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A Velocity credit card gives you a way to earn points for every eligible $1 you spend. Some of these credit cards also have big bonus point offers when you sign up. In the table below, we've also included cards that earn points you can transfer to Velocity.
All you have to do to get started is add your Velocity Frequent Flyer membership details to your credit card account – usually you're asked to do this when you apply.
Then, when you use a Velocity credit card to pay for groceries, food delivery, a new outfit or any other eligible transaction, you'll get a set number of points per $1 spent. For example, if you got a card that offered 1 Velocity Point per $1 and spent $200 at the supermarket, you'd get 200 Velocity Points.
You can earn Velocity Points on most everyday spending, including food and drinks, travel bookings and even medical appointments. While it varies between cards, transactions that don't usually earn points include cash advances, balance transfers, gambling transactions and BPAY payments.
There are actually two ways to earn Velocity Points with a credit card: by earning Velocity Points directly or by transferring reward points to your frequent flyer account. Here's a closer look at how each one works:
These cards earn Velocity Points that are automatically transferred to your frequent flyer account. Currently, American Express, BOQ Specialist, Virgin Money and Westpac all offer these "direct earn" Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards.
With these cards, you can transfer points from a credit card rewards program into your Velocity account. You can also redeem points for other rewards offered directly through the credit card rewards program.
Credit card providers that give you this option include American Express, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, HSBC, St.George, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, Citi, Suncorp Bank and Bank of Queensland. When you're comparing these cards, check the transfer rate (how many Velocity Points you'll get from a transfer), as it does vary.
Take it further: If you get a card that offers point transfers, keep an eye out for transfer bonus offers that can add to your Velocity Frequent Flyer balance. For example, you could get a 15% bonus when you transfer rewards points to Velocity Points during an offer period.
If you want a rewards credit card that earns Velocity Points, looking at these features will help you find one that suits your needs:
You can get Reward Seat flights from 7,800 Velocity Points, not including carrier charges that are billed separately. For example, this is enough for a one-way economy flight from Sydney to Melbourne. Below are a few other examples to give you an idea of the points you'd need for a return flight:
This means a competitive Velocity credit card bonus points offer will give you enough points for a reward flight (or flights). You'll find more examples and tips on redeeming points in Finder's guide to the Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
Here are some of the ways you could maximise the Velocity Points you earn with a frequent flyer credit card:
Status Credits help you reach higher Velocity membership tiers that unlock bigger benefits like priority boarding, Virgin Australia airport lounge passes and additional baggage.
Flying is the main way to earn Status Credits but there are a couple of other ways – including Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards that have bonus Status Credits offers. For example, a card might offer 100 Velocity Status Credit when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. It's rare to find a Velocity credit card that also offers Status Credits, so it is a competitive feature.
The maximum number of Velocity Points you can earn with your credit card will depend on the card's bonus points offer and earn rate, plus how much you spend. When you're looking at Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards, you can use these factors to get an idea of how many points you'll earn each month.
The table below has examples for two Velocity credit cards to give you an idea of how it works.
| Card costs and monthly spend | American Express Velocity Platinum Card | Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $375 p.a. | $289 p.a. |
| Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases | 1.25 points per $1 (0.5 points per $1 with government bodies in Australia). Plus 1 additional point per $1 for eligible Virgin Australia purchases. | 1 point per $1 up to 8,000 points per month, then 0.5 points per $1 for the remainder of that statement period. |
| Groceries – $500 | 625 Velocity Points | 500 Velocity Points |
| Fuel – $200 | 250 Velocity Points | 200 Velocity Points |
| Streaming/subscriptions – $40 | 50 Velocity Points | 40 Velocity Points |
| Phone – $100 | 125 Velocity Points | 100 Velocity Points |
| Dining out – $200 | 250 Velocity Points | 200 Velocity Points |
| Virgin Australia – $500 | 1,125 Velocity Points | 500 Velocity Points |
| Entertainment – $100 | 125 Velocity Points | 100 Velocity Points |
| Total Velocity Points earned per month | 2,550 Velocity Points | 1,640 Velocity Points |
From these examples, we can see that even a small difference in the earn rate can have a big impact on how many points you earn, so it's very important to compare credit cards before you apply. In this case, the American Express card would earn 910 Velocity Points more per month – which could mean an extra 10,920 points per year compared to the Virgin Australia card.
But there are a few key points to think about:
Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards can be a smart way to get more frequent flyer rewards from your everyday purchases. With so many different costs, earn rates and other perks available, comparing a range of Velocity credit cards will help you find one you want.
