Is there a credit card that earns Emirates Skywards Miles directly in Australia?

There are currently no Australian credit cards that directly earn Skywards Miles per $1 spent. Previously, the Emirates Citi World Mastercard was the only card directly linked to the program. It earned between 0.5 and 1.5 Skywards Miles per $1 on eligible spending. It also offered Emirates Lounge passes and other perks. But it was taken off the market in 2023.

Do I have to be an Emirates Skywards member to earn Skywards Miles through a credit card?

Yes, you need to be a member and provide your Emirates Skywards membership details before you can earn miles through a credit card. You can join the Emirates Skywards program for free online if you're not already a member.

Will earning Emirates Skywards Miles through a credit card stop my miles from expiring?

No. Emirates Skywards Miles expire 3 years after they are earned, and having a credit card won't change that. But Emirates Skywards may let you request a 12-month extension on your miles or reinstate them after they have expired. So if you're worried about your Skywards Miles expiring, contact Emirates to see what options are available.

Can I get an additional card to earn more Skywards Miles?

Depending on the credit card you choose, you could request an additional cardholder for your account. They would then earn miles on eligible spending, which would be added to your Emirates Skywards account (as the primary cardholder). Note that some cards may charge a yearly additional cardholder fee for this option and you would still be responsible for paying off the balance on your Emirates credit card account.

Can I use my Skywards Miles to redeem flights other than with Emirates?

Yes, you can use your Skywards Miles towards eligible flights with Emirates partner airlines. These include Qantas, Air Mauritius, Alaska Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Copa Airlines, easyJet, Japan Airlines, Jetstar, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, S7 Airlines, South African Airways and TAP Portugal.

Can I transfer my Qantas Points to Emirates?

No, Qantas Frequent Flyer doesn't offer point transfers to other airline loyalty programs. But you can redeem Qantas Points for flights with Emirates, or redeem Emirates Skywards Miles for flights with Qantas as they are partner airlines.

Emirates credit cards: Convert to Skywards Miles

Rewards credit cards from CommBank and Amex let you earn points on your spending and convert them to Skywards Miles, the Emirates loyalty program.
You can convert 5 CommBank Award Points to 1 Skywards Mile, while 4 Amex Membership Rewards Points convert to 1 Skywards Mile.
Compare rewards cards from both providers in the table below. Be sure to compare annual fees, earn rates and bonus points offers.

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Bonus points	Points per $ spent	Purchase rate p.a.	Annual fee
American Express Business Gold Plus Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 250,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $395	Get 250,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to 3 points per $1 spent at Xero, Google Ads, Meta, Amazon Web Services and Dell. New Amex card members only. Ends 03 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Explorer Credit Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 75,000	Points per $ spent 2	23.99%	Annual fee $395	Get 75,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. Ends 03 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Platinum Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 300,000	Points per $ spent 2.25	N/A	Annual fee $1,450	Earn 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months and additional 100,000 points when you meet the same spend requirement in year 2. New American Express card members only. Ends 03 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Platinum Business Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 350,000	Points per $ spent 2.25	N/A	Annual fee $1,750	Limited-time offer: Get 350,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points and an $875 credit when you spend $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. Ends 3 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 30,000	Points per $ spent 1	23.99%	Annual fee $108	Earn 30,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend at least $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 5 of 5 results

How can I earn Emirates Skywards Miles with a credit card?

There are no Australian credit cards that let you earn Emirates Skywards Miles directly. But you can transfer rewards points from American Express Membership Rewards or Commbank Awards credit cards.

Reward point transfer rates

5 CommBank Awards Points = 1 Emirates Skywards Mile
4 American Express Membership Rewards Points = 1 Emirates Skywards Mile

How to transfer credit card points to Emirates Skywards Miles

Each rewards program has its own steps for redeeming points, but it's usually along these lines:

Log in to your credit card rewards program account.
Choose the frequent flyer point transfer option from the selection of rewards (or search for Emirates Skywards Miles).
Confirm the details and follow the prompts to transfer your points.

How to compare Emirates credit cards

With only 2 credit card brands in Australia currently offering point transfers to Skywards Miles, here are some of the key details to think about.

Bonus points offers. Introductory bonus points offers give you a way to get thousands of Skywards Miles on a new card when you meet the requirements. You'll usually need to be a new customer and spend a certain amount on the card in the first few months to be eligible for a bonus offer.
Earn rate. Rewards credit cards typically let you earn between 1 and 2 points for every dollar you spend on the card. The higher the better, but make sure you factor in the conversion to Skywards Miles. If you earned 1 Commbank Awards Point, it converts to one fifth of a Skywards Mile. If you spent $500 on the card you'd earn 100 miles.
Annual fee. Credit cards that offer point transfers to Emirates Skywards Miles typically have annual fees from around $108 to $1,750. Some cards also offer a reduced or $0 annual fee for the first year or for the life of the card. Ideally, the annual fee should cost less than the value you get from Skywards Miles and other perks.
Purchase rates. This is the interest rate you pay on your spending if you don't repay the card balance in full. Rewards credit card interest rates are typically between 19% and 24%.
Benefits and perks. Rewards credit cards often come with single-use lounge passes each year, complimentary international travel insurance, travel discounts and more.

Our expert says: Is an Emirates credit card worth it in Australia?

"If you regularly fly with Emirates, one advantage to getting a credit card that offers Skywards Miles transfers is that you can earn more miles for reward flights. But if you're unlikely to redeem Skywards Miles within the 3-year timeframe before they expire, another option is to consider a Qantas credit card. This would allow you to earn Qantas Points, which you can redeem for flights with Emirates or other partners through the Qantas Frequent Flyer program."

Richard Whitten

Senior Money Editor

Compare a wider range of frequent flyer credit card offers available now.

Frequently asked questions

There are currently no Australian credit cards that directly earn Skywards Miles per $1 spent. Previously, the Emirates Citi World Mastercard was the only card directly linked to the program. It earned between 0.5 and 1.5 Skywards Miles per $1 on eligible spending. It also offered Emirates Lounge passes and other perks. But it was taken off the market in 2023.
No. Emirates Skywards Miles expire 3 years after they are earned, and having a credit card won't change that. But Emirates Skywards may let you request a 12-month extension on your miles or reinstate them after they have expired. So if you're worried about your Skywards Miles expiring, contact Emirates to see what options are available.
Depending on the credit card you choose, you could request an additional cardholder for your account. They would then earn miles on eligible spending, which would be added to your Emirates Skywards account (as the primary cardholder). Note that some cards may charge a yearly additional cardholder fee for this option and you would still be responsible for paying off the balance on your Emirates credit card account.

Sources

Thank you for your feedback!

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Richard Whitten as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Amy Bradney-George

Journalist

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Amy is an experienced journalist with over 16 years of experience, contributing to major publications like Money Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, and ABC News Australia. Specialising in personal finance, she frequently appeared in media outlets and on radio. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Drama from Griffith University and earned RG146 certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products, ensuring her expertise is grounded in current financial regulations. Amy was Finder's Senior Writer for Credit Cards from 2016 to 2024. See full bio

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Amy has written 415 Finder guides across topics including:

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50 Responses

GeeOctober 18, 2016

Hi
Currently have a citi emirates card and would like to change but stay with emirates. The reason i want to change is that the citi card charges 2% on transactions made overseas which is disappointing. Can you recommend another card which does not charge these type of fees.
regards
Gee

Finder

YsaOctober 22, 2016Finder

Hi Gee,

Thanks for reaching out and I’m sorry to hear about your experience.

You may wish to look at our 0% Foreign Fees Credit Cards comparison page to help you decide and find one that suits you. Please take note of the eligibility criteria at the bottom of each credit card’s review page, as each submitted application will appear on your credit history.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Ysa

AJAugust 18, 2016

Hi there

Im a new zealand resident and a loyal customer of the Skywards program. I wish to take advantage of the citibank Emirates credit card benefits. Am i eligible to apply for the card being a new zealand resident?

Cheers

Finder

MaySeptember 2, 2016Finder

Hi AJ,

Thanks for your inquiry.

Unfortunately, only Australian citizens or permanent Australian residents are eligible to apply for the Emirates Citi World MasterCard.

Cheers,
May

TimJuly 22, 2016

Is Emirates/Citi still offering the free 40,000 miles with this credit card?

Finder

MayAugust 2, 2016Finder

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your inquiry.

At the moment, Citibank does not offer bonus mile/points for their Citi Emirates credit card. Currently, they offer up to 10% off on Emirates flights when you use your new Emirates Citi World Card for flights from Australia to select locations and when you book before 31 December 2016.

Cheers,
May

DeniseMarch 18, 2016

As of March 18 2016 Citibank has changed their points structure from $1= 1 mile uncapped to
1 mile = 1 mile up to $3000 spend per month, then .5 point per spend from $3000 to $10000, then no miles earnt after this
as well as
no miles earn on BPay payments.
This is disgraceful, considering that my husband & I pay $299 each for this ‘loyalty program’ and we spent big and loved flying Emirates.
Can you recommend another card which offers the same type of loyalty as Citibank once did, as I will be closing my account down and am sad not be flying with Emirates.

Finder

DebbieMarch 22, 2016Finder

Hi Denise,

Thanks for your inquiry.

We are sorry to hear that. You may refer to our comparison of frequent flyer credit cards. Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Debbie

RossOctober 7, 2015

I am in Australia, other than Citibank is there any other banks which are Cards tied to Emirates?

Finder

SallyOctober 8, 2015Finder

Hi Ross,

Thanks for your question.

No, the Citibank card is the only Australian credit card that currently offers a direct link to the Emirates Skywards frequent flyer program.

You can compare other frequent flyer credit cards and see your options to bonus points offers, flights, upgrades and lounge access.

I hope this has helped.

Thanks,
Sally

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Emirates credit cards in Australia

American Express and Commbank are the only Australian credit card providers that let you convert their reward points to Emirates Skywards Miles.

Key takeaways