Frequent Flyer Credit Card Background

Frequent flyer credit cards

Are you a travel lover looking to get further with the right frequent flyer credit card? The table below displays some of the highest-rated frequent flyer credit cards from our online partners.

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  • Star Rating - lowest first
  • Star Rating - highest first
  • Airline points per $1 - lowest first
  • Airline points per $1 - highest first
  • Annual fee - lowest first
  • Annual fee - highest first
  • Interest free days - lowest first
  • Interest free days - highest first
BONUS
Get 100000 Velocity Points once you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months... 
#
Tooltip icon
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
1.25 Glossary
Virgin Glossary
$375 Glossary
55 Glossary
BONUS
Get 60000 Qantas Points once you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of card approval... 
#
Tooltip icon
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
1.25 Glossary
Qantas Glossary
$450 Glossary
44 Glossary
BONUS
Get 180000 Rewards Points and $150 back to your new card once you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of card approval... 
#
Tooltip icon
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
1.00 Glossary
Virgin Glossary
$320 Glossary
55 Glossary
BONUS
Get 50000 Rewards Points once you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months... 
#
Tooltip icon
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
1.00 Glossary
Virgin Glossary
$395 Glossary
55 Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
0.75 Glossary
Virgin Glossary
$0 Glossary
55 Glossary
Features Glossary
  • icon Travel insurance
  • icon Points never expire
  • icon Airline lounge access more
  • icon 0% currency conversion fee
  • icon Fraud protection
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
0.75 Glossary
Qantas Glossary
$0 Glossary
44 Glossary

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Annual fee (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

How do frequent flyer credit cards work?

Frequent flyer credit cards allow you to earn points on your eligible everyday spending. Credit cards are linked to airline programs such as Qantas and Velocity frequent flyer. You can earn points per dollar spent using the credit card. These points are then transferred into your frequent flyer account.

Frequent flyer credit cards can also come with extra perks, such as complimentary travel insurance and lounge access. The trade-off is they usually charge higher annual fees and interest rates.

Frequently Asked Questions about Frequent Flyer Credit Cards

It depends on how you will use your credit card. If you will regularly use your credit card and will pay it off in full each month, the benefits you can get from the card could offset the annual fee or even exceed it. But if you rarely use your card or are likely to carry a balance on your card month to month, the cost of having the card could be greater than the potential benefits.

A frequent flyer credit card can be a good way to earn some extra points, but they are usually more expensive than non-rewards credit cards. Here are some of the potential pros and cons.

Pros

  • Earning points. The main benefit of a frequent flyer credit card is that you can earn points on your eligible everyday spending. These points are added to your frequent flyer account and can be redeemed for things like flights, upgrades, shopping and more.
  • Extra features. Frequent flyer credit cards can also come with extra features like complimentary insurance and lounge access.
  • Bonus offers. Many cards offer bonus frequent flyer points for new customers. You will usually need to spend a certain amount within the first few months of having the card.

Cons

  • Higher annual fees and interest rates. Frequent flyer credit cards usually charge higher annual fees and interest rates than non-rewards credit cards. This means they will be more expensive, particularly if you don’t pay off your balance in full each month.
  • Points conditions. You will only earn points on your eligible spending and providers may also put caps on the number of points you can earn. The value of the points you earn can also vary across different frequent flyer schemes.
  • Temptation to overspend. A frequent flyer credit card may encourage you to spend more to get more points, which can lead to overspending.

If you’ve decided to get a frequent flyer credit card, here are some factors to look at when comparing cards:

  • What is the earn rate? This is the number of points you can earn per dollar spent. Some credit cards have different earn rates for different types of spend. It’s also important to check if there are any points caps on the number of points you can earn per statement period.
  • Are there any bonus offers? Many frequent flyer credit cards offer bonus points for new customers. However, you will usually need to spend a certain amount within the first few months of having the card. So check whether you’re likely to spend this much and be careful of overspending.
  • How much is the annual fee? There are a handful of frequent flyer credit cards with no annual fee, but in general the fee will be higher than other credit cards. To work out whether the annual fee is worth the cost, consider the number of frequent flyer points you could earn, the value of these points and any additional features you can get.
  • What is the interest rate? Frequent flyer credit cards also tend to charge higher interest rates. So it’s important to keep this in mind if you may not pay your balance in full every month.
  • Are there any extra features? Your card may offer extra features like complimentary insurances and lounge access. Check what is available and whether this would help offset the annual fee.

Most everyday purchases will be eligible purchases. There are some purchases that won’t be eligible to earn points, as outlined by the credit card provider. Some common examples include interest, fees and charges, cash advances and balance transfers.

Explore further→ 8 hacks that could help you earn more frequent flyer points

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Canstar Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards

Looking for an award-winning credit card product or to switch providers or brands? Canstar rates products based on price and features in our Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards. Our expert Research team shares insights about which products offer 5-Star value and which providers offer outstanding value overall.

Canstar rates a range of financial products, covering banking, insurance and investment. We also reveal which providers have the most satisfied customers in our dedicated Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards

About our finance experts

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

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Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right credit card for them.

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Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

The Credit Cards Star Ratings are updated daily based on product features at that date, except for the Overseas Travel profile which is updated annually. Current rates, product features and fees are displayed and may be different to what was rated. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. Depending on which card feature/use you are looking at, the results will be sorted as follows:

  • Low fee is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Rewards is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Frequent Flyer is sorted by Star Ratings, then highest airline points per dollar, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Balance Transfer is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest balance transfer rate, then lowest rate for the longest period, then lowest revert rate, then lowest upfront fee, and then alphabetically by brand. Please note that Balance Transfer Star Ratings are not for balance transfer suitability but are instead based on the Low Rate profile. 
  • All card types is sorted by highest Points per dollar spent, then lowest Annual fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Overseas Travel is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest currency conversion on purchases, then lowest annual fee.

 

You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Credit Cards Star Rating Methodology and our Travel Credit Card and Travel Debit Card Star Ratings Methodology. The Occasional Overseas Traveller rating is shown in the table. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products. 

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. Canstar provides information about credit products. We’re not suggesting or recommending a particular credit product for you. If you decide to apply for a Credit Card, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar. It’s important you check rates and product information directly with the provider. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.

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