How to earn frequent flyer points with Netflix gift cards

Netflix doesn't have any direct deals for earning frequent flyer points in Australia. If you pay for your Netflix subscription with a credit card that earns frequent flyer points (there are lots to choose from), you'll score a handful of points each month. But you can earn far more points by taking advantage of bonus points deals from supermarkets

Both Coles' Flybuys and Woolworths' Everyday Rewards regularly offer bonus point bundles when you buy Netflix gift cards.

A typical deal offers either 1,000 or 2,000 bonus points with a Netflix gift card purchase, or a multiplier of 10x or 20x the dollar value of the card. For example, a $50 card with a 20x multiplier would earn 1,000 points.

What are those worth?

• 2,000 Everyday Rewards points convert to 1,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points.
• 2,000 Flybuys points convert to 1,000 Velocity Points.

By buying gift cards and using them to pay for Netflix, you can score a handy batch of extra points from one of your regular expenses.

Around 62% of Australians have a Netflix subscription, Finder research shows, so this is a great way to get more from that subscription.

To add the gift card credit to your account, simply head to your Netflix account page and use the "Redeem gift card or promo" option. Your gift card credit will always be used first. Once it runs out, your registered credit card will continue to pay for your monthly subscription.

Traps to watch out for

Make sure you don't lose out on points when using Netflix gift cards by following these tips:

• You can't buy multiple cards to score extra points. These offers generally limit bonus points offers to one per household during each campaign. Unfortunately, that means you can't score more points by buying extra cards (either for your own use or as an actual gift).
• Your gift card purchases won't earn extra Flybuys or Everyday Rewards points. Gift cards don't earn supermarket reward points in their own right. You'll score the bonus points if there's an active offer, but you won't earn points otherwise. It's worth remembering this if you're trying to take advantage of a targeted offer that promises bonus points if you spend a certain amount at a supermarket each week.
• Self-serve checkouts aren't your friend. In Woolworths, you can't buy gift cards at a self-serve checkout. You can in Coles, but a staff member will still need to authorise your purchase. So, generally, it's quicker to go to an express checkout.
• Remember to scan your loyalty card. If you don't scan your card prior to payment, you won't get the bonus points.
• Your points may not appear straight away. It typically takes a day or two for bonus points to show up in your card balance. After purchasing a card, hang onto your receipt until you've seen the points show up.
• Remember to convert your points. For both Everyday Rewards and Flybuys, you can opt in to automatically convert your points to frequent flyer points.

Making use of gift cards can help you reach your points goals sooner. To make the most of your Netflix subscription, check out our regular monthly round-up of what's new on Netflix and other streaming services.

Picture: Daniel Krason/Shutterstock

Finder survey: How often do Australians redeem their points for flights?