According to our points valuations, those points are worth ~$125.

Also be aware that the online malls periodically run bonus points promotions for specific retailers, so keep an eye on their pages and/or emails. It could be, for example, triple Qantas or Velocity points on Samsung purchases for one day only.

Make sure you have cookies turned on so that the frequent flyer program can track your purchase in order to award the points.

Earn cashback

Cashrewards is free to join and offers 2.8% cashback on Samsung purchases when clicking through their site, worth $39 in the case of Galaxy S9 and $45 for the Galaxy S9+.

Stack with a high points-earning credit card

No matter which avenue you take, it is best to use a high points-earning credit card, Here are some examples:

• American Platinum Charge: 2,798 (s9) or 3,198 (S9+) American Express Membership Rewards points
• American Platinum Edge: 1,399 (s9) or 1,599 (S9+) American Express Membership Rewards points

Get complimentary smartphone screen insurance with the right American Express card

If you hold either an American Express Airpoints Platinum, American Express Platinum Charge card, you will get complimentary smartphone screen insurance for your Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+.

To activate the insurance, you must purchase your Samsung phone outright in a single transaction and put the cost of the phone onto the American Express card. Alternatively, coverage is also offered for a phone purchased on a monthly contract using the card.

If you obtain this card part way through your smartphone contract, you are still eligible for coverage as long as you change your monthly payments to one of the eligible cards and wait 30 days from the date of the first monthly payment to be covered.

Further information can be found in our guide to smartphone screen insurance with American Express.

Buy a gift card

You can purchase a gift card for JB Hi-Fi, Noel Leeming, or The Warehouse, and use that gift card towards your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

If you use a credit card that earns bonus points at supermarkets, then that will apply to your gift card purchase. For example, the American Express Platinum Edge card will earn you 4,197 (S9) or 4,797 (S9+) American Express Membership Rewards points on this purchase.

Summing up

When you are looking to make a large purchase, especially for electronics, it is worth having a look to see if your preferred frequent flyer program’s online shopping portal will offer you bonus points for clicking through their site. Then using a high points-earning credit card can maximise your points earn.

For example, if you clicked through Qantas’ online shopping portal and completed your purchase with the American Express Platinum Charge, you would amass 4,197 Qantas Points in addition to 2,798 American Express points when buying the Galaxy S9, with little extra effort.

Other avenues include clicking through Cashrewards or buying a gift card at a supermarket to use at a store that sells the product you are after.

And then how to use those points? Here are some ideas.

Are you planning on buying a Galaxy S9 or S9+ (or another Samsung product) in the near future? How do you intend to maximise your points earn on this purchase?

Supplementary images courtesy Samsung.