Frequent flyer bank cards reward you with free flights, upgrades and different journey perks only for doing all your on a regular basis spending. There’s a card for the whole lot: you’ll be able to select from fundamental, no-frills choices to playing cards that dish out large factors and massive options.
Loads of frequent flyer bank cards include epic sign-up bonus factors to kickstart your rewards stash, and a few have stability switch options if you wish to shift your debt to a brand new card for 0% curiosity and to pay it off sooner.
Or, if you happen to’re simply saying “present me the factors!“, search for bank cards that pay out the best variety of frequent flyer factors for each greenback you spend.
We’ve made it straightforward by summarising the options of every card proper right here. You possibly can click on the cardboard to see the cardboard’s full particulars on the financial institution’s web site, and apply from there too.
Right here’s the highest frequent flyer bank cards for June 2024
Try our prime frequent flyer offers for this month. Click on ‘go to supply’ for a full rundown of the cardboard’s options, and to use.
Qantas Premier Platinum Credit score Card – as much as 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors
With the Qantas Premier Platinum Credit score Card, you’ll stand up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors – 70,000 while you apply and spend $3,000 or extra on eligible purchases inside 3 months from card approval, plus an extra 30,000 if you happen to haven’t earned Qantas Factors with a bank card within the final 12 months. Their rewards program is stable too, providing you with 1.5 factors per $1 spent on worldwide purchases, 1 level for home spending (as much as $10,000 per assertion interval, then reverts to 0.5 factors) and a bonus level while you purchase chosen Qantas services and products. This card has another good perks, like a concierge service, discounted flights for as much as 8 companions, lounge entry and a lowered annual price for the primary 12 months, plus 0% p.a. on stability transfers for 12 months with a 2% stability switch price.
Qantas American Categorical Final – as much as 90,000 bonus Qantas Factors plus $450 Qantas Journey Credit score
The Qantas American Categorical Final Credit score Card is a premium card that gives a great deal of journey advantages and factors. New cardholders might obtain as much as 90,000 bonus Qantas Factors. That’s 70,000 bonus Qantas Factors while you apply on-line by 3 September 2024, are authorised, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in your new Card throughout the first 3 months. Plus, an extra 20,000 bonus Qantas Factors in your second 12 months upon price renewal. Earn as much as 1.25 Qantas Factors on on a regular basis purchases, 0.5 Qantas Factors on authorities spend, and an extra 1 level per $1 on eligible Qantas services and products with no factors capping. Every year you’ll obtain a $450 Qantas Journey Credit score for eligible home or worldwide Qantas flights when booked via American Categorical Journey, which compensates for the $450 annual price.
Qantas Premier On a regular basis Credit score Card – as much as 8,000 bonus Qantas Factors
The Qantas Premier On a regular basis Credit score Card gives a variety of advantages. For the primary 4 months from card approval, cardholders can earn 2 bonus Qantas Factors per $1 spent on eligible purchases, on prime of the usual earn charges. This permits for a most of 8,000 bonus Qantas Factors while you apply at present and get authorised. The cardboard includes a low annual price, complimentary worldwide journey insurance coverage, and a 0% p.a. rate of interest on stability transfers for 12 months with 2% stability switch price.
ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum Credit score Card – 75,000 bonus Qantas Factors and $100 again
ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum Credit score Card gives loads of platinum perks plus, a really interesting introductory provide of 75,000 bonus Qantas Factors and $100 again to your card while you spend $2,500 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from approval. This card helps you to earn Qantas Factors as you store – 0.75 Qantas Factors per $1 spent on eligible purchases as much as $3,000 per assertion interval, then 0.5 Qantas Factors per $1 spent on eligible purchases above $3,000 per assertion interval. On prime of that, get pleasure from platinum advantages together with complimentary Worldwide and Home Journey Insurance coverage, Buy Safety Insurance coverage, Prolonged Guarantee Insurance coverage, and eligibility for Visa Affords + Perks.
American Categorical Qantas Enterprise Rewards Card – 170,000 bonus Qantas Factors
Should you’ve bought a enterprise and also you’re searching for alternatives to earn essentially the most of your transactions, you need to benefit from this large welcome provide of 170,000 bonus Qantas Factors from the American Categorical Qantas Enterprise Rewards Card. Obtain 170,000 bonus Qantas Factors while you apply by 25 June 2024, are authorised, and spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in your Card within the first 3 months from approval. Take pleasure in TRIPLE Qantas Factors for your enterprise on eligible Qantas flights and a pair of Qantas Factors on Qantas services and products. It is a cost card with no pre-set spending restrict which ensures larger cost flexibility. Affords two new thrilling advantages – as much as $200 again with Dell Applied sciences.
ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Credit score Card – As much as 130,000 bonus Qantas Factors and $250 again
A high-earning rewards card – ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Credit score Card gives as much as 130,000 bonus Qantas Factors – 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors and $250 again to your new card while you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from approval plus 30,000 bonus Qantas Factors while you hold your card for a 12 months. Earn 1 Qantas Level per $1 spent as much as $7,500 per assertion interval, then 0.5 Qantas Factors per $1 spent above $7,500 per assertion interval, uncapped. Take pleasure in its glorious choice of options together with, complimentary Qantas Frequent Flyer membership, yearly Qantas Membership lounge invites, and journey insurance coverage covers.
Discovering the Finest Credit score Card Affords on Frequent Flyer Playing cards
Frequent flyer factors (and the redemption applications they’re connected to) generally is a complicated world to dive into, however they’re additionally a number of the finest perks a bank card can provide.
You’ll earn rewards factors only for doing all your day-to-day spending, and convert these factors into journey freebies and privileges, and even retail merchandise.
Now certain easy methods to discover your finest card? We’ve bought you coated. Under is a simple information on frequent flyer factors, how they work, and easy methods to discover the bank card that’ll provide the most bang to your buck.
Step 1: Issues to look out for when evaluating frequent flyer bank cards:
- The frequent flyer program it’s connected to
- Whether or not the factors could be transferred to different frequent flyer applications
- Introductory bonus factors you get for signing up
- Any expiration dates in your factors
- The earn price (factors you earn per greenback spent)
- Caps on the factors you’ll be able to earn
- Annual charges
- Different bonus options of the cardboard
Introductory Bonus Factors
Some frequent flyer playing cards provide you with bonus rewards factors on sign-up, as much as the tune of 120,000 factors (or much more).
However there’s a small catch – you’ll want to satisfy the eligibility standards to get your factors, which normally means spending a minimal quantity in your card inside a sure timeframe.
Verify the quantity required and be sure you can meet it – it’s typically within the neighborhood of $3,000 spent inside 90 days of approval, however could be roughly.
What number of factors you could possibly earn
Rewards factors are handed out for the {dollars} you spend on eligible purchases. Some issues gained’t earn rewards factors, like Bpay transactions, money advances (the place you withdraw cash out of your bank card) and a few authorities funds.
Most occasions, rewards additionally gained’t apply on stability transfers, the place you progress your stability remaining from one bank card to a brand new one which has 0% or low curiosity utilized to the transferred quantity. Verify the cardboard’s PDS and the TMD to verify.
The quantity of factors you’ll be able to earn is dependent upon a couple of issues:
- The earn price. That’s what number of factors per $1 you spend. 1 frequent flyer level per greenback is pretty normal, though some playing cards provide 0.5 or 0.75 factors per $1.
- Tiered factors. Typically the earn price adjustments relying on what you purchase and the place. As an illustration, a card would possibly pay 1 level per $1 for eligible purchases as much as a specific amount per thirty days, after which it drops to 0.5 factors per $1 after that. You would possibly earn extra factors for worldwide purchases, or for purchasing merchandise via an affiliate enterprise or airline.
- Factors caps. Some playing cards put a restrict on the quantity of frequent flyer factors you’ll be able to earn in a 12 months (for example, 100,000 factors yearly). Nonetheless, in some circumstances, factors which might be earned for purchases made with explicit companies are uncapped factors and don’t depend in the direction of your complete factors depend. So you could possibly earn, for instance, 125,000 factors in a 12 months even when the cap is 100,000, as a result of 25,000 had been earned from uncapped purchases at sure shops.
- Membership standing. Relying on the cardboard, it’s possible you’ll earn standing factors along with your spending that transfer you up into extra prestigious tiers, probably providing extra factors per $1, and unlocking extra journey options like further checked baggage, flight upgrades and lounge entry.
To take advantage of factors out of your spending, you’ll be able to take into consideration how a lot you spend in your card every month, and select a proposal with uncapped factors or a better spending tier so that you don’t lose out on precious rewards by hitting the factors incomes restrict.
Additionally, contemplate the stuff you purchase typically. 🛒 Should you use your card for grocery store spending, search for a card with the very best earn price on these purchases. ✈️ Or, if you happen to use your card for journey, discover a card that rewards spending on flights, lodging and automobile leases.
Annual charges and ongoing prices (and the trifecta candy spot)
The balancing act of discovering a terrific frequent flyer card for you is weighing up the annual price, the earn price and the introductory provide.
Tremendous useful tips about annual charges:
- A card with an enormous introductory provide is prone to have a better earn price, but additionally a better annual price.
- A card with a reasonable introductory provide will normally have a decrease earn price, and a decrease annual price to swimsuit.
Discovering a card that hits your trifecta candy spot means wanting on the worth you’ll get from the frequent flyer rewards, and deciding if it outweighs the annual price.
For instance, if you happen to earned 45,000 factors per 12 months on a Qantas frequent flyer bank card that provided 1 level per $1 spent, and had an annual price of $350, you would need to weigh up in case your factors earn was well worth the barely larger yearly price.
Contemplating 36,000 factors can get you to Christchurch and again from Sydney utilizing Qantas factors (plus any regular taxes and airline charges), and including in some other perks the cardboard gives like free journey insurance coverage, the cardboard may match out properly in your favour even with a better annual price.
And naturally, that instance doesn’t embody any bonus provide factors while you enroll.
On that time, some playing cards provide lowered annual charges for the primary 12 months, or decrease ongoing annual charges if you happen to spend a minimal quantity per 12 months. Verify for the most recent frequent flyer bank card annual price offers utilizing the ‘annual price’ toggle on our one-click comparability device.
The curiosity you’ll be charged
Whenever you use your bank card and don’t repay the stability (the quantity you owe) earlier than the due date or inside any interest-free durations the cardboard gives, you’ll need to pay curiosity on the stability.
It’s additionally referred to as the acquisition price, and frequent flyer bank cards are likely to have larger buy charges as a result of they’re a high-value card.
Verify the acquisition price and be sure you’re assured you’ll be able to carry on prime of your repayments so that you’re not slugged with excessive curiosity fees, as a result of that may scale back the worth of your journey rewards.
Expiration dates on frequent flyer factors
Some frequent flyer factors by no means expire, however some expire inside a sure timeframe, or if you happen to don’t use your card for a specified period of time. It’s typically straightforward to maintain your account lively since you’ll be incomes factors each time you spend in your card.
| Frequent Flyer program | Factors expiry coverage | How you can hold factors lively |
|---|---|---|
| Velocity Factors | Sure, after 24 months of inactivity |
|
| Qantas Factors | Sure, after 18 months of inactivity in your account |
|
| American Categorical Journey Factors | No expiry, however factors will probably be misplaced if all playing cards linked to this system are cancelled |
|
At all times test the high quality print of the frequent flyer program for expiration insurance policies, and any conditions the place they could cancel the rewards program.
Step 2: Unpacking the very best frequent flyer program for you
Every frequent flyer bank card is linked to a selected frequent flyer program which you can redeem the factors via.
Right here’s a snapshot of the frequent flyer applications out there that cowl Australian and worldwide airways:
- Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Virgin – Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer
- Singapore – Airways Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Cathay Pacific – Marco Polo Membership
- Etihad – Etihad Visitor
- Emirates – Skywards
- Malaysia Airways – Enrich
- British Airways – British Airways Government Membership
- American Airways – AAdvantage Frequent Flyer
- United – Mileage Plus
As you’re evaluating playing cards, you’ll discover most hyperlink up with Qantas Frequent Flyer, Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer or American Categorical applications. Nonetheless, you should still use your frequent flyer factors for different airways throughout the identical community, like Singapore Airways Krisflyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Air New Zealand Airpoints, Emirates Skywards and Etihad Visitor.
Becoming a member of a frequent flyer program
Whenever you apply for a bank card connected to a frequent flyer program, you’ll must grow to be a member to begin incomes and spending factors.
Most applications are free to hitch, or provide you with alternative to hitch totally free via different partnerships.
For instance, becoming a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer normally prices $99.50, however some bank cards provide free membership, or you’ll be able to be part of by way of your Woolworths On a regular basis Rewards card.
Earlier than you apply, it’s a good suggestion to test the small print on the cardboard to learn how and when the factors you earn are transferred to your frequent flyer account. Some playing cards provide direct switch, others switch factors on the finish of every month, whereas others solely provide handbook switch on the cardholder’s request – with a minimal switch quantity required.
Try how one can maximise your points-earning potential in your chosen card. This will likely imply utilizing your card with sure companions throughout the journey trade, similar to lodges and automobile rent firms, or with sure retailers.
Sure, it’s a bit tedious, however studying a bit about your frequent flyer card can actually give your factors incomes a lift.
What are you able to redeem frequent flyer factors on?
It’s a terrific concept to test the frequent flyer program and its retailer, so can select one that gives the stuff you need (and, it’s extra enjoyable while you’ve already chosen the reward you need to get totally free!).
Sometimes, you need to use frequent flyer factors for:
- Journey. That features flights, upgrades, lodges and lodging, and automobile rental.
- Procuring. Go to this system’s on-line rewards retailer to seek out and redeem your factors at common shops.
- Reward playing cards. You possibly can redeem frequent flyer factors for reward playing cards, however sometimes you’ll get extra worth utilizing them for journey.
- Enjoyable eating extras. Some applications provide freebies and reductions on eating. For instance, Qantas Factors could be redeemed on Qantas wine.
Should you don’t have sufficient factors to cowl the whole price of the acquisition, many playing cards provide points-and-pay, the place you’ll be able to pay money to cowl any shortfalls in your factors.
Step 3: Testing your card’s different options
Many bank cards provide a bunch of different options in addition to rewards factors, and frequent flyer playing cards – particularly the fancier, costlier ones – are sometimes choc-full of them.
Options you would possibly discover on a frequent flyer bank card:
- Complimentary journey insurance coverage (could possibly be home, worldwide, or each)
- Airport lounge entry
- Airport transfers
- Journey credit score
- Concierge companies
- Reductions with partnering companies
- Cashback gives
- VIP entry to occasions
All the additional ‘dazzle’ on a card may help offset the upper annual price, particularly if you happen to like to journey, dine and luxuriate in social occasions.
Should you’re after factors to spend on retail, you would possibly need to have a look at the very best rewards-earning bank cards, that are linked to financial institution rewards applications (not particular frequent flyer memberships) and have decrease annual charges.
Different gives to look out for
Introductory gives are one large advantage of frequent flyer bank cards, however you too can search for reductions on annual charges and any cashback gives.
Some playing cards waive the annual price for the primary 12 months, or if you happen to hit a minimal spend yearly.
There are additionally cashback or journey credit on provide, the place you’ll have a nominal quantity paid again to your account, or earn a journey voucher to spend annually. Each options assist offset any ongoing charges on the cardboard.
Some lenders provide 0% curiosity on stability transfers, which is the place you progress the debt from a bank card to at least one that gained’t cost curiosity for a sure timeframe.
Earlier than you ask, you gained’t earn factors while you switch a stability. Which implies combining a stability switch (the place the aim is to repay debt) with a card that’s about incomes rewards on large spending will not be the very best mixture.
Should you’re eager to get forward of your bank card stability, use our one-click comparability device to discover a stability switch card that may show you how to most.
FAQs
What’s an ‘eligible transaction’ for incomes factors?
An eligible transaction normally means common spending on on a regular basis objects, like groceries, consuming out and reserving tickets (together with flights). Usually, you gained’t earn factors on money advances (the place you withdraw cash out of your bank card) and any balances transferred from a distinct card.
Usually, you gained’t earn factors on authorities transactions both, like paying your charges invoice.
The bank card’s PDS will define which transactions are eligible for incomes factors.
Are all frequent flyer factors value the identical quantity?
No, every frequent flyer program has their very own worth system. For instance, a $100 Bunnings reward voucher will price 23,170 Qantas Factors, or 21,800 Velocity Factors.
If you wish to get essentially the most out of your factors, you’ll be able to search the totally different rewards applications and select the one with the higher factors redemption on stuff you’re most probably to purchase.
Can I add extra cardholders?
Including members of the family to the account is an effective solution to bump up your factors earnings sooner, however not all playing cards permit extra cardholders, and a few make you pay.
The extra cardholder price may be minimal, like $10 per 12 months, however may additionally require a price to hitch the membership program.
At all times test the phrases for including further cardholders to verify it’s not going so as to add ongoing bills that outweigh the advantages.
How do I select my card as soon as I’ve selected my Rewards Program?
If you realize which frequent flyer program you need to be part of, you’ll be able to examine the playing cards connected to your program through the use of our one-click comparability device:
Evaluate all Qantas Frequent Flyer bank cards.
Evaluate all Velocity Frequent Flyer bank cards.
Or, you’ll be able to examine bonus factors for all rewards playing cards, together with non-frequent-flyer applications, on our bonus factors comparability web page.
Should you’re nonetheless undecided, you’ll be able to examine all bank cards providing frequent flyer factors and click on every card to learn its execs and cons.
Can I earn factors on authorities funds, like my ATO invoice?
Most bank cards don’t provide factors on authorities transactions, and people who do are most frequently enterprise bank cards. Nonetheless, some American Categorical frequent flyer playing cards provide factors on funds to authorities our bodies.
As all the time, test the cardboard’s particulars to seek out out.
