Velocity Frequent Flyer is the loyalty program of Virgin Australia is the second most popular frequent flyer program in Australia. Velocity Points are able to be used with a number of key airline partners including Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Delta.
Earning Velocity Points from credit card spend is one of the key ways that many Velocity members earn their points – if you happen to put a lot of your day-to-day spend on American Express, Visa or Mastercard, there are some high points earning options out there.
Here is our updated list of some of the highest Velocity Points-earning cards on the market.
We’ve included an overview table so you can assess the cards that are out there, versus those you may have in your wallet. We also include some of the current sign up bonuses for new card applicants.
The highest-earning Velocity Point credit cards
| Card / Current Offer | Velocity Point Earn Rate | Points Cap | Annual Fee ($) | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Velocity Platinum ↓ | 1.25 points on eligible spend 2.25 points with Virgin Australia 0.5 point on spend at government bodies | uncapped | $375 | Read Here |
American Express Platinum Charge ↓ | 1.125 points on all eligible spend, and 0.5 point on spend at government bodies | uncapped | $1,450 | Read Here |
American Express Platinum Business Charge ↓ | 1.125 points on all eligible spend, and 0.5 point on spent at government bodies | uncapped | $1,750 | Read Here |
BoQ Specialist Signature Visa | 1 point domestic 1.5 points overseas | 10,000 pcm 0.5 points per $ afterwards | $400 | Read Here |
American Express Explorer ↓ | 1 point | uncapped | $395 | Read Here |
American Express Business Explorer ↓ | 1 point | uncapped | $149 | Read Here |
Virgin Money High Flyer Visa | 1 point | 8,000 points per month 0.5 point per $ afterwards | $289 | Read Here |
Coles Rewards MasterCard | 0.87 Velocity Points equivalent when transferred from flybuys | Transfer is capped at 60,030 Velocity Points per household p.a. | $99 | Read Here |
St.George Amplify Signature Visa ↓ | 0.75 point | uncapped | $279 | Read Here |
American Express Velocity Escape | 0.75 point | uncapped | $0 | Read Here |
NAB Rewards Signature ↓ | 0.625 point on general spend 1.25 point in major dept. stores and hardwares 1.87 points on overseas spend | uncapped | $295 | Read Here |
Commonwealth Bank Diamond Awards | 0.625 point | 1,000,000 p.a. | $349 | Read Here |
Citi Prestige Mastercard | 0.5 point on general spend 1 point on petrol, supermarkets and national retailers 1.5 point at major restaurants, hotel chains and major airlines and overseas spend | uncapped | $700 | Read Here |
NAB Rewards Platinum ↓ | 0.5 point on general spend 1 point in major dept. stores and hardwares 1.5 points on overseas spend | uncapped | $195 | Read Here |
American Express David Jones ↓ | 0.5 point on general spend 1 point at David Jones 1.5 points at supermarkets and on fuel | uncapped | $99 | Read Here |
American Express David Jones Platinum ↓ | 0.5 point on general spend 1.5 points at supermarkets and on fuel 2 point at David Jones | uncapped | $295 | Read Here |
American Express Platinum Edge ↓ | 0.5 point on eligible spend including utilities and ATO 1 points on overseas spend 1.5 points at supermarkets and petrol stations | uncapped | $195 | Read Here |
Commonwealth Bank Business Awards Platinum | 0.5 point | $300 | n/a | |
Commonweath Bank Platinum Awards | 0.5 point | 200,000 p.a. | $249 | Read Here |
Westpac Altitude Black ↓ | 0.41 point | uncapped | $250 | Read Here |
How do I use this list?
The Velocity credit cards table shows you some key info, including:
- ‘direct earn rates’ of credit cards which directly earn Velocity Points on eligible spend, or
- ‘effective earn rates’ of cards which earns points into a flexible rewards program, but later allows transfers to Velocity Frequent Flyer at varying rates
The ‘effective earn rate’ is an important number which standardises the number of Velocity Points you could earn from different flexible rewards programs, after earning rates for spend and transfer rates to Velocity Frequent Flyer are taken into account. Many bank partners transfer to Velocity in this way.
The numbers in this table are already calculated as ‘effective earn rates’, which means you can more easily compare those cards to ‘direct earn’ Velocity Frequent Flyer cards
What do I need to consider in a Velocity co-branded credit card?
In addition to the card’s effective earn rate, you should also consider:
- Any card sign-up bonuses for new users (e.g. ‘100,000 bonus Velocity Points’)
- Unique benefits offered, such as travel insurance or free return flight credits
- Other transfer partners that flexible rewards programs have, apart from Velocity
- Velocity-branded credit card annual fees and overall T&Cs
- Google and Apple Pay capabilities, which are becoming increasingly useful
A large Velocity Points signup bonus might be rewarding enough to help offset a lower earn rate or a higher annual fee on a card, so bear that in mind.
Each card offer and other information on this page should be up to date at the date of publication. However, please note that we update offers over time. If you need more information with comparing different cards, check out our overview table for detailed information on rewards.
What are Velocity’s flexible points program partners?
Velocity Frequent Flyer has many points transfer partners across a wide range of sectors, such as shopping programs, hotels, banks and more. Here, we’ll focus on the bank reward programs. Note that many banks also offer a direct-earn Velocity credit card in tandem with their own rewards cards.
- American Express Membership Rewards: 2 Membership Rewards points equal 1 Velocity Point. Offered across the Platinum Edge, Explorer and Platinum Charge cards, to name a few.
- NAB Rewards: 2 NAB Rewards points equal 1 Velocity Point. See the NAB Rewards Platinum and the Signature.
- Westpac Altitude: 3 Westpac Altitude points equal 1 Velocity Point. Earn points with the Westpac Altitude Black card.
- Commonwealth Bank Awards: 2.5 to 2 Commbank points equal 1 Velocity Point, depending on the card type. Highest earning rate on the Commbank Ultimate Awards card.
- St.George Amplify: 2 Amplify Points equal 1 Velocity Point. Apart from the St.George Amplify Signature, his program is also offered on BankSA and Bank of Melbourne cards.
- Citi Rewards: The Citi Prestige Mastercard earns Citi Rewards points which can be transferred 2:1 to Velocity.
Current deals for Velocity Frequent Flyer-earning credit cards
Summing up
The focus of this guide is to outline the highest-earning Velocity Point credit cards out there on a per-dollar basis. The featured cards in our tables tend to have higher earn rates or better sign-up bonuses at the moment, so may work out to be better for you.
But there are still many other Velocity Frequent Flyer-linked cards on the market with varying points earn rates and annual fees. Browse our card overview table for more detailed information. While you’re here, don’t forget to also check the list of best Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards with great sign-up bonuses.
This post first appeared on Point Hacks - The Best Frequent Flyer Deals & Offers In Australia., please read the originial post: here
