Qantas is the largest frequent flyer program in Australia, making it very easy to earn Qantas Points through a Qantas Points earning credit card.

In this article, we will guide you through all the essential questions you should consider to ensure you are maximising your points earning potential.

The two different ways to earn Qantas Points

• Direct earn: These are Qantas Frequent Flyer-branded credit cards that will earn a fixed number of Qantas Points per dollar, with the total amount being transferred to your frequent flyer account monthly.

  Qantas Money has its own range of credit cards which directly earn Qantas Points, as well as American Express, HSBC, ANZ, NAB, St.George and Westpac.

• Transfer from other rewards programs: These credit cards will accumulate their own rewards points, which can later be transferred to Qantas Frequent Flyer or other airline program partners.

  The main benefit of this arrangement is that you have flexibility in where your rewards points go. Just send them to your Qantas account when it suits you, rather than wait for a monthly transfer. Sometimes, there are bonuses for transferring too.

  This option isn’t as common for Qantas Frequent Flyer. Only selected cards such as American Express Platinum charge cards enrolled in the ‘Ascent Premium’ Membership Rewards program and Westpac Altitude Business cards can transfer to Qantas.

What to look for in a Qantas-earning credit card

• Bonus points offer: Qantas rewards cards often have large bonus points offers to entice new customers in. It is not uncommon to see signup bonuses of 100,000 Qantas Points or more!

  Just be mindful not to let the offers distract you from doing your homework. Check annual fees and spending criteria before applying.

• Earn rates: Another important consideration – how many Qantas Points can you earn on an ongoing basis? As of June 2019, one of the highest earn rates is 1.25 Qantas Points per dollar, uncapped, through the Westpac Altitude and American Express Black bundle.

  Most non-Amex cards will earn 0.5 to 1 point per dollar, depending on the card type. Some cards will have caps on the number of points earned per month, which is something to keep in mind if you have got a few large purchases coming up.

• Bonus travel inclusions: Higher-end Qantas credit cards will throw in extras to enhance your travel experience – one of the best being 2x First Lounge passes with the Qantas Money Titanium Card.

  Consider if these will be of any use to you. For example, if you have no plans of flying internationally out of Sydney, Melbourne or Los Angeles, then the 2x First Lounge passes won’t be of any use to you, as you can’t transfer them to others either.

• Included insurances: Platinum-grade Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards tend to include some form of complimentary insurances. Most common is travel insurance, which is activated when you purchase flights or accommodation with the card.

  Be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statements (PDS) very carefully, as these free insurances often have lots of clauses that can catch you out. For example, the insurance that comes with the Qantas Money Premier Platinum Card requires you to purchase everyone’s airfares, which must depart from & return to Australia, on the card.

  Other cards might go above-and-beyond and include price-drop protection, extra extended warranties on products, or even smartphone screen damage cover.

What to be mindful of with Qantas-earning credit cards

You should consider the following when deciding which Qantas Frequent Flyer rewards card is best for you.

• Annual fee: Generally, the more the inclusions with your rewards credit card, the higher the annual fee. You need to decide whether paying $1,200 a year is worth it for the Qantas Premier Titanium Card, for example, if you’re in the market for a premium card.

  Unless there is a special ‘no annual fee’ promotion, expect most Qantas-earning credit cards to have an annual fee to cover some of the costs of your benefits.

• Interest rate: All rewards cards have high-interest rates – they simply are not designed for carrying a balance over month-to-month. If you have issues with credit card debt, a Qantas Points rewards card may not be the best option right now, as the fees and interest incurred will outweigh any Qantas Points earned.

• Interest-free days: Most credit cards will allow between 44-55 days interest-free for your purchases, which is standard. This gives you a little breathing space to pay off your purchases next month.

• Income requirements: Platinum-level Qantas credit cards will usually require a higher minimum income requirement to be eligible for the card. You will usually have to back up your reported income with recent electronic payslips or bank statements.

  If you live with a partner, your combined household income might be taken into account as well. Check the terms and conditions carefully before applying.

What do I need to know before I apply for a Qantas credit card?

Here is a quick checklist of what you should know before applying for a Qantas credit card:

• Am I eligible for the bonus points? Most cards will exclude you from bonus points if you have held their credit cards in the last 12-18 months. This will be in the terms and conditions.

  For example, the Qantas Premier Platinum card only offers the signup bonus to ‘new approved Qantas Premier Platinum credit cardholders’, and excludes those changing over from different Qantas Premier cards or who have held a Qantas Premier range card in the previous 12 months.

• Can I easily fulfil the criteria for bonus points? Most bonus point offers will require you to spend more than a certain amount (often $1000+) per month, for a few months. For example, the current Qantas Premier Platinum offer have required you to spend $1,500 a month, for 6 months.

  If this is difficult for you to achieve with normal household spend or paying some bills early up-front, then this might not be the right credit card for you. 

• Is my credit score healthy? The chances of having your application accepted are much better if you have a good credit history.

How can I earn Qantas Points after I get my credit card?

Once you get your Qantas credit card, be sure to meet the minimum spend requirements to unlock your sign-up bonus. Once that is safely locked away, there are a few strategies to ensure you keep on earning lots of Qantas Points.

• Put your everyday purchases on the card: from flights to groceries, fuel to concert tickets, you can maximise your points earned by putting most of your normal household expenses on the credit card and paying it off in full every month.

• Keep an eye out for bonus partners: Qantas has teamed up with many companies which offer bonus points with purchases, such as through the Qantas Shopping portal, booking your next stay with Airbnb, or even ordering some take-out with Deliveroo.

• Take advantage of transfer promos: If you have an indirect earn Qantas credit card, consider transferring your rewards points over to Qantas when there is a transfer bonus of 15 to 40%. This could give you a large number of points, just for transferring at the right time!

Frequently asked questions

The following answers are general advice and do not take into account your personal circumstances. Be sure to consider all aspects of a Qantas credit card before applying.