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 every part: you may select from fundamental, no-frills choices to playing cards that dish out huge factors and large 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 quicker.
Or, should you’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 simple by summarising the options of every card proper right here. You may 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 August 2023
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 80,000 bonus Qantas Factors
With the Qantas Premier Platinum Credit score Card, you’ll stand up to 80,000 bonus Qantas Factors – 60,000 if you apply by 29 November 2023, and spend $3,000 or extra on eligible purchases inside 3 months from card approval, plus an extra 20,000 should you haven’t earned Qantas Factors with a bank card within the final 12 months. Their rewards program is strong too, supplying 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 if you purchase chosen Qantas services. This card has another good perks, like a concierge service, discounted flights for as much as 8 companions, lounge entry and a decreased annual charge for the primary 12 months, plus 0% p.a. on stability transfers for 12 months.
American Categorical Qantas Enterprise Rewards Card – 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors
Should you’ve acquired a enterprise and also you’re in search of alternatives to earn essentially the most of your transactions, you need to make the most of this huge welcome supply of 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors from the American Categorical Qantas Enterprise Rewards Card. Obtain 100,000 bonus Qantas Factors if you apply, are authorized and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in your Card within the first 2 months from approval. Get pleasure from TRIPLE Qantas Factors for your online business on eligible Qantas flights and a couple of Qantas Factors on Qantas services. It is a cost card with no pre-set spending restrict which ensures better cost flexibility. Gives two new thrilling advantages – as much as $200 again with Dell Applied sciences plus a complimentary 12-month digital subscription to The Australian Premium.
Qantas American Categorical Final – As much as 60,000 bonus Qantas Factors plus $450 Qantas Journey Credit score
The Qantas American Categorical Final Credit score Card is a premium card that serves up a great deal of journey advantages and factors. New cardholders might obtain as much as 60,000 bonus Qantas Factors if you apply on-line, are authorized, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in your new Card inside the first 3 months. 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 with no factors capping. Annually you’ll obtain a $450 Qantas Journey Credit score for eligible home or worldwide Qantas flights when booked by means of American Categorical Journey, which compensates for the $450 annual charge.
NAB Qantas Rewards Signature Credit score Card – As much as 120,000 bonus Qantas Factors
The NAB Qantas Rewards Signature Credit score Card dishes out some good rewards and a decreased annual charge of $295 for the primary 12 months. You may stand up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Factors as a brand new applicant, with a couple of situations: you’ll unlock 90,000 factors if you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases inside 60 days, and one other 30,000 should you maintain the cardboard for 12 months. The earn fee is first rate too, at 1 Qantas level per $1 spent as much as $5,000 per thirty days, after which 0.5 Qantas Factors per $1 as much as $20,000. This card additionally comes with free journey insurance coverage for abroad and home journey (situations apply), and concierge companies.
Discovering the Greatest Credit score Card Gives on Frequent Flyer Playing cards
Frequent flyer factors (and the redemption applications they’re hooked up to) could be a complicated world to dive into, however they’re additionally among the greatest perks a bank card can supply.
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 methods to discover your greatest card? We’ve acquired you lined. Under is a simple information on frequent flyer factors, how they work, and methods to discover the bank card that’ll provide the most bang to your buck.
When you’re prepared to match, you may take a look at our record of the highest frequent flyer bank cards for this month, or use our comparability software to type frequent flyer playing cards by completely different options, and examine what number of factors you would possibly earn in a 12 months based mostly in your regular spending habits.
Step 1: Issues to look out for when evaluating frequent flyer bank cards:
- The frequent flyer program it’s hooked up 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 fee (factors you earn per greenback spent)
- Caps on the factors you may earn
- Annual charges
- Different bonus options of the cardboard
Let’s check out some intimately.
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 fulfill the eligibility standards to get your factors, which normally means spending a minimal quantity in your card inside a sure timeframe. Examine the quantity required and ensure you can meet it – it’s usually within the neighborhood of $3,000 spent inside 90 days of approval, however could be kind of.
What number of factors you can earn
Rewards factors are handed out for the {dollars} you spend on eligible purchases. Some issues received’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 received’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. Examine the cardboard’s PDS and the TMD to verify.
We clarify all about stability switch bank cards in our information to utilizing stability transfers to assist pay down debt.
The quantity of factors you may earn will depend on a couple of issues:
- The earn fee. That’s what number of factors per $1 you spend. 1 frequent flyer level per greenback is pretty normal, though some playing cards supply 0.5 or 0.75 factors per $1.
- Tiered factors. Generally the earn fee modifications 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 certain quantity 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 getting merchandise by means of an affiliate enterprise or airline.
- Factors caps. Some playing cards put a restrict on the quantity of frequent flyer factors you may earn in a 12 months (for example, 100,000 factors yearly). Nevertheless, in some instances, factors which are earned for purchases made with specific companies are uncapped factors and don’t rely in direction of your whole factors rely. So you can earn, for instance, 125,000 factors in a 12 months even when the cap is 100,000, as a result of 25,000 have been earned from uncapped purchases at sure shops.
- Membership standing. Relying on the cardboard, chances are 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 additional checked baggage, flight upgrades and lounge entry.
To take advantage of factors out of your spending, you may take into consideration how a lot you spend in your card every month, and select a proposal with uncapped factors or the next spending tier so that you don’t lose out on precious rewards by hitting the factors incomes restrict.
Additionally, contemplate the stuff you purchase usually. Should you use your card for grocery store spending, search for a card with one of the best earn fee on these purchases. Or, should you use your card for journey, discover a card that rewards spending on flights, lodging and automotive leases.
Annual charges and ongoing prices (and the trifecta candy spot)
The balancing act of discovering an ideal frequent flyer card for you is weighing up the annual charge, the earn fee and the introductory supply.
Tremendous helpful tips about annual charges:
- A card with an enormous introductory supply is more likely to have the next earn fee, but in addition the next annual charge.
- A card with a average introductory supply will normally have a decrease earn fee, and a decrease annual charge to swimsuit.
Discovering a card that hits your trifecta candy spot means trying on the worth you’ll get from the frequent flyer rewards, and deciding if it outweighs the annual charge.
For instance, should you earned 45,000 factors per 12 months on a Qantas frequent flyer bank card that supplied 1 level per $1 spent, and had an annual charge of $350, you would need to weigh up in case your factors earn was well worth the barely greater yearly charge.
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 another perks the cardboard gives like free journey insurance coverage, the cardboard may go out properly in your favour even with the next annual charge.
And naturally, that instance doesn’t embody any bonus supply factors if you join.
On that time, some playing cards supply decreased annual charges for the primary 12 months, or decrease ongoing annual charges should you spend a minimal quantity per 12 months. Examine for the most recent frequent flyer bank card annual charge offers utilizing the ‘annual charge’ toggle on our one-click comparability software.
The curiosity you’ll be charged
Once 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 intervals the cardboard gives, you’ll need to pay curiosity on the stability.
It’s additionally known as the acquisition fee, and frequent flyer bank cards are likely to have greater buy charges as a result of they’re a high-value card.
Examine the acquisition fee and ensure you’re assured you may carry on prime of your repayments so that you’re not slugged with excessive curiosity prices, 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 should you don’t use your card for a specified period of time. It’s usually simple to maintain your account energetic since you’ll be incomes factors each time you spend in your card.
| Frequent Flyer program | Factors expiry coverage | Easy methods to preserve factors energetic |
|---|---|---|
| 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 might be misplaced if all playing cards related to this system are cancelled |
|
All the time examine the effective print of the frequent flyer program for expiration insurance policies, and any conditions the place they could cancel the rewards program.
Step 2: Unpacking one of the best frequent flyer program for you
Every frequent flyer bank card is linked to a particular frequent flyer program that you could redeem the factors by means of.
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. Nevertheless, you should still use your frequent flyer factors for different airways inside 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
Once you apply for a bank card hooked up to a frequent flyer program, you’ll must grow to be a member to start out incomes and spending factors.
Most applications are free to affix, or provide you with alternative to affix at no cost by means of different partnerships.
For instance, becoming a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer normally prices $99.50, however some bank cards supply free membership, or you may be a part of through your Woolworths On a regular basis Rewards card.
Earlier than you apply, it’s a good suggestion to examine 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 supply direct switch, others switch factors on the finish of every month, whereas others solely supply 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 may increasingly imply utilizing your card with sure companions inside the journey business, comparable to inns and automotive 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 an ideal thought to examine the frequent flyer program and its retailer, so can select one that provides the stuff you need (and, it’s extra enjoyable if you’ve already chosen the reward you wish to get at no cost!).
Sometimes, you need to use frequent flyer factors for:
- Journey. That features flights, upgrades, inns and lodging, and automotive rental.
- Procuring. Go to this system’s on-line rewards retailer to search out and redeem your factors at standard shops.
- Reward playing cards. You may redeem frequent flyer factors for present playing cards, however sometimes you’ll get extra worth utilizing them for journey.
- Enjoyable eating extras. Some applications supply 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 value of the acquisition, many playing cards supply points-and-pay, the place you may pay money to cowl any shortfalls in your factors.
Step 3: Trying out your card’s different options
Many bank cards supply a bunch of different options apart from 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 (may very well 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 will help offset the upper annual charge, particularly should you like to journey, dine and luxuriate in social occasions.
Should you’re after factors to spend on retail, you would possibly wish to have a look at one of the 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 huge 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 charge for the primary 12 months, or should you hit a minimal spend yearly.
There are additionally cashback or journey credit on supply, 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 supply 0% curiosity on stability transfers, which is the place you progress the debt from a bank card to 1 that received’t cost curiosity for a sure timeframe.
Earlier than you ask, you received’t earn factors if you switch a stability. Which implies combining a stability switch (the place the purpose is to repay debt) with a card that’s about incomes rewards on huge spending is probably not one of the best mixture.
Should you’re eager to get forward of your bank card stability, use our one-click comparability software to discover a stability switch card that may assist you 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 received’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 received’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 price the identical quantity?
No, every frequent flyer program has their very own worth system. For instance, a $100 Bunnings present voucher will value 23,170 Qantas Factors, or 21,800 Velocity Factors.
If you wish to get essentially the most out of your factors, you may search the completely different rewards applications and select the one with the higher factors redemption on stuff you’re probably to purchase.
Can I add extra cardholders?
Including members of the family to the account is an efficient approach to bump up your factors earnings quicker, however not all playing cards permit extra cardholders, and a few make you pay.
The extra cardholder charge may be minimal, like $10 per 12 months, however may additionally require a charge to affix the membership program.
All the time examine the phrases for including additional 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 which frequent flyer program you wish to be a part of, you may examine the playing cards hooked up to your program through the use of our one-click comparability software:
Evaluate all Qantas Frequent Flyer bank cards.
Evaluate all Velocity Frequent Flyer bank cards.
Or, you may 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 unsure, you may examine all bank cards providing frequent flyer factors and click on every card to learn its professionals and cons.
Can I earn factors on authorities funds, like my ATO invoice?
Most bank cards don’t supply factors on authorities transactions, and those who do are most frequently enterprise bank cards. Nevertheless, some American Categorical frequent flyer playing cards supply factors on funds to authorities our bodies.
As at all times, examine the cardboard’s particulars to search out out.