Qantas credit cards

What is the best Qantas credit card?

There isn't one best card for everyone, so we've looked at different cards on the market to pick out 4 popular offers with everything from bonus points to $0 annual fees.

• Qantas Amex Ultimate Card - Qantas Points per $1 spent
• ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Credit Card - Bonus Qantas Points
• Qantas Amex Discovery Card - Qantas Points and $0 annual fee
• Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard - Bonus Qantas Points and travel features

• Methodology: How we chose these cards

  Every month, Finder's experts examine over 250 cards in our database. To determine Finder's pick of Qantas credit cards, we narrow it down to cards available through Finder that earn Qantas Points and have introductory bonus point offers or $0 annual fees. The other key factors we consider are:

  • The amount of bonus points offered (the more points, the higher the ranking)
  • Bonus point spend requirements
  • The annual fee details
  • The points earned per $1 on eligible spending
  • The value of points, based on reward examples and/or Finder’s analysis of how much Qantas Points are worth
  • The terms for interest-free days on purchases
  • The interest rate for purchases

  In addition to the key factors, we may consider any additional features or introductory offers that are relevant and have the potential to offer further value.

  Keep in mind: Our top picks may not always be best for you. Based on your situation, you may find certain features to be more or less important, so compare your options before you apply.

Pros and cons of Qantas credit cards

My standard metric for assessing points value is how much value you get for every 1,000 points you spend. For a London to Sydney business class upgrade I got in August 2023, that worked out at $58.50 per 1,000 Qantas Points. It’s really hard to do better than that.

Angus Kidman, Finder’s editor-at-large
Why my $7,653 Qantas Business Class upgrade is such a great points deal

How to compare and choose a Qantas credit card

Bonus points and sign-up offers

You can get a lot of value from sign-up bonus points and other offers when you choose a new card. Just make sure you know what you need to do to collect the points – and remember to look at the card's interest rate and annual fee.

Points per $1 spent

As a general guide, 1 Qantas Point per $1 is usually seen as a good earn rate.

Qantas credit card travel perks

Choose a platinum or higher tier credit card and you can get valuable extras, such as:

• Airport lounge access
• Complimentary travel insurance
• Concierge services
• Flight or travel credit
• Exclusive Qantas offers, such as discounted companion fares or Qantas Club membership

Rates and fees

The cost of any credit card will help you decide if the points and perks are worth it. The main ones to check are:

• Annual fee. Typically ranges from $49 to $450. Some cards offer waived or reduced annual fees in the first year or ongoing (but these options are limited).
• Purchase interest rate. Qantas credit cards charge interest rates ranging from 17% to 22%.
• International transaction fee. This fee is around 2-3% of any overseas transactions, including when you shop online with international retailers.

Eligibility

Every card has different eligibility criteria. But because Qantas credit card fees and interest rates are higher than some standard cards, you usually need to have at least a good credit score.

With bonus point offers, you also usually need to be a new customer. For example, with American Express, in order to get a bonus points offer you cannot hold or have held another Amex credit card within the last 18 months.

Types of Qantas credit cards

Just like there are different tiers in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, there are different levels of credit cards you can choose from.

The annual fees and points per $1 spent can vary a lot, even between different levels of credit cards. But in general, the points and perks you get from a Qantas credit card increase in higher tiers and so does the annual fee.

How to get the most from a Qantas credit card

A Qantas credit card can be worth it if you pay off your credit card as you go and get enough value from the points and perks to justify any annual fee.

Otherwise, this type of card probably isn't worth it, as the interest and fees you'll pay will eat up any rewards value.

Qantas Points value

Flights and flight upgrades with Qantas or a partner airline usually give you the most value for your points compared to other rewards. And you can fly to over 1,200 destinations.

With that in mind, here are some examples of how much your points are worth based on different rewards in 2023:

• How we worked out these examples

  We used the Qantas Points Calculator on the Qantas website to check the points needed for different flights.

  We then searched for flights on those routes through the Qantas website, choosing dates at least 6 months in advance. We chose Economy Saver and Business Saver fares for each flight route to get the estimated costs, as of our search on 1 August 2023.

  The gift card reward is based on Qantas Marketplace details on 1 August 2023.

3 tips to get Qantas flight rewards

1. Plan ahead. Frequent flyer reward seats get sold out quickly. For the best availability, start looking around 11-12 months in advance.
2. Build up status. Platinum and Gold Qantas Frequent Flyer status gives you a better chance of getting reward seats and upgrades. Flying with Qantas and partners is the main way to get Status Credits but sometimes credit cards and other products will also offer updates.
3. Remember fees and taxes. Reward flights have separate taxes, fees and carrier charges that you need to pay for. These vary depending on the flight but if it's overseas, you should budget at least $200 per fare – and keep in mind it could be more if you're travelling further.

Points hacking: How does it work?

Some dedicated Qantas Points chasers will choose a card based on the bonus points offer, keep it for a while and then look for another sign-up offer.

This strategy is known as credit card churning and is used to get as much value as possible out of introductory offers. But it does come with risks:

• Every card you apply for adds to your credit report
• Too many applications in a short time can hurt your credit score
• If you carry a balance on any card, you'll have to pay interest – not to mention all the annual fees

Credit card companies also have strategies to counter churning. For example, by spreading the bonus point requirements out over more than 12 months or by limiting offers to new cardholders.

Bottom line? Churning can be a simple way to get a lot of Qantas Points. But keeping a card for at least 12 months is less likely to raise red flags for lenders.

Frequently asked questions

• Which Qantas credit card earns the most points?

  As of 28 September 2023, the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card has the highest direct earn rate for Qantas Points in Australia at 1.25 points per $1 on everyday purchases, uncapped. It charges a $450 annual fee and offers a yearly $450 travel credit.

  The Qantas Premier Titanium also earns 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, but this is capped at $12,500 a month for eligible spending in Australia (0.5 points per $1 after that). It charges a $1,200 annual fee and offers a 10% discount on Qantas operated flights for up to 2 bookings per year.

• How long does it take to get Qantas Points from a credit card?

  The points you earn on a Qantas credit card are usually added to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account each month, around the time you get your credit card statement.

  If you've earned bonus Qantas Points, these will usually be added to your frequent flyer account within 8 to 12 weeks of meeting a spend requirement.

• Can I earn bonus points for signing up and then cancel it?

  If you meet the criteria for the bonus points, once they are credited to your account, you can cancel your credit card at any time. Just remember that you'll need to pay off the account balance before you cancel it.

• How much would I have to spend to get a free flight?

  You need at least 8,000 Qantas Points for a Classic Flight Reward, which would mean spending at least $8,000 on a card that earned 1 point per $1. On a card that earned 0.5 points per $1, you'd need to spend at least $16,000. So it depends on your earn rate and spending.

  But if you get a card with bonus points, you might need to spend $3,000 to $6,000 in the first few months to get enough points for a longer flight.

• Do Qantas Points expire?

  Qantas Points only expire if you do not earn or spend Qantas Points for 18 consecutive months. This means paying with a Qantas credit card is one way to avoid points expiring, because you'll earn Qantas Points per $1 spent. Check out Finder's guide to points expiry for more information and how you can avoid having your points expire.

• Does Qantas have its own credit card?

  Yes, there are 3 credit cards from Qantas Money that you can compare. In the 2023 Finder Credit Card Provider Customer Satisfaction Awards, our survey found that 73% of Qantas Money customers would recommend it as a provider.

  Other banks and credit card issuers in Australia also offer cards that are linked to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

• Are there Qantas credit cards with no annual fee?

  As of 28 September 2023, both the American Express Qantas Discovery Card and BankVic Qantas Visa have ongoing $0 annual fees. The CommBank Smart Awards and Ultimate Awards credit cards with Qantas Points also offer a monthly fee waiver when you meet a spend requirement.