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
- 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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How we picked these
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."
Compare a wider range of frequent flyer credit card offers available now.
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If I spend 1 Australian dollar on a Platinum Edge card does it covert to 1 emirates skyward point?
Hi Daniela,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Currently, the conversion for 4 Membership Rewards points is 3 Skywards Miles.
Kindly refer to our guide on earning Emirates Skywards Miles , redeeming and some frequently asked questions about Skywards Miles. You may also revisit the relevant product disclosure statement and terms and conditions to ensure that you got everything covered on your card transactions.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
i live in US, is there a US CC linked to Emirates? I don’t have Amex so can’t really use Amex membership rewards points.
Will this card (Emirates Citi World Mastercard) be a good idea in my case? FYI, I make one trip to South Asia from US once a year by emirates and looking for ways to reduce all future emirates airfare. Skywards miles are NOT easy to earn :(
Thank you!
Hi Mez,
Thanks for your inquiry.
US credit cards partnered and co-branded with Emirates include the following banks; Citibank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, MBNA. A good way to find out whether a particular rewards card is good for you is to calculate the breakeven cost of the card which is the amount you need to spend in order to regain the cost of the annual fee. Please refer to the following link for finding out how to get the most from a frequent flyer credit card.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Hi
I live in the U.S. and work in Saudi Arabia. I have a SABB bank account, is there any Saudi CC that are linked with Emirates
Hi Flyu, thanks for your inquiry!
At this point of time our comparison service for credit cards is on the Australian and U.S. credit card products. You may like to contact Emirates directly to inquire further about the eligibility with Saudi credit cards.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Can I link my credit card to a bank account of another bank, I.e. not Citibank?
Hi Mark, thanks for your inquiry!
Direct debit payments to a credit card of another bank are eligible. The bank account does not have to be from the same bank/ issuer.
Cheers,
Jonathan
I wish to use it for travel purposes. When I use it overseas how is the purchase charged and what are the fees in involved in changing from the international currency into $Aus ?
Hi Lou,
Thanks for your inquiry.
The international currency conversion fee is 3.4% of the transaction value. Please refer to the following link for a list of credit cards with no foreign currency conversion fees.
Cheers,
Jonathan