Our pick of the best Qantas credit cards & offers
Top Qantas credit card for ongoing points earning
The American Express Qantas Ultimate Card gets you up to 1.25 points per $1 on everyday spend.* It's tied with the Qantas Premier Titanium Card for highest earn rate, but it comes with a considerably lower annual fee of $450. (*After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.)
Top low fee Qantas credit card
HSBC Premier World Mastercard - $0 annual fee. Considering the fee, this card offers one of the better earn rates on Qantas points (1 point per $1 spent) capped at a generous $120k per year spend. Plus, there’s a bonus rate of 1.5 points per $1 spent in the first year. HSBC Premier customer status is required.
Top low rate Qantas credit card
Qudos Bank Visa Platinum Credit Card - 4.99% for the first five months. This reverts to 19.49% p.a. with up to 55 interest-free days, which also happens to be one of the lower ongoing rates on Qantas earning cards. Just don’t mistake this for a low rate credit card if you will be revolving a balance beyond the first five months
Top Qantas business credit card
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card - up to 1.25 points per $1 on everyday spend*. Plus 150,000 bonus Qantas Points and a $200 credit when you apply by 1 October 2024, are approved and spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your card in the first 3 months. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply. (*After a total of 500,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday business earn rate will change from 1.25 to 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent.)
How to choose the best Qantas credit card
The obvious but potentially wrong answer to this question is that the best Qantas credit card is the one that offers the most points. That could either be points per dollar spent or bonus sign-up points or, ideally, a combination of the two.
But chasing points could potentially mean signing up for an expensive card that you may not get full value from (although some people will).
It’s a good idea to look for a credit card that strikes the right balance between cost and what you get in return. In many cases, this means a middle-of-the-road card, with good points-earning potential and a relatively low fee.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the factors to consider.
Sign up bonus
Most Qantas credit cards offer some form of incentive to encourage you to take out the card initially. There's almost always a minimum spend requirement for the offer but it tends to be achievable for most cardholders based on the average credit card spend in Australia.
Points earn rate on purchases
An important thing to be aware of is that not all earn rates on Qantas credit cards are created equal. Some cards offer more points for certain kinds of spending (not surprisingly, you'll often earn more points for spending with Qantas itself) with a reduced rate on other purchases. You often can’t earn points at all on the likes of BPAY payments and cash advances.
Annual fee
Think of this as the main cost of being able to earn Qantas points on your credit card, although some cards have a separate rewards program fee. All other things being equal, the lower the annual fee, the better. There are even a couple of no annual fee credit cards that offer Qantas points.
Extra cardholder fee
Having an extra cardholder (e.g. a spouse) can help you earn more Qantas points on your credit card, but in some cases there will be a fee per extra card.
Foreign exchange fees
Customers attracted to Qantas points often use their credit card when travelling overseas. If that’s you, consider the card’s foreign exchange fee which applies to international spending (including purchases made in Australia from overseas merchants). CommBank and Bankwest both offer Qantas credit cards with no international transaction fees.
Extra perks
Most Qantas cards offer other credit card rewards, including complimentary credit card travel insurance, discounts at partner retailers, airlines, restaurants and hotels, travel or flight vouchers, or even cash back to your credit card. There are also some Qantas credit cards that will get into an airport lounge for free a couple of times per year.
Traps to avoid when earning credit card Qantas points
Credit cards are notorious for offering incentives that reward you for spending. If this is money you would be spending anyway, this can work out well for you. But there is a risk you can end up with a lot of Qantas points but also expensive credit card debt. Below are some tips to consider to help you use your card responsibly, while also maximising your Qantas points.
1
Don’t change your (good) spending habits to chase Qantas points
It can be remarkably easy to convince ourselves that spending more money is justified “because I’ll get points”.
The trouble is, the points you earn rarely make up for the extra money you spend. In fact, in some cases you’ll need to spend yet more money while redeeming your points, as points + pay is sometimes required.
If you’re looking for a Qantas credit card, consider a card that’s a good match for your current good spending habits (some rewards cards offer higher points for shopping at certain retailers you may already use).
2
Don’t go nuts with international spending to boost your Qantas credit card points
Have you ever noticed how some Qantas credit cards offer a higher earn rate on international spending? Sounds great, but what you also need to be aware of is there will likely be a foreign exchange fee added to the cost of those purchases.
This is usually 2-3% and in many cases will comfortably cancel out the benefit you get from the extra points. If you spend overseas a lot, a credit card with no FX fees will likely save you money.
3
Watch for point-earning limits
You need to pay very close attention to the caps and earn limits that apply to cards you’re considering. Some providers are introducing tighter limits on how many Qantas points you can earn at the highest rate.
These caps are usually fairly generous and most average spenders won’t get near them, but you still need to be aware of what you’ll actually be getting beyond the headline offer card providers advertise.
How I maximise my Qantas credit card points
Sean Callery, Editor
My wife and I have a Westpac Altitude Qantas Platinum Credit Card and use it for most of our spending. Our strategy is to keep as much of our cash savings in our home loan offset account and then use that money to clear the credit card in full each month. We save on home loan interest and usually earn enough Qantas points to pay for something worth a few hundred dollars once a year. We usually do this when the Qantas store has a sale on.
Sean Callery, Editor
What’s the best way to redeem Qantas credit card points?
The conventional wisdom is that paying for travel (i.e. booking flights) is the best way to use Qantas points. It is an airline after all.
But while this is broadly true (at least if you’re looking at the equivalent $ value of your points), it is only a useful rule of thumb if you actually need to book a flight with Qantas or a partner airline.
Another way of looking at it is that the best way to use your Qantas credit card points will be to pay for something you actually need and would be spending cash on anyway. You can convert Qantas points into a gift card for most major retailers, for example.
That way, you will definitely be saving yourself money and getting value from those points. You can always then use the money you’ve saved to pay for the flight or wine, or whatever else Qantas is advertising via its store.
Is a credit card from Qantas itself better than a card from another provider?
Qantas has a range of its own credit cards offering points in return for spending. But these cards are no different to Qantas point-earning cards offered by any other provider when it comes to the features and costs that may apply.
In fact, Qantas’s credit cards are issued by major bank NAB. Qantas simply rebrands these cards and sells them through its Qantas Money business.
You should assess all credit cards that earn Qantas points (whether Qantas-branded or otherwise) using the same overall criteria before deciding which one is a good match for you.
