Module 3: Point(s) to the future

Want more value from your food shopping? Start earning extra points from your shop.

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Earn points from everything you buy

As part of your 5-minute budget, you already know how much you spend on regular food shopping each week.

The average Australian household pays $184 each week on their supermarket shopping alone, according to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker in June 2024. And we all gotta eat.

So, one way to get more value is by earning points through a credit card.

(Tip: if you already have credit card debt, skip this step but check out balance transfer offers to get any interest charges under control.)

Chances are, earning points is something you already do, as Finder research shows 91% of Australians are signed up to at least 1 loyalty program.

A rewards credit card means you can earn points twice: once through the card and once through your supermarket loyalty program.

The average Australian can get up to $50 in value each month from earning points on regular credit card spending, worth $600 in a year*.

That's based on earning 1 point per $1 spent.

The actual value depends on how you use points, but Finder's points calculator is a quick way to estimate the dollar value.

How to get more from a points credit card

One of the fastest ways to earn points is by getting a new card with an introductory bonus points offer.

As an example, let's take the Qantas Premier Platinum Credit Card.

It currently offers 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.

And another 30,000 bonus points if you haven't earned Qantas Points on a credit card in the past 12 months.

If you got the maximum 80,000 bonus Qantas Points on offer, you'd get between $350 and $8,000 value depending on how you redeemed them.

And as far as the spend requirement goes, it's actually pretty close to what the average person would spend on a credit card in a month ($2,508)!

Wondering about other rewards programs?

Right now, you can get between 30,000 and 200,000 bonus points with a new credit card. A simple way to choose one is by comparing different cards in Finder's table. You can even sort by bonus points, annual fees and other key details before you apply.

What should I look out for with a card?

Annual fees

Rewards credit cards typically have higher annual fees than basic cards.

This yearly cost is something you should consider to help decide if the value of the points you earn will balance out that cost.

You'd typically need to spend between $10,000 and $25,000 to earn enough points for a $100 gift card.

Flight rewards usually offer a much higher value than this. For instance, around 18,600 is enough for a business class flight on Qantas between Sydney and Melbourne, which has a retail value of around $750.

Some cards also offer lounge passes, travel credit or other perks you can factor in.

Interest

You can usually avoid interest charges for your everyday spending by paying off the total amount listed on your credit card statement.

But if you don't pay it all off or miss the due date, interest will be added to your balance.

The average credit card interest rate in Australia as of June 2024 is 20.16% and it can be higher for a rewards card.

So paying interest could quickly outweigh the value of earning points.

Keeping vs switching cards

Some people regularly switch cards to make the most of bonus point offers.

But it can hurt your credit score if you do it too often.

As a basic guide, checking your credit score and waiting around 12–18 months before switching can help minimise the impact.

So if you're not getting much value from your credit card after the first year, it might be time to see what other offers are out there.

Compare rewards credit cards

1 - 10 of 102
Name Bonus points Points per $ spent Purchase rate p.a. Annual fee
ANZ Rewards Black Credit Card
ANZ Rewards Black Credit Card image
Finder Award
ANZ Rewards Program
Bonus points
180,000
Points per $ spent
2
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$375
Go to siteMore Info
Get 180,000 bonus ANZ Reward Points (worth $800+ in digital gift cards) and $150 back when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.
Westpac Altitude Qantas Black
Westpac Altitude Qantas Black image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
120,000
Points per $ spent
0.75
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$370
Go to siteMore Info
Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points (90,000 points in year 1 when you spend $6,000 in the first 120 days & 30,000 points after the first spend in year 2).
Qantas Premier Platinum
Qantas Premier Platinum image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
80,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$349 first year ($399 after)
Go to siteMore Info
Earn up to 80,000 bonus Qantas Points. Plus, save with a reduced first-year annual fee and 0% p.a. for 12 months on balance transfers, with a 2% BT fee.
Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard
Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard image
Flybuys
Bonus points
10,000
Points per $ spent
0.5
Purchase rate p.a.
20.74%
Annual fee
$0
Go to siteMore Info
Get 10,000 bonus Flybuys points (worth $50 Flybuys dollars) when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
1.25
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$450
Go to siteMore Info
Get a yearly $450 Travel Credit and 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
NAB Rewards Platinum Card – Velocity Points
NAB Rewards Platinum Card – Velocity Points image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
80,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$95 first year ($195 after)
Go to siteMore Info
Get up to 80,000 bonus Velocity Points: 60,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 60 days and 20,000 after 12 months.
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card image
Membership Rewards
Bonus points
40,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$108
Go to siteMore Info
Offers 40,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend at least $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months.
ANZ Rewards Platinum
ANZ Rewards Platinum image
ANZ Rewards Program
Bonus points
100,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$149
Go to siteMore Info
Get 100,000 bonus ANZ Reward Points (worth $440 in eGift cards) and $50 back when you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
NAB Rewards Platinum Card
NAB Rewards Platinum Card image
NAB Rewards
Bonus points
100,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$45 first year ($195 after)
Go to siteMore Info
Get up to 100,000 bonus NAB Rewards Points (worth $480 in eGift cards): 80,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 60 days and 20,000 after 12 months.
Qantas Premier Everyday
Qantas Premier Everyday image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
8,000
Points per $ spent
0.75
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$99
Go to siteMore Info
Get 2 bonus Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases in the first 4 months (up to 8,000 points), plus complimentary insurance.
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Showing 10 of 22 results
Module 3 quiz

*Based on average monthly credit card spend of $2,508, and Finder's Points to Dollar calculator for Qantas Frequent Flyer

Sarah Megginson's headshot
Head of editorial

As an authority on all things personal finance, Sarah Megginson is passionate about helping you save money and make money. She is an editor and money expert with 20 years’ experience and an extensive background in property and finance journalism. Sarah holds ASIC RG146-compliant Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, and she's a regular media commentator, appearing weekly on TV (Sunrise, Channel 7 news, Nine news), radio (KIIS FM, Triple M, 3AW, 2GB, 6PR) and in digital and print media. See full bio

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Sarah has written 191 Finder guides across topics including:
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