What is a Qantas credit card?
A Qantas credit card refers to a type of credit card that can earn you Qantas Frequent Flyer Points on each dollar spent on eligible purchases (e.g., everyday shopping). This type of credit card is often provided directly through Qantas Money (Qantas’ financial service provider) or via branded deals with partner providers (e.g., American Express’ Qantas Ultimate Card or ANZ’s Frequent Flyer Black card). These cards are also called Qantas Points credit cards or Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards.
How do Qantas credit cards work?
Depending on which Qantas credit card you have, you’ll earn a certain amount of points per dollar spent on eligible purchases of goods and services. You may also receive bonus Qantas Points (e.g., 90,000 points) when you sign-up for the card. These points are then added to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account, where you can redeem them for rewards like flights, travel upgrades, and purchases.
You’ll need to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn Qantas Points. If you’re not already a member, many cards with Qantas Points earning capabilities will offer complimentary membership. Alternatively, you may be able to get a free Qantas Frequent Flyer membership as part of your Everyday Rewards membership.
What is the best credit card for Qantas Points?
The best credit card for Qantas Frequent Flyer points often changes as Qantas makes different agreements with various credit card providers. When comparing Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards, you’ll generally want to look for one with a high earn rate and a large bonus point offer on sign-up. That said, these cards can come with high annual fees and interest rates and demand a minimum spend to earn bonus points–something to be wary of.
You can find some of the best Qantas credit cards for points by comparing the available options from our Online Partners in the table above. Use the filters to sort by both rewards points per dollar spent and sign-up bonus points to find products that suit your needs.
What are some features of Qantas credit cards?
Some of the features and benefits offered by Qantas credit cards are:
- The ability to earn Qantas Points: You’ll usually earn a certain number of points per dollar spent on eligible purchases. Point caps may apply though (i.e., one point earned per dollar spent up to $2,500 per statement period and then 0.3 points per dollar spent thereafter). Some Qantas credit cards may come with uncapped earning rates.
- Sign-up bonus Qantas Points: Many cards offer large amounts of bonus points for new customers. However, you’ll generally need to spend a certain amount of money in the first few months of having the card to receive them. A credit card provider may also exclude you from the offer if you’ve held a Qantas Points earning credit card with them in the past 12 to 24 months.
- Complimentary insurances: Some Qantas Frequent Flyer cards offer insurances like travel insurance and purchase protection to cardholders. It’s important to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for these policies to find out what you will and won’t be covered for and if limits apply.
- Qantas flight services: Depending on the card you have, you may be offered complimentary airport lounge access, flight discounts and travel credits, bonus Qantas Status Credits (which go towards determining your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership tier), and concierge services (i.e., assistance to help you search for and book accommodation, hire a car, and make dinner reservations while travelling).
What are some of the fees and interest rates on Qantas credit cards?
As Qantas credit cards are considered rewards credit cards, they’ll often come with higher annual fees and interest rates than regular credit cards. This is usually to offset the value you can potentially earn through the attached rewards program.
Here’s the average purchase rates and annual fees for Qantas credit cards on our database compared to the market average:
Qantas points cards
- Purchase rate: 20.91% p.a.
- Annual fee: $291.04
Market average
- Purchase rate: 17.83% p.a.
- Annual fee: $151.35
Source: www.canstar.com.au – 30/03/2026. Based on personal credit cards on Canstar’s database, excluding interest-free cards.
Some fees and interest rates you may be charged when using a Qantas credit card include:
- A percentage on any outstanding balance (one you carry over from your previous statement) charged as interest. The rate at which you’re charged is referred to as the purchase rate and is expressed as a percentage (e.g., 20.99% p.a.).
- Annual fees, which help cover the administrative costs of maintaining your credit card account.
- Cash advance fees, which you may incur if you withdraw money from an ATM using your card or transfer money from it to another account. This is usually a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the cash advance amount—whichever is greater.
- Late payment fees, if you don’t make your minimum credit card repayment on time.
- International transaction fees, if you make a purchase in a foreign currency. This fee is usually charged as a percentage of the transaction and may erode potential points earning returns. Some travel credit cards may not charge this fee.
- Balance transfer fee, if you’re moving your existing credit card balance onto a new Qantas credit card. It’s usually calculated as a percentage of the amount you transferred.
- Additional cardholder fees, if you want to add another cardholder to your account (like a spouse, child, or family member). Some credit card providers may allow additional cardholders for free.
You generally can’t earn Qantas points when paying fees or interest charges, or on balances you transfer.
How to compare Qantas credit cards to find the right one for you
When comparing different Qantas credit cards, consider:
- The purchase rate and annual fees, as well as other potential fees charged by the card.
- How many Qantas Points you earn per dollar spent. If your chosen card has a different rewards program attached, what is the conversion rate for those points when converting them to Qantas Points?
- How many sign-up bonus points will you receive and the terms and conditions required to receive them (for instance, a minimum spend or keeping the account open for a certain amount of time).
- What features does the card offer (these might include travel insurance, discounts and flight credits, or lounge access).
- If the product is rated by Canstar, what’s its Star Rating? 5-Star rated products are those we’ve found offer outstanding value to Australian consumers.
What should you know before applying for a Qantas credit card?
- Qantas Points credit cards often come with high annual fees and interest rates
- You must have an active Qantas Frequent Flyer account to earn the Qantas Points associated with the card. Many Qantas Points credit card providers will offer free membership to the program when you sign up for the card.
- These cards will generally only earn you Qantas Points, which means you’re limited to where and how you can redeem them (e.g., with Qantas’ partner airlines or through Qantas Marketplace). You may be able to convert your Qantas Points into a different airline’s points in order to expand the partner airlines you have access to, but they may lose value during this conversion.
- If you’ve recently held a credit card with a provider offering sign-up bonus points, you may be ineligible for the current offer. This is often done to dissuade customers from points churning.
- Cards like these often require that you earn a minimum income and you’ll generally need to be an Australian permanent resident or citizen to be eligible.
- While points churning has become a popular practice with rewards credit cards, it can also hurt your credit score. Each time you apply for a credit card, the provider will make a hard enquiry into your credit history, with this being noted on your credit report. Making too many credit card applications in a short period of time may suggest that you’re desperate for credit and could lead to your application being denied.
How many Qantas Points will I earn with a credit card?
This will depend on the card you choose, its points earning rate, any sign-up bonus points you receive, as well as your own spending habits. Most cards offer points for every dollar spent on eligible goods and services, with some offering higher rates when making certain purchases (like international spending or buying Qantas-specific products).
There are also services like Sniip and RewardPay that allow you to pay your bills using your points-earning credit card. It’s important to note these platforms often charge fees which may erode the value of any points you earn.
What are eligible purchases?
Everyday shopping with a relevant credit card will earn Qantas Points, but some card providers may deem certain transactions ineligible. Common exclusions include interest, fees and charges, cash advances, and balance transfers.
What are the best ways to earn Qantas Points with a credit card?
- Moving your everyday expenses (including direct debits) and other eligible purchases over to the card, rather than putting them on your debit card, is usually a good way to earn points. However, you’ll need to pay off your statement balance in full each period or incur interest. It’s also worth keeping in mind that credit card surcharges can erode the value of the points you’re earning.
- Look at your card’s points earning rates, as you may earn higher points per dollar spent on certain goods and services. Though, changing your spending habits to chase higher earning rates may not be worth it, as the value of any extra spending may outweigh the additional points you’re receiving.
- As many of the sign-up bonus point offers require you to spend a certain amount of money on the card within the first few months, it may be wise to apply for the card when you have large expenses coming up. That way you’re not spending more for the sake of earning bonus points.
- If your card doesn’t earn Qantas Points directly, but instead earns points for a different rewards program, consider converting the points you are earning to Qantas Points. Remember, though, your points may lose value when you convert them.
What’s the best way to redeem Qantas credit card points?
Using your Qantas Points to book Qantas Classic Rewards or Classic Plus flights or request class upgrades usually generates the best value for points. It’s also worth keeping an eye on Qantas’ partner airlines, which may allow you to redeem your points on a larger variety of airlines, flights, and destinations.
If you’re not interested in redeeming your Qantas Points for flights, you can also use them to shop via the Qantas Marketplace. However this can offer less dollar-per-point value.
How can you pay with a Qantas credit card?
Qantas credit cards work much the same as any other credit card. You’ll typically be given a physical card that you can use to make purchases. Many providers also offer digital payment options, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, which can allow you to make purchases with your card using your phone or smartwatch.
Who would suit a Qantas credit card?
If you’re considering a Qantas Frequent Flyer credit card, first ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you pay your closing statement balance in full each month? Interest rates on frequent flyer credit cards are often around 20% p.a. or more, which is considerably higher than non-rewards credit cards.
- Do you want to earn points to redeem for flights or flight upgrades?
- Are you already a Qantas Frequent Flyer member or keen to sign up?
A Qantas Frequent Flyer credit card might not be the best option if you:
- rarely pay off your credit card balance in full each statement period,
- only plan to use your credit card occasionally, or;
- only want to redeem points for other items like cashback, gift cards, and shopping vouchers, not flights. Redeeming your points in this way typically doesn’t offer as much value as using them for flights.
If you’re likely to carry debt on your credit card, the interest you pay will likely outweigh the value of the points and benefits earned. You may want to consider a low rate credit card or credit card with no annual fee instead.
Who is eligible for a Qantas credit card?
In order to be eligible for a Qantas credit card you’ll probably need to:
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold an eligible visa
- Live in Australia and have an Australian address
- Meet the provider’s credit assessment criteria – this may mean providing proof of employment and income and listing your current debts and living expenses.
How to apply for a Qantas credit card
You should be able to apply for a Qantas credit card like you would any other. As for the application itself, you can follow this five-step process:
- Step 1: Compare
Evaluate your financial situation and compare your options from the table above to help find the right card for your needs.
- Step 2: Apply
Begin the application process in your chosen way, be it online, by phone, or in person.
- Step 3: Provide details
Demonstrate your eligibility by supplying the provider with relevant personal and financial information.
- Step 4: Customise
Consider if you’ll need additional cardholders or a higher/lower credit limit, for instance.
- Step 5: Wait
Wait to hear back from the provider to see if you’re successful.