In the market for a new credit card for earning Qantas frequent flyer points? Then get 2018 off to a rewarding start by taking advantage of one of these top deals – with up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points to be earned from a single card application, and over one million bonus points on the table from these offers alone.
Whether you prefer to bank with American Express, ANZ, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, Citibank, HSBC, NAB, Qantas Money, St. George or Westpac, chances are there’s a deal here for you.
1. American Express Platinum charge cards
Topping this month’s list is the American Express Platinum Business Card: offering a striking 120,000 bonus Qantas Points for new cardholders who apply by January 31 2018, pay a $1,500 annual fee and spend at least $5,000 on everyday business expenses within the first two months.
Those points are awarded as 120,000 Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points, which you can convert into Qantas Points at a 1:1 rate – and even if you don’t run your own business, AMEX’s personal Platinum Charge Card has a similar offer of 80,000 bonus Qantas Points.
Again, these are delivered as 80,000 Ascent Premium points: yours after paying a $1,200 annual fee and spending $1,500 on purchases within the first three months, while also earning up to three Ascent Premium points (three Qantas Points) per $1 spent, or up to two points per dollar spent on the business card.
2. AMEX Qantas Business Rewards, NAB Qantas Rewards Signature, Westpac Altitude Black
Close behind with offers of 100,000 bonus Qantas Points are the AMEX Qantas Business Rewards, NAB Qantas Rewards Visa Signature and Westpac Altitude Black AMEX+Mastercard credit cards – here’s how you can earn that bonus with each bank.
With American Express, business owners need to apply for the Qantas Business Rewards Card by January 31 2018, spend at least $3,000 on purchases within two months of card approval and pay an annual fee of $450, and can also collect up to 1.25 Qantas Points per dollar spent on everyday buys.
NAB’s offer for personal applicants instead asks that you apply by February 25 2018, pay a $395 annual fee and spend $3,000 on everyday purchases within 60 days of account opening. You can also earn up to one Qantas Point per $1 spent on the card up to $5,000 per month, but the earn rate drops on further spend.
Over at Westpac, the bank’s AMEX + Mastercard combo offers 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when applying by January 31 2018, choosing the ‘Altitude Qantas’ rewards option, paying a reduced annual fee of $250 and spending $5,000 on the card within 90 days of card approval.
Note that Westpac is making some changes to its Altitude Rewards credit cards in the coming months, including an increase to the Mastercard earning rate and a revamp of its American Express arrangements, which you can learn more about here.
3. St. George Amplify Signature Visa credit card
Add 90,000 bonus Qantas Points to your frequent flyer balance with the St. George Amplify Signature Visa credit card when you apply by April 18 2018, spend $5,000 on purchases within 90 days of card approval and pay a $279 annual fee, while also earning up to 0.825 Qantas Points per $1 spent.
That’s achieved when choosing ‘Amplify Qantas’ as your loyalty option, as you’ll initially collect 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent, plus a 10% ‘birthday bonus’ in the month of your birthday on all the points you’ve earned on the card over the past year, except for the sign-up offer.
The same bonus deal and earn rates also apply to the near-identical Bank of Melbourne Amplify Signature Visa and the BankSA Amplify Signature Visa credit cards, which, like St. George, are all subsidiaries of Westpac.
4. ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Visa, Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard
Each with an offer of 75,000 bonus Qantas Points, the ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Visa and the Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard put their best feet forward this month, with ANZ offering 75 bonus status credits as well – so here’s what you need to know.
With ANZ, you’ll earn those bonus points when you apply and spend $2,500 on eligible purchases within the first three months – with no annual fee to pay in the first year (a $425 saving) and an everyday earn rate of up to one Qantas Point per dollar spent.
ANZ cardholders can also unlock 75 bonus Qantas status credits when applying and being approved by January 24 2018, and then booking and taking a return Qantas flight by May 31 2018, which could help you climb through the Silver, Gold or Platinum tiers, or make it easier to keep your existing status level for another year.
Or, look to Qantas Money’s Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard for an easy 75,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply by January 31 2018, spend $3,000 or more on purchases within 90 days of card approval and pay a reduced annual fee of $149 in the first year ($299 thereafter).
Note that while Citibank’s Citi Qantas Prestige Visa credit card has a similar offer of 70,000 bonus Qantas Points for new customers, the card’s minimum income requirement of $150,000 p.a. and a minimum credit limit of $30,000 puts the product beyond the reach of most Australian workers.
5. ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum Visa
Speaking of income, while ANZ’s Frequent Flyer Black Visa requires cardholders to earn at least $75,000 per year, the bank’s Frequent Flyer Platinum Visa has a much more accessible threshold of $35,000, while still offering a reasonable sign-up bonus of 65,000 Qantas Points.
You’ll earn those points in the same way as ANZ’s Black credit card – spending $2,500 on eligible purchases in the first three months with no annual fee to pay in the first year (normally $295) – and you can also take home up to 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on purchases.
Other Platinum-grade credit cards with comparable offers of 60,000 bonus Qantas Points this month include the HSBC Platinum Qantas Visa (spend $3,000 within three months), St. George’s Amplify Platinum Visa (spend $3,000 within 90 days of card approval via ‘Amplify Qantas’), and Westpac Altitude Platinum (spend $3,000 within 90 days of card approval via ‘Altitude Qantas’).
