A limited selection of frequent flyer cards offer no annual fee for life, including the Qantas American Express Discovery and the BankVic Qantas Visa. With these cards, you won't pay an annual fee at all.
Some frequent flyer credit cards waive the annual fee in the first year only. After 12 months you have to pay the annual fee each year.
It's still a nice discount. And you could cancel the card before the 12 months is up if you don't want to pay the fee.
The higher a credit card's annual fee, the more bonus points, features and perks you can get. So while you pay more for some cards, the high fee cards offer more value.
If you use them.
If you don't take advantage of perks like lounge passes and complimentary travel insurance, and if you don't meet the spend criteria to get the bonus points, you're paying a big annual fee for nothing.
"You don't get bonus points offers with no annual fee frequent flyer credit cards. So you can't earn 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you sign up. But you do earn points on spending. So look closely at the earn rate. 1 point per dollar spent is a good rate. No fee cards often have lower earn rates, but there's no fee. It's still a cheap way to earn points. "
Bonus points sign up offers are the best way to earn stacks of points upfront. The only problem with 'no annual fee' Qantas and Velocity cards is that they don't have bonus points. So, you have to figure out how many points you can earn on your spending.
You should be able to redeem a short-haul reward flight like Brisbane to Sydney for as little as 5,700 points via a Qantas codeshare with Jetstar. The same route is 9,200 points with Qantas, or 5,900 with Velocity. Taxes and fees are charged on top.
You want to accumulate 6,000 points for one of the cheaper redemptions just mentioned.
Weigh up these features when you’re looking for a credit card that earns frequent flyer points and has no annual fee.
Not looking for a frequent flyer card? There are plenty of other credit cards with no annual fee.
The Finder Score is an easy way you can figure out which frequent flyer credit cards are worth the trip, and which ones aren't worth getting out of bed for.
Here's how the score works:
In the frequent flyer category we only consider credit cards that:
Scores are category-specific. So one credit card could receive a score of 9 in the balance transfer category but a score of 8 in the frequent flyer category.
The Finder Score methodology is designed by our insights and editorial team. Commercial partners carry no weight, and all products are reviewed objectively.
Keep in mind there is no best for everyone, and we encourage you to consider your own financial circumstances when making a financial decision.
| Feature | Definition | Assessment | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earn Rate | Points earned for every dollar spent on eligible purchases | Points awarded per dollar (up to 1.5) | 28% |
| Sign-Up Points | Bonus points earned for signing up and meeting spending requirements | Total bonus points offered (up to 150,000) | 25% |
| Purchase Rate | Interest rate on new purchases | Lower rates receive higher scores (up to 23.99% max) | 10% |
| Lounge Pass | Access to airport lounges | Complimentary annual passes receive full score | 10% |
| Foreign Exchange Fee | Fee on overseas transactions | Lower fees receive higher scores (0% fee scores highest) | 5% |
| Earn Rate Cap | Maximum points earned in a billing cycle before a lower earn rate applies | Higher caps or no cap receive higher scores (up to 10,000 points max) | 5% |
| First-Year Fee | Fee charged for the first year of card ownership | Lower fees receive higher scores ($0 fee scores highest) | 15% |
| Ongoing Annual Fee | Fee charged from the second year onwards | Lower fees receive higher scores ($0 fee scores highest) | 10% |
Earn KrisFlyer miles on your everyday spending and get introductory bonus points with a credit card linked to the Singapore Airlines frequent flyer program.
Find out if there are any credit card offers that let you earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Status for your eligible spending and learn more about how to reach Silver, Gold or Platinum Qantas status.
From flights and hotel stays to travel packages, gift cards and merchandise, here’s how to make the most of 100,000 Velocity Points based on your lifestyle and goals.
Discover how many Qantas or Velocity points you need to book or upgrade to a business class flight ticket.
Reward your spending with an air miles credit card and redeem points for your next flight.
I was going to apply for the new Qantas Premium Credit card but I need to have a Frequent Flyer card first, is that right?
Hi John,
Thanks for your question.
You can apply for this card even if you are not yet a member of the Qantas frequent flyer program. However, to receive points, you need to sign up for Qantas membership.
Cheers,
Anndy
Are there credit cards that are better to use when travelling? I used a credit card when I travelled previously and found the costs quite high.
Hi Eileen,
Thanks for your question and for getting in touch with Finder.
If you are considering other credit card options for your next trip, please refer to our Travel Credit Cards page.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Ysa
Hi, which frequent flyer card allows use of airline lounges? as well as accumulating points. Or is a different program (card) REQUIRED. Thanks Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Please see a list of credit cards which include free airline lounge access. You may also refer to a list of Frequent Flyer cards and other airline rewards. The airline lounges’ benefits will vary from card to card, generally possessing higher annual fees for the benefits.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Jonathan
My husband & I are on the aged pension so our income is under $35,000. We pay the majority of our bills on our ANZ QFF Visa card & pay the full balance each month so do not attract interest.
How can we switch to another card eg. Virgin which may be may be of more benefit to us?
Hi M,
Thanks for your question.
You can use our credit card comparison page for a range of credit cards that may be suited to your needs. If you would like to change your current credit card to another provider, you can close your existing account. You can call your card issuer and let them know you would like to close the account once it has been paid in full. Then apply for another card through the application links provided on our credit card review pages. If you have a balance on your current card, you can apply to transfer this balance to your new card under a balance transfer promotion.
I hope this has answered your question.
Cheers,
Jacob